Pres in Aardvark Pro 24/96 vs Di-Port

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Scotsman

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I've been doing some digging on the Di-Port around here and rec.audio.pro and it seems that the preamps are really very good. Does anyone know how these pres compare with those in the Aardvark Pro 24/96? There doesn't seem to be as much info on the board so I thought I'd ask directly.

Any other comparitive information or opinions on either of the two products would be very gratefully received, as well as perhaps a link to a European dealer of the Aardvark Pro 24/96 for less than EURO 500.

And a vaguely related comment: in my digging today I kept coming across the abbreviation DSP and managed to find a site where this is explained in simple terms that even I could understand!

Introduction to DSP

Sorry if I'm teaching y'all to suck eggs...

Jock
 
And yet another question related to the Di-Port

It is capable of 24-bit, but my Soundblaster Live! card only supports 16-bit. How would this work? Would I have to change the Di-Port to work at 16-bit? Would a soundcard that supported 24-bit be required down the line? If so, it may make sense to fork out for the Aardvark Pro 24/96 after all then...

Jock
 
Since no one else seems to be saying much... I have a Aark Direct Pro and from the reading I've done here and some other forums, they say they compare pretty close to, and are probably a little better than the Maudio DMP3. For what that's worth. Not exactly the info your looking for, but it's something...

I can say, I really like my Aardvark a lot! & have never questioned the purchase. Had it 3 years now. I am wondering, lately, what difference I'd hear with different converters. Like RME or Apogee ?

Good Luck,
B.
 
Thanks for the reply Booda. The fact that the Aardvark's pres are as good as, or better than, those on the DMP-3 is indeed good to hear as, from what I've read, the Di-Port's pres are of a similar quality. Now I have to decide if the Di-Port's having only two channels is outweighed by it's digital converter which is apparently very good.

Any other opinions out there?

Jock
 
Have you read martin walker's review of the di port?
http://www.sospubs.co.uk/sos/jan01/articles/mindprint.asp

The diport does not have an option to dither to 16 bit so if you use your soundblaster it will truncate off the last 8 bits (which doesnt sound good).

However you can get very cheap soundcards based on the cmedia cmi 8738 chipset that have 24 bit digital i/o at 44.1 or 48khz eg Aopen aw850 deluxe, Trust 514dx sound expert, Zoltrix nightingale pro. They cost about 25 US$/Euros. They are virtually identical to the m-audio dio 2448 so you can also use the m-audio drivers if you need low latency asio drivers. It would be a good combination with a diport. The diport is a bit expensive in australia or I might have got one.

An interesting new alternative is the smpro in5. It has a few more features than the diport (2 pres, 4 bus mixer, inserts, 4 stereo phono/line inputs , 2 headphone outputs, monitor outs). A good setup for a mixerless home studio.
http://www.smproaudio.com/in5.htm
 
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Thanks for that alfalfa: I wrote to MindPrint to ask about the 24-bit/16-bit compatability issue and got the following response:

The DI-Port works with every Digital S/PDIF IN/OUT, 16 Bits and 24 Bits. It works with a Soundblaster card.

As there was no mention of the truncation, I've written back to ask specifically about that.

You mention three soundcards that support 24-bit technology, including the Trust one. As that's the only one of the three I've been able to find a supplier for, I had a look at the Trust Website for some specifications. I can find no mention of 24-bit technology anywhere - are you absolutely sure that this card supports 24-bit technology?

Thanks again,
Jock
 
Me again:

I just had another response from Mindprint - VERY speedy service, I must say!

I asked:

as the DI-port does not have an option to dither to 16-bit, would the Soundblaster card not simply truncate off the last 8 bits?

and got the following response:

yes, that´s right. But don´t care about it, try it. The good quality is in the upper 16 Bit, you only may hear truncation in very very low signals, such as fade outs of a reverb.

Does that sound feasible? I guess what he's saying is that I should try the product with my existing soundcard, and if I wasn't happy, I could always then upgrade to a 24-bit one for around GBP 30 which isn't too bad I suppose.

I'll have a look at the other product you've suggested alfalfa but I doubt I would get it for the EURO 212 I've seen the Di-Port for.

Jock
 
Here is the specific trust product.
http://www.trust.com/products/frame-product.htm?artnr=12950

If you go to the c-media website and look up the cmi8738 chipset you will see it supports 24bit sound at 44.1 and 48khz.
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/product/doc8738.htm
It is also the chipset used in the discontinued maudio dio 2448. There are many articles on the web confirming the 24 bit digital capability of this chipset. Do a google search on cmi or cmedia 8738 or even the trust card. I think someone has a website about his trust card that he uses for digital i/o.

