Specifications

COMPUTER AUDIO HARDWARE
RME
1248
FIREFACE 400
www.bhphotovideo.com
PHOTO - VIDEO - PRO AUDIO
36-Channel, 24-Bit/192kHz Bus-Powered FireWire Audio Interface
The Fireface 400 is the only device in its class with active
jitter suppression, stand-alone functionality, complete
controllability from the front panel, highly flexible I/Os
in professional quality, and an unsurpassed 648-channel
matrix router - at sample rates up to 192 kHz.
Fireface 400 features eight balanced analog inputs and
outputs (output 7/8 are unbalanced) equipped with software controlled
switching of reference levels. Channels 1 and 2 provide two microphone inputs with a digitally controlled input stage,
individually switchable 48v phantom power and Neutrik Combo connectors for XLR and TRS. Digital connectivity is
provided by ADAT Lightpipe I/O along with coaxial S/PDIF which is AES/EBU compatible. BNC connectors allow for
inputting and outputting Wordclock. The Fireface 400 is equipped with SteadyClock, sync and clock technology that
allows the unit to function as a sync reference for a whole
studio. SteadyClock refreshes clock signals, removes jitter
and provides optimal conversion quality, irrespective of the
quality of the reference clock. With the inclusion of internal
flash memory, all settings are recalled during boot. This
allows it to be configured and used as a stand-alone device, without connection to a computer.
◆ Sample rates up to 192 kHz on all channels
(except ADAT)
◆ Two digitally controlled Mic Preamps in
high-end quality
◆ Two balanced universal inputs for line and
instrument signals
◆ An ADAT optical I/O allows for a connection
and insertion of effects devices, mixing
consoles or external converters.
◆ Simple stand-alone operation with rotary
encoder and front panel display
◆ TotalMix: 648-channel mixer with 42-bit
internal resolution
◆ 54 Level Meter Peak/RMS, hardware-
calculated
◆ Full mobility with Bus Power support
(Power over FireWire)
◆ Word clock input and output (BNC) plus two
MIDI I/Os (breakout cable, 5-pin DIN)
◆ Power supply accepts 100 to 240v AC, thus
it can be operated all over the world.
◆ A rear panel switch enables Bus Powered
operation, taking the power directly from
the FireWire connector.
FEATURES
SteadyClock
Equipped with SteadyClock, the Fireface 400 becomes a sync reference for the whole studio.
RME's unique sync and clock technology, SteadyClock refreshes clock signals, removes jitter, and
takes care of optimal A/D-D/A conversion quality, thus guarantees a sensational sound quality,
completely independent from the reference clock's quality. SteadyClock allows the unit to control
the sample rate freely on its own. The Settings dialog includes a direct choice of the video and
audio world's most often used sample rates. Additionally, two faders can be used to set the
sample rate freely and in real-time, within the range of +/- 4% and +/- 0.4%.
TotalMix
The DSP-based TotalMix mixer allows fully independent routing and mixing of all 18 input and
output channels to all 18 physical outputs. Up to 9 totally independent stereo sub-mixes simply
mean unrivalled monitoring facilities. Copy/paste of routings, ganging and group-based
operation of faders, and the extraordinary Matrix window are just some of the mixer's unique
features. The mixer can be completely MIDI controlled, even in stand-alone operation.
Furthermore the DSP hardware calculates RMS and Peak levels for all 54 audio channels, without
causing any significant CPU load.
FireWire Technology
Fireface 400 uses RME's own FireWire techology, heavily optimized for audio. Minimum overhead,
special hardware adaptations, and a low-latency buffer concept allow a performance and compat-
ibility considered impossible for FireWire audio until now. This includes changing latency in mid-
operation, latencies down to one ms, or an immediate reaction to changes of the sample rate.
Further optimizations and additional features can be added at any time by Flash Updates.
Fireface 400: FireWire Audio Interface for Mac and Windows (Mfr# FF400 • B&H# RMF400).................CALL