RE: ADAT conversion unit to expand my Fireface

[mavdime]

Hello all,

I am looking to add some more I/O to my fireface UFX (16 channel adat) and scrap my patchbay altogether (and just instead use totalmix)

A few questions:

- what do you recommend to buy for expanding the system? I am eyeing off the new Ferrofish A16 mkII (new version of creamware a16)... seems good value for money and is meant to sound pretty decent also. Other options are an RME ADI DS or Lynx aurora... but these are much more expensive for less channels... what do you guys suggest?

- Once I strap the second unit in my rack and connect it to my fireface's adat i/o is it then as simple as routing hardware to the adat channels in my totalmix mixer or are there other steps I need to take?

Thanks, I would be grateful for any pointers you could provide

Cheers

Manny Satija

[mylesgm]

apogee ad16 (not x) excellent units and very reasonable on the second hand market.

[mavdime]

HI Myles, thanks for the suggestion

I if purchased an old ad16 I would still have to by a DA unit wouldn't I? I would prefer something with AD/DA if possible... perhaps an Apogee Rosetta would be better for that purpose... have you had any experiences with that unit? I have seen Rosettas floating around on ebay for $1300-$1500 since they are now discontinued (the Rosetta 800 anyway), so maybe that would be good value for money

Thanks again for your advice

Manny

[mylesgm]

haven't got any experience with the rosetta 800 but you would need a da16 for D/A as well but if so you could probably get both units for around 2k and that would give you 16 i/o to match with the ufx giving you loads of i/o. Do you really need the d/a? if not you could buy the a/d now and then get the d/a later. I use an AD16 with my fireface 800 and regularly do large live recordings and its great for it.

M

[mavdime]

Hi Myles,

I guess even if I got the AD16 + DA16 for $2k it would still be cheaper than a Lynx aurora 16... out of interest what are the major differences between the AD16/DA16 and the 'x' versions? Nothing worth the extra money I hope?

I plan on using the inputs/outputs so I can route external fx units and synths into Logic for some outboard processing. At the moment my fireface (it's the UFX I have) gives me 6 analog outs (out 1/2 drive the monitors) and 8 analog ins on the back + another 4 mic/line ins on the front. I don't really need more preamps since I mainly make electronic music, that's why I was after something that gives me more line level I/O.

While buying just the AD unit would allow me to bring all the hardware into logic it won't let me route channels out for processing into synths /pedals, etc

Since it is mainly more outputs I need at least to start with, I guess I could instead get the DA16 to start with and add the AD later on...

Anyways thanks for the suggestions, you've certainly provided some food for thought

Regards

Manny

[mylesgm]

The difference is the clock and 192 capabaility supposedly nothing else. The X series has the big ben clock but too be honest digital wankery aside I reckon the clock in the AD series is fine and the converters sound excellent. They got to 96k, they have adat and smux, AES/EBU, dither for up/down sample and they also feature a soft limit. Not certain what else you'd want in a AD/DA unless it was direct to comp interface.

[mavdime]

Ah great, thanks for that Myles.. doesn't sound like a massive difference by any stretch!

If I was using it with my fireface the clock wouldn't matter too much would it? Ive never had to use wordclock before so may be completely off the mark in terms of how it works but if I connected the two nits using adat and wordclocl then the RME would be the master unit and the apogee would be the salve wouldnt it?

Thanks again

Manny

[mylesgm]

I reckon that it wont matter which unit you clock off of but haven't done any tests. I do use wordclock though as it insures best lock.