Become a Site Supporter and Never see Ads again!

Author Topic: ADC preference?  (Read 11521 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline keytohwy

  • Trade Count: (7)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1003
  • Gender: Male
ADC preference?
« on: August 18, 2013, 11:37:45 PM »
I've got a Busman mod UA-5 to use for A/D from a Nakamichi Dragon.  But I've also been looking at a Lucid AD9624.  Any thoughts on preference?  I've never run the Lucid, just been reading reviews.  Any others you'd recommend?
« Last Edit: August 18, 2013, 11:39:17 PM by keytohwy »

Offline noahbickart

  • phishrabbi
  • Site Supporter
  • Trade Count: (33)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 2554
  • Gender: Male
  • So now I wander over grounds of light...
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2013, 11:53:13 PM »
Price range?

I doubt that you'll do much better than the mod UA-5 unless you want to look at units which cost alot of money. However you might be able to find a used mini-me for ~$450 and there is a used v3 in the yard sale for ~$750
Recording:
Capsules: Schoeps mk41v (x2), mk22 (x2), mk3 (x2), mk21 & mk8
Cables: 2x nbob KCY, 1 pair nbob actives, GAKables 10' & 20' 6-channel snakes, Darktrain 2 & 4 channel KCY and mini xlr extensions:
Preamps:    Schoeps VMS 02iub, Naiant IPA, Sound Devices Mixpre6 I
Recorders: Sound Devices Mixpre6 I, Sony PCM m10

Home Playback: Mac Mini> Mytek Brooklyn+> McIntosh MC162> Eminent Tech LFT-16; Musical Fidelity xCan v2> Hifiman HE-4XX / Beyerdynamic DT880

Office Playback: iMac> Grace m903> AKG k701 / Hifiman HE-400

Offline keytohwy

  • Trade Count: (7)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1003
  • Gender: Male
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2013, 12:02:21 AM »
Price range?

I doubt that you'll do much better than the mod UA-5 unless you want to look at units which cost alot of money. However you might be able to find a used mini-me for ~$450 and there is a used v3 in the yard sale for ~$750


I want to get the best reasonable A/D.  These are analog masters/1st gens of audience tapes from 70s to 90s.  The best A/D in the world won't make up for some of the limitations of the original gear.  I want to do these transfers once.  Not now, then again in a couple of years when I get "better" gear.

Offline page

  • Trade Count: (25)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 8388
  • Gender: Male
  • #TeamRetired
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2013, 01:04:24 AM »
I love the Sound Devices ADCs they've used (in the 7 series and usbpre2), but unless you need a usbpre2 for something else (head amp, dac, preamp/adc, etc) then it doesn't make much sense. Apogee had a small unit after they axed the minime that might be interesting to look at.

Really, a Sony M-10 will do the job, and unless you've modded your analog stage of the ua-5, the m10 will likely do a better job. I could tell a difference when a comp was done with the m10 against the 722, but it wasn't a slouch.
"This is a common practice we have on the bus; debating facts that we could easily find through printed material. It's like, how far is it today? I think it's four hours, and someone else comes in at 11 hours, and well, then we'll... just... talk about it..." - Jeb Puryear

"Nostalgia ain't what it used to be." - Jim Williams

Offline H₂O

  • Trade Count: (28)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 5745
  • Gender: Male
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2013, 03:00:55 PM »
7xx series is more than enough


Could consider minime, or even a Mytek stereo adc96 (about $500 on eBay nowadays)?


The Mytek is not a field unit though
Music can at the least least explain you and at the most expand you
LMA Recordings

List

Offline keytohwy

  • Trade Count: (7)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1003
  • Gender: Male
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2013, 03:08:12 PM »
Yeah, don't need field...should have said that.  I own the UA-5 already, but portable not a requirement.

Thanks for the info everyone!

Offline stober

  • Trade Count: (16)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1630
  • Gender: Male
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2013, 02:44:45 PM »
Mytek Stereo 192 can be used in the field but if you just need something at home for analog audience masters a Mytek stereo ADC 96 will do the trick I bet. Depends on how much you wanna spend. Here's a Mytek Stereo 192 on ebay for a good price.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mytek-Stereo-192-ADC-/141039640938?pt=US_Computer_Recording_Interfaces&hash=item20d69e216a  Cheaper than what I got mine for used.
 Here is a Mytek stereo 96 on ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mytek-Stereo96-ADC-Analag-To-Digital-Converter-/300952461178?pt=US_Computer_Recording_Interfaces&hash=item46122a1f7a
 Main differences is the 192 is 24 bit only and can be battery powered in the field. The 96 will do 16 bit as well as 24 bit but cannot be used with a battery option.. Love the mytek ADC.

Offline jerryfreak

  • No PZ
  • Trade Count: (31)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 6205
  • The plural of anecdote is not data
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2013, 05:22:59 PM »
how many tapes we talkin? i an loan my ad2k.....
Unable to post or PM due to arbitrary censorship of people the mod doesn't like. Please email me using the link in my profile if you need to connect

Offline keytohwy

  • Trade Count: (7)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1003
  • Gender: Male
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2013, 01:13:21 PM »
how many tapes we talkin? i an loan my ad2k.....

