RME HDSPe RayDAT 72-Channel ADAT PCI Express Audio Interface Card

RME HDSPe RayDAT: 32 Channels of ADAT Lightpipe for Your DAW

The RME HDSPe RayDAT is a 72-channel PCI Express card audio interface built around four ADAT optical I/O, giving a PC or Mac up to 32 channels of lightpipe input and output. Alongside the ADAT ports it carries coaxial SPDIF, AES/EBU, Word Clock, and MIDI, all at 24-bit and up to 192 kHz. Routing and monitoring run through RME's TotalMix DSP mixer, and an optional Time Code Option adds LTC and video sync. For a studio that wants to expand a DAW with many channels of optical I/O and pair it with ADAT preamps or converters, the RayDAT is the dense, reliable digital front end.

Four ADAT Optical Ports for 32 Channels

The RayDAT's four ADAT TOSLINK ports each carry eight channels at 48 kHz, for a total of 32 channels of optical input and output over standard lightpipe cables. ADAT, often called lightpipe, sends eight channels of digital audio down a single optical cable, which makes it a compact and electrically isolated way to add many channels at once. Four ports mean you can connect four eight-channel ADAT preamps or converters simultaneously and see all 32 channels in your DAW. That capacity turns a single PCIe slot into a large optical patchbay for a project or commercial studio.

Simultaneous SPDIF and AES/EBU Digital I/O

Beyond ADAT, the RayDAT provides a coaxial SPDIF I/O and an AES/EBU I/O that can be used at the same time, a combination RME was first to offer on one card. SPDIF and AES/EBU are two-channel digital formats used to connect outboard converters, digital mixers, and other studio gear, and having both lets the card interface with almost any digital device. Because these ports operate alongside the four ADAT connections, none of your channel budget is sacrificed to gain them. The result is a card that speaks every common studio digital format at once.

192 kHz via S/MUX4 and 24-Bit Resolution

The RayDAT runs at 24-bit and supports high sample rates on ADAT using sample multiplexing: S/MUX for 96 kHz and S/MUX4 for 192 kHz. Sample multiplexing spreads one high-rate channel across multiple ADAT slots, so an eight-channel port carries four channels at 96 kHz or two at 192 kHz. This lets the card work at the highest resolutions with modern converters while remaining fully compatible with legacy 48 kHz ADAT gear. You get high-rate fidelity without giving up the broad device compatibility that makes ADAT so useful.

TotalMix DSP Mixing and Metering

Every channel on the RayDAT is routed and monitored through TotalMix, RME's on-card DSP mixer, with hardware level metering and MIDI remote control. Because TotalMix runs on the card rather than in software, monitor mixes carry effectively zero latency, letting performers hear themselves without the delay of a software path. Hardware metering shows signal levels independent of the DAW, which is invaluable when troubleshooting a large optical setup. This on-board mixing is what makes a 32-channel card manageable rather than overwhelming.

SteadyClock, Time Code and DAW Pairing

The RayDAT clocks with SteadyClock and SyncCheck and includes a Word Clock I/O to slave to or master a house clock, while an optional Time Code Option adds LTC and video reference for post and broadcast. Clean clocking keeps every ADAT, SPDIF, and AES source locked to one reference, preventing the dropouts that come from mismatched digital clocks. The card is the natural DAW partner for RME's ADAT-equipped M-32 and M-16 converters, as well as third-party lightpipe preamps. It is built for expanding a DAW with dozens of optical channels, routing SPDIF and AES in one card, and time-code-locked post workflows.