Quick question about some audio cards

[Crydevil]

Hey guys,

I have a question about some audio cards.

I’m planning on using a system with pro tools, and a Lynx Aurora 16 AD/DA converter, plus an additional 8 channel version of this converter, because I have 24 analogue channels coming out of my desk (can I link the converters btw, or how does this work?).

Now, the audio cards I can’t choose between are the Lynx AES16e, or the RME HDSPe AES. Now, I’ll probably again need 2, to get to 24 channels. But the RME takes up two slots on the back of the system, so that may be a disadvantage.

Which one do you guys think is best? And are they also kind of ‘linkable’, or doesn’t this matter? ^^

Thank you!!

[Bill@WelcomeHome]

Confronted with that choice I picked the RME. I poled a lot of users, and when a user had success with the Lynx they were very happy, and the majority seemed to be successful.... but not all. And I know my luck and Murphys Law. I was also fortunate enough to speak to owners of both cards, and among that group the RME was the favorite. So I bit back my bitter tears of disappointment, opened my wallet, and spent the extra money for the RME. There are some minor differences in the I/O configuration between the two cards, and the RME does include MIDI.

By the way, the RME daughter card doesn't have to be in a slot, though it does take up two spaces in the backplane. So it could be over an unused different kind of slot, if your mother board has both PCI and PCIe slots. The connecting ribbon cable connector is on the top of both cards and is long enough to span at least three card spaces, so you can have a different sort of card between if you need to do so.

If you use Lynx converters with the RME card be sure to order the right cables or the cable adapter. One follows the yamaha pinout for dsub, the other follows the tascam pinout. This is no big deal, you just have to have the right ones.

There are other card and converter choices if you want 24 channels. My studio ran 24 channels using a Digiface, limited to 48k max, using RME converters. That was then. I don't know the 24 channel choices today. I know the RayDAT is popular, but that is lightpipe and has other limitations.

[Crydevil]

Originally Posted by Bill@WelcomeHome

By the way, the RME daughter card doesn't have to be in a slot, though it does take up two spaces in the backplane. So it could be over an unused different kind of slot, if your mother board has both PCI and PCIe slots. The connecting ribbon cable connector is on the top of both cards and is long enough to span at least three card spaces, so you can have a different sort of card between if you need to do so.

If you use Lynx converters with the RME card be sure to order the right cables or the cable adapter. One follows the yamaha pinout for dsub, the other follows the tascam pinout. This is no big deal, you just have to have the right ones.

There are other card and converter choices if you want 24 channels. My studio ran 24 channels using a Digiface, limited to 48k max, using RME converters. That was then. I don't know the 24 channel choices today. I know the RayDAT is popular, but that is lightpipe and has other limitations.

Thank you for the advice Bill .

But what do you mean exactly with a 'daughter card', and why doesn't it have to be in a slot? ^^

Thanks!

[Bill@WelcomeHome]

Originally Posted by Crydevil

Thank you for the advice Bill .

But what do you mean exactly with a 'daughter card', and why doesn't it have to be in a slot? ^^

Thanks!

The RME, as you say, has two cards. But only one of them plugs into the motherboard. The other (typically called a daughter card) just screws into the card cage backplane and connects to the first RME card via a ribbon cable. So it can 'float' over top of any unused slot.... in my case I have a couple of PCI slots that I don't use, and I put the daughter card in that position.

Lynx by the way is expandable beyond the 16 AES channels using their "L" system which involved expansion cards. I can't tell you much about it since I didn't really study it, as the RME was the obvious choice for my simple 16 channel home setup.