ROSTEC STATION 6 High Performance preamplifier and monitor controller based on classical philosophy and realized by modern technology

Station 6 (basic analog version) Mic/Line input section * 2 balanced microphone inputs at the back panel * Built in +48 Volts Phantom Voltage. Can be blocked by setting a DIP switch at the back panel. * 2 high impedance instrument inputs at the front panel (will automatically disable the corresponding microphone input). * 2 balanced aux line inputs, feeding directly into the digital module. In analog mode directly to the monitor controller. * 2 balanced aux cue inputs, feeding directly into the headphone amplifier. * 1 balanced input for Talk Back mic. +5 Volts Phantom Voltage by setting a DIP switch at the back panel. * 2 balanced insert points at the back panel (insert between pre-amp output and digital module). * 2 direct line outputs from Insert Return * Insert points return are in essence direct inputs to the A/D converters in the digital module. * Insert points are switchable (active/bypass) from the front panel. * Insert points nominal level is +20 dBu in/out at 0 dBFS (digital full scale). * Smooth microphone input gain adjustment from +10 dB to + 70 dB by potentiometer, one turn - no clicks. * Input noise 134 dBu, A weighted. * +30 dBu input headroom (!) explained in the manual. * +28 dBu max output level (measured at 1% distortion threshold). * Frequency response 5 Hz - 200 kHz +/- 0.1 dB. * Crosstalk -120 dB, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, input terminated by 150 ohm. * THD+N: 0.00035 % at 1 kHz * THD: 0.00013 % at 1 kHz (see detailed FFT distortion analysis in the manual). Monitor output: * Stereo volume control. * Dual speaker select. * Balanced high level line monitor outputs with floating industrial buffers. * Monitor mono select. * Feed from DA converter in digital mode, from balanced aux line inputs in analog mode. * Feed directly from Insert Point Return by setting a DIP switch at the back panel. * Switchable output level by setting a DIP switch at the back panel, +8 dBu/+20 dBu at digital full scale. * Frequency response 5 Hz - 250 kHz +/- 0.1 dB. * Crosstalk -120 dB, 20 Hz - 20 kHz. * THD+N: 0.0003 % * THD: 0.00008 % (see detailed FFT distortion analysis in the manual). Headphones output: * Stereo volume control. * Feed from DA converter in digital mode. * Direct mix input from aux cue inputs at the back panel, available in both digital and analog mode. * Direct feeds from micamps for zero latency monotoring. * TB feed from external mic input at the back panel. max gain 70 dB. * Switchable Headphone power output level low/high. * Low level 16 Volts PP, high level 45 Volts PP. * Maximum output current 1.2 Amp, max power out 2 x 5 Watt, autoproteced. * Frequency response 5 Hz - 100 kHz +/- 0.1 dB. * Crosstalk -94 dB, 20 Hz - 20 kHz. * THD+N: 0.0015 % * THD: 0.0004 % (see detailed FFT distortion analysis in the manual). Meter: * 2 channel bar graph, 2 x 16 LED * Full wave peak detectors * Meter range 40 dB * Attack time 1 msec * Release time 3 sec * Input selector for 4 stereo sources within the unit Power supply: * Linear analog, passively cooled, high power, very low noise. * Thermally and overload protected. * Built-in +48 Volts Phantom Power. * Mains voltage 190 - 264 VAC 50-60 Hz (115 VAC version available by request) General: * Sturdy steel casing, magnetically and electrically screened. * Digital circuits are magnetically and electrically isolated by internal metal enclosure. * All inputs and outputs are ESD protected to 23 kV 15 A surge (IEC61000-4-2 and IEC61000-4-5).

USB Module UM44 * For Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later. Driver for WinXP/Vista/7/8 available for download in Support Section. * 4 channels A/D analog in to DAW, 4 channels D/A analog out from DAW. * 192 kHz 24-bit high-end DA and AD converters * Low latency, down to 4.2 msec round trip, identical to LMA8 latency. See latency measurements. * Bit-perfect USB data transfer between module and DAW * Fully USB 2.0 class compliant. Can be plugged directly into USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and USB-C ports * Supports 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176,4 and 192 kHz sampling frequency * Built-in ultra low jitter master clock generator * Jitter Sample to Sample is better than 0.5 nsec PP, 0.08 nsec rms * Clock accuracy +/- 2 ppm @ 25 deg C * Ability tp synchronize to an external word clock * AD and DA converters dynamic range 120 dB * AD THD+N: 0.0004 %, THD: 0.00015 % * DA THD+N: 0.0006 %, THD: 0.0003 % * Crosstalk -126 dB at 1 kHz * Soft analog anti-aliasing filters, brick-wall digital filters * Magnetically and electrically screened.

