The IP88E BLADE-3 houses all the DSP processing power for an individual control surface and distributes the four stereo PGM buses, four stereo AUX sends, per-channel mix-minus feeds, monitor outputs, and other bus signals to the network. Once on the network, bus signals are available as sources and destinations anywhere. This creates an extremely flexible system in which program outputs from one surface can be sources on any other surface; for example, a news mixer’s program bus can be brought up as a source on the air studio surface. While the IP88E doesn’t house audio I/O, it does include 12 universal logic (GPIO) ports for interfacing various external switches, indicators and devices for control purposes.