Frontier Design Wavecenter/PCI Audio Card (Macintosh and Windows)
No longer available at zZounds
zZounds Gear Experts Say...
Lightpipe, S/PDIF, and MIDI connections. Not compatible with OSX.
Overview
WaveCenter/PCI is the affordable new ADAT digital lightpipe card for Windows and Macintosh computers. It combines 8 channels of lightpipe I/O, 2 channels of S/PDIF, and a 2x2 MIDI interface on 1 compact PCI card.
Like the original WaveCenter and the powerful Dakota, WaveCenter/PCI combines the sonic benefits of all-digital 24-bit I/O with the convenience and flexibility of industry-standard interfaces. And now with drivers for Windows 95/98 and MacOS, WaveCenter/PCI can be used with all of your favorite editing and sequencing software.
Digital mixers have grown in popularity in recent months, and it's easy to see why. They've got incredible sonics, built-in effects, they're automatable, and they've got faders! Moreover, most popular digital mixers either have ADAT lightpipe and S/PDIF digital I/O built in, or they're available as inexpensive options.
WaveCenter/PCI is the perfect partner for these machines. Simply plug the card into your computer and connect it to the digital I/O on your mixer, and voila! -- instant digital studio. Now you can track directly to hard disk, perform lightning-fast edits with your favorite software, and use your digital mixer to provide automated mixing, effects, and A/D and D/A conversion.
If you're using ADATs, DAT machines, or a MiniDisc recorder to lay down your tracks, you know how convenient they are to use: you just load a tape and press the red button. There's just one problem: you can't edit the tape!
That's where WaveCenter/PCI… read more comes in: just connect it to your tape deck's digital I/O, and you can easily transfer bit-for-bit copies of your tracks into and out of your computer. You can transfer up to 10 channels simultaneously, with 24-bit resolution on each channel! Now you can do all the stuff you could never do with just tape alone: edit, rearrange, mix down, add effects, burn a CD, create an MP3 file -- it's entirely up to you!
When you're done editing on the computer, just transfer your finished song back to a fresh tape, stick a label on it (something like "Number one with a bullet" or "the Beatles would be jealous") and start tracking the next one! read less
Like the original WaveCenter and the powerful Dakota, WaveCenter/PCI combines the sonic benefits of all-digital 24-bit I/O with the convenience and flexibility of industry-standard interfaces. And now with drivers for Windows 95/98 and MacOS, WaveCenter/PCI can be used with all of your favorite editing and sequencing software.
Digital mixers have grown in popularity in recent months, and it's easy to see why. They've got incredible sonics, built-in effects, they're automatable, and they've got faders! Moreover, most popular digital mixers either have ADAT lightpipe and S/PDIF digital I/O built in, or they're available as inexpensive options.
WaveCenter/PCI is the perfect partner for these machines. Simply plug the card into your computer and connect it to the digital I/O on your mixer, and voila! -- instant digital studio. Now you can track directly to hard disk, perform lightning-fast edits with your favorite software, and use your digital mixer to provide automated mixing, effects, and A/D and D/A conversion.
If you're using ADATs, DAT machines, or a MiniDisc recorder to lay down your tracks, you know how convenient they are to use: you just load a tape and press the red button. There's just one problem: you can't edit the tape!
That's where WaveCenter/PCI… read more comes in: just connect it to your tape deck's digital I/O, and you can easily transfer bit-for-bit copies of your tracks into and out of your computer. You can transfer up to 10 channels simultaneously, with 24-bit resolution on each channel! Now you can do all the stuff you could never do with just tape alone: edit, rearrange, mix down, add effects, burn a CD, create an MP3 file -- it's entirely up to you!
When you're done editing on the computer, just transfer your finished song back to a fresh tape, stick a label on it (something like "Number one with a bullet" or "the Beatles would be jealous") and start tracking the next one! read less
Specs
Digital Audio
ADAT optical input (8 channels)
ADAT optical output (8 channels)
S/PDIF stereo input from coax, CD-ROM, or optical input
S/PDIF stereo output to coax and/or optical output
All channels simultaneously active for up to simultaneous inputs and outputs
All channels support 16-bit, 20-bit, 24-bit audio
44.1 and 48kHz internal sample rate clock generation; locks to digital inputs from 39-51kHz
Windows MME driver dynamically resamples 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, and 32kHz digital audio to 44.1 or 48kHz for output to digital tape machines or external converters
Includes standard Windows 95/98 Wave driver, and ASIO drivers for both Windows and MacOS.
Includes custom GSIF driver for Nemesys Gigasampler: up to 10 simultaneous output channels
MIDI
2 input ports and 2 output ports (32 channels in and out) on standard MIDI jacks (breakout cable is supplied with card)
Standard Windows MIDI drivers for PC, OMS driver for Mac
Other
Includes CD-ROM interface cable for direct connection to CD-ROM drives with audio digital output
PCI bus interface for fast transfer of audio data to and from host computer
System requirements
Windows: Windows 95/98, Pentium-class processor, one PCI short slot, one IRQ
Macintosh: MacOS 8.6 or later (not compatible with OSX), one PCI short slot, ASIO/OMS-compatible software
ADAT optical input (8 channels)
ADAT optical output (8 channels)
S/PDIF stereo input from coax, CD-ROM, or optical input
S/PDIF stereo output to coax and/or optical output
All channels simultaneously active for up to simultaneous inputs and outputs
All channels support 16-bit, 20-bit, 24-bit audio
44.1 and 48kHz internal sample rate clock generation; locks to digital inputs from 39-51kHz
Windows MME driver dynamically resamples 8, 11.025, 16, 22.05, 24, and 32kHz digital audio to 44.1 or 48kHz for output to digital tape machines or external converters
Includes standard Windows 95/98 Wave driver, and ASIO drivers for both Windows and MacOS.
