RME Audio DIGI9636 Instruction Manual

The ASIO Hardware

0% CPU load at full

52 track operation

User’s Guide - Macintosh Version

New!

24 Bit / 96 kHz üü

SyncAlign

PCI Busmaster Digital I/O Card

2 + 16 Channels Stereo / ADAT Interface

24 Bit / 96 kHz Digital Audio

ZLM

ADAT Sync In

Board Rev. 1.5, Hardware Version 008

Contents

1 Introduction.............................................................. 3

2 Package Contents.................................................... 3

3 System Requirements.............................................. 3

4 Brief Description and Characteristics........................ 3

5 Technical Specifications

5.1 Digital..................................................................... 4

5.2 Digital Interface...................................................... 4

5.3 Transfer Modes: Resolution / Bits per Sample........ 4

6 Hardware Installation ................................................ 5

7 Driver Installation..................................................... 5

8 Operation and Usage

8.1 Connections............................................................ 7

9 Configuring the DIGI9636

9.1 General Information................................................ 8

9.2 Clock Modes - Synchronization............................. 10

10 Using more than one Hammerfall........................... 12

11 Special Characteristics of the S/PDIF Output ......... 12

12 Operation under ASIO 2.0

12.1 General .............................................................. 13

12.2 Performance ....................................................... 13

12.3 Synchronization.................................................. 14

12.4 Known Problems................................................. 15

13 Compatibility

13.1 Software............................................................. 15

13.2 Hardware............................................................ 15

13.3 General PCI related problems............................. 15

14 Hotline.................................................................... 16

15 Troubleshooting...................................................... 16

16 TECH INFO............................................................ 17

17 Warranty................................................................ 18

18 Appendix................................................................ 18

19 Diagrams

19.1 Block Diagram.................................................... 19

19.2 Pin assignment of the cable adapter................... 19

19.3 ADAT Track Routing, ASIO 96 kHz..................... 20

DIGI9636 User’s Guide © RME

1. Introduction

Thank you for choosing the RME DIGI9636. This card is capable of transferring digital audio data directly to a computer from practically any device equipped with a digital audio interface, be it S/PDIF, AES/EBU or ADAT optical. The numerous unique features, well thought-out configuration dialog and unsurpassed low latency operation puts the DIGI9636 at the very top of the range of digital audio interface cards.

The package includes ASIO 2.0 drivers for MacOS. An ALSA driver for Linux or Unix is also available.

Our high-performance philosophy guarantees maximum system performance by executing all functions directly in hardware and not in the driver (i.e. the CPU).

2. Package Contents

Please check that your DIGI9636 package contains each of the following:

• DIGI9636 PCI card

• Quick Info guide

• RME Driver CD

• Adapter cable (D-type to D-type/phono)

• Internal cable (2-core)

• Lightpipe cable (2 x 2m)

3. System Requirements

• MacOS 8.x or higher. G3 or higher recommended.

• A free PCI rev. 2.1 Busmaster slot

4. Brief Description and Characteristics

• PCI Busmaster interface with additional burst FIFO

• No risk of dropouts, even at high PCI bus load

• ASIO design: 0% (zero!) CPU load, even using all 36 channels

• All settings can be changed in real-time

• Enhanced mixed mode: ADAT In, S/PDIF In, and all outputs can be used simultaneously

• 8 available buffer sizes/latencies: 1.5 / 3 / 6 / 12 / 23 / 46 / 93 / 186 ms

• Sample Split technology for 8 channel, 96 kHz/24-bit record/playback via ADAT optical

• Slave and master clock modes

• Automatic and intelligent master/slave clock control

• Unsurpassed Bitclock PLL (audio synchronization) in ADAT mode

• Word clock input and output

• ADAT Sync in (9-pin D-type) for sample-accurate transfer

• Zero Latency Monitoring: Hardware bypass per track, controlled by Punch in/out

• Enhanced ZLM prevents noises during asynchronous full duplex transfer

• SyncAlign guarantees sample aligned and never swapping channels

• SyncCheck tests and reports the synchronization status of input signals

DIGI9636 User’s Guide © RME

5. Technical Specifications

5.1 Digital

• Low jitter S/PDIF: < 5 ns in PLL mode (44.1 kHz, optical in)

• Ultra-low jitter ADAT: < 2 ns in PLL mode (44.1 kHz, optical in)

• Input PLL ensures zero dropout, even at more than 40 ns jitter

• Bitclock PLL for trouble-free varispeed operation in ADAT mode

• High-sensitivity input stage (< 0.2 Vss input level)

• Output voltage 0.8V (consumer mode, phono) or 2.3V (professional mode)

• Sample frequencies: 32 / 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 kHz and variable (word clock) supported

5.2 Digital Interface

• Phono input and output ground-free transformer coupled

• Connectors: optical (TOSLINK), phono, internal (CD-ROM/Sync in, Sync out)

• Clocks: ADAT Sync In

• Formats: S/PDIF (Consumer and Professional), ADAT optical

5.3 Transfer Modes: Resolution / Bits per Sample

• 32 bit, 4 byte (stereo 8 byte) This format is compatible with 16-bit and 20-bit. Resolutions below 24-bit are handled by the

audio application. The card works internally with 32-bit data, but audio data transfer is limited to 24-bits.

