ADC/DAC user experience

[aquaman]

I have a friend that uses an Apogee Rosetta interface and runs it through his M-Audio Delta 1010 using the word clock for his home studio. He says this is just about as good as it gets for home recording. Therefore, his recording interface group is well over $2000. I know you can spend more; Apogee has an interface that costs around $3500. The question is not whether he's right or wrong (certainly he has a great setup) but rather how necessary it is.

How necessary is this if you want to make some money off your home studio projects? There are a ton of products out there in the $300-$800 range (Presonus, M-Audio and many more.) Then there are those that are well over $1000 (Apogee, MOTU, etc.)

What is so special about the expensive interfaces' DAC/ADCs? Aren't they all using basically the same DSPs to do this, like Analog Device's Black Fin, or something like that?

And why bother with the word clock? If all of these interfaces have firewire, why not just go directly to my computer from the interface?

I am soliciting anecdotes about what we are really getting when we buy such expensive ADC/DACs.

Many Thanks.

 

[mshilarious]

We are really getting when we buy such expensive ADC/DACs.

Many Thanks.

You get slightly improved high frequency transient response which typically manifests itself as greater clarity, and usually a bit more dynamic range, which is probably not as useful due to the acoustic or analog noise floor that is already many dB higher. The difference comes from using high-grade IC converters, and probably more importantly, a better quality analog stage feeding the converter, and cleaner power supply and chassis/ground design. The really high grade stuff uses in-house discrete converters rather than ICs, similar to what you'd see in high end preamps.

It doesn't have much to do with making money on a CD. In fact I've seen people select a converter that was noticeably worse--I mean like cheap, and two generations old--because they preferred a fuzzier sound.

And I haven't noticed many people doing a cost/benefit analysis on gear purchases.