The all-new Digital Director (2024)

May 9, 2022Posted byMSB Technology News

Optimized audio. Superior isolation.

Meet the Digital Director: a reimagining of the entire Digital to Analog Conversion chain, improving everything from the source to the analog audio. With all-new firmware in the MSB DAC, the Digital Director enhances essential DAC functions, externally managing digital audio sources, noise isolation and processing. Using our proprietary ProISL laser fiber optic connection, the Digital Director eliminates noise coupling into the DAC from any digital source. This advanced isolation technology elevates the performance of all digital audio sources, along with increased processing power ensures our digital filtering algorithms achieve a new level of realistic and accurate analog reproduction. Born from years of research and development, along with a keen understanding of digital filter design, the Digital Director levels up the performance of all digital audio. We’re thrilled to start this new chapter of digital reproduction and can’t wait for you to experience how the Digital Director will breathe vibrant new life into your audio experience.

New Digital Director models:
- The Select Digital Director with linear power supply > Learn More
- The Reference Digital Director with linear power supply > Learn More
- The Premier Digital Director with integrated power supply > Learn More
4 digital only input module slots
Complete source isolation from the DAC engine through a Pro ISL connection and optical control link
- One Pro ISL Input module and Control Link Module included to connect with existing DACs.
- Two-way communication shares DAC display, controls, and remote functions.
Increased processing power for advanced new digital filters
Fully syncronizes all clocks prior to transmission to the DAC
In-house machined billet CNC chassis
Made in California, USA

Note: Production begins this year, but we ask for patience with new orders as we navigate severe chip shortages and difficult supply lines. Once the new firmware is installed, The Digital Director is compatible with all existing Discrete, Premier, Reference, and Select DACs. All new Digital Directors are manufactured according to our most recent designs and production standards and are not guaranteed to be a perfect finish match to existing systems. That being said, they’ll have stacking compatibility and will follow the correct sizing and shape. All new orders placed between May 2022 and the shipping release of the Digital Directors will be an exact match. Current and new DAC orders will ship when ready and the Digital Director will be sent at a later date when production schedules allow.

Increased Isolation and Performance

In keeping with MSB’s core design principles, the Digital Director seamlessly supports and augments all current DACs. Two-way communication between the Digital Director and the DAC enables seamless input selection and system settings on a single display and control. By outsourcing digital input modules to the Digital Director, the DAC becomes a dedicated conversion engine while the Digital Director manages and isolates all incoming noise. Plus, our proprietary ProISL laser fiber optic connection eliminates noise coupling into the DAC, elevating all digital audio sources to new heights.

Authentic Reconstruction

Our Prime and Hybrid DAC modules signaled a gigantic leap forward in accurate and realistic audio reproduction. In order to push our audio technology even further, the Digital Director uses two high performance DSPs, each capable of sustaining 12 billion operations per second that work in tandem with two dedicated FPGAs. This is more than 4x the processing power currently available in the DACs onboard processors, extending the life of new and existing DACs well into the future. But that’s not all: advanced new digital filters, born from decades of research and development, ensure our DACs offer a superior authentic reconstruction of the original analog signal. This allows for a more expansive soundstage, and more beautiful textures from complex performances such as massed horns, vocals, close mic’d piano, large ensembles, and full orchestras. What emerges is the most natural and emotional presentation we’ve ever created.

Linear Power Supply

The Reference and Select Digital Directors include an upgraded low-noise linear power supply. Designed and built in-house, they feature the same custom isolated transformers found in our DAC powerbases. Reducing the noise in the system always results in improved performance— this is no exception.