Plenty of output from RME
Plenty of output from RME
The M-1610 Pro includes eight corresponding analogue outputs and an additional headphone output
Audio interfaces are arguably seeing greater use than normal at the moment with everyone stuck in a home. So, it was timely that just before the lockdowns came into effect, RME introduced two new models, the M-1610 Pro and ADI-2 Pro FSR BE.
The M-1610 Pro comes at the request of recording engineers wishing to use a single device that combines a selection of analogue inputs and outputs found on its bigger sibling, the M-32 Pro. Integrating 16 analogue inputs with switchable sensitivity per channel of up to +24dBu, the M-1610 Pro includes eight corresponding analogue outputs and an additional headphone output. Output options are also aplenty with coaxial and optional optical MADI, redundant AVB and four ADAT optical outputs present.
Compared to the M-32 Pro series, which was designed primarily for fixed installations, the M-1610 Pro adds TRS jacks that can be used instead of the D-Sub connectors on inputs 11–16 and TRS jacks that can be used in parallel to D-Sub outputs 1–2, as well as redundant network ports and a headphone output with a quick access button for source selection and volume. All device features are configurable on the large TFT display with encoder, via a network using a browser-based web interface and also via AVDECC – allowing other AVB devices to control the M-1610 Pro using just the AVB standard itself.
The M-1610 Pro’s internal routing matrix brings up to eight AVB streams with a total of 64 channels, the coaxial and optional SFP optical MADI ports with up to 64 channels each and all analogue I/O and the ADAT outputs side by side for flexible routing between the 208 inputs and 234 outputs. Lowest converter latencies and deterministic AVB networking with configurable network delay down to 0.3ms reportedly allow the M-1610 Pro to deliver samples, even from multiple devices, with nanosecond accuracy across an entire network. The AD and DA filters have been optimised for different sampling rates, with a focus on accuracy and RME’s signature “transparency” (nothing added, nothing taken). Together with SteadyClock FS – the current revision of RME’s ultra-low jitter digital clock technology – the conversion to and from analogue is described by the manufacturer as state of the art, at any level and digital format. Compared to similar devices, the three analogue line levels per channel each offer the full dynamic range of the converters. The outputs are DC coupled.
The German manufacturer has also debuted its ADI-2 Pro FSR BE, a black edition of its reference AD/DA converter. The unit features a black front plate and serves as an AD/DA converter, a USB DAC, an AD/DA front end and headphone amp for iOS devices, a multi-format converter with monitoring function, an AD/DA front end of audio measurement up to a 768kHz sample rate and a DSD record and playback solution.
