WORLD-FIRST USB 3.0 INTERFACE?
29 April 2013
RME has come up with what it’s claiming is the world’s first USB 3.0 audio interface — okay, we won’t argue. Without doubt RME has certainly designed a clever box of tricks that finally makes intelligent use of the massive bandwidth USB 3.0 has to offer. From the front the MADIface XT looks like your bog-standard two-channel interface, right? Nope, look closer. The rear panel reveals three MADI I/O connections capable of carrying 64 channels each, plus two XLR line outputs and one AES/EBU I/O – a total of 196 audio inputs and 198 audio outputs when you include the two mic/line inputs and stereo phones output on the front. You also get several MIDI ports via USB, MADI and DIN. What are you going to do with all this audio? The MADIface XT uses an external PCI Express and USB 3.0 ports to guarantee hi-speed data transfer and sufficient bandwidth. Critics might immediately point out that no one has developed a reliable USB 3.0 chipset and RME’s reply is — the company developed its own. RME assures it has tested the XT to the limits without a single audio glitch. Still, the MADIface XT needs a few more tweaks and we probably won’t see them available until the middle of the year. RME is also tossing around figures like 2000 Euro, but nothing’s definite. More info at www.rme-audio.de
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: Innovative Music www.innovativemusic.com.au
