SERAPH 8 - Your studios’ missing link for analog excellence

THE solution for the high quality integration of analog signals in a digital recording environment.
With a pristine analog audio circuit built around 8 excellent AD/DA converters, the SERAPH 8 reveals, what was so long missing: Those fine details of analog signals after their conversion to the digital domain; that little extra of sonic quality and openness in sound that the DAW didn't seem to provide when playing back with other soundcards.

Now, finally, the SERAPH 8 bridges this gap between analog sound expectation and digital reality - and the full 24bit/192kHz support is only one of the reasons to ensures this.

Powered by the "BEAST" all signals of the 8 analog inputs and outputs can be refined using up to 4 great sounding analog-feel EQs in every channel. The full-range MIDI controllable DSP mixing desk offers furthermore 5 pre/post aux-sums, and a super-flexible routing for all of the 48 channels of the mixer – practically latency-free and all without putting additional processing load on your host-CPU.

Using the modern and super fast PCIe interface along with customized transfer functions, specifically designed and optimized for high quality analog audio transfer, the SERAPH 8 will be the ultimate link between analog equipment and a modern DAW. And much more.

Analog mixing in the digital domain: The BEAST

Like every member of the SERAPH series it includes the BEAST DSP, which will make additional mixing or monitoring hardware obsolete. Even a patchbay can be spared.... First of all, it includes a 48-2 channel mixer with one stereo aux and 3 more mono aux sums. These Aux sums are all pre/post assignable and can thus be used for headphone mixes or as effect sends. Furthermore every of the 48 channels provides an advanced filter section with

One low shelf EQ
Two peak EQs
One high shelf EQ

Flexible and Expandable:The TDM SyncBus

Using the TDM SyncBus you can upgrade the SERAPH 8 with up to 3 more of its kind or with any other SyncBus-compatible MARIAN sound systems. E.g. with an 8 channel AES/EBU like the SERAPH D4, TRACE D4. The SyncBus enables all connected systems to share audio clock and start/stop information.

This unique solution thus ensures reliable recording of all the signals of all the sound systems involved. But more than that: Thanks to an intelligent bus-management, TDM SyncBus compatible systems additionally allow the transfer and exchange of up to 8 channels. The signals shared will appear in each mixer of each card. Even without another system the TDM SyncBus is a very useful tool. Effectively this allows putting EQs on a mixing sum or re-recording software application signals.

Fast and Reliable: Multi-client Driver Suite

Every SERAPH audio system provides support for Windows™ 2000/XP/Vista/7, Windows™ Server 2003/2008/2010 and Apple Mac OS X. The truly multi-client and continuously improved driver includes ASIO 2, GSIF 2, WDM with kernel streaming and real, non-emulated DirectSound support, delivering extrem low latencies for all software environments. Contrary to many competitive products, it allows to run several audio applications using the same or even different audio interfaces, parallel on the same computer system.

Well-structured settings, dialogues and menus of the driver along with simple to read and practical documentation in printed form, make it easy to setup this system and adjust it to the specific requirements of your studio. Of course all settings, including MIDI assignments and signal flow of mixer and routing can be saved in a file for total recall.

Powerfull and Future-proof: A perfect choice

The SERAPH 8 is available in two versions. For plain recording purposes the SERAPH 8 with its 8 analog connectors will serve perfectly in mainly all recording situations. The SERAPH 8 MWX provides an additional daughter board featuring 2 MIDI in- and outputs as well as a wordclock synchronization in- and output. The advantages of it are obvious: you can e.g. use the 2 MIDI inputs right away for controlling the BEAST with your preferred MIDI controller, of course you can also hook up a master keyboard and sound expanders. The wordclock ports are ideal for advanced clock.

That means, you can also synchronize all external equipment featuring a wordclock input simply using the SERAPH 8 MWX as clock master. A helpful tool to manage clock signals is the included software clock status panel monitoring samplerates, lock status and possibly clock errors of all digital input signals.

Like every sound system by MARIAN the SERAPH 8 marks up due to its easy installation and steadily controlled highest manufacturing quality. This and the fact, that the SERAPH 8 is 100% engineered and assembled in Germany, make us confident enough to grant a full 5-year limited warranty.

Features

• 8 Analog I/O
• 24 Bit / 192 kHz
• "Beast" DSP powered
• Multi-Card Support
• TDM SyncBus

Technical Data

• PCIe Audio Interface, 1 Lane (PCIe 1x) according PCI Express Base Specification 1.1
• PCIe Busmaster DMA with Direct ASIO Support
• 16x 1/4" TRS for Analog I/O
• Option: 16x XLR for Analog I/O
• - 25°C … +60°C
• +3,3V / 0,7A; +12V / 0,4A

Analog Output

• Max. Level: +15dbu
• Impedance: 75 Ohm
• SNR: 113 dB(A)
• THD+N: < 0,001 %
• Frequency Response: 0 Hz … 61 kHz
• Crosstalk: < -110 dB

Analog Input

• Max. Level: +15dbu
• Impedance: 10 kOhm
• SNR: 108 dB(A)
• THD+N: < 0,002 %
• Frequency Response: 5 Hz … 96 kHz
• Crosstalk: < -110 dB

Sample Resolution

• 6 kHz ... 192 kHz (Analog)
• 24 Bit physisch
• 8...32 Bit variable towards Audio Application

Synchronisation Sources

• 1 Interne Clock
• 1 TDM SyncBus Clock

"Beast" DSP

• 48 Channel Mixer, Latency-Free
• 52 Bit Mixing Engine
• 32 Bit Single Channel Precision
• 256 IIR-filter; full-parametric (Gain, F, Q), 4 per channel
• 7 Mix Sums
• Flexible Input Routing: any Signal to any Mixer Input
• Flexible Recording Routing: any Mixer Channel to any Recording Channel in DAW
• 7 Mix SumFlexible Output Routing: any Signal + any Sum to any Outputs
• Remote controllable via MIDI with 2-Click Control Assignmen

• Windows™ 64 bit

• Windows™ XP/Vista/7
• Windows™ Server 2003/2008/2010
• WDM Audio, DirectSound, MME, ASIO 2.2, Advanced Multi-Client Support

• Windows™ 32 bit

• Windows™ XP/Vista/7
• Windows™ Server 2003/2008/2010
• WDM Audio, DirectSound, MME, ASIO 2.2, Advanced Multi-Client Support

• Apple Mac OS X

• Core Audio
• Version 10.4 (Tiger)
• Version 10.5 (Leopard)
• Version 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
• Version 10.7 (Lion)