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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: urobouros on December 08, 2004, 06:13:48 PM

Title: What is the cheapest external A/D converter?
Post by: urobouros on December 08, 2004, 06:13:48 PM

What's the cheapest external A/D converter that's better than the internal converter in the JB3?  I'm sure there's some pretty cheap converters on the market.  I'm also sure that there are some pretty crappy ones out there.  Are there any converters under $100 that are any good?  It seems that, even used, $150 is about as low as possible for anything that's a step up from the internal converter.

Title: Re: What is the cheapest external A/D converter?
Post by: Gordon on December 09, 2004, 01:35:15 AM

a new ua5 is around $300.  the graham patten's are pretty cheap.  not sure how much though.

Title: Re: What is the cheapest external A/D converter?
Post by: hexyjones on December 10, 2004, 01:54:04 PM

Radio Shack sells one for 25 bucks...coax and fiber out...

They were on closeout...not sure if all Shacks would still have them in stock...

Title: Re: What is the cheapest external A/D converter?
Post by: F.O.Bean on December 10, 2004, 01:59:12 PM

what about the ad/20? i think that could be had cheaper than a ua5, maybe not cheaper than a used adc/20 but pretty cheap

so id say adc/20 or ad/20 are your best options, especilalyy for starting out

Title: Re: What is the cheapest external A/D converter?
Post by: hexyjones on December 10, 2004, 02:03:54 PM

Here is the device Radio Shack sells...

A/V Signal Converter

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=15-1242

(http://www.radioshack.com/images/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/15/15-1242.jpg)

Title: Re: What is the cheapest external A/D converter?
Post by: urobouros on December 10, 2004, 02:44:39 PM

Quote from: Bean on December 10, 2004, 01:59:12 PM

what about the ad/20? i think that could be had cheaper than a ua5, maybe not cheaper than a used adc/20 but pretty cheap

so id say adc/20 or ad/20 are your best options, especilalyy for starting out

I like the adc-20 but the ad-20 has the optical out, ie no other units needed to connect to the jb3.  Ad-20s are definitely cheaper than a ua5.  Occasionally a cheap used ua5 will show up on ebay but without and mods and I don't feel comfprtable modding it myself as I have never used a soldering gund.  I still can't find either an adc-20 or ad-20 for under $200.  I can't really afford $150 at the moment but I would seriously consider it.  I'm curious about the truncating of the 20 bit signal to 16 bit into the jb3.  I haven't searched the posts on it yet though.

Title: Re: What is the cheapest external A/D converter?
Post by: silverbullet on December 10, 2004, 03:10:17 PM

No problems with a JB3 and AD-20. Truncating not an issue. A AD-20 won't power your mics though so you may need another piece of equipment, ie PS-2.

What happened to Deneke's website?

Title: Re: What is the cheapest external A/D converter?
Post by: urobouros on December 10, 2004, 03:15:38 PM

I have a Phantom II box to get 48V to the mics.  I'm using a MixPad 4 at the moment and don't like to run with only 18V from the mixer.  I'm still rounding out my rig and it seems the A/D converter is the last piece other than the almighty UA-5 upgrade.  Maybe with the Xmas bonus/tax return.  We'll see how well I can sell my better half on that...

Title: Re: What is the cheapest external A/D converter?
Post by: John R on December 13, 2004, 10:32:28 PM

i've got your adc-20

Title: Re: What is the cheapest external A/D converter?
Post by: F.O.Bean on December 13, 2004, 10:47:48 PM

damn john, ya still have that huh?

i think its a great cheaper box but YMMV