Thanks, Jerry.  I'll send you a PM.  I need to comb through the tapes...some aren't masters, and circulate otherwise, so I'll dump those.  Probably about 50-60 hours worth.  I should be able to knock it out in a couple of weeks, once my ducks are in a row.

Very kind offer, than you again.

Offline DSatz

  • Site Supporter
  • Trade Count: (35)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 3347
  • Gender: Male
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2013, 10:19:15 AM »
If the Lucid is reasonably priced and in good condition, I think you could be happy with it. Mytek is also a good candidate. Both can be driven by single-ended (unbalanced) outputs such as those of the Dragon (that's what I use, too). Among older pro converters that work well, you could also look out for various Symetrix and Apogee models.

For cassette transfers, of course, there's no need for high sampling rates or extended bit depth; 12-bit resolution would be more than enough, if it were available! Anything else is just using more bits to convey the same information.

--best regards
music > microphones > a recorder of some sort

Offline keytohwy

  • Trade Count: (7)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1003
  • Gender: Male
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2013, 01:34:56 PM »
If the Lucid is reasonably priced and in good condition, I think you could be happy with it. Mytek is also a good candidate. Both can be driven by single-ended (unbalanced) outputs such as those of the Dragon (that's what I use, too). Among older pro converters that work well, you could also look out for various Symetrix and Apogee models.

For cassette transfers, of course, there's no need for high sampling rates or extended bit depth; 12-bit resolution would be more than enough, if it were available! Anything else is just using more bits to convey the same information.

--best regards


There was a Lucid locally on Craigslist last week, but I passed.  Seems with a little patience, they are available under $250.

As for the bit depth, can you share any more info/links on that?  I had planned on 24/48 transfers.

Offline noahbickart

  • phishrabbi
  • Site Supporter
  • Trade Count: (33)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 2554
  • Gender: Male
  • So now I wander over grounds of light...
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2013, 03:57:19 PM »
For cassette transfers, of course, there's no need for high sampling rates or extended bit depth; 12-bit resolution would be more than enough, if it were available! Anything else is just using more bits to convey the same information.

--best regards

Dsatz is, of course, correct. I might add, however, that if you used a 12 bit recorder (if such a thing existed) you would have to be somewhat careful about setting levels (e.g. hot) such that you take advantage of even those 12 bits. With a 24 bit recorder, you can set levels much more conservatively and still be assured of capturing all the data. Just Normalize and Dither to 16bit when you are done.

I use 24bit for everything. Not because it "sounds" better, but because it makes it harder to get hard overs, and does sound better than limiting which would be the other obvious way to prevent digital clipping.
Recording:
Capsules: Schoeps mk41v (x2), mk22 (x2), mk3 (x2), mk21 & mk8
Cables: 2x nbob KCY, 1 pair nbob actives, GAKables 10' & 20' 6-channel snakes, Darktrain 2 & 4 channel KCY and mini xlr extensions:
Preamps:    Schoeps VMS 02iub, Naiant IPA, Sound Devices Mixpre6 I
Recorders: Sound Devices Mixpre6 I, Sony PCM m10

Home Playback: Mac Mini> Mytek Brooklyn+> McIntosh MC162> Eminent Tech LFT-16; Musical Fidelity xCan v2> Hifiman HE-4XX / Beyerdynamic DT880

Office Playback: iMac> Grace m903> AKG k701 / Hifiman HE-400

Offline jazzgtrl4

  • Trade Count: (10)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 874
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #12 on: August 26, 2013, 10:21:15 AM »
Out of your price range I'm sure but I just bought one of these used  i use it for playback, transfers, studio protools rig,  in the field  (not yet but can be battery powered)...sounds incredible

http://www.lynxstudio.com/product_detail.asp?i=59

Offline DSatz

  • Site Supporter
  • Trade Count: (35)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 3347
  • Gender: Male
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #13 on: August 26, 2013, 08:17:18 PM »
If you have some reason for using 48 kHz sampling, then by all means, use it. I don't, because for me the audio CD is still the "gold standard" medium for music distribution to other people in general, not just audio nuts like myself.

Noah is quite right, but 16-bit depth is more than enough to give you complete safety as far as headroom is concerned. Cassettes, even if optimally recorded with Dolby "C" noise reduction and Dolby HX on pure metal tape, never quite reach a 70 dB dynamic range. So you could transfer the recordings with the absolute peaks set at -10 dB and still be more than 10 dB above the converter's noise floor at all times. Using more bits under those conditions gains you nothing.

--best regards
music > microphones > a recorder of some sort

Offline page

  • Trade Count: (25)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 8388
  • Gender: Male
  • #TeamRetired
Re: ADC preference?
« Reply #14 on: August 26, 2013, 08:33:46 PM »
Its related to the low level noise inherent in the medium. I swear cassettes top out at around 65db of dynamic range before you either saturate the tape or hit the tape noise.
"This is a common practice we have on the bus; debating facts that we could easily find through printed material. It's like, how far is it today? I think it's four hours, and someone else comes in at 11 hours, and well, then we'll... just... talk about it..." - Jeb Puryear

"Nostalgia ain't what it used to be." - Jim Williams

 

RSS | Mobile
Page created in 0.086 seconds with 39 queries.
© 2002-2024 Taperssection.com
Powered by SMF