Starstreams said:
Interesting, how doses that work if you don't mind me asking?
Doses this pre gain make it easer to get a hotter level? Currently I’m using the Omni/IO breakout box which has the gain on the front. I adjust the gain level and watch the meters in Logic Audio.
Is what you’re referring to more for bouncing down or mastering?
Sorry for my lack of knowledge on this
Maybe I'm not right about the Delta 66 - does it have its own preamps or does it just boost the level using software? From the descriptions I've seen it looks like the latter but I could be way off.
Basically it works the way you're describing: each channel has a knob that controls the gain for each of the input preamps, which are quiet on their own. It allows you to get a much higher signal-to-noise ratio than an interface (like an Audigy 2 or an Audiophile) that converts the sound to digital and then amplifies it using DSP operations.
The other thing I was concerned about is, for example when you buy high end stuff like Apogee, it’s my understanding that good converters become more important as you increase the number of tracks, if the converters are not good, they begin to loose accuracy dealing with all the multiple frequencies.
Hmm. That would more properly be a function of your host's summing algorithm and not of the AD/DA convertors. I can see where potentially a nicer DAC could make your
monitoring better because of more accurate frequency response, but the real combining of sounds together in the sequencer doesn't technically make its way through the convertors at all...
I saw 24 bit depth in the specs but it didn’t say anything about the internal bitdepth. The M-Audios are 32-bit, the better converters seem to be at 46-bit and up, but then again I know thats not always as important as other things.
The I/O max is 24 bit. As far as I know, there aren't any convertors out that that actually record at higher than that - different sequencers support different internal bitrates for processing ( e.g. Live, CEPro, etc. use 32-bit, Tracktion uses 64-bit...)
I’m not to sure what to make of the Jitter spects? Are these good?
Jitter-<20ps RMS, 20Hz-20kHz
Jitter Attenuation >60dB, 1ns in+1ps out
The jitter stiff is above my head. It refers to clock signal. If you start worrying about jitter (if your recordings are at that high a level) then typically you'd want to use the most stable clock as a master and all the rest of your digital gear as slaves. You can buy master clock units that provide jitter-free clock to multiple units and it's supposed to make a big difference, but my own opinion is that until you're using really nice monitors and preamps and have treated your control room and all that, it doesn't make that much sense to spend $1400 on a word clock.
As with all things of this nature, you really need to examine what your exact needs are and then see where your dollar goes furthest. I got the firepod because I want to be able to record 8 microphones simultaneously - I record bands and choirs and I needed that feature; the Delta 66 doesn't have it, but the firepod does. For your purposes, it might make more sense to upgrade something else with the $400 you'd save getting a Delta 66 - what are you aiming at doing with the multiple inputs?
