Digidesign 192 Digital I/O — 16-Channel Digital Interface for Pro Tools HD (Digital Only, No Analogue I/O) - Excellent condition.

Please read: this is the DIGITAL-ONLY member of the 192 family. It has no analogue inputs or outputs and no A/D or D/A converters. Every connection on the rear panel is digital. If you need analogue conversion, you want the standard 192 I/O or a 96 I/O instead. What this unit does, it does exceptionally well, but it is important to know which you are buying.

What it is

The 192 Digital I/O is a 16-channel digital interface for Pro Tools|HD systems, supporting AES/EBU, ADAT Lightpipe and TDIF at sample rates of up to 192kHz. Sixteen discrete channels of digital input and output, with four-segment LED metering on every channel so you can see signal at a glance across the whole unit.

Connectivity in detail

The factory-installed digital I/O cards provide 24-bit AES/EBU at sample rates up to 96kHz in single-wire mode, with dual-wire mode available for higher rates; 24-bit TDIF; and 24-bit Optical (ADAT) I/O. Three further sets of enclosure-mounted ports add two extra channels of 24-bit S/PDIF I/O at up to 96kHz, plus two extra channels of 24-bit AES/EBU.

Real-time sample rate conversion is available on up to eight input channels, and can be applied to different input pairs at different sample rates independently. That is a genuinely useful feature and the reason a lot of engineers keep one of these around: you can bring in a source running at a different rate to your session without a separate converter box and without stopping to think about it.

AES/EBU

The AES ports are the heart of this unit. AES/EBU is the professional digital standard: balanced, robust over long cable runs, and the format used by broadcast equipment, digital consoles, mastering converters, high-end outboard and dubbing stages. If you are integrating any AES-equipped hardware into a Pro Tools HD rig, this gives you a large number of AES channels in a single 2U space, at a fraction of what a comparable modern AES bridge costs.

ADAT Optical

Sixteen channels of optical I/O across two pairs of Lightpipe connectors, with one pair switchable to two channels of optical S/PDIF. ADAT is the everyday workhorse format for expanding channel count on a budget: eight channels down one optical cable, and it is fitted to an enormous range of affordable eight-channel preamps and converters. Connect one or two of those, and you have added a substantial number of high quality inputs to your rig for very little outlay.

Who this is for

Anyone running a Pro Tools HD, HD Native or HDX system who needs to get digital signal in and out without spending their analogue channels on it. Typical uses: interfacing a digital mixing console, integrating outboard AES converters or mastering-grade D/A, connecting ADAT-equipped preamps to expand input count cheaply, feeding a second machine or a video suite, or bringing in a source running at a different sample rate using the on-board conversion.

There is also a Legacy Port for connecting Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools|24 MIX interfaces, and Word Clock in and out for locking to an external clock.

From a working professional rig, in excellent condition, tested and fully working.

Requires a Pro Tools HD, HD Native or HDX system. This is not a standalone interface and will not work as a USB or Thunderbolt audio device.

This is part of a clear-out of unused and duplicated equipment as I refit the studio. It comes from a working, smoke-free professional studio and has been well looked after — happy to answer any questions or send extra photos.