
500R8 is the centrepiece to the modern studio. It's an analogue/digital hybrid USB audio interface that combines our favourite analogue characters with digital precision by offering a completely customisable 500 series analogue front-end as well as an abundance of high-performance AD/DA conversion that is required for the modern DAW-based workflow.
It also features all of the studio essentials you need such as a comprehensive monitor controller with talkback facility, 16 channel ADAT interface, Zero-latency artist mixer, and 8-into-2 analogue summing mixer.
The Best Of Analogue Character - Thanks To 500 Series
500R8 puts performance capture back at the heart of your recordings and back into the hands of the audio engineer. By capitalising on the vast and ever growing 500 series market, 500R8 allows you to configure your own custom analogue front-end directly into your DAW for recording. Fill 500R8 full of vintage preamps for recording drums, clean and pristine preamps for recording strings, or even create you own Preamp/EQ/Compressor channel strips and commit those to your recording; the possibilities are endless.
500 series integration doesn't stop once the performance has been captured... Dedicated USB source-select switches for each 500 series slot allows you to send your recorded stems/VSTs back through your 500 series EQs/Compressors and print their effects back into your DAW for hands-on, all-analogue processing. 500R8 also features an 8-into-2 high-headroom analogue summing mixer that you can use to sum your instrument stems into a stereo track to be recorded back into your DAW using a dedicated stereo ADC.
Digital Precision
Having a near-limitless selection of analogue preamps to pick from would be pointless if 500R8's conversion applied its own colour and effects. In order to capture every subtle nuance of your analogue signal, 500R8 features reference-class analogue-to-digital conversion with 121dB (unweighted) signal-to-noise ratio and a master-reference grade internal digital clock with ultra-low jitter (0.5 picoseconds). The combination of highly-accurate, low-jitter clocking and high-performance, low-latency 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 and low-noise floor analogue design.
USB 2.0 Audio Interface
Cranborne Audio's USB 2.0 audio interface implementation provides the high channel-count requirement at the lowest possible latency whilst still being accepted by all major recording devices with unparalleled stability and longevity. 500R8 is core audio compliant for Mac and features a lightweight control panel for Windows machines that absorbs as little resources as possible to leave you with more power for plug-ins in your DAW.
In the interest of being compatible with the widest range of devices, 500R8 also includes a full complement of 5-pin MIDI I/O, Word Clock I/O via BNC, and S/PDIF I/O at sample rates up to 192kHz.
Monitor Controller
Hearing how your mix translates on a wide range of reproduction mediums is a crucial part of a modern studio environment. To facilitate this, 500R8 features a comprehensive monitor controller with a ultra high-headroom (26.5dBu) balanced speaker A Output, a discrete speaker B output, and seamless speaker switching between the two. There's also a Mono button that sums L-R channels to check for mono compatibility, a DIM switch that drops the control room output for relaxed discussions during recordings, and a speaker mute switch for when you are tracking in the control room with headphones.
500R8 also features a comprehensive Talkback section with XLR input, 48v phantom power, push-to-talk operation, and automatic signal routing to all CAST and headphones outputs connected to the system.
Zero-Latency Artist Mixer
500R8 moves away from clunky "virtual" mixers and gets your hands back onto the mix by using a high-headroom analogue summing mixer to create zero-latency, all-analogue artist mixes that can be blended with the one of two discrete DAW playback paths and sent to your musicians via CAST or the local headphone outputs.
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 dedicated analogue level and pan controls. 500R8's summing mixer also has a dedicated ADC which can be used to send your stereo mix into your DAW with a massive 26.5dBu of headroom.
Cast Equipped
CAST stands for Cat5 Analogue Snake Transport and enables cost-effective and organised cable management around your studio by repurposing off-the-shelf shielded Cat5 Networking cables to transport 4 channels of balanced analogue audio (mic, Line, or Instrument level) over a single cable.
500R8 has 4 CAST In ports that allow you to connect any of our breakout boxes (to be announced soon) and place analogue I/O where you need it - whether it's in the live room, vocal booth, or the bedroom next door.Our clever impedance matching means that the signal quality can exceed that of a mic cable for a fraction of the price and over a distance of up to 100m. CAST is 100% analogue and requires ZERO setup. Plug one end of the cable in one box, and the other end into 500R8 and it just works. No setup. No latency. No fuss. And it sounds great.
