Amongst other applications, the unit can serve as an AES/EBU front-end for RME's Hammerfall DSP MADI PCI card. An easy-to-use 72 x 74 routing matrix can assign any individual input channel to every single output channel, allowing for the free configuration of all sixty-four MADI channels and the eight AES channels.

When the single-space rack-mount unit is serving as a format converter, cable lengths of more than 100 meters can be achieved. The ADI-642 accepts both fifty-six and sixty-four channel standards as well as 96k frame at its input and can be set to generate both these formats at its output. This way the ADI-642 can serve as an interface between otherwise incompatible MADI devices.