Introduction; Message From The Development Team - Steinberg AXR4T Operation Manual

Introduction

Introduction

Message from the Development Team

Thank you for choosing the AXR4 Audio Interface.
The AXR4 is our flagship audio interface model, developed from the perspective of audio
engineers for use in professional music production.
The "sound" is the most vital component for an audio interface. The microphone preamp acts as a
core foundation in producing this sound. This preamp is based on an analog "AXR Preamplifier"
perfecting a traditional, natural soundscape attained by the development team, and a digital
"hybrid microphone preamp" that further evolves Yamaha's proprietary modeling technology, VCM
(Virtual Circuitry Modeling).
Analog I/O components use AD/DA circuits that support up to 32-bit integer resolutions and
384 kHz sample rate to capture and reproduce the rich aural sounds produced by performers and
vocalists without a loss in quality.
®
The digital section faithfully recreates the Rupert Neve Designs transformer circuit in addition to
employing the renowned Silk processing models in Rupert Neve Designs's microphone preamp.
The Silk processing can be applied in two variations to match the atmosphere of the tune or the
music source: Silk Blue for a vintage sound that produces a solid, powerful expression, and Silk
Red offering rich, exuberant sound brimming with musicality. Silk processing helps produce
graceful, defined sounds with an analog-like texture. The unique feeling of compression and
saturation this introduces to a piece is unlike that found anywhere else.
Silk processing is incorporated to reproduce the feeling in an artist's performance and the original,
pure sound produced by an instrument at a level never heard before. To achieve this, circuits on
board the AXR4 are tuned to an obsessive degree of precision in order to deliver a level of sound
quality that is leaps and bounds beyond what conventional audio interfaces offer.
The AXR4 provides a rich array of I/O connectors in order to flexibly meet a broad range of
requirements from professional audio engineers. Similarly, a full matrix mixer has been
incorporated into the device to adequately meet a diverse set of monitoring and system-related
requirements. The drivers processing these I/O signals have also undergone major improvements,
providing both low latency and stable performance. As with the microphone preamp, SSPLL™
(Super Suppression PLL) is also provided in the form of an analog/digital hybrid type PLL
architecture. By tuning jitters in the digital section with the analog section, super low jitter levels
and high levels of stability are delivered, regardless of whether an internal or external clock source
is used.
Beyond just hardware improvements, major usability improvements have been introduced into our
packaged software applications, including a complete overhaul of Extension controlling AXR4 from
Cubase.
There are no limits to human creativity. We sincerely hope that the AXR4 opens up the potential for
new developments in the field of professional studio audio engineering, and it would give us the
greatest pleasure to see this product usher forth a new level of musical production and cultural
achievement.
The Steinberg Hardware Development Team
AXR4 Operation Manual 3