Manufactured in the UK
To ensure that every product bearing the Cranborne Audio name is worthy of studio environments big or small, all 500R8's are manufactured in the UK under the company's founders and their watchful eye's. 500R8 is carefully assembled by a skilled workforce with immense attention to detail and each and every product is tested thoroughly by a skilled engineer before shipping to destinations around the world.
500R8 and 500ADAT are two revolutionary 500 series racks featuring elite-quality AD/DA conversion, ultra low-jitter clocking, summing mixers, and reference headphone amplifiers built-in to their 4U frames. Both are designed to integrate all the benefits of 500 Series modules into brilliant hybrid studio workflows not previously possible. But whilst on the outside their differences look minimal, these two racks are designed for completely different users - integrating into your studio in completely different ways.
Deep dive into the physical and applicational differences between the two units to help you decide which one would work best in your studio in this dedicated blog
"The 500R8 could easily be the centrepiece of any serious recording/mixing setup: it's a top-notch audio interface, a capable 500-series host chassis, an expandable analogue summing mixer, and more besides." - Read the full review from Sound on Sound here
The 500 series format is the most cost-effective, and flexible way to add a variety of analogue gear into your studio, but it’s never been the easiest system to integrate into your studio setup. Until now.
1. Goodbye To Cable Spaghetti
500ADAT seamlessly integrates the 500 series format into your studio without running multiple analogue cables to and from your audio interface’s I/O. D-subs, XLRs, and TRS jacks cost money, take up space, and look unsightly. 500ADAT exchanges all of that copper for 2 optical cables. With 500ADAT, there are less physical electrical contacts to go wrong and less margin for error during patching. Spend more time making music and less time patching.
2. Get More Recording And Playback Channels From Your Audio Interface
Moving 500 series connectivity away from analogue lines to ADAT means that all of your interface’s analogue I/O is freed up and available for use elsewhere. ADAT is often left unused on audio interfaces whilst precious analogue I/O is permanently plumbed into your 500 series rack or patch bay. Move your 500 series modules to those dusty ADAT ports, free up those Line Ins and outs, and utilise more of your audio interface’s available I/O.
3. Upgrade Your Conversion
With converters and digital clocking built-in that exceeds the technical performance of the best audio interfaces on the market, 500ADAT not only gives you more channels during recording and mix down, but also elevates your sonic capture capabilities to the next level with huge dynamic range, inaudible THD+N, and less than 0.5 picoseconds of clock jitter.
4. Simplify Your Hybrid Studio Workflow
Remove the complexities of analogue I/O levels, re-patching, and patch bays by moving towards a simpler, yet more advanced integration of 500 series and other analogue equipment. 500ADAT’s module source switches allow for Analogue XLR or ADAT sources to be routed through the 500 series modules at a flick of a switch. 500ADAT is a completely optimised and fool proof way of using 500 series during recording and mixing.
5. 500 Series Made Easy, and Made Better
Not only does 500ADAT sit in the same place as your current 500 seres rack and analogue cabling, but it also brings much, much more to your studio capabilities. It also features a reference-class headphone amplifier and a high-headroom analogue summing mixer in one integrated, high-performance, and streamlined package.
Read more here
Digital Performance | |
---|---|
A/D Conversion | |
Test Signal Path | XLR Input - 500 Series A/D Converter - APx555 (ASIO) |
Frequency Response | -1dB, 2.2Hz to >80kHz--0.05dB, 20Hz to 20kHz |
THD+N | <0.00032% (-110dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted-<0.00065% (-104dB) @ -1dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted |
THD | <0.00014% (-117.5dB) @ -8dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted-<0.00023% (-113dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted-<0.0006% (-105dB) @ -1dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted |
