LONDON – At PLASA 2010, DiGiCo introduced its SD Rack, which is based around Stealth FPGA technology. It's touted as the first I/O rack that offers multiple format sample rate conversion and allows up to 448 I/O, in any combination at 96kHz, spread across multiple racks. The company also introduced its Little Red Box and Little Blue Box, two compact add-on units that expand the connectivity of DiGiCo consoles.
While the SD Rack converters can operate at 192kHz, users can also select other sample rate options for specific outputs – for example, MADI at 48kHz for broadcast or recording feeds, or 96kHz – meaning that the SD Rack serves as a multi-sample rate signal splitter, which allows users to use DiGiCo's microphone preamps to replace the standard microphone preamps of an analog or other brand of digital console. At 96kHz, the measured delay from the stage rack A-D, through a full channel with processing via the busing with processing, back to the stage rack D-A is around 1mS.
Also integrated with the MADI split is Gain Tracking, which allows another console or a broadcaster to take any of an SD Rack's AES, analog or MADI outputs at a stable level, irrespective of the microphone preamp settings on the SD7, covering a signal level range of +/-40dB. This can be turned on at any time, so the one pre amp for each physical input can have four independently controlled levels.
The SD Rack has a 56 input / 56 output arrangement, in blocks of eight, and can accommodate multiple digital formats, including:
- Analog mic line inputs and outputs
- MADI
- AES inputs and outputs, both with sample rate conversion
- AES I/O card
- Aviom – second generation module
- ADAT module providing eight ins and outs
- AES 42 module
All card formats are independently hot-swappable and auto-detecting using Micro Blaze technology. The Mic card user feedback is provided by multiple LEDs and any input can be split internally to any opposing output on the rack.
Power supplies are also hot-swappable, and all main connections are at the top of the rack for easy access. There also is a full RGB backlit display that can also be used to control and program the unit.
DiGiCo's Little Red Box and Little Blue Box are two compact add on units that expand the connectivity of DiGiCo consoles. DiGiCo's Little Red Box is designed to work with DiGiCo's SD9 digital mixing console and allows users to connect a D-Rack or a MADI Rack (DiGi-Rack or MiNi-Rack) to two SD9s.
Currently, a single D-Rack only allows users to connect to one SD9, with no way of sharing the rack. The Little Red Box lets users plug in a D-Rack, main console and a secondary console. The main console controls all gains, as well as outputs on the rack, while the secondary console acts as a "receive only" module for the inputs, allowing users to share a rack and operate either Front of House or monitors. DiGiCo's gain tracking system can be activated when required.
The SPLIT MADI switch allows users to decide if they want to split a D-Rack or one of DiGiCo's other racks. On an SD9, this connector is usually limited to 32 inputs and 16 outputs. By connecting a DiGi-Rack it allows all 56 I/O to run, expanding the I/O capabilities of an SD9.
The Little Red Box is powered via USB, with a second USB port acting as a "thru," meaning there is no loss of available connections.
The Little Blue Box, meanwhile, lets users connect an SD9, D-Rack and MADI console (SD8, SD7 or D-Series), allowing them to share a D-Rack between two or three consoles. The SD9 / MADI switch allows users to select between the SD9, or whatever console is plugged in to the MADI connector to control the D-Rack.
The Console RX Auxiliary output is designed to be the redundant run on an SD8 or SD7. Alternatively, it could be split off to another console with one SD9 using a CAT5 connection and one MADI pair for the SD8, which could then feed off to a recorder or another console.
Once again, the Little Blue Box is powered via USB, with a second USB port acting as a thru. Both boxes can be connected to the mixing console with a Velcro strip, or by use of a specially-designed 19-inch rack plate.
For more information, please visit www.digico.org.
