The number of digital audio interfaces already on the market is staggering, and more are being released every day. Many of these systems have been previously available in similar forms; nearly all of the current incarnations provide newly affordable 24-bit, and in some cases, 96 kHz or higher audio capability. Although some products are designed to work on a single computer platform, it is common to find cross-platform interfaces.
Some systems are simply PCI cards; products of this nature are generally cross-platform and incorporate a breakout cable to provide audio and MIDI I/O. Other systems feature a PCI card and an accompanying hardware interface. These often house their A/D/A converters in the interface, reducing the potential for induced noise, which can be a problem when converters are used in proximity to computer circuitry.
One of the few completely new interfaces that has just been released is the Mykerinos ($1,995) from Merging Technologies, a PCI card interface that uses a Philips Trimedia VLIW processor and can handle up to 64 channels of simultaneous I/O (at sample rates of 44.1 or 48 kHz). This is accomplished using Merging Technologies' MADI daughterboard, which ships with the Mykerinos and piggybacks onto the card using a 64-pin connector. This setup takes up only one PCI slot. The daughterboard comes with your choice of coaxial electric or optical digital I/O. Daughterboards with FireWire and AES/EBU I/O are also being developed.
The card can handle audio at 16-, 24-, and 32-bit depths and sample rates of 32, 44.1, 48, 64, 88.2, 96, 128, 176.4, and 192 kHz. The MADI daughterboard card has a BNC connector, and you can program the connector to be used for word clock input or output, allowing the Mykerinos system to work as a clock master or as a slave. The system can also read and generate LTC and VITC for video post-production.
Up to eight Mykerinos cards can be used simultaneously. To use this system, you'll need a Pentium II or Celeron 300 MHz processor with 64 MB RAM and Windows NT 4.0. Merging Technologies; tel. (847) 272-0500; e-mail info@merging.com; Web www.merging.com.
Other recently introduced card-only interfaces include the Siena ($699) from SEK'D, the WaveCenter/PCI ($389) from Frontier Design Group, and the Wave/424 ($299) and Wave/496 ($399) from Gadget Labs. The SEK'D Siena has eight channels of analog I/O, all on unbalanced RCA connectors. The card is capable of converting the analog signal up to 24-bit, 96 kHz digital audio. In addition, there are two MIDI In and two MIDI Out connectors, providing up to 16 channels of MIDI I/O. Audio and MIDI connectors are housed on the breakout cable.
The Siena ships with SEK'D Samplitude Pro (an 8-track version of the company's flagship multitrack audio-recording software) and a DirectX-compatible mixer with a real-time reverb plug-in. SEK'D America; tel. (800) 330-7753 or (707) 578-2023; fax (707) 578-2025; e-mail info@sekd.com; Web www.sekd.com.
Frontier's WaveCenter/PCI is a card that provides 8-channel ADAT Optical input and output and 16-channel MIDI I/O. Stereo S/PDIF digital I/O is also provided on gold-plated RCA connectors; these channels can be used simultaneously with the optical I/O for up to 10-channel use. The card supports 16-and 24-bit audio, at sample rates of 44.1 and 48 kHz, and it can also resample 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, and 32 kHz audio.
The WaveCenter/PCI has drivers for Mac or PC use; it also ships with a low-latency ASIO 2.0 driver and a direct interface for Nemesys's GigaSampler. The WaveCenter/PCI control panel software displays card status and lets you make parameter adjustments. An internal CD-ROM connector cable is also provided for making transfers from audio CDs. Frontier Design Group; tel. (800) 928-3236 or (603) 448-6283; fax (603) 448-6398; e-mail info@frontierdesign.com; Web www.frontierdesign.com. Two new PCI cards from Gadget Labs add to the company's WavePro line. The Wave/424 ($269) offers four channels of 24-bit I/O on unbalanced 1/4-inch connectors. Drivers for Window 95 and 98 currently ship with the card, as do Mac drivers; Windows NT support should be available soon.
The Wave/496 system ($349) includes a half-rackspace interface box that provides 4-channel I/O. The I/O is on balanced 1/4-inch connectors, and you can set the unit to +4 dBu or -10 dBV operating levels. Options include daughterboards that piggyback to either card (as well as to Gadget Labs Wave/824) and provide added ADAT Optical ($249) or S/PDIF ($129) digital I/O. Gadget Labs; tel. (503) 827-7371; fax (404) 685-0922; e-mail info@gadgetlabs.com; Web www.gadgetlabs.com.