Dynamic Range | 121dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz |
Max Input Level | +24dBu |
D/A Conversion | |
Test Signal Path | 500 Series D/A Converter - Insert Send - APx555 (ASIO) |
Frequency Response | -1dB, <1Hz to >61kHz--0.05dB, 20Hz to 20kHz |
THD+N | <0.0003% (-110.5dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted-<0.0004% (-108dB) @ -1dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted |
THD | <0.00014% (-117.5dB) @ -8dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted-<0.00018% (-115dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted-<0.00036% (-109dB) @ -1dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted |
Dynamic Range | 121dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz |
Max Output Level | +24dBu |
Clocking | |
Jitter | <0.5ps |
Test Signal Path | DAW 2 D/A Converter - Line Outputs - APx555 (Line In) |
Connection Type | 1/4" Jack, Impedance Balanced |
Output Impedance | 150ohm balanced, 75ohm unbalanced |
Max Output Level | <+22dBu |
Freq Response | -1dB, 1.4Hz to >80kHz |
THD+N | <0.003% @ +18dBu, 1kHz |
Dynamic Range | 105dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz |
Noise Floor | <-93dBu A-weighted, 20Hz - 20kHz, (Unity Gain) |
Speaker A Output | |
Test Signal Path | DAW 2 D/A Converter - Speaker A Line Output - APx555 (Line In) |
Connection Type | XLR, Balanced, non-floating |
Output Impedance | 150ohm balanced, 75ohm unbalanced (pin 3 unconnected) |
Max Output Level | <+26dBu |
Freq Response | -1dB, <1Hz to 70kHz |
THD+N | <0.0016% @ +24dBu, 1kHz |
Dynamic Range | 109dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz |
Noise Floor | <-92.5dBu A-weighted, 20Hz - 20kHz, (Unity Gain) |
Talkback Input | |
Gain | 30dB Fixed Gain Preamp, +20dB Analogue Trim |
Phantom Power | Always On |
Summing Mixer | |
Test Signal Path | XLR Input - Summing Mixer Bus (Unity) - A/D Converter 9/10 - APx555 (ASIO) |
Freq Response | -1dB, 2.25Hz to >80kHz--3dB, 1.2Hz-0.5dB, 3Hz |
THD+N | <0.0007% @ +23dBu (-1dBFS), 1kHz |
THD | <0.0003% @ +14dBu (-10dBFS), 1kHz-<0.0004% @ +20dBu (-4dBFS), 1kHz-<0.00055% @ +23dBu (-1dBFS), 1kHz |
Dynamic Range | 108dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz |
Noise Floor (A/D 9-10) | -108dBFS A-weighted, 20Hz - 20kHz |
Max Contribution Level | +28dBu |
Pan Law | -4dB |
Noise Floor (Mix Output) | -90dBu, A-weighted, No channels routed |
Headphone Amp | |
Test Signal Path | DAW 2 D/A Converter - Headphone Output - APx555 (Line In) |
Frequency Response | -1dB, <1Hz to >70kHz |
THD | <0.0006% (-104.4dB) @ 20dBu, 1kHz, A-weighted, 300ohm load |
THD+N | <0.00085% (-101.4dB) @ 20dBu, 1kHz, A-weighted, 300ohm load |
Output Impedance | 0.33 Ohms |
Output Wattage | 250mW x 2 @ 600 ohms, 1kHz-650mW x 2 @ 220 ohms, 1kHz-1.21W x 2 @ 100 ohms, 1kHz-500mW x 2 @ 32 ohms, 1kHz |
Dynamic Range | 114.5dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz, 300ohm load |
Noise Floor | -93.5dBu A-weighted, 20Hz - 20kHz, 300ohm load |
System Performance | |
Analogue Path Phase Performance | |
Test Signal Path | XLR Input - Empty 500 Series Slot - Summing Mixer Bus (unity) - Monitor Bus - Speaker A Output - APx555 (Line In) |
Phase | <3.6° @ 20Hz, <22° @ 20kHz |
Test Signal Path | XLR Input - Empty 500 Series Slot - Summing Mixer Bus (unity) - Mix Output - APx555 (Line In) |
Phase | <1.5° @ 20Hz, <11° @ 20kHz |
Test Signal Path | XLR Input - Camden 500 Preamp (Mic Mode, 6dB Gain) - Summing Mixer Bus (unity) - Speaker A Output - APx555 (Line In) |
Phase | <3° @ 20Hz, <13.5° @ 20kHz (Preamp mic mode, 6dB Gain) |
Digital Round-trip Performance | |
Test Condition | 500 Series D/A Converter - 500 Series A/D Converter - APx555 (ASIO) |
Dynamic Range | 118dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz |
THD+N | <0.0004% (-108dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted |
Power | |
AC Requirements | 100V – 240V AC, 50 – 60 Hz |
Total Power Consumption | 24v, 5A DC, 120w |
500 Series Slot Current | 250mA per rail |
Total Available 500 Series Slot Current | 2A |
Environmental | |
Operating Temperature | +1 to 30 degrees Celsius |
Storage Conditions | -20 to 50 degrees Celsius |
Dims/Weights | |
Unit | |
Width | 481mm(19"), Rackmount |
Height | 185mm(7"), 4u |
Depth | 219m(8.6") |
Unit Weight | 7kg |
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