The Universal Audio 2192 Master Audio Interface performs both analogue to digital (A/D) and digital to analogue (D/A) conversion and provides a high-quality master clock source and clock distribution for your entire studio. The internal digital clock of the 2192 was designed for extreme stability and jitter-free operation, and its onboard phase aligned clock conditioner circuitry removes jitter from external sources, so conversion quality is unaffected by clock source.
Two separate word clock inputs are provided on the Universal Audio 2192, as well as AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and ADAT S-MUX inputs, and any of these can be used as external clock sources. Four parallel word clock outputs allow the 2192 to be used as a master clock source without the need to daisy-chain or cascade the clock through external devices.
The heart and soul of the Universal Audio 2192 Master Audio Interface is the analogue circuitry used in its A/D and D/A converters. The analogue signal path uses DC-coupled, fully dual-differential, matched-FET, all discrete Class-A circuitry, resulting in ultra-low noise, excellent transient response, and unmatched sound. No capacitors or DC servos are used in the signal path since these degrade audio quality and image stability and introduce phase distortion. Our no-compromise approach and extensive history in analogue and digital circuit design ensure that your converted signals are totally accurate and of the highest possible fidelity.
Analog signals are converted to digital in full 24-bit format, at sampling rates of up to 192kHz. During A/D conversion, the digital signal is output to all digital outputs (AES/EBU, S/PDIF, or ADAT S-MUX) simultaneously. Audio digitised at sample rates of 176.4 or 192kHz is carried over AES/EBU in single- or dual-wire mode, and ADAT optical I/O utilises S-MUX interleaving. The S/PDIF specification, which includes 192kHz 24-bit audio, is fully implemented. The Universal Audio 2192 D/A converters can also be set to output the signal directly from the A/D converters, thus enabling “true confidence” analogue monitoring of the digitised signal.
Digital to analogue conversion on the Universal Audio 2192 is supported just as comprehensively. Any of the 2192 digital input sources can be converted to analogue, with selectable clock source: internal clock, the digital audio source signal, or an external clock source separate from the digital audio. D/A conversion is always accomplished at the sample rate of the digital audio source signal, even if the 2192 is synchronised to an external clock source that is running at a multiple or submultiple of the digital audio sample rate.
The Universal Audio 2192 Master Audio Interface can also transcode (convert) digital audio between AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and ADAT S-MUX in real time, using any of the available clock sources. Multi-segment LED bar graph metering is provided for all analogue inputs and outputs, with timed peak-hold digital overload (input) and digital peak (output) indicators. Finally, an internal universal autosensing, filtered, multi-stage regulated power supply supports 100-240VAC and 50-60Hz power for trouble-free operation world-wide.