Includes custom GSIF driver for Nemesys Gigasampler: up to 10 simultaneous output channels
MIDI
2 input ports and 2 output ports (32 channels in and out) on standard MIDI jacks (breakout cable is supplied with card)
Standard Windows MIDI drivers for PC, OMS driver for Mac
Other
Includes CD-ROM interface cable for direct connection to CD-ROM drives with audio digital output
PCI bus interface for fast transfer of audio data to and from host computer
System requirements
Windows: Windows 95/98, Pentium-class processor, one PCI short slot, one IRQ
Macintosh: MacOS 8.6 or later (not compatible with OSX), one PCI short slot, ASIO/OMS-compatible software
Reviews
Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
(8 ratings)
Submitted March 14, 2004 by a customer from comcast.net
"Wavecenter PCI Reviewed, owned 3 years !!!"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I have been very satisfied over the years with this product. I remember it being the "stuff" back in its day. Now it is kinda simple and obsolete like, but still very functional.
Sound
Hooked via litepite (ADAT) to my Yamaha O1V digital mixer. I use cubase sx2.1 I record/playback at 32bit (card only goes to 24bit) 44.1 k sample rate. works great. I have an external cd player as master, and yamaha O1V and Wavecenter PCI set as slaves. Card will also work with the rest of your software has great drivers down to 8 bit, lousy sampling rate. This is important if like me you want to play games and use your pc for other than recording studio.
Features
I use the litepipe (ADAT) to go between Wavecenter and Yamaha O1V digital mixer. I use one of the midi chanels to go between them so my digital mixer gives me moving fader etc..... I have with the S/P DIF been able to track 10 in at a time (great for live mic on drums)
Quality
Its a printed circut board with chinsy looking parts. I got a lot of crackles at first using the supplied ADAT cables (about as thick as the wire found on the back of a guitar pickup). I paid $100 for some thick good ADAT cables (about as thick as XLR-XLR mic cable) and this did the trick! Has been flawless in three computers of the past three years. Used with cubase VST/32, then cubase SX 1.x , then cubase SX 2.x , and now with Nuendo 2.x and Wavelabe 4.0… read more !!! Something that is always reliable.
Value
the only think close would be RME, you would have to pay more $$$ to get the RME with midi too. I paid $280 three years ago! I am surprised they still haven't come down in price. But it is definately worth it.
Manufacturer Support
When I had the crackes I called them and they were quick. They suggested better cables and that's been fine for me.
The Wow Factor
If it dies I probably wouldn't replace it only because the top sample rate of 48k 24bit is obsolete. For double the price I would go with an RME 9652 with 96k top sampling rate. This would of course force me to upgrade my digital mixer/converters. If you are reading this thinking do I want to buy it...well if you plan on recording in 24bit 44.1 and want rock-solid reliability with ASIO , and WDM drivers I would say BUY IT. You won't be unhappy.
Musical Style:
strings read less
Sound
Hooked via litepite (ADAT) to my Yamaha O1V digital mixer. I use cubase sx2.1 I record/playback at 32bit (card only goes to 24bit) 44.1 k sample rate. works great. I have an external cd player as master, and yamaha O1V and Wavecenter PCI set as slaves. Card will also work with the rest of your software has great drivers down to 8 bit, lousy sampling rate. This is important if like me you want to play games and use your pc for other than recording studio.
Features
I use the litepipe (ADAT) to go between Wavecenter and Yamaha O1V digital mixer. I use one of the midi chanels to go between them so my digital mixer gives me moving fader etc..... I have with the S/P DIF been able to track 10 in at a time (great for live mic on drums)
Quality
Its a printed circut board with chinsy looking parts. I got a lot of crackles at first using the supplied ADAT cables (about as thick as the wire found on the back of a guitar pickup). I paid $100 for some thick good ADAT cables (about as thick as XLR-XLR mic cable) and this did the trick! Has been flawless in three computers of the past three years. Used with cubase VST/32, then cubase SX 1.x , then cubase SX 2.x , and now with Nuendo 2.x and Wavelabe 4.0… read more !!! Something that is always reliable.
Value
the only think close would be RME, you would have to pay more $$$ to get the RME with midi too. I paid $280 three years ago! I am surprised they still haven't come down in price. But it is definately worth it.
Manufacturer Support
When I had the crackes I called them and they were quick. They suggested better cables and that's been fine for me.
The Wow Factor
If it dies I probably wouldn't replace it only because the top sample rate of 48k 24bit is obsolete. For double the price I would go with an RME 9652 with 96k top sampling rate. This would of course force me to upgrade my digital mixer/converters. If you are reading this thinking do I want to buy it...well if you plan on recording in 24bit 44.1 and want rock-solid reliability with ASIO , and WDM drivers I would say BUY IT. You won't be unhappy.
Musical Style:
strings read less
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