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Lynx Introduces New Line of PCI Express Audio Cards With Aurora-Level Performance

New E44 and E22 cards offer 4 x 4 and 2 x 2 AD/DA conversion

Lynx Studio Technology has introduced a new line of PCI Express Cards that combine the connectivity of the Lynx AES16e PCI Express card with the audio quality of the Lynx Aurora converters. The first two offerings in the line are the E44 and E22 cards.

The E44 offers four analog input and output channels and four AES/EBU channels, expanding on the I/O offered by the LynxTWO-A card.

The E22 provides two analog input and output channels and two AES/EBU channels, essentially the equivalent of the L22 PCI Card. A new software mixer, similar to the one developed for the AES16e and Aurora Thunderbolt, will be available.

The E44/E22 PCI Express cards are designed to satisfy demanding professional recording and broadcast studio requirements. Built upon the legacy of the LynxONE and LynxTWO cards, the E series takes a leap forward to offer higher-performance A/D and D/A conversion system. In fact the E44 and E22 performance even eclipses that of the Lynx Aurora converters.

“Since 2000, the LynxTWO and L22 audio cards have been the go-to cards for high resolution computer audio in the PCI format. Now that most computers only offer PCI Express, we’ve had many requests from our customers to port the LynxTWO design over to PCI Express,” explains Bob Bauman, Lynx co-founder and chief hardware engineer. “That was the starting point for these two cards. We combined the ideas that we have used over the last decade to develop a PCI Express card line that will meet the needs of our customers in many areas.”

The E series also includes upgraded enhancements for I/O protection and shielding of computer noise and their associated power supplies.

The use of field-programmable-gate-arrays (FPGA) is another core technology pioneered for use in audio devices by Lynx. The E series uses the latest devices for parallel processing in the Lynx 16 X 8 mixer and V2 DMA engine which maximizes throughput on the PCIe bus while minimizing CPU workload. As always, FPGA’s allow for field-upgradeability to add features in the future.

Applications:

• Capturing and archiving historic and classic material with extreme accuracy and transparency.

• Broadcast applications requiring 24/7 flawless operation

• Audio measurement

• Audio production

• Medical, military and industrial applications that require full audio spectrum capabilities and extreme reliability

The E44, available December 2014, has a suggested retail price of $1095. The L22 suggested retail price is $795 and will be available in Q1 2015.

Lynx Studio Technology

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