Roland Systems Group announces the Roland S-2416 Stage Unit, which the company expects to be available sometime in Q2. The Roland S-2416 expands the company’s line of digital snakes by offering 24×16 analog I/O and 8×8 digital I/O for a total of 32 input and 24 output channels.
In addition, the S-2416 has two REAC ports, enabling users to cascade an additional snake for expanded I/O or for a fully redundant, zero-loss audio backup solution. The unit’s newly developed discrete mic preamps promise high-quality uncolored sound.
The chassis is an EIA design with a four-rackspace size designed for touring or fixed installation. The analog connectors use rugged Nuetrik connectors and the inputs have three colored indicator lights that provide phantom power, clipping, and signal presence at a glance. The AES/EBU ports on the rear are 25-pin D-Sub types that enable other digital audio devices such as speaker processors, amps and other digital devices to be directly connected.
The S-2416 is capable of a cascade connection, making it possible to expand the I/O up to 40×40 channels. A simple activation of a switch to Cascade Mode allows a connection to an additional REAC digital snake. The cascade feature allows for more complex and flexible V-Mixing System configurations.
The S-2416 supports 24-bit/96 kHz, 48 kHz or 44.1 kHz when switched to clock master mode. Word clock input and output enable a master clock signal to be connected when using AES/EBU. Mic preamps can be remotely controlled using any V-Mixer, R-1000 or S-4000R connected by RS-232C or by using the S-4000 RCS remote-control software on a computer (Mac or Windows) connected via USB.
Fundamental to S-2416 connectivity is REAC: Roland’s Ethernet Audio Communication protocol for low latency, high quality digital audio transfer. Products using REAC technology are installed today in many venues and have been used in high profile events worldwide. REAC’s 24-bit, 40×40 channel protocol delivers pristine digital audio via lightweight, inexpensive and easy to install cable (Cat-5e/6). Roland Systems Group states that “REAC technology is immune to externally induced signal quality degradation or hums and buzzes typically found in analog systems, which leads to freedom in cable placement resulting in lower cost and better sound.”
The REAC family of products is varied and includes digital mixing consoles, digital snakes, personal mixers and multichannel playback and recording all of which work together in a plug-and-play fashion building a comprehensive digital audio eco-system.
