Cranborne Audio 500R8 USB Audio Interface

Here’s What Cranborne Audio Say About the 500R8 USB Audio Interface & 8-Slot 500 Series Rack:

500R8 is the centrepiece to the modern studio. It's a 28-in/30-out USB audio interface that combines a 500 series rack and high-performance A/D-D/A conversion with all of the connectivity required in the modern professional or home studio.

500R8 features the studio essentials that you need to build your dream studio such as an 8-into-2 high-headroom analogue summing mixer, comprehensive monitor controller with talkback facilities, 16-in/16-out ADAT interface, as well as a zero-latency analogue artist mixer with reference-quality, high-powered headphone outputs.

The Best Of Analogue

By capitalising on the vast and ever growing 500 series market, you can configure your 500R8 to suit your tastes of analogue flavour. By installing your favourite 500 series modules into the 8 available 500 series slots, you can create your ultimate analogue front-end/preamp stage that can be multi-track recorded directly into your DAW.

Fill 500R8 full of vintage preamps for recording drums. Fill 500R8 full of clean and pristine preamps for recording strings. Fill 500R8 full of Preamp, EQ, and Compressor modules to create your own custom, analogue channel strips. The possibilities are endless and every 500R8 is unique to your sound.

The Best Of Digital

In order to capture every subtle nuance of your analogue signal, 500R8 features reference-class A/D-D/A conversion with 121dB (A-wtd) dynamic range and THD+N of <0.00032% (@ -4dBFS, 1kHz, A-wtd), all governed by 500R8’s master-reference grade internal clock with <0.5 picoseconds of jitter.

The combination of highly-accurate, low-jitter clocking and high-performance digital conversion ensures that every ounce of analogue character is captured with the utmost detail - free of unwanted digital artefacts from the conversion process and with a wide dynamic range thanks to 500R8's high-headroom analogue design and low noise floor.

USB Audio Interface

Cranborne Audio's USB 2.0 audio interface provides high channel-count and low-latency performance whilst being accepted by all PC/macOS devices with unparalleled stability and longevity. 500R8 is core audio compliant for macOS or features a lightweight control panel for Windows machines that absorbs as little CPU resources as possible to leave you with more power for plug-ins within your DAW session.

Monitor Controller

500R8 features a comprehensive monitor controller with connectivity for two sets of studio monitors. As well as seamless speaker switching between both sets of studio monitors, there’s a Mono button that sums L-R channels to check for mono compatibility, a DIM switch that drops the speaker volume by 12dB for relaxed discussions during recordings, and a speaker mute switch for when you are tracking with headphones.

Summing Mixer

Analogue summing can give your mix the final bit of analogue character required to achieve professional and polished sonic results. What makes 500R8's 8-into-2 channel summing mixer so special is that it is positioned after the 8 500 series slots - allowing you to insert saturation or subtle 'bus-compression' modules and create a stereo mix using 500R8’s dedicated analogue level and pan controls beneath each module. 500R8's summing mixer also has a dedicated converter which can be used to record your stereo mix into your DAW on USB inputs 9/10 with a massive +24dBu of headroom.

Features

28-in/30-out USB 2.0 audio interface

• Low-latency USB 2.0 interface with high-stability and compatibility with a wide range of PC/macOS devices.
• ADAT I/O (16/16 channels @ 44.1/48kHz, 8/8 channels @ 88.2/96kHz)
• S/PDIF I/O
• 5-pin MIDI I/O

High-performance A/D-D/A conversion

• Dynamic Range: 121dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz
• Frequency Response: -1dB, 2.2Hz to >80kHz
• THD+N: <0.00032% (-110dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted
• Max I/O Level: +24dBu

Master reference-quality internal clock

• Capable of 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192kHz operation
• <0.5ps of jitter
• Dedicated Word Clock Input and Output via BNC
• External sync options using Word Clock BNC, S/PDIF, or ADAT

Monitor controller with talkback

• Speaker A/B switching, Mono check, Dim, Mute, and 28-segment peak meter
• Dedicated talkback input with phantom power, push-to-talk activation, and automatic routing to all headphones and C.A.S.T. facilities
• Easy-access illuminated front panel controls for all monitor controller functions.

Analogue summing mixer

• 8-into-2 analogue summing mixer with +26.5dBu of headroom, dedicated ADC, and balanced 1/4" jack outputs
• C.A.S.T. link port for increasing summing mixer to 16-into-2 using Cranborne Audio 500ADAT

Zero-latency artist mixer 

• Zero-latency analogue artist mixer with physical level/pan controls per channel and DAW return blend controls
• 2 high-power headphone outputs with independent blend and level controls

Reference-Quality Headphone Outputs

• THD+N: <0.0006% (-104.4dB) @ 20dBu, 1kHz, A-weighted, 300ohm load
• Output Wattage (1kHz): 250mW x 2 @ 600 ohms, 650mW x 2 @ 220 ohms, 1.21W x 2 @ 100 ohms, 500mW x 2 @ 32 ohms
• Frequency Response: 1dB, <1Hz to >70kHz

High-current 8-slot 500 series rack

• 250mA current per-slot with 2A total for all slots
• XLR inputs, XLR line outputs, and TRS Inserts (pre-ADC) per 500 series slot
• Module source switching options to send Analogue, USB or external C.A.S.T. signals through your favourite 500 series modules
• Module bypass switches per-slot allowing 500R8 to be used without 500 series modules inserted. 

C.A.S.T. Compatible

• C.A.S.T. ports per channel for relocating analogue I/O around studio using passive or active C.A.S.T. breakout boxes via standard shielded Cat 5

24v, 5a external locking power supply

• External power supply for improved analogue audio performance and heat dissipation.

Designed and Engineered in the UK

• Each and every 500R8 is extensively tested by a team of dedicated engineers to ensure reliability and consistency.

Specifications

• Dynamic Range: 121dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz
• Frequency Response: -1dB, 2.2Hz to >80kHz
• THD+N: <0.00032% (-110dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted
• Clock Jitter: <0.5 Picoseconds