The Patchbay/Router page allows you to connect each audio output to specific sources within the Delta 1010. This page contains five columns named H/W Out ½, H/W Out ¾, H/W Out 5/6, H/W Out 7/8, and H/W Out S/PDIF. Within each of these columns you can route S/PDIF In, S/PDIF In (L/R Rev.), H/W Ins 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 or 7/8. H/W Out ½ and H/W Out S/PDIF also include Monitor Mixer Inputs. After using this once you will immediately understand the flexibility of this page.

The Hardware Settings page allows you to choose clock and sample settings. Here you will find the Master Clock box where you can choose between Internal Xtal, S/PDIF In or Word Clock. You will also choose the sampling frequency you would like to record into your session with settings of 8,000, 9,600, 11,025, 12,000, 16,000, 22,050, 24,000, 32,000, 44,100, 48,000, 88,200, and 96,000kHz. If you are using the S/PDIF inputs you can also choose between varying rates as low as 8,000 kHz all the way up to 96,000 kHz.

A checkbox for MultiTrack Driver devices is on this page with settings for single and In-Sync, Independent and Multiple Card sync. You also decide your DMA buffer sizes on this page with Wave buffers between 8-28 milliseconds and ASIO/EASI samples per buffer with rates from 336-2688. Experience has taught me proper settings in this department will make a big difference in the quality of your audio and general flow of your session.

The S/PDIF page of the Delta Control panel controls both the Digital Input & Output formats. Output choices include Consumer, Professional and Advanced settings. "Consumer" is a true S/PDIF format and is recognized by all consumer devices. "Professional" is an AES/EBU type data stream, but electrically S/PDIF. The "Advanced" setting will allow you to force a few status bits in the outgoing S/PDIF signal. The S/PDIF Signal can be either Coax (RCA) or Optical and is connected into the host card--not the rack-mount unit.

Once you have installed Delta's hardware and software you can begin recording into any digital audio recording software. All Delta 1010 analog and S/PDIF inputs may be used simultaneously for a total of 10 input channels. Depending on the software you are using (I was using Cakewalk Pro Audio 9) you will see the ports appear with names such as "Left PCM In 1/2 Delta-1010", or "Right S/PDIF In Delta 1010", etc. I should also mention Delta ships ASIO drivers with the program if that is your software's requirement. Macintosh sound manager inputs and outputs are also supported, however Apple Sound Manager limits the user to one stereo input and output stereo pair. MIDI drivers appear in a similar fashion-MIDI Omni 1, MIDI Channel 1-16,etc.

How Does It Sound?
For my first test of the audio quality of the unit I patched a CD player through my Tascam TM-D1000 digital console. After tweaking the levels with the Control Panel software I recorded a few tracks into Cakewalk. The audio recorded in and played back perfectly. I noticed no difference between the CD and the playback from the computer. Then I tried to max out the capabilities of the Delta 1010 by recording on all 10 channels of the unit. I connected analog channels 1-8 and the stereo S/PDIF output from the mixing board into the appropriate inputs of the Delta 1010. Although there was a hesitation of less than a second while the buffers loaded, once Cakewalk began recording there were not any problems. These tests were conducted using the +4dBu settings coming from my mixing console into the Delta 1010. I wanted to also get an indication of the quality of the -10dBV inputs. As recommended I turned everything off before plugging anything into the Delta 1010. I plugged my CD player directly into the Delta 1010 and tweaked the software for these new levels. Although the dynamic range dropped approximately 3-5 dB, I still found the overall quality to be quite satisfying. In fact it blew away the 16-bit Card D Plus that was also installed in the machine. I particularly noticed a much richer low-end comparable to a high-end analog tape machine.

The Delta 1010 24-bit 96kHz recording system is a high-end product, which quickly and easily installs in any PC or Macintosh computer. In the 'wish list' department I would have liked M Audio to add at least one preamp to the unit and also a headphone output. With those two additions no external mixing board would be needed. The fact the system provides eight high-quality A/D and D/A converters (and one S/PDIF I/O) which are 24-bit and 96kHZ capable at this price point is remarkable. I also appreciate the system attempting to cover all driver bases with drivers for Windows MME, ASIO and Sound Manager for the Mac. Recently several manufacturers have gone back to the proprietary model of having their hardware only work with their own software. M Audio has taken the high road here. I enjoyed the painless installation and well-written manual. With a decent computer and some recording software you can easily have a state-of-the-art 10 track recording system for under $1,000. If you are searching for a device which provides 24/96 capability and works with just about any software program, then you need to check out the Delta 1010 by M Audio.

In Part II of this article I will work with the optional Delta 1010-A1 ADAT interface add-on for the system. We will be recording a band live to hard-disc to see how the system works in a real session. See you then!

Rob Albertson is the owner of Rare Air Studios, Inc. in Atlanta, GA.
Contact: rareair@mindspring.com

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