A/D: Why the large gap?

Artifex · Post by **Artifex** » Mon May 11, 2009 9:30 pm

Why is there this huge gap in analog to digital options. On the one hand, you have integrated solutions like a Digimax offer channels of ADAT along with preamps for $700. On the other hand you have $3000 dollars that you can put down for as little as two channels of ADAT.

Why is there no inbetween? I have a Firestudio, I want to use a friends Onyx mixer, I have a D-sub cable for it that terminates in 8 direct outs. I want to take those 8 direct outs and plug them into the ADAT on the back of my Firestudio but I have no box anywhere near my price range that will simply do that one thing.

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Mon May 11, 2009 9:39 pm

If it's going to be a cheap all in one box, everything will have to be cheap to make it affordable.

aka, a shitty, poor switching power supply. cheapest transistors/capacitors/etc money can buy, all of this is made up for with the built in headphone amp/8 ins and outs and 8 line/DI/mic preampwhatevers and that you can use it with firewire or just adat and that it has spdif in and out, all this other junk.

but if you're making a device that does one thing, then, it won't have the appeal of the device that does it all. So you can't market that it does it all, you have to market based on something else. Here, that's quality. If it kicks the shit out of the device that does it all in its area, that's how you market it.

The Scum · Post by **The Scum** » Mon May 11, 2009 10:05 pm

Wasn't Aphex making boxes that did that one thing, that weren't too spendy?

darjama · Post by **darjama** » Tue May 12, 2009 12:42 am

That Aphex 142 looks like it does what you want, you'll need to by a dsub pigtail for the XLR connectors. Or Look used, there are several discontinued products that fit the bill:

Mytek 8x96 ADC - I just sold one and bought a mackie onyx 800r, a card, a great converter, but I needed something more compact.
Frontier Tango24- good reputation, balanced I/O
Fostex vc8 - I've still got this as a backup. Surprisingly good sounding, though only RCA connectors.
Alesis AI3 - balanced connection, but only 20 bit. Black Lion Audio does a mod.

standup · Post by **standup** » Tue May 12, 2009 8:24 am

I think you're looking for cheap 8 channel analog to digital -- Behringer has the ada2000 I think, it does just that. It's cheap but you'd need an expensive snake to get from D-sub to the TRS (I think) on the behringer.

I recently got a TC Konnekt 24 interface because it was the cheapest thing that would let me take a digital ADAT output and let me dump it into a laptop.

It's also a decent interface. TC included Cubase 1.0 which is useless, but it appears to play well with Reaper.

I have a preamp with ADAT outs, so with the TC's two preamps and that preamp box, I could get 10 channels into a computer in a fairly portable way.

Artifex · Post by **Artifex** » Tue May 12, 2009 10:40 am

I suppose those are some options. I'm frustrated though becuase I we need these extra channels for next week. It would be nice if I could just rent something that does the trick but I haven't had much luck sourcing anything out from the area.

JamesHE · Post by **JamesHE** » Tue May 12, 2009 2:45 pm

If worse comes to worse, you could just get an ADAT!

I'm sure you can find someone that would sell or even just let you borrow one.

Also most interfaces with ADAT i/o can be configured to be simply converters. MOTU 828mkii for example.

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Tue May 12, 2009 4:50 pm

This "gap" is frustrating to me too...although I've remedied my situation through BLA mod's on my interface.

But I'm hoping that as BLA expands their line of product offerings they will bridge this gap. I've been entirely impressed with my BLA converters FWIW.

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Tue May 12, 2009 5:20 pm

th lynx stuff is good quality and not crazy expensive.

ott0bot · Post by **ott0bot** » Tue May 12, 2009 6:22 pm

KennyLusk wrote:This "gap" is frustrating to me too...although I've remedied my situation through BLA mod's on my interface.

But I'm hoping that as BLA expands their line of product offerings they will bridge this gap. I've been entirely impressed with my BLA converters FWIW.

Me too! My friend has a modded Digi 003, and it's quite improved over my stock unit. Trying to justify going further in debt to mod mine.....even though I'm not making anything resembling money off my recordings.

MoreSpaceEcho wrote:th lynx stuff is good quality and not crazy expensive.

yeah....it kinda is. The Aurora 8 is 2 grand plus 225-560 for a card, then whatever you need for d-sub cables. Jumps the price way up! Seems pretty expensive to me compared to a digi 003, fireface or other lower end convertors. That's the gap that I think everyone is talking about. It's like $800 or $2000 plus and not much in between that offers high quality conversion with decent routing options.

Maybe the RME stuff....but not sure if thats much of an improvement over the Presonus, Motu or Digidesign stuff.

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Tue May 12, 2009 9:15 pm

yeah the auroras are expensive, but they have (or had) other stuff, the lynx 2C or something, i think you could get it configured as 6 in 2 out for like $800? i forget exactly but you can find them used for not all that much, and they definitely sound better than the 002/motu/whatever realm of converters.

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Tue May 12, 2009 9:31 pm

16 in and out for $2400-$2800 b stock is expensive?

No wonder most gear is made like shit.

rockstudio · Post by **rockstudio** » Wed May 13, 2009 7:02 am

I bought a Creamware A-16 Ultra several years ago, at the suggestion of friends on this board. I have been very happy with the unit (16 channels of simultaneous AD/DA via ADAT @ 44.1 or 48 khz: 8 simul. channels at 88.2 or 96khz). Creamware recently changed names to Sonic Core. I purchased my A-16 Ultra for about $900, so for me it is the "middle ground" converter (no headphone amp ;p). It's got great headroom and will hang with your best preamps. This converter is a substantial sonic upgrade from a low-cost AD/DA, it has proved to be a strong, "next sonic level" piece for my studio, one that has yet to reveal it's sonic ceiling.
So IMHO, it is worthwhile to look at, and will provide great return for the money.
I bought mine at infinitevortex.com

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Wed May 13, 2009 8:53 am

Just think about the cost of what's in the lynx unit before declaring it crazy expensive.

$3000 for 32 channels.

Let's say the power supply costs them the cases and buttons and lcd and all the other shiny shit costs them $100

2900/32 = $90/channel

Would you call a mic preamp that was $90/channel "expensive" ?

@?,*???&? · Post by **@?,*???&?** » Wed May 13, 2009 9:24 pm

Artifex wrote:Why is there this huge gap in analog to digital options. On the one hand, you have integrated solutions like a Digimax offer channels of ADAT along with preamps for $700. On the other hand you have $3000 dollars that you can put down for as little as two channels of ADAT.

Why is there no inbetween? I have a Firestudio, I want to use a friends Onyx mixer, I have a D-sub cable for it that terminates in 8 direct outs. I want to take those 8 direct outs and plug them into the ADAT on the back of my Firestudio but I have no box anywhere near my price range that will simply do that one thing.

Are you building a 'professional' studio or a 'project' studio?

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