RME Digiface AVB 256-Channel USB 3 AVB Audio Interface

RME Digiface AVB: Open-Standard Network Audio Bridge

The RME Digiface AVB is a portable, bus-powered USB 3 audio interface that bridges up to 256 channels of AVB network audio to a computer through a single Gigabit Ethernet port. AVB (Audio Video Bridging) is an open IEEE standard for carrying many channels of low-latency audio over ordinary Ethernet, and this interface makes that network directly available to any DAW over USB. A built-in AVDECC controller lets the Digiface AVB discover and manage AVB streams itself, without a separate control application. For studios and live rigs standardizing on the vendor-neutral AVB and Milan ecosystem, it is the compact box that ties the network to the computer. It is a whole networked studio in a device you can pocket.

Open AVB Networking

The Digiface AVB connects to an AVB network through one RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port, exchanging audio with switches and endpoints that follow the open IEEE 802.1 AVB standards. Unlike proprietary network audio, AVB is a vendor-neutral set of standards built into the Ethernet layer, so gear from different makers can interoperate on the same network. This openness is why facilities choose AVB and its Milan profile when they want to avoid lock-in to a single manufacturer. Through this one port, the interface can send and receive its full channel complement across a standard managed AVB switch.

Up to 256 Channels over USB 3

The interface handles up to 256 channels total, 128 inputs and 128 outputs at 48 kHz, scaling to 64 channels at 96 kHz and 32 at 192 kHz as higher sample rates use more network bandwidth. That channel density lets a single USB 3 connection carry an entire console's worth of I/O to and from a DAW. USB 3.1 Gen 1 provides the throughput needed to move that many channels without the limits of USB 2.0. For large sessions, it means the network, not the interface, defines how many channels are in play.

Built-In AVDECC Controller

A built-in AVDECC controller lets the Digiface AVB discover, connect, and manage AVB streams directly from RME's software, without a separate third-party controller. AVDECC (IEEE 1722.1) is the discovery and connection-management protocol of the AVB standard, the mechanism that tells endpoints how to find each other and route streams. Having it built in means an engineer can set up talkers and listeners on the network from the same place they manage the interface. That integrated control is a major convenience over network systems that require external management tools.

Monitoring Output and Word Clock

A single 1/4-inch TRS output serves as a line or headphone monitor, and a BNC word clock I/O keeps the interface locked to a facility's timing reference. The monitor output lets an engineer check any network stream on headphones or feed a local speaker without additional hardware. Word clock, the shared timing pulse of a digital system, ensures the Digiface AVB stays sample-aligned with converters and consoles on the same clock. In a networked plant, that clock connection is what keeps distributed devices phase-coherent.

TotalMix FX and Portable Build

TotalMix FX provides near-zero-latency monitoring and full matrix routing between the interface's network channels and its local output, all running on the hardware rather than the host CPU. The whole unit is bus-powered over USB 3 and small enough to travel, so a networked rig no longer requires a rack of gear to reach a laptop. Its compact enclosure makes it easy to deploy at a stage box, a broadcast position, or a mobile recording setup. That portability, combined with 256 channels of open network audio, is what sets the AVB model apart in the Digiface line.

AVB Network Applications

The Digiface AVB suits studios, live venues, and installations that record, play back, or monitor audio over an AVB or Milan network. Common uses include capturing multitrack from an AVB stage box, integrating with AVB-equipped mixers and switches, and providing computer playback into a networked PA. Because AVB is an open standard, the interface fits multi-vendor systems where proprietary formats would not. For any facility committed to vendor-neutral network audio, it is the direct link between that network and the DAW.