1 Topic by arnew (edited by arnew 2008-05-30 04:59:27)

  • arnew
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Topic: HDSPe Madiface analoge out

I plan to purchase a HDSPe Madiface, the Madi PCI Express Card for laptops for my Micstasy w/Madi option.
I noticed there are no analoge out on the card.
What would be the solution for monitoring / headphones using this card on laptops??

Regards
Arne

  • Knut
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Re: HDSPe Madiface analoge out

With the Micstasy any D/A converter with ADAT or AES/EBU I/O will do it (ADI-2, ADI-8 ...). The Micstasy provides the ability of 8 channels being used as digital return path, sending audio via MADI to the Micstasy's ADAT and AES outputs.

A good solution is also the ADI-642 with a dedicated headphone out or the ADI-8 QSM.

best regards
Knut

3 Reply by arnew (edited by arnew 2008-05-30 09:27:03)

  • arnew
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Re: HDSPe Madiface analoge out

I use up to 150 meter MADI cable, how to I make the ADAT or AES/EBU return when recoding on remote locations? I need monitoring at my Laptop site.

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Re: HDSPe Madiface analoge out

See MC's reply here.
The 642 is a good solution.

Regards,
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • arnew
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Re: HDSPe Madiface analoge out

I see, but it is an very expensive solution to get a monitor / headphone solution when you don`t need the other features. Why did`nt RME add an analoge out on the Madiface as you did on the MADI HDSPe card which seems to me as an obvious and mandatory minimum requirement for the Laptop environment? Any alternative recommendations?

  • Knut
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Re: HDSPe Madiface analoge out

Why did`nt RME add an analoge out on the Madiface as you did on the MADI HDSPe card

Sorry, as posted in the other thread, there are a lot of technical and still unresolved problems. Such a solution would be much more complex and much more expensive.

best regards
Knut

7 Reply by arnew (edited by arnew 2008-05-31 08:57:30)

  • arnew
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Re: HDSPe Madiface analoge out

Hmmm, maybe a PCI cardbus to Magma expansion will work, and then use HDSPe MADI card in the Magma box?
http://www.magma.com/products/pciexpress/index.html

  • obmun
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Re: HDSPe Madiface analoge out

Nobody knows better all the technical details than Matthias.

I was thinking on the, apparently at first sight, "simple" solution of adding a single SPDIF / AES (or ADAT) input / output which would allow the connection of an external "cheap" converter (like an ADI-2). But I'm sure this has been already evaluated by the minds behind RME. This would not only allow monitoring but also talkback for a relative low cost for us the end users.

But even this solution might be tricky, as clock sync and other functions would have to be implemented in the FPGA (inside the ExpressCard (1)), and RME might be already resource limited (and even space or heat limited due to the ExpressCard specs)! There are a lot of channels to freely route and mix there! Maybe next year, when Xilinx releases an improved Virtex smile we see a rev.2

The other option would be for RME to release a new ADI-2 with MADI support big_smile. That would be NICE. As Mr. Flock said in the interview, in the near future MADI will be everywhere. Let's hope so.

(1) As MC suggested on the other thread, it seems that MADI data is just passed thru the firewire cable to the madiface express card where the "real" processing takes place.