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Grimm – AD1 – discontinued – Discrete, Class A – DSD converterĪudio LATTE – Clean/transparent, maybe a little smooth, max sample rate 192khz, <.01 ms total latency A/D section 192k, +27.5dBu max output level into 600Ω, This unit seems to win a lot of shootouts. Some have said the DA section is where this unit really shines. In one thread it is reviewed as both wonderful but that it lacks soft-limiting. While “colored” they are still a converter, not a preamp or microphone, so it is a more subtle difference.ĮmmLabs DAC – Meitner ADC8 MK IV – Class Aįorssell – MADC-2 and MADC-4 – There is no shortage of raving reviews on these units (along with the MADA-2a which is ADDA).
![analog to digital converter audio analog to digital converter audio](https://gefen.com/wp-content/uploads/GTV-AAUD-2-DIGAUD_MAIN-50-600x600.jpg)
If driven hard more of that quality is imparted on the sound.
#ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTER AUDIO MOD#
While specs do not make a converter it is worth noting that the X16 has some really desirable numbers in comparison to many other converters on the market.ĭynamic Range: 124 dB (A-weighted), THD+N: -115 dB (0.00018%), Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz, ☐.05 dBĪvid MODDED – Black Lion Audio does a mod that drastically improves the qualityīurl – B2 Bomber and Mothership – These are designed to add a bit of analog mojo to a signal. X16 – While much cheaper than most on this list the Apollo X16 has extremely high specs. My 2nd favorite is the Lake People (which is much less expensive) * This page is an ongoing project, please let me know if your converter is not included (and should be!)Īcousence – system 193 – Here is a shootout that makes this a pretty clear winner from those involved.
![analog to digital converter audio analog to digital converter audio](https://sc04.alicdn.com/kf/H7a0e4c8401d54ec09a1f8bdb7dc0fc53c.jpg)
There is no “best” converter but here’s a list and some details to help you decide which to shoot out. Likewise a drummer is practically inside their kit so a total latency of 2ms would sound natural Sound travels at about 1.13 feet per millisecond so if a guitar player is used to playing with their amp across the room 8ms might be totally fine for them, or even feel natural.
#ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTER AUDIO PRO#
Many will be ok with 5 milliseconds (in Pro Tools that’s 256 samples for 44.1-48khz, 512 samples for 88.2-96khz, and 1024 samples for 176.4-192khz). Personally I prefer under 2ms total latency to be ideal for tracking. This may disrupt a musician’s timing, for example. The Lavry Gold is a very highly-regarded converter however it has 8ms of latency, and that’s before the interface and DAW introduce their own latencies. Latency is also a big factor with audio conversion when tracking. Class A or passive seems to be a trend among the best-sounding converters but there are many creative ways they have been made. The analog side of the converter has a huge impact on the sound much like the sound of the analog side of a tape recorder gives the timbre of what many would call a “tape” sound. There hasn’t been as much development of ADC microchips as with the DAC chips over the past 20 years so most of the modern technology is focused on getting a better signal to the chips With that said upgrading a converter with an external clock can can have a positive impact on the performance of the converter if the external clock is better and the connection between hardware units is good. Having a really nice internal clock is important for tracking as analog-to-digital clocking cannot be improved by jitter rejection like with digital-to-analog conversion. better clocking can also have a clarity to particularly the low frequencies in my experience. If you do tracking (recording) and have a great room+mic+preamp then you might want to invest in one of these ADCsĬlocking is really important to analog-to-digital conversion creating a better image to my ears in conversion shootouts. However the best converters can do things like create a more defined sense of space, or make someone who isn’t a critical listener notice the difference between preamps. If one is say, looking to master or sweeten an already-recorded digital signal then investing in a really good ADC (and DAC – digital-to-analog converter) could be more practical. The law of decreasing returns in audio gear. Just about all modern converters have extremely low noise floors and are generally suitable for most people’s needs. The room is more important than the microphone, which is more important than the preamp, which is more important than the converter. While the best analog-to-digital converter (or “ADC”) is different for everyone here is a list of the most worthy contenders (and thus brands) on the market today.īut first some advice: if you are planning to track your converter is probably not the weakest link in your recording setup.