Topic: UA5 24/96 Questions

[leshlush]

Sorry folks if this has already been answered somewhere, but I tried a few different searches and didn't come up w/ anything...

I was wondering which 96 frequency should be chosen when running Advanced Mode(24 bit) through the digital ourtputs (Coax or Optical)... The 2 x 96 frequencies are marked "Playback" and "Record"... After reading the user manual, it's my understanding that these 2 functions are used for USB interface...

Which of the 2 should you choose when running digi outs into a bit bucket?

What is the physical difference between the 2 selections?

Does this selection affect all outputs or only the USB?

Thanks in advance... I really appreciate your feedback on this...

I've run my UA5 for close to a year but have never run any 24 bit...

[aberg]

What bit bucket are you recording to?

[leshlush]

I was thinking about the MT 24/96, but to be honest, it was more of a hypethetical...

I was just curious more than anything...

There is however a local gear shop that rents out the MT 24/96 and I thought about running some 24/96 just to hear the difference from the UA5s 16/48 (or 16/44.1 that I usually run)...

I currently have my hands on their R09 rental to play around w/ but as we both now, the R09 does not have a digi-in... I have however just recorded something in 24/48 (the R09 can't really do 24/96) and I loved the difference that the bit-depth made but it got me thinking about running my UA5 in 24/96...

[leshlush]

What recorders/bit-buckets(and I'm not talking about the big-guns like the 7 series or the Tascams) that are out there, that can accept 24 bit feeds other than the MT 24/96? And I'm not really looking at lappy either...

The H120 is 16 bit, right?

And I know that my JB3 is only 16 bit...

Anything else whithin the same price range as the MT 24/96 that can accept 24 bit?

[dnsacks]

yes!  -- i've had great luck recording @ 24/96 using a dell windows mobile edition handheld (axim x51v), a core sounds pdaudio card and live24/96 software.  This combo will record directly to flac and will automatically split wavs at 2gb intervals without gaps.  Records onto 4gb sd cards and accepts either coax or toslink inputs.

My initial concerns regarding durability of this device have turned out to be unfounded.  Further, I've read tests in which the axim was repeatedly dropped onto a concrete floor from 10' w/o problem . . .

[leshlush]

yes!  -- i've had great luck recording @ 24/96 using a dell windows mobile edition handheld (axim x51v), a core sounds pdaudio card and live24/96 software.  This combo will record directly to flac and will automatically split wavs at 2gb intervals without gaps.  Records onto 4gb sd cards and accepts either coax or toslink inputs.

My initial concerns regarding durability of this device have turned out to be unfounded.  Further, I've read tests in which the axim was repeatedly dropped onto a concrete floor from 10' w/o problem . . .

Does this device accept a digi-in? If so, how do you feed the digital in?

The inputs that I saw were a mini and a multi-pin... No mention of mini-optical...

Do you feed the digi through the multi-pin? If so, how do you run your external pre/adc into the multi-pin?

[leshlush]

And back to my original question...

I was wondering which 96 frequency should be chosen when running Advanced Mode(24 bit) through the digital ourtputs (Coax or Optical)... The 2 x 96 frequencies are marked "Playback" and "Record"... After reading the user manual, it's my understanding that these 2 functions are used for USB interface...

Which of the 2 should you choose when running digi outs into a bit bucket?

What is the physical difference between the 2 selections?

Does this selection affect all outputs or only the USB?

Can anybody offer any advise...

[Brian Skalinder]

I was wondering which 96 frequency should be chosen when running Advanced Mode(24 bit) through the digital ourtputs (Coax or Optical)... The 2 x 96 frequencies are marked "Playback" and "Record"... After reading the user manual, it's my understanding that these 2 functions are used for USB interface...

Which of the 2 should you choose when running digi outs into a bit bucket?

You're recording, not playing back, right?  So Select 96 kHz REC. 

The digi-mod on the UA5 basically routes the outgoing digital signal that goes through USB so that it also goes through the coax/optical outputs.  If you set the UA5 to 96 kHz REC mode, the UA5 should send a 96 kHz signal via coax/optical.

However, I believe the digi-mod disables playback via USB, so setting the UA5 to 96 kHz Playback selection won't actually do anything at all.

