Based on the already successful DP428 platform, the new 4 Series considerably increase sound company choice. The DP428 takes on the name DP448 to complete the family and share the common technology. The five models in the series are: DP448 4 In 8 Out, DP446 4 In 6 Out, DP444 4 In 4 Out, DP426 2 In 6 Out, and DP424 2 In 4 Out.
As the demands placed on Professional Audio Systems continue to steadily increase, so must the technology be advanced to maintain the expected quality and useability. Based on a completely new processing platform, running at a native sample rate of 96kHz, the 4 Series set a new standard in terms of performance, flexibility, and ease of use.
XTA Electronics
Andrew Grayland and John Austin former R&D manager and one of the Technical Directors of Klark Teknik started XTA in 1992. Having overseen many of the benchmark products produced by KT, both Andrew and John felt that DSP (digital signal processing) technology could find a home at the heart of PA systems. At this time DSP was often disregarded because of its audio quality, but Andrew and John felt with the right algorithms and using 32-bit processing coefficients instead of 24-bit - what the majority of DSP designs were using - digital equipment could be designed that would sound very pure and clear.
Used Input and Output Processors
Input/output processors are used for multichannel sound recording in real time. Capable of studio-grade fidelity, these specialized soundcards are used in professional sound engineering and make use of an audio stream input output protocol.
These kinds of I/O audio processor soundcards are fitted with multiple input and output connections, usually USB, FireWire or some kind of optical interface so that a larger amount of data can be carried than with a normal sound card. Input/output processors also emphasize higher fidelity and sampling rates, as they are intended for real-time audio mixing and multi-channel recording.
Due to their highly specialized nature, input/output processors are not considered practical for home users, as they lack certain features common in consumer soundcards, such as real-time ambience effects, environmental audio extensions and the ability to accelerate hardware in video games, as these are considered to be undesirable.
Input/output processors feature a specially designed protocol that is capable of handling numerous inputs and outputs for audio, as consumer soundcards have a sampling latency that is comparatively large, and therefore unsuitable for professional applications. Consumer soundcards simply take too long to convert and transfer a sound sample to the hard drive of a computer, and they are also limited in the amount of bit depths and effective sampling rates they can process. Input/output processors typically have multiple channels, rather than just the two provided on most consumer soundcards, and there connectors are more accessible.
