As always around here, great advice from everyone. Thanks a lot for answering my questions. This website has been a godsend from the very first day I found it back a few weeks. Like any smart newb, after reading tons of old posts here (and elsewhere), it seems I've learned more than I thought I would have by now. So thanks again for that...
>you may decide that you dont even like taping 6 months from now.
Thing is, I've got a pretty major investment ($$) in guerilla VIDEO gear already (kinda like the hardcore tapers around here have with audio gear), and the new audio gear I purchase is really intended to complement my video setup, but I also want to get something that can work as a stand alone audio recording setup too. So anyway, point is, I'm already gone when it comes to being in to this shit video-wise, but the pro audio taping side of things is an area I'm weak in that I'm looking to build out in my "toolkit" of gear. I'm looking at it as a long-term investment. So that's why I would consider just going for it with the MT. On the other hand, I hear you on all your points, and considering there might be a few on the market and I'm probably going to run 16-bit anyway, the JB3 makes a lot of sense (and is much cheaper than 400+200=600 for a working MT). I'm torn. But, we'll see how it holds up over the next few weeks, and then I'll decide.
>AND a board feed into the back (matrix).
So are there 3 seperate inputs/tracks on the UA5? Or can you mix two channels or something? How does that work? Or are you talking about the two extra tracks of 16/48 I can get out of my videocam?
>plus with the jb3...youve got a ton of people here with plenty of experience running them
That's a really good point. But it this MT works out, it looks like even a newb like me could easily run the thing? Again, tough call... <SMILE>
> do you have a playback system that would justify the 24/96 jump right off the bat??
I've got a sweet home theatre setup with a pretty cherry DVD player that can upres to 720p and I'm pretty sure it can play SACD, but I've never tried it before. Is SACD 24-bit? I have a fully-dialed 5.1 surround system that can play DD and DTS. Are DD/DTS 24-bit? Help me out here. A normal CD runs at 16/44 or 16/48 or something like that? What does SACD run at? And are there other formats, something like DVD-A. What's the difference? Right now, I can also burn full res widscreen NTSC DV video to DVDs using AC3 files for the sound. It usually sounds great. Can AC3 play 24 bit?
Also, I, like you, also plan on running mostly 16/48 for the near term because my videocam runs audio at 16/48, and it just makes things a little easier in post to have the same formats when mixing different audio sources. And since CD's run in 16-bit and the file sizes are smaller, I'll probably just stick to 16-bit for now. But it would be fun to have the potential to dabble in 24-bit stuff here and there I think. If I go the UA5>MT route, I could do that, but if I go the UA5>JB3 route, I couldn't. Such a tough call, because I am REALISTIC about the fact that I'll mostly cap 16-bit.
my vote is PMOD ua5/c4s from Great Gumbino and a jb3. oh and a SVU2 or 1(level meter)
What is the "P" mod anyway. I barely undstand all of that. I know there is the transparent mod, the warm mod, plus mods... Also, that's another thing, albeit a small thing, is the level meter. Maybe, just maybe the MT's levels are going to be awesome? That'd be one more reason to just splurge on it now, rather than go JB3 > upgrade path? Hmmm... :0
If I could +T you guys, I would in a heartbeat. Thanks again, you've given me more food for thought. I'm itching to start buying stuff, and I'm getting really close, but I'm not quite there in terms of exactly what gear I want to buy.