[leshlush]

Thanks Brian,

That makes perfect sense... +T for the help

[dnsacks]

yes!  -- i've had great luck recording @ 24/96 using a dell windows mobile edition handheld (axim x51v), a core sounds pdaudio card and live24/96 software.  This combo will record directly to flac and will automatically split wavs at 2gb intervals without gaps.  Records onto 4gb sd cards and accepts either coax or toslink inputs.

My initial concerns regarding durability of this device have turned out to be unfounded.  Further, I've read tests in which the axim was repeatedly dropped onto a concrete floor from 10' w/o problem . . .

Does this device accept a digi-in? If so, how do you feed the digital in?

The inputs that I saw were a mini and a multi-pin... No mention of mini-optical...

Do you feed the digi through the multi-pin? If so, how do you run your external pre/adc into the multi-pin?

The pdaudio card accepts a digital in via a 1/8" mini jack.  The 1/8" jack accepts either a 1/8" mini optical connection (like that used by a jb3) or a 1/8" mini mono jack that passes a standard coax signal.  The card plugs directly into the handheld pc.  I'm not sure what the multipin you're referring to is, could it be the pins on the card that plug into the pda?

One other point on the ua5, you need to switch the "adv" switch on the back to on as this setting is necessary to have the ua5 output 24 bit.

[leshlush]

Thanks dnsacks... +T

What's the battery life like?

[dnsacks]

Battery life --

A) my pda replaced my jb3.  I'd built a simple voltage regulator that allowed me to power my jb3 off of a 9v dvd battery (and to pass 9v from the same battery to my ua5).  Turns out my dell axim x51v's external power adaptor required the same 5v as the jb3 and used the same plug with the same polarity.  The axim (with screen on) draws a lot less power than the jb3 resulting in 5-6 hours of power for both the ua5 and axim off of a single dvd battery.

B) The power hog on the pda is its display.  Although I haven't tested it yet, the newest version of the pdaudio recording software allows one to switch off the screen entirely (and turn it on and off with a single button) and is supposed to provide the axim x51v (or other pdas) with greatly improved battery life when recording. That said, by activating standard power saving features (i.e. having the sceen's backlight automatically turn off after 30 seconds), I was able to get at least 2 hours out of the pda's internal battery while recording 24/96.  My pda's cradle has a charging space for a second battery and these batteries aren't too expensive, so using internal batteries is quite workable.

Hope this helps.

[leshlush]

Battery life --

A) my pda replaced my jb3.  I'd built a simple voltage regulator that allowed me to power my jb3 off of a 9v dvd battery (and to pass 9v from the same battery to my ua5).  Turns out my dell axim x51v's external power adaptor required the same 5v as the jb3 and used the same plug with the same polarity.  The axim (with screen on) draws a lot less power than the jb3 resulting in 5-6 hours of power for both the ua5 and axim off of a single dvd battery.

B) The power hog on the pda is its display.  Although I haven't tested it yet, the newest version of the pdaudio recording software allows one to switch off the screen entirely (and turn it on and off with a single button) and is supposed to provide the axim x51v (or other pdas) with greatly improved battery life when recording. That said, by activating standard power saving features (i.e. having the sceen's backlight automatically turn off after 30 seconds), I was able to get at least 2 hours out of the pda's internal battery while recording 24/96.  My pda's cradle has a charging space for a second battery and these batteries aren't too expensive, so using internal batteries is quite workable.

Hope this helps.

Between what you're telling me and what I'm reading about them elsewhere, these things kick ass!!!

I'm suprised that more people aren't running them...

You've mentioned all the "pros", can you think of any "cons"?

[leshlush]

Turns out my dell axim x51v's external power adaptor required the same 5v as the jb3 and used the same plug with the same polarity. 

That's super cool, I could save building or buying a new external power source...

Like you mentioned, I also run my UA5 and JB3 off a Walmart battery and a Volt Regulator...

[dnsacks]

then you're all set . . .

of course the pda + pdaudio card + live2496 software is more expensive than a mt24/96, however, if you otherwise have a use/need for a pda (which I did -- and as a former palmpilot user, will say that the current microsoft iteration is quite nice), this can be quite attractive price-wise.

Another plus, my pda has not been at all picky about the 4gb sd cards I've used with it thus far.