Station 6 is a complete “studio in a box” with two high-end true Class A microphone/line preamps, a superb monitor controller and an extremely powerful headphone amplifier. It features reference class A/D and D/A converters, which connects directly to your computer and favorite DAW via a bit-perfect and class-compliant digital interface.

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With its true class A preamplifiers and carefully designed analog circuitry, Station 6 represents a sound quality that is far above what you will find in the standard digital interfaces flooding the market today. Station 6 is constructed with a throughout balanced architecture, meaning that audio signals are routed internally as balanced signals, and all switching is performed by relays with gold contacts. There are no digital switching and no digital level adjustments, all is done by linear analog circuits. The digital signal processing, performed by the high-end converters and the digital interface, is confined to the metal enclosure of the digital module. This prevent electromagnetic interference from the digital signal processing to radiate thru the unit, letting the analog circuits work freely without being pressed into slew-rate mode by the sharp edges of the digital signals. Also, the power supply is pure analog. No digital noise pollution here, thank you....... This highly sophisticated design gives Station 6 an enormous dynamic range, huge headroom and ultra low noise and distortion, and the result is a beautiful relaxed, open, warm and natural sound, with an impressive amount of details and an astonishing depth and perspective. Gone is the ugly, cold and flat sound you get from the typical standard digital interface or sound card. This is classical analog quality at its very best, and digital technology used sparingly and wisely. In the design of Station 6, special care and attention has been paid to maintain the linearity of the dynamic range, all the way down to where the signal drowns out in the circuit noise. Maintaining the absolute linearity at the low end of the dynamic range is essential for allowing the human ear to detect the environment correctly. In the stone age (don't know if you remember that far back) humans were depending on their hearing to detect precisely from which direction the attack of the tiger came, and this information is found in the low level parts of the sound. Many years have passed, but we still have this ability, and we use it when we listen to music, and we use it to get the full experience of the performers and their musical instruments. In most digital interfaces, this lower portion of the audio signal is polluted with digital noise and non-harmonic ground based noise, which means that the ear detects this part of the signal as sound garbage with no clear relationship to the music. The result is, that the environmental information is degraded or partly lost, and the ear loses portions of the depth and perspective details, giving the music a flat and dimensionless expression. Station 6 is designed to keep absolute linearity and correct phase response in the full dynamic range, right from the lowest level to the highest, giving the professional sound engineer the tools to judge and create the sound picture correctly. Station 6 always maintains the accurate depth and perspective of the environment, no matter if you are recording in a church, a hall or a damped studio. Downkload the user manual here.

USB module UM44 with reference class 192 kHz 24-bit AD and DA converters. It has 4 channels in and 4 channels out with fully balanced floating industrial input and output buffers, interfacing directly to the motherboard. With the USB module installed, all you have to do is plug the USB connector into your desk-top or lap-top computer, and you will immediately have all the channels available in your operating system and in your favorite audio software. Also, the module contains a high grade clock generator with sync capability. It can be used as a master clock generator for the whole studio, with jitter specifications and accuracy only found in expensive high profile Reference Generators. The sampling frequency is controlled from within the DAW. When UM44 is installed in Station 6, the module is confined to an internal closed metal enclosure, in order to prevent any electromagnetic pollution from the digital circuits to wander into the analog circuits.

AES module - coming soon

LAN/DANTE module - coming soon

Station 6 basic analog version: With no digital interface module installed, the unit automatically selects analog mode, and all inputs and outputs will be available from the preamps, monitor controller and headphone amp. In analog mode the unit can be used as a perfect interface for external A/D and D/A converters, a natural center for an artists or musicians personal gear or a small PA set-up. The unit is user friendly and extremely versatile. Installing a digital interface module will automatically select digital mode, and the A/D and D/A converters of the module will be the main route in and out of the unit. However, many analog features are still available in digital mode, so lots of combinations are still possible.

The UM44 module installed in the unit

Station 6 is extremely versatile and can be configured to work in both digital and analog modes with a broad variety of set-ups. A few examples are shown here. There are more combinations. A lot more. Click here for a quick guide to the various functions and connections on the front and back panels. Click here for an example showing Station 6 working with a DAW in a typical studio set-up Click here for an example showing Station 6 working with external A/D and D/A converters in a typical studio set-up Click here for an example showing Station 6 working as the natural center for a perfoming artists personal gear