New THAT 1570/5171 Digitally Programmable Mic Pre Design.

Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
GroupDIY Audio Forum

Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
jdbakker said:
Going for two chips presumably allows them to use a more-analog process for the front-end and a more-digital process for the control chip. It looks like this helps them to get a few dB better low-gain noise performance than the incumbent + a pad.
Click to expand...

They likely must have considered a two-die-in-one-package version as well.

Perhaps they didn't think it'd be a good thing to do - or is it still upcoming.
But this enters marketing territory, so I'm out. I assume at least THAT they have
an assembly flow to do a two-die package.


Regards,

 Peter
 
I'm not sure how much putting two die in one package saves the end user. One machine pop, vs a more expensive part with smaller market (analog pre can be sold alone).  In any case they would be prudent to listen to market reaction now. The two part solution doesn't strike me as a huge negative.

JR
 
Hi,

You'll for (very) sure know how the (non-tech or ex-tech) guys who make the final decision on what parts to buy have their reasons divided over 'true technical reasons' (as presented to them by techs) & the figures they've collected in their glossy excel-sheets.
There'll be a column in sa(i)d sheets that indicates the two-chip solution as a negative vs one-chip.

It might probably be best if THAT simply provided both: separate chips & the combination.


Apart from that, if they'd wanted to present this in the most clear way: imo the type-numbering is potentially confusing: 3rd & 4th digit are sequentially (xx70, xx71), but the 1st & 2nd are swapped (15xx & 51xx).
No real problem, but not optimal either.


Regards,

  Peter 
 
The marketing of this chip set is not like mass market ICs so manufacturing cost may not be the nut...

While the number of potential sockets (archaic terminology) is increasing, it still strikes me as a fairly esoteric or niche market.  That said mic preamp chips were a niche market too and they have taken over most of the market, as new engineers design from data sheets instead of cobbling discrete parts together..

The modern math is that it cost more to place most parts than the parts cost, so higher levels of integration matters for mass market products.

JR




 
I'm not sure how to interpret this... I don't see how big or low numbers of manufactured end-product preamps
would eventually reverse the arguments that are the ingredients for (to?) the decisions of the excel-jockeys.

Apart from that, sockets indeed a nice terminology, hope it doesn't die  :)
We still use to say 'tape-out' here, despite we actually send a file to fab.

Regards,

 Peter
 
Peter,
I believe that the main reason for the 2-chip solution is based more on technical reasons.
They are using different process-technologies for the chips. The 1570 (preamp) is fabricated
in their own foundry in CA where they make the majority of their other parts: mic-pres, VCAs, I/O chips.
The 5171 (digital R-ladder) is fabricated elsewhere.
I'm sure the decision was based on getting the best possible performance from the overall system (preamp + controller).
As JR said, the companies/people using these chips are not driven by the same (economic) mentality as the (very) large volume
consumer manufacturers where saving 5 pennies by eliminating an SMT insertion is a main concern.
Also, the 2-chip solution opens-up the parts to additional markets. I'm sure we'll see (strictly) analog preamps using just the 1570,
as well as novel uses for the 5171 R-ladder.

JP
 
jp-apb said:
Peter,
I believe that the main reason for the 2-chip solution is based more on technical reasons.
They are using different process-technologies for the chips. The 1570 (preamp) is fabricated
in their own foundry in CA where they make the majority of their other parts: mic-pres, VCAs, I/O chips.
The 5171 (digital R-ladder) is fabricated elsewhere.
I'm sure the decision was based on getting the best possible performance from the overall system (preamp + controller).
As JR said, the companies/people using these chips are not driven by the same (economic) mentality as the (very) large volume
consumer manufacturers where saving 5 pennies by eliminating an SMT insertion is a main concern.
Also, the 2-chip solution opens-up the parts to additional markets. I'm sure we'll see (strictly) analog preamps using just the 1570,
as well as novel uses for the 5171 R-ladder.

JP
Click to expand...

Hi,

Let's not let my original casual remark about the potential for a 2-dies-in-one-package (in addition to the present situation) gain too much weight.


It's common (almost always, but not always) that multi-die assemblies (say 2 chips, or dies, put in 1 package) are made in different IC-processes,
to benefit from the strengths of each process.

Where the stuff is fabricated is irrelevant here, wafers, sawn dies etc etc fly all over the world in a day to be assembled in doesn't matter where.
So neither logistical nor technical objections. THAT might possibly don't have access to multi-die assembly, or it's too costly for them,
but that's not a technical reason not to.

Enough on this as far as I'm concerned, last post from my side here; I've lost track of what point we all tried to make here  ::) .
Again, it was just a casual & imho valid remark.

Regards,

 Peter
 

Similar threads

U
Dual Gates SA-70 build in an old RCA beat frequency oscillator - reuse OPT, power supply, tubes?
Replies
2
Views
253
Urskov
U
f.aiseur
Sorry, i have another PSU design question!
2
Replies
26
Views
1K
MidnightArrakis
MidnightArrakis
R
THAT1512 Pre. DIY, reasonable replacement for Cheap Preamp Art?
Replies
8
Views
1K
ricardo
R
F
For Sale DIY Microphones, Preamps, Compressors, Mic transformers, ... (PICS ADDED)
Replies
14
Views
1K
Frank00
F
S
For Sale 500 Mic-Pre Module with original Neve output TX
Replies
2
Views
1K
sahib
S

Latest posts

Back
Top