Roland has announced the Mobile UA, a new USB audio interface providing up to four channels of DSD and PCM audio playback in a package not much bigger than a deck of playing cards.
The Mobile UA is one of the smallest USB audio interfaces that support both DSD and ASIO. It offers native playback of DSD audio sampled at 2.8 MHz, and Roland’s proprietary S1LKi audio engine also reproduces traditional PCM audio at rates of 44.1 kHz and above with precision.
Using the same type of 1-bit D/A converter used in DSD, the resulting conversion produces very smooth, unclouded sound, particularly when compared to standard D/A conversion in PCM-based devices.
Inheriting Roland’s VS Streaming technology for low latency and stable operation, the Mobile UA provides up to four simultaneous channels of audio playback. Both USB audio streaming and DSP are processed on a single custom chip, offering users high performance for playing virtual instruments and editing tracks in DAW software. ASIO and Core Audio drivers are available for compatibility with popular Windows and Mac audio applications.
The Mobile UA is equipped with quality TRS mini-jacks on each side of the unit, providing two stereo audio outputs for monitoring with headphones or connecting to external sound systems. The main audio signal can be sent to both outputs, allowing two people to monitor the same sound at one time with headphones. Alternately, a musician can use one jack for sending the main audio signal to studio loudspeakers or a PA, and use the other for monitoring a click track and/or cue mix via headphones or stage monitors.
The Mobile UA features a high-performance headphone amplifier with 158 MW + 158 MW output at 40 ohms. This enables the use of a wide variety of headphone types and provides plenty of volume for monitoring in situations where isolation from ambient sounds, nearby performers, and crowd noise is preferred.
