Multiple Hammerfall DSP Cards

This may seem over the top to small system users, but I am interested in creating a studio with a massive amount of I/O capability. I picked the RME Multiface II sound card but it only has the capability of 18 input channels. What if I wanted to use two RME Multiface II cards as inputs to my PCI bus on a debbian based system? I know about the Digiface but I don’t want to use it because it doesen’t have analog inputs and it still doesent have enough I/O capabilities for me.

I noticed on the FAQ that it recommends not ganging cheap soundcards to make a multi-channel system, but the Multiface II cards are far from cheap. In using two of the Multiface II interfaces on one PCI bus, will I just slow down my computer’s ability to take audio input? Will this completely cripple my PCI bus? Any thoughts?

If you want something somewhere between 18 and 24 channels, you would probably be better off using the RME Digiface in conjunction with an external converter (or converters).

If you need to go above 24 channels, then you simply get 2 digifaces (or a digiface + a multiface), and run a word clock cable between them and the converters. Make sure one of them is set to be the clock master, and the other devices are slaves. Create a “multi” PCM device via your .asoundrc file (don’t ask me how to do this, use google).

The PCI bus load doesn’t get to be a problem until you get to 3 cards or above, assuming your system chipset is reasonably sane.

Finally, as well as being the main author of Ardour, I am also an RME dealer and can often offer better prices than other dealers. Hint, hint :slight_smile:

Nice, I don’t think I will need more than 48 tracks, this is exactly the information that I wanted to get.

By the way, where can I go to take advantage of the good price you so kindly mentioned?

This answers many of MY questions as well! The problem is, it also brings up quite a few more for me. Paul, (or anyone with the knowledge) could you answer a few questions I have about the digiface sound card?

The question is about the number of inputs and outputs, types of inputs and outputs, and how the numbers come out. You talk about 24 inputs, but the RME web site refers to it as a 52 channel card. I would assume half of them are outputs, but that means there would be 26 inputs and outputs. Are they also including midi and SPDIF?

I’m still quite new at this, and haven’t used any digital sound cards before. I started playing around with this stuff with a Delta 1010LT with 8 analog inputs and outputs because it was something I was comfortable with. Now I need to expand it to 64 inputs, and at least 24 outputs. What kind of solution would you recommend?

I know this isn’t exactly Ardour related, so if it is inapropriate for this forum, my email address is akilber@welshco.com

The digiface has:

  • 3x ADAT inputs
  • 3x ADAT output
  • SPDIF in
  • SPDIF out

Each ADAT runs 8 channels at 44.1k or 48k or 4 channels at 88.2k or 96k. The SPDIF is stereo. So a total of (3+3)8+22 = 52 channels at 44.1k or 48k (or less) and (3+3)4+22 = 28 channels at 88.2k or 96k.

The midi is not in the total (midi != audio), and neither is the line out / headphones in the front. That output doesn’t have a separate channel for it on the “software” side, but you can route signals freely to it from the hsdp mixer.

Email me at rme “at” linuxaudiosystems “dot” com.

I too think I need lots of input and possibly output tracks.

I have some friends in a band and have been recording them in ardour for some time now. I am currently just recording band practices to stereo while learning the ropes. I should be recording a gig live soon.

I am taking a stereo feed from their board into my alesis multimix 8 usb and feeding in three drum mics and the bass into the multimix as well as they don’t put those into their board for practice (I am not sure about when they gig.) I take the stereo out of the alesis mixer into my laptop.

I think I am soon getting to the point where I am going to want to record live to many tracks. One for each vocal, one for each instrument, two for stereo instruments, one for each mic on the drum kit. (Right now that makes three, but I really think I want to try one mic on each drum.)

I would be interesting in discussing ways to do this with anyone interested. Is anyone else doing something like this now?

I have a delta 1010 but that is not going to do it as far as I can tell.

Paul, I will be emailing you for prices as well.

all the best,

drew

http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145

ooh…

i use a presonus firepod as my interface but i am looking for some good dsp to help with the cpu. you can daisy chain 3 of them for 26x26 system. plus with the amazing xmax preamps it sounds amazing. you can get them for around 300 on ebay

do the uad cards run on linux by any chance

No DSP card runs on Linux at this time to my knowledge.

  Seablade