LX20 / Xt20 'real' differences

[Guardian]

OK, so here are the differences I know off hand between the LX20 and XT20..The XT has 1/4 balanced IO, and the other connector thingie which I can't remember the name for..also according to the technical specs, I think the LX20 has 64x oversampling on recording, while the XT20 has 128x .. they both have 128x for playback.

In addition, the XT's have a few more locates, and other non-essential differences..but as far as quality is concerned, ..has anyone something to say about one vs the other?

I read in Electronic Musician I think a few issues ago, that when they were talking about digital myths, the guy doing the article said he talked to a 'well known' company rep about the differences in how the 20bit DACs in 2 of their produicts sounded..how for one, their 20bit DAC sounded like 14 bit..and the company rep said it was 14bits of DAC and 6 bits of marketting...am I being paranoid?

Any feedback would be interesting to read.

--Sal

[MISTERQCUE]

You have basically listed the differences right in your thread.
Elco connector,balanced IO's and additional locate points and editing features.
Besides the fact that you can use both as either a master or slave
to other ADATS.

[mnicoletti]

What the "rep" was referring to was actual performance specs of the DAC....many (most) 24 bit DACs do not give a full 24 bits of performance. 14 bits of actual performance sounds WAY too low though.

Mike

[nwsoundman]

+4db operating levels of the XT are critical in a pro or semi pro studio. The LX lacks in that dept.

[mnicoletti]

True but a lot of home studios (and some can be called semi-pro)are running unbalanced gear with fairly short cable runs...

Mike

[nwsoundman]

Mackie, Alesis, Tascam, and even Berhinger are in home studios and operate at +4db. So many cheap mixers have +4db levels that it makes no sense not to take advantage of at least having bal tape ins and outs. I mean if you are going to multitrack with a ADAT or two oor three spend the few extra bucks and do it right. I wish Alesis kept the LX to themselves.

[mnicoletti]

All good points but the bottom line is that they sold a BUNCH of them. Obviously there was demand for that product.

[jgourd]

I am using 2 LX-20s in my setup. They are mounted in a rack with the mic preamps just above them and the cable runs are no longer than 10 inches. Since I get sound out of them via the light pipes I have no problem that they aren't +10db.

[mnicoletti]

Hi, jgourd,

We will assume you meant +4, not +10

.....Unless there was an option I did not know about!!

Mike

[jgourd]

Yeah, I'm slickdexik, I get my +4s and -10s all mixed up. I meant +4

[mnicoletti]

Personally, I always thought we should have a "National Week Dyslexic", to raise awareness.

Apologies to any sensitive folks for the lack of political correctness.....

Mike

[Blue Bear Sound]

Political incorrectness aside... that was funny Mike!



Bruce

[Automaton]

I had no idea LX20s were so cheaply made until today... I've seen them a few times, but I racked one in my studio today for a project I was helping a friend on, the faceplate felt thin and kinda flimsy, and the buttons felt pretty cheesy. I love the XTs, they just feel so much more sturdy.

[mnicoletti]

Ah, welcome to the world of manufacturing....therein lies the ability to make it more affordable. The chassis and button assembly are some of the main differences between the decks.

One feeling at Alesis was that many customers would have an LX as a lower cost 2nd or 3rd unit, so it would be slaving and externally controlled lots of the time (and thus little or no use of front panel). A reasonable scenario.

Mike