Topic: Sound Devices USBPre 2

[bhadella]

Finally chimming in on this one.  I want one!  Are there any distributors with stock on hand? 

[kirk97132]

Finally chimming in on this one.  I want one!  Are there any distributors with stock on hand?

Talk to Adam @ Full Compass.  They took delivery yesterday.  I don't know if they have any units that are not spoken for.

Adam Grede
Sales Professiona
1-800-356-5844
adam@fullcompass.com

[bhadella]

Finally chimming in on this one.  I want one!  Are there any distributors with stock on hand?

Talk to Adam @ Full Compass.  They took delivery yesterday.  I don't know if they have any units that are not spoken for.

Adam Grede
Sales Professiona
1-800-356-5844
adam@fullcompass.com

They had one on the shelf and I picked it up!        

Now onto powering and cable needs.

[dactylus]

^
What is the price for one of these?

[bhadella]

^
What is the price for one of these?

$649.   I was in the market for an a/d and saw this as quite a deal.   Plus I'll have a very respectable  preamp as a backup.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

I started thinking about power for this thing, since I intend to sell my left kidney for one later next year...

Foudn this:  http://www.ehow.com/facts_6371382_pin-configuration-usb-connectors_.html

Standard USB Pinout
•Looking at a standard A plug head on with pins up, the pins are numbered backwards from 4 to 1. Pin 4 is the -5 volt lead, pin 3 is the + polarity data pin, 2 is the - polarity data pin, and pin 1 is the +5 volt lead. Standard B plugs are a bit different due to shape. The plug is square, with bevels for the top corners. There are two pins on top, and two pins on bottom. The order is clockwise starting top left, 1 through 4. 1 is +5 volt lead, 2 is + polarity data, 3 is - polarity data, and 4 is -5 volt lead.

It is quite possible to make a 9 or 12vdc miniplug > adapter > 5vdc USB B plug...

Terry

[kirk97132]

Terri,
  The problem with dropping voltage from 12v to 5v using a common voltage regulator will be heat.  See this thread: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=140355.0    Bleeding off that much voltage generates a tremendous amount of heat at the voltage regulator.  Dropping 6v made more heat at that little chip than I would have ever imagined to be possible.  Dropping from 9v to 5V should be more doable but there are still going to be heat issues.  A few pages back I posted pictures of the unit I built to do that exact thing.  As soon as the preamp arrives I'll be able to test it and give y'all results.  I do plan on beefing up the heat sink just to be on the safe side.  There are other ways to design the circuit. ( resistors, zener diodes )  maybe even other stuff I don't know about but I'm not an Electrical Engineer and can only design the basic stuff. 

USB wire color code:
Red 5v + pin1
Black 5v - pin4
Green data + pin3
White data - pin2

http://pinouts.ru/SerialPortsCables/usb_cable_pinout.shtml

[dadeo]

I just got my USBPre 2 today. Cute little thing! I connected it to my XP Laptop and it used the Windows USB Plug & Play drivers. There are no drivers that come with the unit. That's strange. As I recall the standard Windows Plug and Play USB drivers are limited to 24 bit 48k sampling rate. And the drivers do not deliver Bit for Bit output. I have some 24/96 files and some 24/176 files that I play with Media Monkey through a ASIO driver, a RME sound card to a Benchmark DAC 1 using a AES/EBU connection. Fantastic sound. When I play them on the USBPre 2 the files are downsampled! I called Nic at Sound Devices and he confirmed that using a PC with XP, Vista and Win 7 that the standard USB driver will limit the RECORDING and PLAYBACK of the USBPre 2 to a maximum of 24 bit, 48k sample rate using the crap Windows Audio Control Panel! SD does not have any special ASIO drivers. I do not know anything about a MAC computer, this information is for a PC. Not being able to record and play files up to the advertised 24/192 on a PC is a big deal breaker for me and I am returning this unit. SD needs to put this information on their website and let their dealers know. I am not happy! I hope that there is an explanation and answer for this limitation.


