The DigiMax FS is an eight-channel microphone preamplifier, with 24-bit/96k ADAT dual SMUX I/O and word clock I/O. Loaded with direct outputs and inserts on every channel, the DIGIMAX FS is the perfect hardware expansion for your FireStudio or any digital recording system with optical lightpipe expansion capability including DigiDesign’s HD and 002 systems, RME, YAMAHA, Alesis, Mackie and many others.

The DigiMax FS is loaded with new patented JetPLL™ jitter reduction technology ensuring ultra-high converter performance, fast and robust locking through a wide range and variation of frequencies and noise shaping to remove nearly all audio band jitter.

8 XMAX Class A Preamplifiers

The DigiMax FS includes eight custom-designed high-voltage, discrete, XMAX Class A microphone preamplifiers for all types of microphones. The job of a microphone preamplifier is to boost microphone level signals to line level so that the signal can be converted from analog to digital. This mic to line boost is generally a preamplification of over 400 times the voltage of the original mic level signal. This preamplification stage is one of the most important stages that the signal will go through before converted to digital, and is why a high performance preamplifier is important to achieving great results.

All XMAX preamplifiers are built with the same three elements:

• High Voltage - The XMAX preamplifier runs on power rails of 30V. Most off the shelf op amp based designs run on power rails of 10V to 18V. Higher voltage power rails deliver more headroom, deeper lows, smoother highs and an overall fuller sound.
  
• Discrete - No op amps. Only transistors, resistors and capacitors. Op amps add noise, coloration and harshness to a signal. Discrete designs deliver ultra low noise and transparency.
  
• Class A - When a circuit is running in Class A mode the circuit is always in an "on" state operating at its optimal voltage requirements. Class A mode has zero crossover distortion and delivers purer, clearer and more musical sonics than class A/B designs which are found in most op-amp circuits.

The net result of the XMAX preamp design is high headroom, low noise, wide dynamic range and wide frequency range, and most importantly, musicality and transparency - smooth highs, solid deep lows, and everything in between.

Digital Converters and JetPLL Sync

The synchronization of the DigiMax FS is handled by patented JetPLL™ jitter reduction technology. JetPLL™ incorporates noise shaping to virtually remove all audio band jitter. JetPLL™ ensures the highest converter performance possible, resulting in better stereo separation and clearer more transparent audio. JetPLL™ delivers ultra-fast locking to any digital format, through a wide range of frequencies and is extremely robust, and tolerant of wide variations in clock frequencies. JetPLL™ ensures near perfect clock performance when networking audio devices thus creating the most stable and robust synchronization to all devices.