Been using an M.Audio 2496 for a few years and its worked o.k. Thinking of upgrading to better AD/DA conversion. I have a couple of JLM Audio Mic Preamps and a Ridge Farms Gas Cooker that are quite nice preamps. Where would you go from here i wish to carry on using my preamps but wanted a couple of channels of better AD/DA conversion?
Thanks
Vikki(uk)
Before anyone asks, this is a Ridge Farms Gas Cooker....
Ridge Farm Industries
Better converters than the 2496? Pointless IMHO with your present pre amp compliment.
The JLM has transformers in it so distortion at say +4dBu out is going to be about two orders worse than the 2496 (but still undetectable for the most part!) .
The Ridge Farms has a VALVE in it FCS! So make that THREE orders!
However, a better PCI card (on paper) is the M-A 192 and there is probably very little even now that has a better specification, certainly not for the money. But PCI slots are getting very rare in MOBOs now so you need to look at PCIe for future proofing (and how long shall we have PCI ..EEEE?). Here you are looking at RME or Lynx, lotta Wonga.
The other route is an A/D,D/A pair such as from Benchmark, Lavrey and others. Or go for a really top line USB AI.
Now I know it is said TO DEATH! But what sort of coin have you dropped on your monitors? If less than say $3000 the pair, think again. Again, boring ***t advice but Room Treatment!
N.B. I have 3 2496'es and so might be said to be prejudiced but I also have a NI KA6 and a F'rite 8i6. Also had Fast track pro and Teacs 122 and 144 and have never noticed a scrap of difference between them! Ok I am bit mutton but Son is not and is a fussy B!
Note also that 2496 has a max input of about +4dBu so to get the best out of your pre amps, some attenuation should be used.
See:
http://www.prismsound.com/music_recording/products_subs/lyra/lyra_home.php
Nice. Can't see a price but if ya haffter ask????
Dave.
