Topic: New Edirol product- FA-66

[eman]

Don't know if I missed earlier threads but I searched at least this section.
http://www.edirol.com/products/info/fa66.html
Looks pretty nice from specs, has a "direct monitor" function which hopefully means we won't have to pay for the digimod on this one. Even more inputs than the UA-5!
$379 new on Froogle.
Anybody hear anything about this yet?

[thierryhenry]

Looks very cool..

[spyder9]

Looks like an updated UA5.  Wonder if you can tape with the firewire > JB3.

[thierryhenry]

Looks like an updated UA5.  Wonder if you can tape with the firewire > JB3.

If that's possible, it'd be awesome.

[The Kilted Taper]

Looks like an updated UA5.  Wonder if you can tape with the firewire > JB3.

If that's possible, it'd be awesome.

This would probably require a software update for the JB3, as there is no option to record via the firewire.

[spyder9]

Looks like an updated UA5.  Wonder if you can tape with the firewire > JB3.

If that's possible, it'd be awesome.

This would probably require a software update for the JB3, as there is no option to record via the firewire.

True.  Forgot about that.

[Scooter]

the direct mon will prolly only allow for headphone monitoring only (anaolg), it still might not pass signal to digi outs w/out firewire connection.  Never know though...  If they had a better pic of the signal flow diagram on the top of the unit, we could tell fer sher.

[ChrisV]

I have a question....
So what happens when you try and send 24 bit optical signal into a JB3?   Does it barf, or accept it or what?

Guess I shoulda tried it out and saw what would have happened    Someone was recording off of a soundboard with another Edirol unit(UA-25) and I wasn't sure if it'd work to go optical out into my JB3.

[bagtagsell]

it automatically truncates it to 16.  bad destructive type truncating.

[jkoch]

still only one damn "peak" light...god i hate that

[eman]

Why is there always something? In this case, only 24 bit and no meters. Looks like a good laptop unit though. Too bad I don't have a laptop.

[drewloo]

Has anyone heard if the mic preamps on this puppy are the same as the ones on the UA5?  They call it "Premium Phantom Power Mic Preamps" on the FA-66, hopefully this means they're a bit better than the pres in the UA5.  Also, I wonder how this stacks up against an Oade "+" mod's pre section.

[gd420mj]

This might help answer some questions. I found the owners manual at this location:

http://www.roland.com/products/en/FA-66/index.html
or
http://www.roland.com/products/en/_support/om.cfm?ln=en&dsp=0&iCncd=688

Don't know how long the links will last, They seem to change often. Good thorough reading. Did not see mention of using it like a digi-mod UA-5. Would be nice. THe block diagram shows it that way , but through the reading, doesn't appear to be possible. We could hope someone tries to digi-mod it.

Heres the block Diagram:



And here is a connection diagram from the manual:

[rowjimmy]

We have a winner.
No digi-mod req'd
http://www.roland.com/products/en/_support/faq.cfm?iCncd=688&FAQ=EN05-09722&dsp=1&ln=en&prd=FA66

Yes, the FA-66 be used on its own without being connected to a computer.
You can use the FA-66 alone if you connect an AC adaptor. In this case, the FA-66 will function as a mic preamp and a simple mixer.

[Scooter]

It appears as though it is analog output only though, no digi out...

"The input from INPUT 1 - 4 and OPTICAL IN 5 / 6 (digital input) will be mixed and sent from OUTPUT 1 / 2." 

Which looks as if that out is RCA analog.  So you couldn't run it as a A/D.  You could run it as a standalone D/A though...