Author Topic: Best A/D converter (Read 9099 times)

charles · « **on:** December 04, 2004, 01:01:34 PM »

I'm thinking about getting a new a/d converter and I thought I'd see what everyone else thinks. Guideline here is best a/d converter under $500.

Brian Skalinder · « **Reply #1 on:** December 04, 2004, 01:24:32 PM »

There is no "best", only personal preference given one's own ears, additional recording equipment, and playback system. What other recording gear are you using - mics? preamp? recorder? Are you open to changing the preamp for a pre/ADC combo?

charles · « **Reply #2 on:** December 04, 2004, 01:29:29 PM »

Yeah. I understand the misuse of "best." I allready have a pre/ad combo...I use a ua-5.

Brian Skalinder · « **Reply #3 on:** December 04, 2004, 01:31:59 PM »

IMO, the UA-5 *is* the best pre/ADC for <= $500. If you only have a digi-mod, stepping up to a warm/presence/transparent mod will keep you in the $500 range and improve your sound and change the sonic characteristics. Again...what mics?

Tim · « **Reply #4 on:** December 04, 2004, 01:39:15 PM »

Quote from: Brian Skalinder on December 04, 2004, 01:31:59 PM

IMO, the UA-5 *is* the best pre/ADC for <= $500. If you only have a digi-mod, stepping up to a warm/presence/transparent mod will keep you in the $500 range and improve your sound and change the sonic characteristics.

what Brian said.

charles · « **Reply #5 on:** December 04, 2004, 02:06:00 PM »

Nak cm100's......one adc I had in mind was AD-20. I've heard some tapes w/ Nakcm100>AD-20> that sounded superb, but I know very little about the Denecke.

pfife · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2004, 02:14:06 PM »

the +17dbs of gain inherent in the AD-20 kills me.

In a bad way.

Tim · « **Reply #7 on:** December 04, 2004, 02:21:11 PM »

the ua5, especially if modded, is far superior to the ad20.

Honestly you will need to spend significantly more than your budget to get any sort of "upgrade". "Upgrading" to a V3, or a v2,m148,sonosax,psp2,etc->minime,modsbm-1 will cost you 2.5 times your budget.

what are you hoping to accomplish with this change? what don't you like about your current setup?

I'd sell the mics before I ditched the ua5.

John R · « **Reply #8 on:** December 05, 2004, 09:08:23 AM »

get this

jpschust · « **Reply #9 on:** December 05, 2004, 11:03:41 AM »

i do kinda miss the rosetta, i dont think those are made anymore, correct? i heard the trak2's are being put out of production as well- but im not all that up on the apogee stuff anymore. all i have from them is a big ben.

Tim · « **Reply #10 on:** December 05, 2004, 12:49:12 PM »

doesn't suprise me about the Trak2, I mean now that they make the MiniMe, a "Trak2 To-Go", why bother with the original.

John R · « **Reply #11 on:** December 05, 2004, 01:30:08 PM »

silly humans. even apogee came into the 2000's. man, some of the best jon-o sci's came through the rosetta

http://apogeedigital.com/products/rosetta200.php

neumannkid · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2004, 01:32:57 PM »

Is the a/d in the UA-5 better than the one in the M1?

jpschust · « **Reply #13 on:** December 06, 2004, 09:29:47 AM »

Quote from: neumannkid on December 05, 2004, 01:32:57 PM

Is the a/d in the UA-5 better than the one in the M1?

from my listening i think so.

macdaddy · « **Reply #14 on:** December 06, 2004, 03:46:36 PM »

Quote from: Bracey Wright on December 05, 2004, 11:03:41 AM

all i have from them is a big ben.

do you really? i have been looking at that unit, too - but it is alot of coin to drop...

jpschust · « **Reply #15 on:** December 06, 2004, 03:52:26 PM »

Quote from: macdaddy on December 06, 2004, 03:46:36 PM

Quote from: Bracey Wright on December 05, 2004, 11:03:41 AM
all i have from them is a big ben.

do you really? i have been looking at that unit, too - but it is alot of coin to drop...

i do indeed. for my home playback. it's a great unit, though it is expensive. i got a nice deal from dalepro on it.

jtblackmore · « **Reply #16 on:** December 07, 2004, 04:38:24 PM »

I really like my W. Mod UA-5......I'm running some AKG C393's into it and I feel it's one of the best rigs on the market for a reasonable price....It's also got Optical and Coax digital out that (After Mod) run out at the same time....So I feed a Jukebox 3 off it as well as my D100 at a show....It Phantom powers my mic's....Everything I need it to do...www.oade.com has got 4 different mod's and throws in a battery pack for remote powers for as cheap as $395 (Digital Mod.)....The presence mod, Warming Mod, and Transparent Mod. will cost you more...But are worth it....about $550...

Tim · « **Reply #17 on:** December 07, 2004, 06:41:52 PM »

I am consistently impressed with the level of tapes that the ua5's produce.... just got a copy of BF&FT from Mr. Sacks with his LSD2->TMODUA5... very nice....

