Launched at the NAB Show, the SD7B has the routing capacity, processing ability and user interface required for complex broadcast audio productions.
It will handle up to 996 simultaneous optical plus 224 Madi, 24 analogue and AES/EBU connections, along with 128 buses (with full processing, each of which can be selected as mono, stereo, LCR or 5.1), 32 matrix buses and 32, 32-band graphic equalisers. It can run two high-speed Optocore loops, with any combination of 448 inputs and outputs on each loop and all at 96KHz, while the local I/O connections are ideal for fast outside broadcast setup before setting up the racks.
Up to 256 processing channels are available, in any combination of input channels, auxes, group and solo buses, plus mix minus buses and auxiliary/group buses. Complementing these are 36 Control Groups (VCA style). Backstop PFL is available on every channel, while 256 dynamic EQ processors are available on any input or output on each band of EQ, as are 256 multiband compressors, also available on any input or output.
Forty-eight simultaneous internal Stealth digital effects, from a palette of 33, are also provided. All are fully automatable, enabling user-set parameters to be stored as individual presets which can then be triggered from within snapshots. These are expandable via the optional Waves SoundGrid with broadcast-specific effects and processing available. These complement the huge range of plug-ins already available for recording and live music applications and open up a whole new world of possibilities.
If recording of the master with all internal and Waves effects together is needed, DiGiCo’s Madi-based multitrack recording I/O makes it straightforward.
Multiple operator use of the SD7B is made easy by the provision of three 15-inch TFT LCD touchscreens, each of which sits above a bank of 12 faders, while adding two EX-007 Expander Units takes the active physical fader count to 100 without any need to access input channel banks. The screens are complemented by Interactive Dynamic Metering, which brings a new dimension to displaying signal levels.
The SD7B is fully compatible with DiGiCo’s SD-Rack and D-Rack.
Based on the same Stealth FPGA technology as the SD7B, the SD-Rack offers multiple synchronous I/O and up to 448 physical I/Os on a redundant loop at 96kHz. Versatile sample rate conversion means that while the SD7B provides 256 processing paths of 96kHz I/O, you can also select other sample rate options for specific outputs – Madi at 48kHz, for example.
In conjunction with the SD7B, the SD-Rack serves as a multi-sample rate signal splitter that also allows the ultra smooth DiGiCo microphone preamps to replace the standard mic preamps of an analogue or other digital console. DiGiCo HD-SDI cards also allow the user to de-embed and re-embed any combination of up to four of the available eight AES3-compatible streams per I/O module
Also available with the SD-Rack is Gain Tracking and splitting, which allows another console to take any of an SD-Rack’s AES, analogue or Madi stream outputs at a stable output level, irrespective of the microphone preamp settings on the SD7B, covering a signal level range of ±40dB. As well as supporting multiple sample rates, SD-Rack allows these to be Gain Tracked, so that even if the SD7B is connected to a non-DiGiCo console, the feed will be unchanged regardless of the gain settings of the preamp.
The latest I/O card options include an eight in/eight out Dante (Audinate) module, allowing the SD7B to be fully integrated into networked audio systems via a Cat-5 cable. Remote setup and monitoring of all SD-Rack settings can be performed with a PC or Apple Macintosh, via the SD-Rack’s USB port feature.
The D-Rack is a compact I/O rack option, for when I/O requirements may be divided between multiple I/O locations. With its fixed architecture and optical I/O running at 96kHz, it is a cost-effective partner for a main SD-Rack.
More: www.digico.org
