Chapter 1: Introduction
1
Chapter 1:
Introduction
The Sonoma Audio Workstation is a hardware/software system that provides powerful and flexible
facilities for recording, editing, and mixing Direct Stream Digital (DSD) audio.
In order to run the Sonoma application you must have a Sonoma Edit card installed in your PC. If you
wish to use the mixer, you must also install the Sonoma Mixer card. These cards are pre-installed in
the PC when the Sonoma Workstation is shipped. Please see the
Sonoma Audio Workstation
Hardware Installation Guide
for more details.
The Sonoma Edit card controls the transmission of DSD data to and from the PC’s hard disks. It is
the record/playback engine. Although the workstation presents an 8-channel interface to the outside
world, each channel executes a 2-to-1 mix during playback while performing cross-fades at edit
points. The edit card supports this cross-fade activity.
The Sonoma Mixer card can simultaneously perform 8-to-6 channel and 8-to-2 channel mixes. It is
connected directly to the Edit card by a flexibus cable. To route audio to and from the mixer and
external equipment, a special BNC breakout cable can be plugged into the Mixer card, providing an
additional eight inputs and outputs. All 16 inputs and outputs are fully assignable.
The analog audio interface to the edit card is an outboard pair of 8-channel A-to-D and D-to-A
converters. They are attached via fiber optic cables.
The illustration below shows the connections between the various hardware components of the
Sonoma Audio Workstation.
1.1
Introduction
1.2
The Sonoma Hardware
1.2.1
Edit Card
1.2.2
Mixer Card
1.2.3
Converters