Brian · « **Reply #18 on:** December 07, 2004, 06:48:03 PM »

i loved my wmod-UA5! A nice and smooth bass response, especially when i had my TL's with it for few months before the V2>modsbm1 upgrade. Natural mid and high end as well. would like to hear some T-mod UA5 tapes. any rec's on the archive?

JackoRoses · « **Reply #19 on:** December 07, 2004, 06:51:56 PM »

oade has some ua5+t samples on his site.
http://www.oade.com/Tapers_Section/rig_list.html

macdaddy · « **Reply #20 on:** December 07, 2004, 06:56:06 PM »

Quote from: jackorose on December 07, 2004, 06:51:56 PM

oade has some ua5+t samples on his site.
http://www.oade.com/Tapers_Section/rig_list.html

how long have those pages been up..?

JackoRoses · « **Reply #21 on:** December 07, 2004, 07:03:18 PM »

I would say about 3 weeks that I know of.
Someone here tipped me to the page about then.
Razorback gave the link when I was asking about the plus mod sound.
+T to him anyway again

Edited to reflect proper credit...

Brian · « **Reply #22 on:** December 07, 2004, 07:07:30 PM »

the C4>tmodua5 sample is a Mule song

I'm not sure if they did any EQ in post. i hope not because this sounds pretty GOOD. it's defintely an outdoor recording as well cause there is some phasing issues in the mids, but other than that it's an excellent sounding recording.

edit: grammar

highwayjill · « **Reply #23 on:** December 08, 2004, 06:58:36 AM »

Quote from: S_TL-Taper on December 07, 2004, 06:48:03 PM

i loved my wmod-UA5!

and now i love it

I was thinking about doing some upgrades when i get my tax refund in a few months, but what i've got now makes good enough tapes for me... though i'd love to try out one of those t-mod ua5's without having to buy one

twatts (pants are so over-rated...) · « **Reply #24 on:** December 08, 2004, 08:25:46 AM »

Quote from: S_TL-Taper on December 07, 2004, 07:07:30 PM

the C4>tmodua5 sample is a Mule song I'm not sure if they did any EQ in post. i hope not because this sounds pretty GOOD. it's defintely an outdoor recording as well cause there is some phasing issues in the mids, but other than that it's an excellent sounding recording.

edit: grammar

All the tracks for download are of the same song by Mule. I know, I DLed a bunch of the LSD2 tracks to hear the difference. I really like the WMod+ and the TMod, I listen to those more than the V3, or the others, including C4 track I DLed.

I thinking of going WMod+ with my UA5, I have ADK A51S LEs in front of them, I'm sure very similar to the TLs everyone else uses.

Terry

timP · « **Reply #25 on:** December 08, 2004, 08:45:51 AM »

i have been using my YTMod with my TLs and really like it..
big improvement over the digi-mod... very ah... clear... like the name says..
this SBD/Mic mix I did really shows the transparent natue of the UA5

thry one of the cover tunes and you'll see what I mean

http://www.archive.org/audio/etree-details-db.php?id=20097

Tim · « **Reply #26 on:** December 08, 2004, 10:47:40 AM »

you can grow with that ua5 for awhile Cindy... imo the only way you're going to improve is to spend $1200-1800 on a V3 or preamp->minime. I would dump money into mics, they'll make a bigger difference than the pre/adc will and the ua5 won't be a liability with even the best mics.

highwayjill · « **Reply #27 on:** December 08, 2004, 11:10:07 AM »

thats why i probably wont be doing any upgrades with my tax refund

what i have now makes good enough tapes for me... if others dont like it, let them spend the thousands of dollars for something better. i bought my whole rig with my refund from last year, and thought i might need to spend part of this year's refund on upgrades, but it looks like i might actually be able to save up some money

marc0789 · « **Reply #28 on:** December 08, 2004, 12:12:44 PM »

Quote from: charles on December 04, 2004, 02:06:00 PM

Nak cm100's......one adc I had in mind was AD-20. I've heard some tapes w/ Nakcm100>AD-20> that sounded superb, but I know very little about the Denecke.

line in to an M1. top notch adc.

dnsacks · « **Reply #29 on:** December 08, 2004, 01:56:03 PM »

Quote from: macdaddy on December 07, 2004, 06:56:06 PM

Quote from: jackorose on December 07, 2004, 06:51:56 PM
oade has some ua5+t samples on his site.
http://www.oade.com/Tapers_Section/rig_list.html

how long have those pages been up..?

These have all been up for a few months at least. ALL of the recordings were made in Doug's listening room using his home stereo as the source. He played back the same song (sourced from an "oade sbd/ambient mix" of gm - 9/14/96) with the mics configured as noted in the same position.

See http://www.oade.com/Tapers_Section/Forum/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=100&topic_id=1553&mesg_id=1553&listing_type=search for more info.

macdaddy · « **Reply #30 on:** December 08, 2004, 01:58:43 PM »

thanks for the info.

Author Topic: Best A/D converter (Read 9099 times)

jpschust

jpschust

jpschust

marc0789