The RNC of AD/DA converters!!

[CarmenC]

Holy Shit!
I had no idea this was going on.
This BBS,
http://www.harmonicdiscord.com/forums/viewforum.php?forum=32&207
is just for the ART DI/O AD/DA converter.
It is a group of audiophiles who are dumping their $2000 DACs and using slightly modified ART DI/Os!
They say the ART is one of the best they ever heard.
The winner of "Best of Show" system at AES used a modified ART!
This site details the modifications with pics and parts lists.
http://www.interlog.com/~cfraser/DIO.htm
This is a full blown audio craze, similar to the "best bang for the buck" type stuff that we saw with the C1 and the RNC.
If you don't want to do the mods yourself, the moderator of that BBS sells them modified for ~ 400.00!
www.fullcompass.com sells them stock for $122.00!
Mine, (stock) is on the way.
I'm pumped!
I ordered the upgraded power supply from Allied Electronics, and I'll see how it sounds from there, as to whether I'll do the other mods.
Anybody looking for QUALITY A/D or D/A conversion on the cheap might want to check this out.
I am not affiliated with ART or any of these people, just trying to pass on a bargain to a BBS that has helped me very much.
Thanx,
Carmen

 

[TexRoadkill]

Interesting, thanks for the heads up.

 

[charger]

FYI, this seems to be a craze among home stereo audiophiles, and not musicians. While the needs of the two communities are similar, several of these mods are designed to help the DI/O play better in a home stereo (CD/DVD/receiver) environment, and would be of little use in a musician-oriented environment. The power supply upgrade looks good though.

But this doesn't mean that in a studio environment, this is the best converter ever. It means that people notice a considerable improvement in home stereo setups, when using this equipment to take the digital outs of their CD or DVD players and do the D/A conversion for them. This should not be surprising, since consumer-level home audio equipment is not renowned for using (or requiring) fantastic converters.

All these people would flip if you tossed them some Crystal converters or a nice Apogee Rosetta.

 

[CyanJaguar]

that looks cool.

Im sure that art is just tickled to death for finding such a market niche.

I would be interested in hearing what it does to ad conversions after the mods though. It might be a good investment for homereccers.

 

[CarmenC]

Got mine today...

It's everything they said it was.
Sounds GREAT.
MUCH better than the A/D conversion
in my old Tascam DA30 DAT.
Love the tube sound on the A/D. Nice and round.
Took the harshness from the drum machine.
Should have the upgraded power supply Thursday.
I'm pleased.
C

 

[chessrock]

This all does sound quite exciting, and I'm not trying to be the doubting Thomas, here . . .

but I can't help but be somewhat cautious on this like Charger. It does sound like this pup might be the bee's knees for Digital-to-analog conversion on PLYAYBACK.

But keep in mind, our concern here at HomeRECORDING.com is in the Analog-to-Digital conversion. It's all fine and dandy that audiophiles like the sound of this thing coming through their steroes, and I'm sure it would make a fine alternative to the professional for MONITORING.

But how does it RECORD? It seemed like everyone on these discussions you mention kind of mentioned that as a sidenote. Kind of like: "Oh yea, and if you should want to use it to digitize analog audio, it can do that, too, but who really cares about that anyway?" And I've heard the A/D on these things is pretty good (probably on par with M-audio cards), but I'm pretty sure these mods are for the D/A.

 

[knownuttin]

Yeah, what Chessrock said! Hear-hear! Harumph!
-kent

 

[Dick Flansen]

I've gotta jump in on this one - I'm familiar with the ART gear, I'm not particularly impressed by it, and I can understand everyone being suspicious of this unit. But, no fooling, folks, the dio is a legit piece of gear - I'm truly impressed by it. Obviously, it's aimed at the home market, and I'd be hesitant to mention it in the same breath as Apogee, or similar, but...

It's primary use, for me, in a home studio setup, is to bypass any sort of analog ins on the soundcard - and, for that application, it clearly sounds better than the analog ins on ANY soundcard I'm familiar with (and I'm familiar with a few). It's absolutely dead quiet, does an excellent job of handling anything that is thrown at it, and the tube circuit actually sounds REALLY nice. I'm currently using a Presonus MP20, and the dio is able to dial in plenty of tube "warmth" (well, more like "grit") - it DOES sound similar to the "tube sound" (if, yeah, you want to call it that) of the Tube MP, but with none of the noise floor or other bad characteristics. So, yeah, it's kind of a "special effect," but it's a great sound if you want it - defeat the tube circuit, and the thing is completely transparent (well, maybe not in the lab, but i live in the real world).

Again, I'm the last guy in the world to champion the ART stuff, but, really, this thing is a winner. Especially considering the price, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for ANY home studio. It's one of the more useful pieces of gear I've ever picked up, and I'm almost hesitant to talk about it - it's been my little secret, you know, my secret weapon. It's legit.

 

[CarmenC]

Hi Dick,

I've gotta jump in on this one - I'm familiar with the ART gear, I'm not particularly impressed by it, and I can understand everyone being suspicious of this unit. But, no fooling, folks, the dio is a legit piece of gear - I'm truly impressed by it. Obviously, it's aimed at the home market, and I'd be hesitant to mention it in the same breath as Apogee, or similar, but...

