[LAU] ambidec: number of speakers and sound card configurations

[Bearcat M. Sandor]

  I'm still reading up on ambisonics in general, but i'm not sure how a 
full 3rd order system would be set-up as far as sound card outputs.

The screen shots seen here 
http://www.kokkinizita.net/linuxaudio/adec-pict.html suggest that 
ambidec can be used with 24 speakers, i'm confused by this idea.

I am keeping my system simple and going directly from sound card to amps 
then i have a max of 8 speaker outputs (it's ambisonics so they are not 
'channels' in the conventional sense. There are only 4 channels for 
b-format). Well my sound card only has 8 speaker outputs.  In fact the 
only 'sound card' i have seen with 24 outputs is something like an RME 
MADI capable system.

So then, would i use 3 sound cards together if i wanted to run 
ambisonics though 24 speakers? How would i avoid drift? That's what a 
master-clock is for right?  Can you run 3 sound cards with jack and keep 
them all synced up so that ambidec can send 24 speaker outputs of data 
to lots of amps or do you need one of these 
http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_m32da.php + the companion board.

What am i missing here? I'm still a newb.

Bearcat M. Sandor