Converter upgrade or no?

leddy

leddy

Well-known member
I'm going nuts trying to decide on dropping cash on new AD/DA.

Up until recently, I have been recording to my HD24 or Edirol R4 and dumping ITB and staying there. Now, I've been mixing down to 1/4" 2-track, so I need to make another trip through the converters. I've been using only a Delta 44 for my conversion, which I assumed I would upgrade after getting my reel-to-reel deck going.

I was going to buy a Lynx L22. I've also been reading Ethan W's page on the idea that distortion artifacts are so quiet that differences in converter quality are miniscule.

I've run tests where I listen to playback from tape, then listen to the same recording that was sent from the tape through the Delta 44 back into the PC. I carefully matched levels using a test tone and DB meter at the listening position and A-B'd them.

I think I hear a difference; mostly in the high end. I admit it's slight, but it's there. The ride cymbal sounds more real coming from tape. I think I hear more "gong" and less "trash". I think. Maybe Ethan has a good point...

I know some will say that the Lynx is way better than the Delta. I'd love to spend the money if I knew I'd install the Lynx and hear a big difference - but the fact is that I can barley hear a difference in the test I described.

-Are the Delta converters still pretty good?
-Was my test flawed?
-Do my ears suck?
-Are better converters snake oil?

Help please...
 
Great question. I'm at the same point now, thinking that is my next step, but hesitant to spend the money. I don't know the answer but I think I know what people on this forum will tell you to do first. Not necessarily in this order

1) Make sure you have your performance as good as you can get it (no garbage in)
2) Make sure you have good room treatment
3) Use good quality mics, positioned properly
4) Use good quality preamps
5) Get good monitors to mix in
6) Use good cables

Any money left over think about upgrading converters

Still the question remains, will it audibly enhance the sound? Wish I knew for sure.
 
sooooooooooooooooooooo many bigger fish to fry. As long as the converters are decently noise free, its really not going to be much of a stumbling block.

I agree with Ethan in principle, and try to be a skeptic as much as possible (not a cynic, not a debunker, but a skeptic), but balanec I/O can help in some situations and though other specs may be close between cheap and expensive gear, noise often is not.

The factors the previous poster showed would be a MUCH more effective place to spend the money, besides the cables sort of....most studios will have WAY more money in cables than gear, but its not that they are expensive cables, just a lot of them. Cables only need to be good enough to accomplish their task: most of the meterials, sizes, magical mystical properties and other things of magical mystery suejob cables are outside the realm of what we care about, but still, make sure the cables are good enough!

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Thanks. I do have most of my other basses covered. Sure, nothing is ever perfect: I have good mics, but I'd still like a pair of Schoeps. I have good pres but I don't have API's yet, etc.

I really like mixing to tape. The additional trip through the converters going to and from the tape machine is my concern. We're now going A to D, D to A, then A to D again instead of just A to D. Under those circumstances, my assumption was I'd have to use better converters.

My ears are telling me that it's not a big deal. Perhaps it's not, or perhaps my monitors are not telling my ears the truth. My monitors are not Adams, but I know them well and my mixes are decent. So sure, maybe I should re-examine my room treatment and/or monitors. But if the difference can only be heard in a mastering room - then I'd rather put the money towards Schoeps and API gear...
 
I have Lynx converters. They are nice, but I'd spend the money on the Schoeps and APIs first (I've got the APIs, but not the Schoeps, yet).
 
Thanks - that's pretty compelling. The differences in my own test were not that big.
 
guitar zero said:
Great question. I'm at the same point now, thinking that is my next step, but hesitant to spend the money. I don't know the answer but I think I know what people on this forum will tell you to do first. Not necessarily in this order

1) Make sure you have your performance as good as you can get it (no garbage in)
2) Make sure you have good room treatment
3) Use good quality mics, positioned properly
4) Use good quality preamps
5) Get good monitors to mix in
6) Use good cables

Any money left over think about upgrading converters

Still the question remains, will it audibly enhance the sound? Wish I knew for sure.
Click to expand...


*n00b alert* *n00b alert*
I read somewhere that a guy using a Big Ben clock got a much clearer sound out of his Lynx L22. Maybe you are talking about the same thing. Converters. Hm.
 
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