DAC
Characteristics of the built-in DAC - a digital-to-analog converter for converting digital audio into line-level analog audio, usually in stereo format.
— Bit depth. Bit size of the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) used in the device. In this case, the meaning of this parameter is as follows: the bit depth of the DAC must be no lower than the bit depth of the audio signal with which the converter is planned to be used, otherwise the device will not be able to effectively cope with the conversion. As for specific values, the standard options in modern audio interfaces are
16 bit,
24 bit and
32 bit.
- Sampling frequency. The sampling rate of the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) installed in the audio interface. Let us recall that such a converter is responsible for converting digital audio into an analog audio signal. The paragraph usually indicates the maximum value of the sampling frequency, for which one of the standard values corresponding to a certain sound quality is used (
48 kHz,
96 kHz,
192 kHz).
Frequency range
The audio frequency range supported by the device. Most often we are talking about the range of frequencies that a device can produce in an analog audio output signal.
In general, the wider the frequency range, the fuller the sound, the lower the likelihood that the audio interface will “cut off” the upper or lower frequencies. However, it must be taken into account that the human ear is capable of hearing sounds at frequencies from 16 to 22,000 Hz, and the upper limit decreases with age. So from a practical point of view, it makes no sense to provide a wider range in audio technology. And the impressive numbers found in high-end devices are rather a “side effect” of advanced electronic circuits and are given in the specifications mainly for advertising purposes. Also remember that the overall sound quality is affected by many other factors besides frequency range.
To monitors
Output connectors for connecting monitor speakers or headphones. Connecting monitors to the output of an audio interface allows musicians, sound designers, or sound engineers to monitor audio quality in real time. In audio interfaces,
monitor outputs can be made in various formats, but most often there are various combinations of RCA, XLR and Jack connectors (6.35 mm), less often - the classic mini-Jack (3.5 mm).
PAD attenuator
The main function of the PAD (Passive Attenuation Device) attenuator is to reduce the excess level of the input signal. When it is too high, there is a risk of overloading or even damaging your audio equipment.
The PAD can be useful when connecting guitars with active pickups or, for example, when using microphones with high audio output levels.
Power consumption
Power in watts consumed by the device during operation.
