RME’s original MADIface interfaces were launched a decade ago, and were the first to take advantage of the then new USB 3 standard, which allowed them to deliver channel counts that were unheard of in the world of USB interfaces. The company have now launched the MADIface XT II, an upgraded version of the flagship model that boasts technical improvements across the board.
The interface’s appearance and connectivity options remain much the same: it still occupies a half-rack chassis with a pair of XLR analogue input and output connectors joined by a headphone output, a trio of MADI I/O options (two optical and one coaxial), Word Clock I/O, MIDI and AES (via D-Sub), and a USB-B port for connecting a computer. In place of the mini-DIN socket found on the original, there’s also now a USB-A port that can be used to hook up RME’s ARC remote unit. Thanks to its collection of MADI connections, the MADIface XT II’s I/O count remains at a staggering 394 channels!
Inside the unit is a different story, however, as RME have made some significant upgrades to both the analogue and digital circuitry, which is said to boast improved performance over the original in just about every area. The A-D stage offers a higher signal-to-noise ratio and lower THD figures, while the maximum output level of the balanced line-level outputs has been increased from +15 to +24dBu, and the headphone output now delivers +19dBu with an output impedance of 1Ω.
A new digital board facilitates the ARC USB connectivity, as well as providing the MADIface XT II with the same Room EQ functionality found in the Fireface UFX III. This provides users with nine parametric EQ bands that can be used on up to 20 mono channels, offering detailed room optimisation for those working with large surround and immersive monitoring setups.
The interface no longer supports PCI Express and now uses USB 3 exclusively, and its Class Compliant mode has been significantly upgraded, and can now transmit all 394 channels simultaneously without the need for a driver.
Pricing & Availability
The MADIface XT II is available now, and we’ll update this story with pricing information as soon as it arrives.The MADIface XT II is available to order now, priced at £2087 including VAT.
rme-audio.de/madiface-xt-2.htmlwww.synthax.co.uk/rme-madiface-xt-ii
