RME Audio M-16 DA User Manual page 54

When using the HDSPe MADI, the converters and the card are connected serially. RME rec-
ommends the usage of optical MADI cables. These provide a useful galvanical separation be-
tween the units, and are immune against any kind of electromagnetic interference.
It is recommended to operate the card in clock mode Master, all converters synchronized to the
MADI signal (Slave). This setup will allow for up to 64 channels record with 4 M-16 AD and up
to 64 channels playback with 4 M-16 DA.
Despite serial cabling the playback is sample-synchronous between all units, because the con-
verters automatically activate Delay Compensation. An additional word clock connection be-
tween HDSPe MADI and the converters is not required.
Note: The Delay Compensation operates separately for AD and DA converters. It will only work
when the AD- and DA-converters are connected serially in an organized way. A DA between
two AD (or vice versa) will prevent correct recognition of identical units and subsequently dis-
able the activation of the Delay Compensation.
Correct Cabling
The correct setup of a rack regarding serial cabling is not AD-converters on top and DA-
converters at the bottom, but vice versa. If the AD-converters are supposed to remain in top
position, one has to get used to a cabling within the rack from bottom to top. This is valid not
only for the AD/DA-breakout presented here, but also for the next chapter. The MADI output of
the card must be followed by a DA-converter. This becomes easily apparent when using all 64
channels, as a different order will cause some channels to be overwritten with data from other
units within the rack.
User's Guide M-32 DA © RME
54