I have always read that truncation is a bad thing (and is specifically noted as a con in the review) so I have always avoided it. It is probably subtle compared to the massive improvement in the A/D you will get over your soundblaster but if you are going to get the diport why not spend an extra 25 or so euros to get a 24 bit soundcard. Do a search on dither and you will get more information.

I saw the smpro IN5 for 255 euros here though I expect you could do better.
http://www.xsound.com.pt/smpro/smp_index.htm

I would expect the diport to be have slightly better pres and convertors but whether the improvement is noticeable will depend on your situation. The in5 is definitely more versatile as it is basically a 4 bus mixer as well which comes in very handy when if add gear to your studio (synths, rack effects, turntables etc).
 
Thanks once again alfalfa - you're a star!

Could I just show my ignorance and ask what is meant by bus in this context? It's not the same as channel, is it?

Yours in embarrasment,
Jock
 
A basic 2 bus mixer has one set of stereo main outputs. All the inputs will be mixed together to the main outs.

A 4 bus mixer has two sets of stereo outputs, the main outputs (1/2) and an alternate set (3/4). You can choose whether to send each input to either the main or alternate output. This is useful because you may want to record a channel separately from the others (while still listening to all of them as you record) ie you have main outs connected to your monitors and the alternate outs connected to your soundcard. By pressing a button on your mixer you select which channel gets recorded.

Or you may have a 4 input soundcard and need 4 outputs from your mixer. Inserts also allow some flexibility in this regard though some cable plugging and unplugging may be required.

When I got my 4bus behringer mixer I didnt realise how useful/convenient the 4 bus functionality was until I went to my friends place and tried to help him with his computer recording setup and he was using a smaller 2bus behringer mixer. My setup was much easier and flexible and required virtually no plugging and unplugging. The mixer could handle all the routing.

Hope that helps. I found that mixers can be pretty complicated and its hard to figure out the best way to use them or what you need from one. They can be very convenient when you have a few pieces of external gear. If you are doing virtually everything in your computer then you may not need the functionality. Good luck in your choice.
 
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christiaan said:
212.- ? where?? :)
Click to expand...

Ebay

I emailed the seller to enquire about shipping to Luxembourg and he said it shouldn't be a problem.

You interested in one yourself? Do you have a 24-bit soundcard?

Jock
 
Scotsman said:
Ebay
You interested in one yourself? Do you have a 24-bit soundcard?
Click to expand...
Yes, I'm interested. Not that I have a 24 bits soundcard (yet). Not even sure if I can spare the cash on this short notice. But many thanks for the link. Something to think about the next couple of days.
 
alfalfa

alfalfa said:
A basic 2 bus mixer has one set of stereo main outputs. All the inputs will be mixed together to the main outs.

A 4 bus mixer has two sets of stereo outputs, the main outputs (1/2) and an alternate set (3/4).
Click to expand...

I've been doing some reading on the SMPro Audio In5 and reviews are pretty thin on the ground. But about this bus thing, the technical specifications are given as follows:

• 24-bit 96kHz S/PDIF I/O (optional)
• 2 x Mic Pre amp (JRC4558D)
• 2 x Insert points
• 2 x Phantom power
• 2 x XLR Bal I/O
• 4 x Mono, 2 x Stereo line inputs
• 2 x Turn-Table, CD or Phono inputs with switchable RIAA EQ and level controls
• 2 x Headphone monitoring amplifiers

And the following description:

Dual Bus Mixer
Each channel on the SM IN5 can be switched and routed to a monitor or recording output pair. Perfect for eliminating latency when tracking recordings directly to your PC, this special "Direct Recording Mode" enables the user to have certain inputs monitored only, and others sent to your "record outs" with either 24-bit digital or high quality analog fidelity. It's as easy as pressing a button!

So when it says "each channel can be switched", does that mean that each of the two mic inputs, resulting in the 4-bus of which you speak?

Forgive all these seemingly inane questions; I really want to make sure I get the right thing!

Regards
Jock
 
Yep the choice of either main outs or rec outs is the 4bus mixer capability I was talking about.

From what I can tell, each of the inputs (whether they be the mic inputs or any of the 4 stereo line/cd/phono inputs) can be sent to either the main outs (which go to your monitors/headphones) or the record outs (either analog rec out or digital out). You connect the rec outs or digital out to your soundcard input. The output of the soundcard is connected via the digital in or the rec in (on the back of the in5) and also get sent to the main outs.
 
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