multichannel audio digital interface (MADI)

Multichannel AudioDigital Interface (MADI) is an interface standard from the Audio Engineering Society( AES). Developed by Sony and others, this serial interface was published as the AES standard A ES10( ANSI S4.43-1991) and is used to connect digital audio workstations(DAWs) or multichannel digital recorders to mixing equipment.

The MADI interface simultaneously supports up to 64 audio channels and a separate synchronization signal via a 75-ohm coaxial cable or a single optical fiber. MADI uses a similar frame structure as the AES/ EBU interface and operates with 56 sub-frames, a sampling rate of 32 kHz to 48 kHz, a sampling depth of 16 and 24 bits, and a more efficient transmission code. Thereby MADI transmits the data with a transfer rate of 125 Mbit/s and a maximum data transfer rate of 100 Mbit/s.