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Basic data
Name
Roland Edirol FA-101
Category
18) Audio interfaces / sound cards
Type
FIREWIRE _ AUDIO / MIDI _ INTERFACE _ (10X10)
Specimen
Unit
Inventory tag
STUDIO: ROLAND-EDIROL-FA-101
Condition
OK
Physical parameters
Dimensions (mm)
—
Dimensions (inch)
—
Weight
—
Format
—
Material
—
Manufacturing (Period)
—
Manufacturer
—
Power
Voltage
FireWire bus power or external AC adaptor DC 9V
Current (typical)
~ 450-500 mA (typical FireWire mode)
Current (max)
900 mA (AC adaptor mode)
Polarity
N / A (FireWire / USB power)
Connector
IEEE 1394 (6-pin FireWire) / external DC adaptor jack
AC/DC
AC / DC (according to power mode - FireWire bus- powered or adapter)
Internal/External
External
Note
6-pin FireWire bus- powered mode is fully supported. 4-pin ports require external AC adapter (DC 9V). The device can be used without external power in the bus- powered mode from the appropriate FireWire host.
Warning: Check the polarity of the source before connecting! Improper power supply will damage the device.
Firmware and serial number
Serial number
FW version (current)
N / A (Firmware fixed in hardware - no updates available)
Check date
2026-03-06
Previous version
N/A
Bootloader
N/A
Update Link
Backup File
N / A (Legacy hardware, no firmware backups needed)
Quick Summary
Edirol FA-101 is a FireWire audio interface with 10×10 I/O (24-bit/96 kHz) and 6×6 mode at 192 kHz.
Product Description
Compact FireWire audio / MIDI interface designed for mobile and studio recording. According to Roland and Sound On Sound, it offers 2 mic preamps, 8 analog outputs, S / PDIF I / O and MIDI I / O.
Features and functions
- 10 × 10 24-bit / 96 kHz audio performance (full duplex, all channels simultaneous)
- 6 × 6 24-bit / 192 kHz audio performance (DVDA quality, full duplex)
- FireWire bus- powered (6-pin, no external power required)
- 2 × preum phantom-powered micro preamps (combo XLR / TRS, ± 48V phantom)
- 8 × balanced analog 1 / 4 inch TRS input and output
- S / PDIF optical I / O (TOSLINK) / IEC60958-compliance
- MIDI IN / OUT (DIN connectors) for synthesizer / controller integration
- Direct monitoring with low-latency driver support (ASIO)
- Native Mac OS X support (10.3.4 or later, no driver required)
- Rugged metal chassis (club- tough, portable musician-focus design)
- Headphone output (stereo 1 / 4 inch phone type)
- Multiple FireWire (IEEE1394) ports for daisy-chaining
Primary I/O (quick orientation)
| Domain | Inputs | Outputs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio Analog | 10 channels total (2 × mic / instrument preamp + line input) | 8 × balanced analog outs + headphones | Nominal + 4 dBu on main analog outputs (according to SOS / Roland specs). |
| Digital | S / PDIF optical in (TOSLINK) | S / PDIF optical out (TOSLINK) | Digital I / O mapped typically as channels 9 / 10. |
| MIDI | DIN MIDI In | DIN MIDI Out | Integrated MIDI interface for sequencer / controller. |
| Guest | 2 × FireWire 400 ports | 2 × FireWire 400 ports | Daisy-chain / host link. |
Controls
FRONT / TOP (user control)
- Input gain controls for preamp channels
- Phantom power switch
- Sample-rate selector
- Mix / monitor controls
- Headphone volume
Service / hidden elements
- Verify the stability of FireWire chip guest (legacy compatibility).
- Check the current OS driver support before deployment.
Connectors and connections
Connector matrix
| Interfaces | IN | OUT | Spec / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio Analog | 10 channels total (2 × mic / instrument preamp + line input) | 8 × balanced analog outs + headphones | Nominal + 4 dBu on main analog outputs (according to SOS / Roland specs). |
| Digital | S / PDIF optical in (TOSLINK) | S / PDIF optical out (TOSLINK) | Digital I / O mapped typically as channels 9 / 10. |
| MIDI | DIN MIDI In | DIN MIDI Out | Integrated MIDI interface for sequencer / controller. |
| Guest | 2 × FireWire 400 ports | 2 × FireWire 400 ports | Daisy-chain / host link. |
Latency and jitter
Clock sources
Internal / external sync
Clock IN/OUT format
44.1 / 48 / 96 / 192 kHz
Typical latency
~ 5 ms @ 44.1 kHz (ASIO 104-sample mode, SOS period tests)
Jitter spec
Not stated
Buffer support
Driver selector (legal ASIO / WDM panel)
Impedance and signal levels
Line Level (dBu)
+ 4 dBu nominal output level (channels 1-8, balanced) per Roland specs
Mic In level
Input 1-2 XLR: -50 to -10 dBu VS 124; Input 1-2 TRS: -35 to + 4 dBu VS 124; Input 3-6: + 4 dBu (balanced) VS 124; Input 7-8: -10 to + 4 dBu (balanced)
Output Impedance
Output Jack 1-8: + 4 dBu (balanced 1 / 4 inch TRS per Roland) * 124; Headphones jack: Stereo 1 / 4 inch
Input Impedance
Input 2 jack: high impedance supported (according to Roland specs)
THD
~ 0.004% (times of SOS measured)
Frequency Range
44.1 kHz: 20 Hz to 20 kHz Hb124; 48.0 kHz: 20 Hz to 22 kHz (+ 0 / -2 dB) hb124; 96.0 kHz: 20 Hz to 40 kHz (+ 0 / -2 dB) per Roland specs bbb124; SN RATIO: OUTPUT 108 dB Bb124; INPUT 102 dB
Other Specifications (from metadata.specifications)
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| No other specifications | |
Additional technical details
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| No additional technical details | |
Typical routing
- Band multitrack recording: Current record of multiple entries via FireWire.
• Set the sample rate (44.1 / 48 / 96) on the FA-101 panel
• Connect analog inputs + MIDI devices
• In DAW map 10 input channels and activate direct monitoring
Connection instructions: The examples below show typical signal flows in practice. For specific details (jitter, buffering), see section above.
SW / drivers
| Component | Windows | macOS | Linux | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No specific driver data; use the Documentation/Links section. | ||||
Custom firmware details
Author
—
FW family
—
Custom FW targets
- No explicit custom FW targets in metadata.
Custom CC mapping
| CC | Meaning |
|---|---|
| No custom CC mapping. | |
Custom FW global settings
| Settings | Meaning |
|---|---|
| No custom global settings. | |
Custom FW extended menu
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| No extended menu details. | |
Documentation and manuals
Manufacturer / Links
- Official site of manufacturer
- eBay - search Roland Edirol FA-101
- Aukro.cz - search Roland Edirol FA-101
- MusicníBazar.cz - search Roland Edirol FA-101
- MIDI.cz - search for Roland Edirol FA-101
- Kytary.cz - search for Roland Edirol FA-101
- Heureka.cz - search for Roland Edirol FA-101
- Gear4music.cz - search for Roland Edirol FA-101
- Muziker.cz - search Roland Edirol FA-101
Service log
| Date | Event | Who | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| No records yet. | |||
Presets / User banks
Storage type
Number of banks
Current bank
Backup File
Export format
Note
Notes / service / modifications
- The model is officially discotinued (Roland).
- Part of performance parameters added from the period review Sound On Sound (09 / 2004).