AVALON 737 into VS1880 LOST SOUND QUALITY????

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Phosphene

Phosphene

Horse Diaper
I am now finding out why my Avalon i just got doesnt sound like i had expected. I am going from the Avalon 737 directly into the XLR input (they said going into the TRS wouls sound the same)the trim on LINE like it should be....BUT...

I am told that in order to get the "true" avalon sound, i need to go out and get a $1000 A/D convertor and run it into my digital in. SIGH....

roland says the A/D convertors are different on the 2480 and better (should i just save up for a 2480 or get the A/D convertor or should i just live with the less than perfect sound im getting?)

...............or am i being too picky? i just want to get 100% out of the Avalon that i dropped $1300 on. you understand im sure.....
please give me some good advice.....

jeremiah
 
I feel for you bro.

I want that million dollar sound and I will stop at nothing to get it. I am through buying less than stellar beginner or intermediate garbage.

I have a 1680 and I assume the 1880 is the same in the sense that the inputs are fitted with 20 bit converters so that you can only get 24 bit sound with outboard.

Roland is saying that the 2480 converters are better because every input on them is a 24 bit A/D. That still does not make them the same as a $1000 outboard converter, but it will be better. (....fine print really......:))

I would suggest droping money on the expensive converters rather than a 2480. Unless you need more than 2 channels at once. Either that or put the money into a good computer setup or stand-alone hard disk unit like the Alesis AdatHD. Alesis is where I am planning on heading when I get done with all the extra BS I have to purchase first........mixer, converters (theirs are usable I hear), and a truck load of cables........then I have to start buying outboard compressors and delays and reverbs.

I think the money would be worth it which ever way you spend it. That is a nice channel strip, I bought a Davisound preamp only to get put on the EXACT same boat. :o
 
What brand of convertor would you suggest.....i know NOTHING about them really. will i hear a BIG difference? damn damn damn ....i really wanted to buy another Avalon with my money and something i didnt even know i could buy! ha? oh me....

I mean, if its a small difference, i might hold off on it.

i A/B'd acoustic guitar and vocals and mic'd guitar cab with the Avalon and going directly into the 1880 (i also did one through my cheapass ART TPS preamp) using akg41tlII and AT4050 and a 421. I did it once with just full saturation and no eq or comp. The difference just didnt make me smile, i just sort of said...$1300? After going back and forth listening to the avalon track and the direct track, i could tell the avalon had a bit more warmth and bottom and not as brittle, but maybe i had my hopes set too high. Well...you were saying i can record 2 tracks at once with the convertor?

thanks for the reply
 
The 1880 and 1824 convertors are 24 bits and some say they sound slighly better than the 1680's (not much). The 2480 is supposed to sound slightly better than the 18's but still most people on the VSPLANET agree that the ROLAND VS convertors are bottom of the barrel 20 or 24 bits. I you want a 2480 you probably will still want better convertors in the end.

Whoever told you "need a $1000"convertor.... But hell you do have a 737 so it would only make since to have top knotch convertors I guess. But still I've seen many posts that have suggested a lil ole ART DI/O for $129 is a nice improvement over the 16/1880 but. No Rossetta..... They even say using a DI/O for the D/A convertor from the 1680 is an improvement for monitoring. Just saying you might wanna try a cheaper convertor if you are not willing to go all out.

All said.... It's plenty more convertors out there to choose from that sound better and provide and clock better than the VS's. But you have a 737...... APOGEE!!!!!
 
ive decided to get a Rosetta 48k and spend around $800....why not go all out?
 
Phosphene said:
ive decided to get a Rosetta 48k and spend around $800....why not go all out?
Click to expand...

I have not looked into A/Ds that much yet since I don't have the cash right now, but if the 96k is not much more, I would get that. You should be able to get 48k out of it too. You won't need it right now, but you might sometime soon.
 
48k vs 96k vs ?

yea, the Rosetta im bidding on has an upgrade chip in it (something to do with 16bit) and the guy says its upgragable to 96k.

Well whats the scoop on dithering? I always record my songs on the 1880 in 44.1 so i can burn it to CD. Could I record it in 48k and somehow dither down (mastering room?) to 44.1? Will it make it sound better?

I hear that recording at 96k and then dithering down to 44.1, you loose sound quality due to the algorhythms..... ? The rosetta is just a A/D, soI couldnt use it to dither on my 1880, id have to do it in mastering room, right? What would i use 96k for then, if i upgraded to an adat or a 2480 or what?
 
Ive been looking for Lucid and Aphex also....what are the model #s to the converters?
 
Phosphene said:
I am now finding out why my Avalon i just got doesnt sound like i had expected. I am going from the Avalon 737 directly into the XLR input (they said going into the TRS wouls sound the same)the trim on LINE like it should be....BUT...

I am told that in order to get the "true" avalon sound, i need to go out and get a $1000 A/D convertor and run it into my digital in. SIGH....

roland says the A/D convertors are different on the 2480 and better (should i just save up for a 2480 or get the A/D convertor or should i just live with the less than perfect sound im getting?)

...............or am i being too picky? i just want to get 100% out of the Avalon that i dropped $1300 on. you understand im sure.....
please give me some good advice.....

jeremiah
Click to expand...

Well, to get that Avalon sound, you will pretty much have to shell out over $3000 for the right converters. Don't forget the $3-4000 mic and professionally designed recording booth. There are also some compressors and EQs that will fit the bill for like $10,000 (George Massenberg EQ). The compressors will only be in the $3-4000 range. That will pretty much cover how to get the Avalon sound.
 
Yo Phosphene! This is one where I have a clue, as I recorded most of an album with an Avalon AD2022 into a VS1824CD. The reason they are telling you, quite correctly, to use an outboard A-D convertor, is not really because the A-D conversion in the Roland sucks so much, but because going in digitally is the only way to bypass the Roland's cruddy preamps, which is where your real problem is. Even when turned to line. the signal is still routed through pres by M. Mouse Inc. I'm with Blue Bear. Lucid AD9624 will work just fine. You'd be surprised, though- even a pretty cheap A-D convertor will allow you to bypass the Roland's pres. For about half the tracks, until the Lucid became available, I routed the Avalon's output through a TC Electronics M300, with the bypass button engaged, bypassing all FX. The improvement in the sound was dramatic as soon as the Roland's pres were removed from the signal chain. Good luck.-Richie
 
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