Other companies with products of the card-and-interface variety include Echo, Aardvark, and Terratec ProMedia. Echo's Mona system ($995) provides four input channels on its interface, each with an A/D converter capable of 24-bit 96 kHz operation. Front-panel channel inputs are on XLR/1/4-inch balanced/unbalanced combo connectors, and each channel has a Guitar button, which switches the input from its normal status as a balanced +4 dBu input to a high-impedance guitar input.
The front panel of the Mona interface also has four 10-segment LED level meters, a switch for global 48V phantom power, and a stereo headphone output. There are six analog outputs on both balanced XLR jacks operating at +4 dBu and unbalanced RCA connectors at -10 dBV. The D/A converters are 24-bit, with 128x oversampling. The system also has stereo S/PDIF and 8-channel ADAT Optical I/O.
To use the system, you'll need a Pentium processor running Windows 95 or 98. Mac users will need a Power Mac 604 with Mac OS 8.1 or higher. The unit can also operate with BeOS 5.0. Echo rates Mona's frequency response at 10 Hz to 22 kHz (+/-0.25 dB), dynamic range at 115 dB, and THD+N at 0.001% (20 Hz to 22 kHz). Echo; tel. (805) 684-4593; fax (805) 684-6628; e-mail info@echoaudio.com; Web www.echoaudio.com.
Aardvark's Direct Pro 24/96 ($699) interface also has four mic preamp inputs on XLR/1/4-inch balanced/unbalanced combo jacks, a front-panel switch for global phantom power, and a stereo headphone jack. On the unit's rear panel, you'll find MIDI In and Out connectors, analog output on six 1/4-inch TRS connectors that operate at +4 dBu (balanced) or -10 dBV (unbalanced) operating levels, two aux outputs on RCA connectors, and a 25-pin D-sub connector for hookup to the host PCI card. The card gives you S/PDIF digital I/O on RCA connectors.
The Direct Pro 24/96 card also provides real-time DSP effects, including a compressor, 3-band EQ with sweepable midrange, and reverb on each channel. You adjust parameters for these effects within the system's software control panel, which also lets you monitor input and output levels, access presets, and add a master reverb.
The system requires a PC with a 133 MHz processor, 32 MB RAM, and Windows 95 or 98. Aardvark rates the Direct Pro 24/96's frequency response at 7 Hz to 44 kHz (+/-0.5 dB at 96 kHz), THD+N at 0.002% (@1 kHz), and dynamic range at 110 dB (D/A) and 100 dB (A/D). Aardvark; tel. (734) 665-8899; fax (734) 665-0694; e-mail info@aardvark-pro.com; Web www.aardvark-pro.com.
Terratec ProMedia's EWS88 MT ($599) provides 8-channel analog I/O at 24-bit resolution, with sample rates selectable between 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz. This system's interface is designed so that it can be mounted either externally or in an empty drive bay in your PC case, with a 6-foot ribbon cable connecting it internally to its PCI card. All I/O is on the front panel; it consists of eight inputs and eight outputs, all on unbalanced RCA connectors. The inputs are individually switchable between +4 dBu and -10 dBV operating levels, while the outputs are globally switchable. MIDI In and Out connectors are also provided.
The unit's PCI card has a stereo output on a 3.5 mm jack for monitoring; also on the card is S/PDIF stereo digital I/O on RCA connectors. The system can be expanded, letting you internally daisy-chain up to four cards in a single PC. These run off a common clock source for sync of up to 40 tracks, depending on your PC's computational muscle.
The EWS88 MT system comes with drivers for Windows 95, 98, and NT 4.0. Terratec ProMedia; tel. (407) 331-4002; fax (407) 331-8239; e-mail info@terratec-us.com; Web www.terratec-us.com.
SEEKERS UMC1688Seekers has designed a "universal" MIDI control surface to streamline real-time parameter changes on MIDI-compatible software or hardware. The UMC1688 ($369) is a tabletop unit with 32 assignable controllers: 16 knobs, 8 sliders, and 8 buttons. The buttons can be set to toggle or used for press-and-hold operation. Each controller can be assigned to any MIDI channel and can send continuous data, Note data, Control Change messages, Program Change messages, RPNs, and NRPNs.