6. Hardware Installation

Before installing the DIGI9636, please make sure the computer is switched off and the power cable is disconnected from the mains supply. Inserting or removing a PCI card while the computer is in operation can cause irreparable damage to both motherboard and card!

1. Disconnect the power cord and all other cables from the computer.

2. Remove the computer's housing. Further information on how to do this can be obtained

from your computer´s instruction manual.

3. Important: Before removing the DIGI9636 from its protective bag, discharge any static

in your body by touching the metal chassis of the PC.

4. Insert the DIGI9636 firmly into a free PCI slot, press and fasten the screw.

5. Replace the computer's housing.

6. Reconnect all cables including the power cord.

7. Driver Installation

First fit the card (see 6. Hardware Installation), then switch on the computer and install the drivers from the RME Driver CD. The driver files are located in the folder 'Hammerfall'.

In case a newer driver version was downloaded from the RME website double-click the 'm9652_x.sit' archive to decompress it into separate files (using 'Aladin Stuffit Expander').

If you already installed an older version of the driver first make sure to remove all old files. To do so open the 'Extensions' folder which is inside your 'System' folder. Remove the file 'HAMMERFALL DRIVER'. Also remove 'HAMMERFALL SETTINGS' and/or 'RME DIGI Settings' from the directory where it was copied to. Remove the 'HAMMERFALL ASIO' driver file from any 'ASIO Drivers' folder.

Drag the new file Hammerfall Driver to the System folder. It will

be installed automatically into the 'Extension' folder. Confirm the system's message to complete the installation. Now the driver file should be found in the 'Extension' folder, see example to the right.

Copy the new files RME DIGI Settings and Hammerfall ASIO into all 'ASIO Drivers' folders found on your computer. As every ASIO software has its own ASIO Drivers folder the files have to be copied several times. The picture to the left shows an example after installation of Hammerfall and DIGI96.

Configuration of the Hammerfall is done through the Settings dialog, which can be called from within any ASIO compatible software (for example Audio/System/ASIO Control Panel). To be able to call up the Settings dialog at any time we recommend to create an Alias on the desktop. To create an Alias select 'RME DIGI Settings' with the mouse cursor, press and hold the Apple and Alt keys on your keyboard, and drag 'RME DIGI Settings' to the desired location. With this all RME cards in the system can be configured easily even without starting an ASIO software.

To finish installation reboot the computer.

Linux/Unix

An ALSA driver for Linux/Unix and further information on ALSA is available at http://www.alsa-project.org

8. Operation and Usage

8.1 Connections

The main board's bracket has two ADAT optical inputs and two ADAT optical outputs, as well as a 9-pin D-type socket. Coaxial S/PDIF input and output requires plugging in the adapter cable, whereby the red phono socket is the output. The ADAT1 I/O next to the D-type socket can also be used for optical S/PDIF, if this mode is selected in the Settings dialog.

An input is selected via the RME DIGI Settings dialog. Hammerfall Light accepts the commonly used digital audio formats, S/PDIF as well as AES/EBU. Channel status and copy protection are ignored.

In S/PDIF mode, identical signals are available at both the optical and the coaxial outputs. An obvious use for this would be simply connecting two devices, i.e. using the DIGI9636 as a splitter.

To receive signals in AES/EBU format, a cable adapter is required. Pins 2 and 3 of a female XLR plug are connected individually to the two pins of a phono plug. The cable shielding is only connected to pin 1 of the XLR - not to the phono plug. The ground-free design using transformers for digital inputs and outputs enables trouble-free connection to all devices, and perfect hum rejection.

The internal digital input (connector ST3 on the circuit board, CD IN) can be connected to the digital output of an internal CD-ROM drive (advantage: direct transfer of data within the computer). It also allows to use an AEBx-I, when a 3-wire cable connects ST7 on AEB and Hammerfall.

Additionally the card offers two internal outputs, labeled ADAT1OUT (ST5) und ADAT2OUT (ST9). These can be used to operate one AEBx-O each, for a maximum of 16 analog outputs. The audio data are the same as on the corresponding optical output.

+ 14 hidden pages

RME Audio DIGI9636 Instruction Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual