The NAMM Show 2012 buzz for DiGiCo Solutions’ newest breakthrough interface, UB MADI, was pervasive. So much so, that the editorial staffs of Pro Sound News and Pro Audio Review magazines chose UB MADI amongst 15 new and noteworthy products for its ProSoundNetwork “Best of Show” Awards for the 2012 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California.
During each of the major conventions and trade shows in a given year, the editors of PAR and PSN, with assistance from the editors of sister titles Audio Media and Mix, comb the exhibit halls for new and noteworthy products. Gear and software that show particular merit are singled out and all products debuting at a given event are eligible.
DiGiCo Solutions’ UB MADI allows any computer to instantly connect to MADI via the most standard connector of all, USB 2.0. In fact, over the last decade, you would have been hard pressed to find any desktop or laptop without a USB 2.0 connection. With its UB MADI, DiGiCo eliminates this frustration.
UB MADI uses the latest Stealth Digital Processing™ FPGA technology straight out of DiGiCo’s award-winning SD range of consoles, yet fits into your top pocket and delivers 48 simultaneous inputs and outputs, totalling an unprecedented 96 channels of audio I/O over USB 2.0.
Once the low latency driver is installed, UB MADI is a simple plug-and-play device, automatically detecting the MADI input format and clock selection. UB MADI then communicates with your preferred PC or Mac as a standard ASIO or Core Audio interface.
Despite its ground-breaking performance, UB MADI requires just a single USB cable, providing both audio and power connectivity. Unlike existing PCI based solutions, UB MADI is fully hot pluggable, booting within seconds of its connection.
“Delivering the convenience of USB combined with Stealth Digital Processing to professional audio engineers working with MADI has been a massively rewarding experience. Taking USB audio into the professional space has meant facing some significant challenges; from meeting PCB footprint and power constraints to, most importantly, the chipset selection and firmware design,” comments the UB MADI project manager.
“Having an R&D team that strives to push technology and deliver something considered impossible is motivational for the whole company,” says James Gordon, DiGiCo’s managing director. “I am very proud of their achievement in this new area for DiGiCo. UB MADI will be a real problem solver for anyone wanting MADI connectivity on their computer and, as with all our Stealth Digital Processing based products, UB MADI has even greater potential for the future.”
UB MADI moves into full production in early 2012, with the first orders being fulfilled during ProLight+Sound in April 2012.
