![]() One thing to bear in mind here is that since the mic inputs are 'round the back', you might consider routing them permanently to a suitable patchbay for easy access once bolted into a rack. All I/O sockets apart from the headphone output are on the rear panel, and comprise balanced XLRs for the eight mic inputs and channel outputs, unbalanced quarter-inch jacks for line inputs, and TRS-wired quarter-inch Insert jacks. The ADC&DAC 3000 adopts the same livery as the Media 7.1, with a blue-splatter paint finish and smart metallic blue milled aluminium front panel. Usefully, the S/PDIF I/O is available in both Toslink optical and phono co-axial formats, and also as two 3.5mm jack sockets labeled AES-EBU, which will require appropriate XLR adaptor cables to interface with other AES-capable equipment. This is because the two cards are supplied as a pair with other analogue-only I/O options, and means that you'll need two spare expansion card positions, but this shouldn't prove a problem in most cases. Photo: Mark EwingHowever, where the Media 7.1 digital I/O is all to be found in its external breakout box, the DSP24 S/PDIF I/O is all situated on a daughterboard and backplate that connects to the main DSP24 card, so it has an extra four-pin connector and associated internal cable to connect the two, plus another two-pin connector to suit a digital output from a CD-ROM drive (you can choose either S/PDIF or CD digital in, but not both). The DSP3000's digital I/O is provided on a daughter card. Both feature a trio of 3.5mm sockets for the Mic In, Line In and Line Out of the internal AC97 sound chip intended for Windows system sounds, plus a D-type connector for the external converter box, along with headers labelled CD In and Aux In for attaching internal devices such as an analogue CD-ROM output (a suitable cable is supplied for such duties). Photo: Mark EwingAlthough it looks very similar, the DSP24 PCI expansion card differs from the one used in the DSP24 Media 7.1 we reviewed in SOS January 2003. Drivers are available for Windows 9x, Me, 2000 and XP, and although it was not mentioned on the packaging, I subsequently discovered on the ST Audio web site that Max OS X drivers are now also available. ![]() The DSP24 PCI expansion card is also available separately, and can be partnered with a variety of other ST Audio I/O options, including the analogue-only ADC III and DAC III, the ADC&DAC 2000 with eight unbalanced ins and outs plus two mic preamps, the multi-channel S/PDIF I/O of the DM III, and the ADAT and TDIF options of the DS2000. This is an impressive array of features, and the ADC&DAC 3000 is also available as a stand-alone unit for those who already have an ADAT-compatible device like a digital mixer or multitrack recorder. In here you'll find eight balanced microphone preamps with phantom power and insert points, dedicated LED ladder-array level meters for each channel, ADAT and word clock I/O, and one MIDI In and two MIDI Outs. It comprises a DSP24 PCI card, its associated XG DB1 daughter card with S/PDIF and AES-EBU digital I/O, and a 2U high rackmount case labelled 'ADC&DAC 3000', which houses the various converters and audio electronics. ST Audio's DSP3000 system offers an impressive feature set for its price, boasting eight-channel 24-bit/96kHz analogue I/O with mic preamps on every channel, plus digital I/O in S/PDIF and AES-EBU formats, MIDI I/O, and the ability to function as a stand-alone analogue/ADAT digital converter.Īlthough ST Audio (aka Korean-based company Hoontech) have plenty of budget offerings in their range, there's nothing entry-level about the DSP3000 M-Port under review here.
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