Essential Information About the PCIe Audio Interface RME HDSPe MADI FX
- Up to 390 audio channels for demanding MADI configurations, with three MADI connections and AES/EBU integration.
- New Hammerfall Pro Audio Core: up to three times more channels processed than previous MADI generations, with optimized system load.
- Ultra-low latency (down to 32 samples on recent computers) for real-time recording and monitoring.
- Integrated TotalMix FX: advanced routing, DSP effects, and stereo monitoring directly from the card.
A "very high channel count" benchmark in RME's MADI ecosystem
Iconic of RME's very high-performance MADI solutions, the HDSPe MADI FX belongs to a range designed for studios, OB vans, theaters, and installations where stability, synchronization, and I/O density are paramount. This version stands out from previous MADI cards thanks to the Hammerfall Pro Audio Core, a modular architecture developed to handle a massive volume of channels while preserving RME's DNA: efficiency, reliability, and minimal latency.
Who is it for and what are the use cases?
This PCI Express card is aimed at sound engineers and integrators who need to centralize large audio streams in MADI, control multiple converters, and distribute return mixes without compromise. It is suitable for both multitrack recording and mixing in hybrid environments, with a key advantage: powerful stereo monitoring and internal routing capabilities sufficient to replace many hardware patch bays.
Massive routing, monitoring, and synchronization: RME's uncompromising approach
Hammerfall Pro Audio Core: more channels, less load, controlled latency
To maintain high performance despite the channel count, RME introduces a processing core capable of handling three times more channels than previous MADI generations, while reducing CPU load. The result: exemplary responsiveness, with buffer settings that can go as low as 32 samples on modern setups.
TotalMix FX: the studio command center
TotalMix FX transforms the HDSPe MADI FX into a complete routing matrix: creation of submixes, headphone distributions, DSP processing, and fine management of inputs/outputs. All this relies on a 42-bit internal signal router, designed to preserve precision during summations and complex routings.
Clocking and control: stability for MADI systems
With SteadyClock, Word Clock, and analysis tools, the card is built for long digital chains and multi-converter systems, securing the clock and facilitating diagnostics of levels and signal quality.
Technical Specifications
Format and Type
- PCI Express audio interface card
Channels and Digital Audio
- MADI: 194 input channels and 194 output channels
- Sampling frequencies up to 192 kHz
- Optical MADI: coaxial converter functionality
- 4096-channel mono matrix router
- 42-bit internal signal router
Monitoring and Analog
- Analog outputs: 2 channels (6.3 mm stereo jack, monitoring or headphones)
- 1 stereo analog output (headphones)
Effects and Software
- TotalMix routing software
- Integrated DSP effects
- DigiCheck: measurement and analysis tool (UER R128 compatible)
Synchronization
- SteadyClock
- 1 Word Clock input and output
Connectivity
- 2 optical MADI inputs and outputs
- 1 coaxial MADI input and output
- 1 AES/EBU input and output
- AES/EBU interface for direct converter integration
- 1 MIDI input and output via 5-pin DIN
- 3 MIDI inputs and outputs via MADI
Performance
- Extremely low latency times