The Lynx AES16 is a half-length PCI card with 16 channels of 24-bit AES/EBU digital audio at 192 kHz. The new interface also features a hardware-based 32-channel digital mixer controlled by a well-equipped software application. The Lynx AES16 is compatible with Windows and Macintosh operating systems and integrates digital mixing consoles, multichannel A/D and D/A converters, hard-disk recorders, digital audio workstations and other digital audio equipment.
The Lynx AES16 is the first product from Lynx Studio Technology to incorporate the company’s proprietary SynchroLock technology, which allows the interface to output digital audio with extremely low jitter. This ensures bit-accurate digital transfers and produces exceptionally low distortion during subsequent conversion to analogue.
“Think of SynchroLock as a kind of jitter killer on steroids. By combining statistical analysis with low-noise clock-generation techniques, SynchroLock extracts a very clean clock signal even from AES signals affected by long cable runs and other sources of interference,” explains Bob Bauman, co-founder of Lynx Studio and inventor of SynchroLock. “This degree of jitter tolerance is extremely beneficial in multichannel studio and live installations.”
The AES16 also functions as a format converter. Its onboard LStream expansion port works with the optional Lynx LS-ADAT 16-channel ADAT LStream card. The card’s optical ADAT signals can be routed easily through the AES16’s AES/EBU I/O ports. The LStream port also makes it possible to combine two AES16 cards for 32-channel routing of digital inputs and outputs. Up to four AES16 cards can be combined in a single computer for as many as 64 inputs and 64 outputs.
“The AES16 can internally route the 32 available channels to any of its eight recording devices. Each of these channels can also be assigned to any of the 16 output channels for zero-latency monitoring,” explains co-founder David Hoatson. “This makes the AES16 a 16-input, 16-output cross-point routing switcher that permits very flexible monitoring configurations. Each configuration can be stored in a dedicated scene memory and recalled instantly whenever required.”
The Lynx AES16 mixer software for Windows and Macintosh allows all parameters to be set and controlled, along with signal routing and monitoring, from the computer. The 32-channel mixer can also store an unlimited number of mixer configurations, turning the AES16 into a virtual digital patchbay.
Two models are initially available: the Lynx AES16-XLR and Lynx AES16. The Lynx AES16-XLR ships with two 1.8-metre breakout cables with professional XLR and BNC connectors. The otherwise identical Lynx AES16 is supplied without cables and supports custom cabling using connection cables offered by Lynx Studio Technology for the most common digital interfaces from other manufacturers. These cables are available separately.
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