d8b Forum

So I am in a conundrum over the quality of the d8b converters, at least in the way it relates to the 2 buss. My current setup is pretty simple, once a recorded signal hits my console it stays digital all the way to my master deck. Burt lately I have been having fantasies of an outboard stereo buss comp and strange urgings to hit an an analog deck, thus my converter queries. I have seen these 24 bit Flying Cow converters that are stupid cheap on the net, so my question is, are these any better than what the d8b is capable of, or my Masterlink? I know you can get into serious bucks with Lavry, Apogee, Mytek and the like but I can't justify that kind of money.

I find the converter debates to be rather confusing and I am trying to find a balance of something affordable and decent or just say to hell with it and let my rig do all the conversion as it stands. My head hurts....

From all I could glean, it seems the Mad Cow has been discontinued. Either way, I've never used one so can't comment. I can vouch for the Benchmark DAC-1 but they ain't cheap. Maybe 2nd hand?

Peter

anyhorizon wrote:From all I could glean, it seems the Mad Cow has been discontinued. Either way, I've never used one so can't comment. I can vouch for the Benchmark DAC-1 but they ain't cheap. Maybe 2nd hand?

Peter

Indeed, the Mad Cow stuff has been discontinued for quite some time, thus the cheap prices. I have the vibe that I am going to have to get two of something to realize this insanity. It would go d8b>DAC>2 buss comp>Tape Machine>ADC>Masterlink in my mind. Once you double up to encode and decode or the other way, it gets spendy fast.

Of course, once you start the process, the criteria change. I'm not answering your question properly but why get 2 when you can get 8 both ways?

Lynx Aurora 8

Apparently, if you do a bit of searching on Sound Pure, you can get even better prices emailed to you.

I've used the Aurora stuff and it is sensational. OK, so shoot me.

Peter

anyhorizon wrote:Of course, once you start the process, the criteria change. I'm not answering your question properly but why get 2 when you can get 8 both ways?

Lynx Aurora 8

Apparently, if you do a bit of searching on Sound Pure, you can get even better prices emailed to you.

I've used the Aurora stuff and it is sensational. OK, so shoot me.

Peter

I don't know that I am looking for any proper answers per se. It is nice to just type out loud about it, though I would like to know about the d8b converters, lot's of people seem to find them inferior for lack of a better word. I have thought about your idea Peter, with doing the 8 way unit but even then, you end up with a converter that costs more than my console and I cringe at the thought of that.

It seems a converter would be a converter, would be a converter but apparently there are magic beans in some of them. Reading some reviews and shootouts talk about how the Myteks don't "spec" out as "cleanly" as say the Lavry's, yet it was preferred over the others.

Anyway, thanks for entertaining my musings.

from what I understand on the subject most highend A/D's & D/A's use the same converters. it's the analog section & clocking that makes the difference between say a lavry & a mytek.

-Casey

Hey Crash,
For what its worth, and what the others have said, having great converters makes a VERY large difference. I use the Apogee, but have kept my eye on the Lynx because I could always use the extra a/d inputs. With the converters, yes they are worth more than the desk, but.....they make the desk worth more in sound. And, if you are always going to work in the digital domain, you can cart them from system to system. Only downside of the desk is 48k limitation. (though that's not an issue for me).
Being able to convert out and use the outboard without any unpleasantness is always welcome.
cheers
marco

Thanks Marco, for your input. It is tough being the cheap bastard that I am... or is it that I am broke? I have gotten by this long without all that stuff on my 2 buss so I will get by a little longer I guess.

Have any of you guys read the Dan Lavry converter theory paper? It is quite "propeller beanie" stuff but seems to conclude that 192K is not what is seems to be, not that it would matter to old school 44.1/48k-ers like us. I noticed that his company only builds up to 96K....hmmm.

Here is a link to the paper if any of you feeling wicked smart. It has pretty multi-colored graphs and stuff for the IQ point impaired like me. Anyway, I thought you cats might find some interest in this. My quest continues.

http://www.lavryengineering.com/documen ... Theory.pdf

I read a whole bunch of Lavry's thoughts when he was posting on one of the forums that Mixerman was a part of before he vamoosed. Prosound Web, I think. He used to get pretty hot under the collar sometimes. He went to great pains to convey his theory that even the best external clock source would actually degrade a converter's performance if that converter's clock was well designed in the first place. He's probably right but it still always left me scratching my head regarding the need to have everything synced. I remember he and Bob Katz getting into a few humdingers. Sheesh, I could feel the hurricane emanating from the screen. These guys are passionate.

Peter