word clock upgrade and effect on DA conversion

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amra

amra

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I have been reading about and researching a lot of different audio interfaces. It seems that one of the primary things that is improved on higher end products is the word clock and/or the digital convesion quality. Not the sampling rate, but the actual quality of the converted audio. So here is my question:

Can you dramatically improve the recording/conversion quality of a mid range interface (EMU-1820 for instance) by using an external word clock? Would it then rival the higher end interfaces in quality?

I am not talking about pre-amps or antything like that. Strictly the quality of audio that is recorded.

Thanks!
Amra
 
Word clock and D/A conversion are two separate things. You ALWAYS need stable clocking, for any digital stream - and that's what external clocks provide.

But a good clock on a poor converter will not suddenly make it a good converter. It will simply be a well-clocked poor converter!
 
The Lucid already has a high-quality word clock in the unit, so an external one is of no benefit in that specific case...
 
A good external clock can be an improvement over a converter that has a poor internal clock, but it won't make a lousy converter into a great one. It will just make it as good as it can be, if that makes sense.

The best converters (very expensive) have excellent internal clocks and are actually better off using that.

The other time an external clock is important is if you have a lot of digital gear that needs to be clocked together. An external clock can make that much more convenient.
 
I have actually found that a good clockl makes a more noticable improvement on cheap converters than a unit that already has great converters. It is certainly not a replacement for good converters, but an improvement none the less. Not to mention fairly affordable compared to upgrading something like an Maudio card to Apogee.
 
Thanks to all for the responses.
I have a background as a computer technician, so I am trying to get an understanding of how the various components interface together. On a more practical note I am trying to decide on an interface with at least 8 inputs. I am leaning towards the E-MU 1820M or possibly a MOTU 828MKII. I am not crazy about MOTU's attitude towards supporting their customer base but not sold on the E-MU's recording quality but I was thinking maybe I could improve it appreciably with the addition of a quality external clock. Any other GOOD alternatives in this price range or first hand info on one of these 2?


Thanks
Amra
 
Hmmm, this is the first time I have heard anyone question the sound quality of emu cards. The pres and convertors are actually quite nice for the price point. FWIW I have the 1820M as well as a Lucid AD/DA box and several nice pres. I have no complaints with the quality of either the Emu's convertors or pres. Are there better? Certainly. In this price range? I doubt it.

Now complain about the drivers if you want :D , I understand that, not that I'm having any problems with them

I do use a Lucid word clock to sync all my digital recording devices together.
 
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