The UMC1688 can store up to 40 programs, and you can save programs to, or upload from, external memory via SysEx. It comes stocked with presets that are set up for a number of popular synths, including the DX series, O1V, and others from Yamaha; the Jupiter, JV series, and others from Roland; and models from E-mu, Kawai, and Korg, as well as Koblo's Vibra software synths. These presets can be reprogrammed if you wish to switch a particular parameter-for example, from a fader to a rotary knob. Future presets designed by Seekers will be available for free download from the company's Web site.
The control surface of the UMC1688 has additional buttons for programming presets, and one MIDI In port and two MIDI Outs are located on the back. Seekers/Drum Machine Museum (distributor); tel. (415) 613-9862; fax (781) 723-6620; e-mail mickeyt@drummachine.com; Web www.drummachine.com.
E-MU ESI 2000The ESI 2000 ($995) from E-mu offers professional sampling capability and expandability. The stock 4 MB of RAM can be upgraded to as much as 128 MB, via 72-pin SIMM slots, allowing for more than 25 minutes of mono sampling time at 44.1 kHz. The unit has 64-note polyphony and 64 digital 6-pole filters (in 19 varieties).
DSP capabilities built into the ESI 2000 include time compression and expansion (preserving pitch) and pitch shifting (preserving time). The ESI 2000 also offers parametric EQ, crossfade looping, truncating, a psycho-acoustic exciter algorithm, signal-to-noise normalizing, and dynamics processing. Editing functions include cut, copy, and paste, as well as audio scrub for finding optimum loop points.
The ESI 2000 ships with two 1/4-inch unbalanced inputs, four 1/4-inch unbalanced outputs, and MIDI In, Out, and Thru ports. The optional ESI 2000 Turbo Board ($249) expands the I/O with four more 1/4-inch outputs, S/PDIF digital I/O, and a stereo effects submix output. The Turbo Board also increases DSP power with two 24-bit stereo effects processors that include more than 30 effects algorithms such as reverb, chorus, and distortion.
Using the SCSI port on the back panel, you can save your samples to any storage medium as well as access more than 1,000 presets that ship with the unit on two CD-ROMs. The ESI 2000 accepts the Akai S1000/S1100 sound library, as well as E-mu's own extensive collection of sample CD-ROMs.
E-mu rates the ESI 2000's frequency response at 20 Hz to 20 kHz, S/N ratio at >90 dB, and THD+N at <0.05%. E-mu-Ensoniq; tel. (831) 438-1921; fax (831) 438-8612; e-mail info@emu.com; Web www.emu.com.
PANASONIC WZ-AD96, WZ-AD96MTwo A/D converters are available from Panasonic that deliver up to 24-bit, 96 kHz digital audio. The WZ-AD96 ($2,195) is an 8-channel A/D converter; the WZ-AD96M ($2,495) offers the same converters and adds an 8-channel mic preamp. The units can work with 16-, 20-, or 24-bit digital audio at sample rates of 44.1, 48, 88.2, or 96 kHz. On each unit, 1285 oversampling converters are used.
The WZ-AD96 and WZ-AD96M both feature eight analog inputs on balanced XLR connectors and 8-channel AES/EBU digital output on both an ADAT Optical connector and four XLR connectors. On the WZ-AD96, you get a 10-segment LED level meter on every channel and a control for setting reference levels. On the WZ-AD96M, each mic preamp provides 48V phantom power, a peak meter LED, and gain adjustment from -60 to +4 dBu. Both units have front-panel controls for choosing the word length and sample rate of the output, a 4-segment reference level meter, and a control for switching sync between internal and external word clock.
Panasonic rates the frequency response of the WZ-AD96 and WZ-AD96M at 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+0/-2 dB). Dynamic range for the WZ-AD96 is rated at 118 dB; for the WZ-AD96M, 117 dB (both A weighted). Panasonic; tel. (800) 528-8601, (714) 373-7277 or (714) 373-7272; fax (714) 373-3903; Web www.panasonic.com/proaudio.
