Make some rack space for the Open Labs SoundSlate ($1,999 MSRP), a new virtual instrument player and hardware DAW for a keyboard workstation or MIDI controller. The compact, 1U rackmountable SoundSlate combines the company's music-operating environment with the virtual instrument host Riff, more than 8,000 sounds and effects, audio I/O, and a computer core running Windows XP.

The unit sports eight USB 2.0 ports, one Gigabit (10 / 100 / 1000) Ethernet port, two DVI Video ports (1 DVI-I, 1 DVI-D), and one E-SATA port. The SoundSlate's other numerous features include the following:

• Audio sample rates: 44.1, 48, 96, 192 kHz from internal crystal or externally supplied clock (no sample rate conversion)


• Bit depths: 24-bit I/O, 32-bit processing
• Digital I/O: S/PDIF, ADAT, MIDI


• E-mu E-DSP 32-bit DSP with 67-bit accumulator (double precision with 3 headroom bits)


• Hardware-accelerated, 32-channel mixing and multi-effects processing


• Zero-latency direct hardware monitoring with effects


• ASIO 2.0, WDM / MME / DirectSound Drivers


• EDI (E-mu Digital Interface) proprietary 64-channel audio link over CAT-5 cable


• Anti-pop speaker protection


• Low jitter clock subsystem
• Two analog Line inputs, plus two analog Line outputs


• Servo-balanced, DC-coupled, low-noise input circuitry


• A/D converter
• Quiet cooling fans

The 19-inch x 12-inch x 1U SoundSlate uses a 250W power supply. For full specifications and features, visit Open Labs.