Update: I just received a call from Bob Mondok from Sweetwater regarding the above problem.
He talked to an engineer at SD and was told that a ASIO driver is needed for High-Rez recording and playback.
Bob stated that SD may have a ASIO solution next week. So stay tuned....
FYI. Bob stated that the MAC can do High-Rez as is, no driver needed.

[rastasean]

thanks for the information. Let's see what other people say when they get their unit in.

btw, how did you find this forum? Do you plan on using the usbpre2 to record music onto a recorder via spdif / optical or are you strictly interested in playback from your computer? I see you're trying to record to your computer. What application are you using?

[dadeo]

thanks for the information. Let's see what other people say when they get their unit in.

btw, how did you find this forum? Do you plan on using the usbpre2 to record music onto a recorder via spdif / optical or are you strictly interested in playback from your computer? I see you're trying to record to your computer. What application are you using?

I am a manufactures rep selling "High End" 2 channel equipment. I have been using a SD 722 with a 250gb upgraded hard drive to play back high-rez files from HDTracks.com (24/96) and the new HRx discs (24/176) from Reference Recordings. I like to have reference demo material when I'm visiting dealers. The 722 has a clumsy file system (filenames trunkcated and sorted by date, not alphabetically). I also have a pair of Neumann omni’s that I record some acoustic guitar and voice. I also do some transfers of vinyl records to high-rez digital. I was hoping to use a netbook and the USBPre 2 for my portable demo unit (playback only). My home system is running Media Monkey (for playback) and Audition (for recording) on a desktop PC running Vista>RME sound card AES/EBU out (ASIO driver)>Benchmark DAC 1.

I have been looking at the Recording Gear forum for years but never had a post.

[dadeo]

I just received a call from Bob Mondok from Sweetwater regarding the above lack of ASIO driver problem.
Bob talked to an engineer at SD and was told that a ASIO driver IS needed for High-Rez recording and playback.
Bob stated that SD MAY have a ASIO solution next week. This should have been stated on their website! So stay tuned....
FYI. Bob stated that the MAC can do High-Rez as is, no driver needed.

[tracker]

dadeo, have you tried using asio4all?

not sure how well it would work, but might be good enough to tide you over till SD's own asio?

[dadeo]

dadeo, have you tried using asio4all?

not sure how well it would work, but might be good enough to tide you over till SD's own asio?

I configured the ASIO Plug-In for Media Monkey. I installed ASIO4ALL and configured it for the USBPro 2. Media Monkey won't even play 24/88 files or above through the USBPre 2. 16-24/44 and 16-24/48 files play fine. When I don't use the ASIO dirvers (using Windows drivers) I can play the high-rez files through the USBPre 2 but they are downsampled to 24/48. If SD doesn't come up with a solution soon I will be returning my unit. So Sad.

[su6oxone]

If SD doesn't come up with a solution soon I will be returning my unit. So Sad.

Why don't you just call SD directly to inquire about the issue and when they anticipate a solution will be released.

[dadeo]

If SD doesn't come up with a solution soon I will be returning my unit. So Sad.

Why don't you just call SD directly to inquire about the issue and when they anticipate a solution will be released.

I earlier in the week (before I purchased the unit) emailed Joe Ramos at SD and he told me that for High-Rez no special drivers were needed for a PC (Plug n Play). I told him that I think that is incorrect based on what I have read about High-Rez on a USB line from computeraudiophile.com. Later that day I got another email from him stating that he talked to an engineer and a driver would be needed and it would be included or be on their website for download. I then put in an order for one at Sweetwater. When I got the unit there was no driver, nor one on their website. Upset that the unit didn't play High-Rez I called SD on Friday and talked to Nic and he confirmed that an ASIO driver would be needed for High-Rez. He then told me that no drivers were planed at this time. I then called Bob Mondok at Sweetwater about the problem and he gave me a RA to return the unit. Bob then called an engineer at SD to find out about this problem. Bob then called me back and told me that the engineer did state that a driver will be needed and they may have an answer next week. Sweetwater told me to keep the unit and wait to see if there is a driver in a timely manner. If not I can return it.