User Manual-Windows

CHAPTER
17
1 About the PCI-424 System
OVERVIEW
The PCI-424 core system is a computer-based hard
disk recording system for Mac OS and Windows
that offers 24 simultaneous inputs and outputs per
Audio Wire cable, expandable to 96
inputs/outputs. A core system consists of a PCI
card connected to a standard 19-inch,
single-space, rack-mountable audio interface.
The system includes AudioDesk™, full-featured
audio workstation software for Mac OS that
supports both 16-bit and 24-bit recording at any
standard sample rate up to 192 kHz.
For Windows, a WDM driver is included for
compatibility with audio applications that support
standard multi-channel WDM and Wave drivers.
Also included are Macintosh and Windows ASIO
drivers for multi-channel operation with Steinberg
Cubase and other ASIO-compatible software.
The PCI-424 card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
The 2408mk3 interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
The 24I/O interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
The HD192 interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
16-bit and 24-bit recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
AudioDesk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Digital Performer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Other Audio Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
A computer-based system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
THE PCI-424 CARD
A PCI-424 core system ships with a single PCI
audio card called the PCI-424. The card features a
custom processor, a powerful DSP chip, four 6-pin
Audio Wire connectors and an ADAT SYNC IN
connector.
High definition audio
The PCI-424 system can operate at the following
high sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 and 192
kHz. All MOTU PCI-424 audio interfaces support
rates up to 96 kHz. In addition, the HD192
interface offers analog recording and playback at
176.4 or 192 kHz.
Audio Wire expansion
The PCI-424 card provides four Audio Wire jacks,
which are used to attach MOTU PCI audio
interfaces to the card installed in the computer.
Each Audio Wire is capable of transmitting 24
simultaneous channels of 96 kHz digital audio
input and output or 12 simultaneous channels of
192 kHz input and output.
Up to four MOTU PCI audio interfaces can be
connected to a single PCI-424 card for a maximum
of 96 possible input and output connections. All
MOTU PCI audio interfaces (including the
2408mk3, 24I/O and HD192) can also be “mixed
and matched” on the PCI-424 card, along with
legacy PCI-324 interfaces, such as the 2408,
2408mII, 1296, 1224, 24i and 308.
Audio Wire carries a proprietary communication
protocol between the card and the external I/O to
handle the extremely low latencies required by the
system. The heart of the PCI-424 card is a
custom-programmed VLSI chip capable of simul-
taneously processing all 96 inputs and outputs (192