RME MADI Router (Discontinued)

Overview

Building on the eight year success of the MADI Bridge and the MADI Converter, RME presents a newly designed device that is a worthy successor of both - in fact, its innovative core will redefine and inspire MADI systems for years to come.

The MADI Router is a compact device designed to link MADI devices of any manufacturer with unprecedented flexibility in signal routing. It provides this flexibility by serving as a format converter between optical and electrical signals, as a signal repeater, and as a distributor and merger of several MADI signals, all at the same time.

The MADI Router combines many advantages of point-to-point audio connections, such as low latency and fast recovery time from signal line interruptions, with the flexibility of networked audio connections in which any device has access to any channel available on the network of connected devices.

At the simplest level input signals are passed on to the desired output unaltered. This type of connection is beneficial when manufacturers have embedded additional status or remote control data information in the MADI stream.

It is also possible to create new arrangements of audio channels within a MADI output stream. For this purpose four independent matrices are provided, each one reflecting 768 IN x 64 OUT audio channels. Any channel of any valid MADI input stream may be source to each crosspoint matrix. The output of each matrix can then be passed on to any of the 12 MADI Router's outputs.

RME MADI Router Front Panel - Click To Enlarge

Features

The MADI Router is designed to be simple and easy to operate. It is the only MADI routing device on the market that can be completely programmed and controlled without the help of external remote control software.

In order to achieve this capability, a TFT display has been integrated on the front panel. It conveniently shows the current state of the device and leads the user through all required settings that are needed to set up a network. User interaction is conducted by four buttons and two rotary encoders surrounding the display.

The complete state of the device is saved with any user interaction (AutoSave) and automatically recalled within ten seconds after the unit is switched back on. Additionally, 15 internal presets let users save and recall, as well as preview and preselect routings.

On its back, the device provides a variety of connectors to achieve maximum compatibility and versatility for a broad range of different use cases. Four optical and four coaxial MADI inputs are accepting MADI signals at any sampling rate and channel format, the outputs carry either a refreshed or one of the four newly created MADI signals over distances of up to 200m (coaxial) or 2000m (optical).

A novelty among RME devices are the MADI TP ports. These four combined in- and outputs bring MADI to common twisted pair network cables that can directly connect MADI TP devices over distances of up to 150m while passing on power along with the MADI signals. The four MADI TP ports provide sufficient power for the AES3 and ADAT Converters.

All twelve MADI ports are completely independent but grouped symmetrically in four sections 'A' to 'D' for quick identification. The word clock input may be used as reference to any of the four routing matrices or simply be refreshed and passed on to the output. The word clock output can further provide the extracted word clock signal from any of the 12 MADI inputs.

RME MADI Router Rear Panel - Click To Enlarge

Two redundant 100W switching power supplies provide sufficient power for the MADI Router itself plus up to eight additional passive devices that draw their power from the MADI TP connections. The AC inlets support a locking mechanism that can be used with matching, optional AC power cords.

• Power supply: Two internal redundant power supplies, 100-240V AC, max. 100W
• Dimensions without rack ears (WxHxD): 440 x 44 x 240 mm (17.32" x 1.73" x 9.45")
• Temperature range: +5° up to +50° Celsius (41° F up to 122°F)
• Relative humidity: < 75%, non condensing
• Weight: 2.8 kg

Inputs | MADI

• Coaxial via BNC, 75 Ohm, according to AES10-1991
• High-sensitivity input stage (< 0.2 Vpp)
• Optical via FDDI duplex SC connector
• 62.5/125 and 50/125 multimode compatible
• Both Optical and Coaxial ports accept any MADI signal
• Twisted Pair via RJ45 connector (input and output)
• Pinout “EXT": 1-2 receive, 3-6 send, 4-5 DC +48V, 7-8 -48V
• Note: The Twisted Pair implementation uses standard ethernet technology such as 8b/10b encoding for DC-balance, which is important to achieve stability over long cable runs. At the time of writing it is proprietary to RME. Implementations of other manufacturers may show incompatibilities.

Inputs | Word Clock

• BNC, not terminated (10 kOhm)
• Switch for internal termination 75 Ohm
• Automatic Double/Quad Speed detection
• SteadyClock guarantees super low jitter synchronization
• Capacitive coupled, galvanically isolated input
• Signal Adaptation Circuit: signal refresh through auto-center and hysteresis
• Overvoltage protection
• Level range: 0.7 Vpp – 3.3 Vpp

Outputs | MADI

• Coaxial via BNC, 75 Ohm, according to AES10-1991
• Output voltage 750 mVpp
• Cable length: up to 200 m
• Optical via FDDI duplex SC connector
• 62.5/125 and 50/125 multimode compatible
• Fiber length: up to 2000m

Outputs | Word Clock

• BNC
• Max. output voltage: 3.3 Vpp
• Output voltage @ 75 Ohm: 1.65 Vpp
• Impedance: 10 Ohm
• Frequency range: 27 kHz – 200 kHz