Marian audio systems are Made in Germany quality products with a number of important and useful features, that reach beyond providing inputs and outputs only, thus really enable the usage in the professional field. This includes smart synchronization- and routing possibilities, as well as the highly optimized driver design. The following list outlines the technologies, features and products available.

TRACE-series: Highspeed Hardware Architecture

Newly developed PCI- and DSP technologies guarantee data transfers with ultra low latencies below one millisecond practically without CPU load - even when using all channels at the full bandwidth of up to 192 kHz! A TRACE system is the perfect partner for performance intense applications such as software instruments and complete audio in-the-box-productions.

HighSpeed driver suite (MultiClient)

All Marian software audio systems provide a complete driver suite for Microsoft Windows (TM), supporting ASIO 2.0, GSIF 2, WDM Kernel Streaming, DirectSound (no emulation) and MME. All drivers, constantly improved, are multi-client enabled, so several applications may access different I/O-devices of the audio systems at the same time. The drivers are easy to use and give high performance with low latencies. The complete functionality is available in API-documentation for 3rd party developers.

No Interrupt Design in MARC series

Through their unique design, Marian MARC audio systems do not need an IRQ on windows XP/2000. That not only allows undisturbed high-performance audio operation - but also provides more resources for other components, like DSP-cards.

TDM SyncBus and multicard support

Using the hardware SyncBus all Marian PCI audio systems of the same or different type can be linked to one synchronous main system, in which not only the same digital clock, but also absolute start/stop synchronization of all connected I/Os is ensured. Using the new TDM SyncBus spanning all installed TRACE cards enables the free routing of up to eight channels. That makes single channels or complete sub-mixes available to all TRACE cards within the main system. A TRACE-main system with inputs- and outputs of any type - analog or digital - can thereby be used as router, patchbay, converter or splitter. Typical usage: Connecting an external reverb and/or effect units to one card making it available to all other cards. Start a modular system with a single TRACE 8 or D4 and add later other TRACE cards with different types of I/Os - e.g. up to 24 analog I/Os with three TRACE 8 plus four AES/EBU I/Os with a TRACE D4 to integrate external digital effect units to your DAW.

The necessary SyncBus cable is available in the shop.

Sample-exact start/stop synchronisation of all channels

All audio systems guarantee sample-exact start/stop synchronisation of all channels during multi-channel harddisk recording operations. The complete independence of the stereo channel pairs, an indispensable demand e.g. for broadcasting applications, is of course possible as well.

Zero Latency Monitoring

Any input signal can be monitored latency-free on all outputs. The flexible routing possibilities even allow switching the signal sources during play back. The monitoring modes OnRecord and OnPunch are supported.

Automatic Record Monitoring: The chosen channels are played back only, if a recording software is recording on these channels.

Automatic Punch In Monitoring (in Samplitude/Sequoia): The routed input is set up only, if defined via the record punch in function. Users, working with other recording software, can hide this feature.

Hardware DSP Mixer

Marian audio systems of the latest generation include a digital mixer completely integrated in the hardware. The digital mixer operates with quick and flexible DSP functions allowing latency-free mixing of all signals to several stereo sums as well as the latency-free monitoring and routing of all inputs to all outputs. Thus perfect monitor mixes can be set up quickly and played back on any output. The mixer can be configured optically - all inputs/outputs and many mixer sections can be either shown or hidden. All audio-, routing- and layout settings are easy to save and load within session files (total recall).

Latency Boost

There have been a couple of technologies developed for the Marian USB2 systems, ensuring undisturbed data transfer and taking care of minimal latencies. Namely, the revolutionary latency-boost technology enables a direct communication with the hardware, decreasing and stabilizing the latency times on the USB 2 bus. This way Marian USB 2 systems not only reach down to latency times, yet to be seen on PCI solutions only, but also excel due to the stability of a once found latency setting, ensuring constant data transfer - without adjustments needed - even when using all I/Os.

Hardware Pitch

Pitching the sample rate takes place directly in the hardware. It allows software applications to readjust audio signals to a timecode without delay or CPU load.

Digital I/Os and DAT marker support

All digital I/Os "behave" absolutely neutral and do not influence the digital signal at all. Consequently the I/Os are also usable for digital non-audio signals like AC3. Marian audio systems with digital input support transferring of DAT-markers within the digital data stream. This way complete DAT recordings can be transferred to the PC including all start information