It's primary use, for me, in a home studio setup, is to bypass any sort of analog ins on the soundcard - and, for that application, it clearly sounds better than the analog ins on ANY soundcard I'm familiar with (and I'm familiar with a few). It's absolutely dead quiet, does an excellent job of handling anything that is thrown at it, and the tube circuit actually sounds REALLY nice. I'm currently using a Presonus MP20, and the dio is able to dial in plenty of tube "warmth" (well, more like "grit") - it DOES sound similar to the "tube sound" (if, yeah, you want to call it that) of the Tube MP, but with none of the noise floor or other bad characteristics. So, yeah, it's kind of a "special effect," but it's a great sound if you want it - defeat the tube circuit, and the thing is completely transparent (well, maybe not in the lab, but i live in the real world).

Again, I'm the last guy in the world to champion the ART stuff, but, really, this thing is a winner. Especially considering the price, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for ANY home studio. It's one of the more useful pieces of gear I've ever picked up, and I'm almost hesitant to talk about it - it's been my little secret, you know, my secret weapon. It's legit.

I always hated ART gear, Go figure...
I got my DI/O today. Sounds great.
The rumor is that you can increase the sound quality dramatically by using a 9V wall wart that does 3000 to 3400 ma of current.
Here is a link to a site with ALL the info on the mods and craze this unit is causing in the audio world, as well as a place to get the supply if you want one ($20.00).
http://www.interlog.com/~cfraser/DIO.htm
Cool product, huh???
C

 

[Dick Flansen]

Please let us know how the updated power supply works out. I'd be surprised if you could really hear a difference, but, hey, give it a shot.

For the record, it's worth experimenting with different tubes - mine shipped with a JAN GE tube (which was a surprisingly nice tube to find in there, not exactly cheap), I settled on a Yugo EI (which sound exactly like Telefunkens, and are what Manley uses in their uber-high-end gear, so, worth the ten buck investment)... The differences weren't subtle, but which one's "best" is probably going to be a matter of personal preference.

 

[CarmenC]

Please let us know how the updated power supply works out. I'd be surprised if you could really hear a difference, but, hey, give it a shot.

For the record, it's worth experimenting with different tubes - mine shipped with a JAN GE tube (which was a surprisingly nice tube to find in there, not exactly cheap), I settled on a Yugo EI (which sound exactly like Telefunkens, and are what Manley uses in their uber-high-end gear, so, worth the ten buck investment)... The differences weren't subtle, but which one's "best" is probably going to be a matter of personal preference.

Where can I get one of these Yugo tubes?
I like the tube in there, but am always willing to spend another $10 to improve the sound.
Thanx,
Carmen

 

[Dick Flansen]

I get my tubes from either http://store.yahoo.com/triodeel/index.html or http://store.yahoo.com/thetubestore/index.html - Those Yugo Ei tubes do sound great, but the rap on them is that there's a pretty high failure rate. So, you definitely want to go with a retailer who thoroughly tests the tubes.

Again, it's all about personal preference - I find the Yugo tubes to have plenty of high end, sound nice and airy and open, which sounds great on my mics but might not be the sound you're looking for. The teslas are worth checking out, too. I'd just say to avoid the stuff that's obviously geared towards guitar amps, like electro-harmonix, etc.... But, yeah, when Eva Manley starts getting on the newsgroups and singing the praises of the Yugo tubes, I listen.

Tell you what, if you really want to hear the differences between tubes, scour e-bay and see if you can pick up a mixed lot of old 12ax7 tubes - you can still find used, american made stuff for cheap. Careful listening will reveal a lot of difference, and, besides - with only one tube inside the dio, it's easy and cheap to get a small assortment to check out.

 

[CarmenC]

Thanx!

I get my tubes from either http://store.yahoo.com/triodeel/index.html or http://store.yahoo.com/thetubestore/index.html - Those Yugo Ei tubes do sound great, but the rap on them is that there's a pretty high failure rate. So, you definitely want to go with a retailer who thoroughly tests the tubes.

Again, it's all about personal preference - I find the Yugo tubes to have plenty of high end, sound nice and airy and open, which sounds great on my mics but might not be the sound you're looking for. The teslas are worth checking out, too. I'd just say to avoid the stuff that's obviously geared towards guitar amps, like electro-harmonix, etc.... But, yeah, when Eva Manley starts getting on the newsgroups and singing the praises of the Yugo tubes, I listen.

Tell you what, if you really want to hear the differences between tubes, scour e-bay and see if you can pick up a mixed lot of old 12ax7 tubes - you can still find used, american made stuff for cheap. Careful listening will reveal a lot of difference, and, besides - with only one tube inside the dio, it's easy and cheap to get a small assortment to check out.

I got 3 of the Yugo's from the place at Yahoo.
$6.50 ea.!
I can't wait to hear 'em.
Thanx for your help.
Carmen


BTW,
Got any other secret weapons???