METASONIX TS-21Life would be so boring with only plain old square, triangle, and sawtooth waves. The new Metasonix TS-21 Hellfire Modulator ($749) takes those namby-pamby waveforms and mangles, contorts, and deforms them to create sounds you've never dreamed of. This 2U rackspace device is tube based and uses all analog circuitry. Everything you need is on the TS-21 Hellfire Modulator's front panel, including the 1/4-inch audio input jack on the left and a round display in the center that lets you view your waveform.
The Waveshaper section is uniquely designed with a television tube. It takes a mono input signal and folds or doubles the waveform, adding tube distortion and nonlinearities. Output can be in mono, or you can use the two LFO knobs and Speed control to alternate slightly varying output between left and right stereo channels through the front-panel 1/4-inch stereo output jack.
The TS-21 Hellfire Modulator also has a pulse-width modulator (PWM) with a single control that dials in different pulse shapes and noise bursts, and stable to wildly unstable oscillation. The PWM can be bypassed with a front-panel switch, and it can be controlled by the CV input on the left.
Last, there is a pentode-tube preamp section, which provides an Input Level knob that can produce a range of clean to distorted signals. A second CV input, on the right side of the panel, allows for external level control for the preamp section, so you can use the TS-21 Hellfire Modulator as a VCA with your other analog synths. Metasonix; e-mail info@metasonix.com; Web www.metasonix.com.
PHOENIX AUDIO GTQ2Phoenix Audio has released the GTQ2 ($1,995), a stereo mic preamp that features Class A transistor circuitry throughout. The GTQ2 was designed by engineers David Rees and Geoff Tanner, who worked on original Neve products. Each channel has its own control strip, which is outfitted with a 3-band equalizer. Each band provides up to 15 dB of cut or boost; center frequencies are set to 80 Hz, 12 kHz, and 400 Hz or 3.2 kHz (switchable) for the mid band.
The GTQ2's knobs are stepped in 5 dB increments from -10 to +80 dB. An array of illuminated on/off buttons govern 48V phantom power, the EQ section, phase, and a low-cut filter with a cutoff frequency of 45 Hz.
On the front panel, there is an unbalanced 1/4-inch direct-injection input for each channel. Each DI input has an impedance of 10 M(Omega) and applies an additional 10 dB of gain to the signal. The back panel has XLR connectors for mic inputs and for balanced outputs, as well as a pair of unbalanced 1/4-inch outputs for linking a guitar signal straight through to an amplifier.
The 1U rack-mount GTQ2 has an integrated power supply. Phoenix Audio rates the maximum output at +26 dBu, frequency response at 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+/-1 dB), and noise at 80 dB with a gain of -45 dBu. Phoenix Audio; tel. (323) 462-4373; fax (323) 462-6137; e-mail phoenixaudio@earthlink.net; Web www.phoenixaudio.com.
Yorkville has announced its acquisition of Applied Research and Technology. A.R.T. will continue to operate from its Rochester, New York, facility.If you need to fill some holes in your rack but abhor boring, blank metal panels, you might want to check out Funk Logic's DD-301 Digilog Dynamicator ($19) and AP-302 Algorhythmic Prosecutor ($24). Available in red or black, these faceplates give off the appearance of elegant, high-end audio gear. For more information, check out the Funk Logic Web site at www.funklogic.com. McDSP has added support for Digidesign's Real Time Audio Suite (RTAS) plug-in format. You can purchase RTAS versions of FilterBank and CompressorBank, or, if you already have authorized TDM versions of the plug-ins, you can get RTAS versions by e-mailing rtas@mcdsp.com.FAQ System Engineering and Wave Digital are each offering complete, audio-ready computers. These computers are made from brand-name components, and you can choose from several popular software digital audio sequencers, editors, and more. These systems also let you choose other hardware, such as digital audio I/O cards and MIDI interfaces. You can put systems together and get price quotes by contacting the companies at www .faqsys.com and www.wavedigital.com.Steinberg has discontinued development of a TDM-compatible version of its Cubase software, opting instead to focus on its own VST technology.Keyfax Software has released a native format disk of hip-hop and R&B grooves for the Yamaha RM1x. Yamaha RM1x Hip Hop and R&B Groove Library is available for $29.95; see www.keyfax.com for more info.Koblo, the Danish developer of software synthesizers and samplers, has announced that its Studio9000 software package will be distributed in the United States by Digidesign; for more info, see www.koblo.com.