• Registered: 2019-02-14
  • Posts: 148

Topic: Confused about my options for 9632 extensions...

Okay, so I'm a bit confused and need clarification: I own the PCI 9632 and would like to know the difference between these:
I4S-192 and AO4S-192
AEB4-I and AEB8-I
AEB4-O and AEB8-O

Now according to the manual, my PCI card can take any of those cards. The question is: Will I get the same amount of extra inputs and outputs, or will one or the other "steal" channels from some of the other inputs/outputs? According to the manual, it only talks about the I4S and AO4S as actually "adding channels to what you currently have" and those have the multi-pinned flat cable that clearly is there to connect on the 9632. BUT, why would I not rather just go for the AEB8 and get the 8 inputs and outputs, rather than either AEB4 or I4S/AO4S ?

Bascially I need someone to explain this whole mess in laments terms: Can I run 1 AEB8-I and one I4S and get 12 independent inputs connected to the same 9632 PCI card? If so what's the benifit of the I4S versus getting the AEB8, if you're not gonna use more than 44/48k anyways and don't care if it's balanced or unbalanced signal but just want more I/O at the lowest cost? And the same question goes with the output cards...

I'm looking at these extension cards on the used market but though there are many especially in Germany of course, they're not wanting to part with them for cheap, so I'd rather be sure before plunging on expensive addon's that I can't get my money back on, if it's at the expense of something otherwise valuable in my chain of ins and outs, or if it turns out the card can't use that addon for much anyway, if I'm already utilizing the adat/spdif I/O that the PCI card already has coming out the back......

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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Re: Confused about my options for 9632 extensions...

AI4S-192 and AO4S-192 add channels to your card without compromising anything else.

The others use the internal ADAT connection and blocks use of this input, for the output it's shared (exp card and ADAT out get the same signal).

You could add one Ax4S and one AEB for inputs, and the same again for outputs.

The Ax4S are matched to the HDSP 9632 converter, the AEB is not so timing and audio performance will be slightly different.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

3 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2019-02-15 20:44:04)

  • ramses
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Re: Confused about my options for 9632 extensions...

Flexibility is not always easy to understand wink
It sounds to me that the analog expansion boards give you 4 additional servosymmetric channels.
The other expansion boards use the internal ADAT connector and by this I assume you loose ADAT.
See handbook ch 6.2 "ADAT ...."
There seem to be two flavours of cards
a) AEB4-I or AEB8-I, highest sample rate 48 kHz, you need to connect internal WC
b) TDIF Expansion Board, highest sample rate 96 kHz

Meanwhile Jeff answered, thanks Jeff for explaining :-)

So I think getting the AI4S-192 AIO und AO4S-192 AIO is the way to go, as
- you do not loose your ADAT port and
- the 4 servosymmetric inputs and outputs are clock synchronized
Limitations: limits your sample rate to 48 kHz but is clock synchronized with the other ports of the card.

With the TDIF based card up to 8 channels you loose the ADAT ports, your audio is not clock synchronized,
but you can go up to 96 kHz.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2019-02-14
  • Posts: 148

Re: Confused about my options for 9632 extensions...

Ok thanks so much guys, ya I expected this but was just hoping otherwise since the manual was quite vague on this point..I'm currently only using the digital (red laser light) ADAT in/out for stereo, so basically using them as s/pdif, but it sounds like it would be wise for me to only get the AI4S-192 AIO and AO4S-192

Cheers