ProAudio Review - December 2008 - (Page 34)

studio review by Ty Ford RME ADI-8 QS A/D-D/A Converter So far, my hot-rodded PT|LE system has brought lots of compliments and, most importantly, more than paid for itself. Naturally, I was eager to evaluate RME’s latest 8-channel converter: the ADI-8 QS. Features The RME ADI-8 QS is a step up in functionality, and in price, from the DS; the QS replaces the DS’s TDIF multi-pin with AES/EBU. In addition, for about $1k more than the DS, the QS’s basic features include eight channels of servo-balanced, isolated A/D and D/A conversion with less than 12 samples (.25 mS at 48K) of latency; up to four analog reference levels (-10 to + 20); 8-channel operation at single, double or quad speed Aux ports for a 7.1 monitor mix. Input and output levels can be changed globally or individually by accessing the setup menu. If you aren’t a fan of mixing in the box and prefer to mix from your DAW through an analog console, multiple QS chassis can be linked for more channels, or the 64-channel MADI option may be employed. The analog limiter can be pushed to achieve as much as 20 dB of gain reduction. The unit then behaves more like an effects box and A/D-D/A converter. I found no parameter adjustments for the analog limiter, but the digital limiter offers four ratio curves from 1.5-1 to 5-1 for denser audio. Superclock is not supported, but RME’s SteadyClock purports to surpass Superclock performance and selectable 75-Ohm up to 192 kHz; two ADAT optical I/O for eight channels up to 96 kHz; word clock I/O; MIDI I/O; digital input/output trim of 6 dB per I/O; analog and/or digital limiting; optional MADI I/O with delay compensation; hardware remote for store and recall of volume; and full remote control via either MIDI, MADI, or Windows PC. A Mac interface has been mentioned, but no firm release date has been set. In Use For your studio, this robust feature set could be the perfect fit, overkill, or may allow you to do things you hadn’t thought of doing before. For example, in single-speed mode, you can output two identical 8-track digital streams via the ADAT main and input termination is a handy feature. The clocking circuit also acts as a re-shaper, and RME suggests throughput of clock signals to devices in series rather than using T-connectors at the input. Finally, signal level metering has been expanded in comparison to the DS; the QS shows eight LEDs per input and output (continued on page 56) Fast Facts Applications Studio or mobile recording Key Features 8-channel, low-latency A/D and D/A conversion up to 192 kHz, 24-bit, analog and digital gain reduction, highly accurate, re-shaping SteadyClock, four analog input and output levels, individual channel gain controls, optional 64-channel MADI interface. Price $2,899 list ($3,668 w/MADI option) Contact Synthax | 330-259-0308 | www.synthax.com Product Points Low-latency, low-jitter A/D and D/A converters Flexible I/O Solid clock No TDIF I/O Scoreand lots of$3k forfeatures to boot?ofWhat’s not to Almost eight channels really good A/D and D/A nice like? Ty Ford has been writing for Pro Audio Review since its first issue. www.tyford.com 34 ProAudioReview | December 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.synthax.com http://www.tyford.com http://www.proaudioreview.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ProAudio Review - December 2008

ProAudio Review - December 2008 Contents Technically Speaking New Studio Products Opinion: Mastering Matters Review: BIAS Peak Pro XT 6 Review: Zaxcom Fusion ENG Mixer and Multitrack Recorder Review: Sound Devices 788T 8-Track Digital Audio Recorder Review: Universal Audio UAD-2 Solo DSP Accelerator Review: Chandler Limited Germanium Compressor Review: RME ADI-8 QS A/D-D/A Converter Feature: Converters and Clocks: Engineers on Their Choices New Live Products Opinion: From the Road Review: Yamaha IM8 Series Mixing Consoles Review: NTI Digirator DR2 Digital Audio Signal Generator Review: Sencore SoundPro SP495 Audio Consultant Test Set Single Slice

ProAudio Review - December 2008

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