The Digi 002 Rack was originally released in 2005 and offered a number of advanced features that were unusual even for professional digital audio interfaces at the time. FireWire connectivity and a total of eight high-quality analog-to-digital inputs were among the more unusual features for an interface of its size. It also offered a variety of optical and other inputs and outputs, making the 002 capable of interfacing easily with nearly any digital audio device. Although the 002 has been superseded by the 003, it still enjoys full technical support from Avid Audio.
The Digi 003, released in 2007, was the immediate successor to the 002. It included many of the 002’s features along with a number of changes and improvements. The 003 preserved most of the inputs and outputs found on the 002, including the number of analog-to-digital inputs and microphone preamplifiers. On the surface, the 003 didn’t seem to be a dramatic improvement over the 002, having most of the same features and a very similar appearance. However, several important improvements were under the hood.
The most significant improvement in the 003 is the addition of a word clock, a mechanism for precisely synchronizing several digital audio devices. The 003 also uses improved microphone preamps in comparison with the 002, thus expanding its recording and editing capabilities significantly. The addition of a true jog wheel – as opposed to the standard directional buttons used on the 002 – further enhances the 003’s editing capabilities compared with the 002. Aside from the word clock’s in/out ports, the 003 has the same number and types of ports as the 002.
The 002 is no longer available commercially – it must be purchased second-hand. However, Avid Audio’s ongoing support for the unit makes it a high-quality and relatively affordable option, if you can find one in good condition. Both units offer high-quality audio recording and reproduction, but the 003 has somewhat higher-quality preamps and editing functionality. The 003’s word clock capability is likely to be the major determining factor in choosing between it and the 002, which lacks this important facility.