http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2009/06/25/ad-converters-mini-me-dither-ram-bits Comments On: A/D Converters: Mini-Me, Dither, Ram Bits by Trent Moorman en-us Copyright 2009 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:01 -0800 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:15:00 -0800 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Posted by Blitzen Frivolity]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:49:32 -0700 The Stranger Thanks for your comments, links and perspective.
I personally can hear the difference between protools LE converters and Apogee.
Some times it's subtle and others it's not. The LE converter are not shit. I agree with that. I was getting little dramatic there.
What's even more stark is the converters in my old Roland VS 1680. I could NOT believe how much better that sounded with an Apogee Rosetta on the front end. Night and Day.

People often ask me why their home recorded tracks don't sound as good as what comes out of London Bridge. Even when they have nearly the same exact gear. What I notice most people lack when trying to reach a higher quality audio is the converters.

But like you said, use your ears.

~Jonathan LBS
Posted by jpmusicpro]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:57:09 -0700 The Stranger You can transfer your 890 tracks to pro tools via digital SPDF. This is better since you won't lose a generation loss. And don't need a converter at all. I can explain more if needed.

I use to own a Roland 1680. I eventually added an Apogee Rosetta a/d converter which made an enormous difference for tracking into it. I was amazed at how much better it sounded.


Posted by jpmusicpro]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:30:22 -0700 The Stranger
@5 the mini me is only two inputs, I dont know how many tracks you have but you might want to check out somekind of 8 channel thing.

@9 we are not trying to brag about how much something costs, in fact this is about how affordable this is and how much it would add to your sound. Almost the best part about this is the two mic pres on the front mixed with soft limiting that is better quality than what most people have at home, so this is a great investment. I can also tell you from many years experience of explaining things to tech's is that you can not tell how something will react to an instrument by measuring it to a test tone :-P

- Dr Empire
Posted by Dr. Empire]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:34:42 -0700 The Stranger
I wish your links worked. I shall go find them now.
Posted by Blitzen Frivolity]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:37:58 -0700 The Stranger
The Digi02 doesn't "sound shitty". But it is affordable, and in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing it can provide a very viable alternative to spending time and money in a studio.

Don't trust someone who tries to impress you with the cost of their gear without backing up their claims with demonstratable results. Claims that an AD converter just "sounds better" should be followed by examples of how they sound better. In the case of the Apogee products and dithering, you should explore the technology behind UV22HR encoding and whether it makes any difference at all for your indie rock record. Sorry, there is no "magic". There are characteristics of pre-amps, compressor/limiters, EQs, and converters that can be scientifically examined and compared. Anything that cannot be quantified, isolated, and reproduced in an independent environment is probably audiophile-grade nonsense.

Here is an example of real data. This is the audio analysis of a Digidesign Mbox, which is the cheaper, little sibling of the Digi02:

http://audio.rightmark.org/test/digidesi…

And this is the analysis of the Digidesign Mix, a much more expensive product:

http://audio.rightmark.org/test/digidesi…

You can see that where the Mbox is Good-to-Excellent, the Mix is Excellent across the board. Would you definte Good-to-Excellent as "shitty"? And can you hear the slight difference in THD when you've mixed together 48 tracks complete with amp hiss from your Twin Reverb and SVT? By the way, do you know what the THD on a SVT is? Hint...a LOT more than any of these audio interfaces.

People who own or benefit from owning this gear sometimes make claims that their component "clarifies the sound field" or "brings out more richness", or "you just don't have good enough ears to appreciate it". But if you can't see it on an oscilliscope it's a good candidate for the placebo effect.

There are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings about audio engineering out there. Good gear can really help, and impressive gear can be inspiring. But use your own ears and your own judgement before opening your wallet.
Posted by another opinion]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:23:55 -0700 The Stranger
Seems like you could do that #6. Where is Plum? Get him in here.

& 7, take it easy on your gear. It works hard for you.
Posted by Blitzen Frivolity]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:23:13 -0700 The Stranger Posted by shey]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:29:01 -0700 The Stranger
Still, I need a way to transfer tracks between a Roland 890 and a Mac and back. Any suggestions?
Posted by drewl]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:42:16 -0700 The Stranger Posted by drewl]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:24:18 -0700 The Stranger Posted by bridge]]> Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:09:21 -0700 The Stranger Posted by bridge]]> Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:06:04 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Pat Boone]]> Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:57:59 -0700 The Stranger Posted by Pat Boone]]> Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:57:55 -0700 The Stranger