ADAT out of my soundcard question...

If I am doing work in a DAW and then shooting out via ADAT to an external converter, does the quality of the soundcard itself (the ADAT source) matter, or is it just maintaining the digital signal from the DAW program? In this case, cubase. Thanks.

Joel

clock
jitter
errors

without getting all Nika on you .... essentially yes you are cool
and I think you have enough to worry about.
If you have a problem, then is the time to look deeper.

I think you have enough to worry about.

Click to expand...

Aww, there's always more to worry about!

The reason for my question is that I want to "upgrade" things slowly. I am currently running cubase ---> terratec ADAT PCI card out-->sony DAT machine (as my DA :roll: )-->Alesis RA-100 power amp--> Roland rsm-90 monitors.

Certainly not the "state of the art" signal chain-but I do know it well.

I also have a PT002R that is just going PT-->alesis amp-->Roland monitors.

I dream that I'd like to go Cubase-->ADAT out (somehow nice)-->DA converter summing box thing-->power amp-->monitors.

Bla, bla, now I'm just rambling...

Joel

i just got a RME 96/52 card off of ebay for a steal. its got mutiple adat in and outs. i think you can record 48+ sim tracks IIRC. (dont really need it for alot of tracks, thats why im not positive).

of what ive looked into, the rme cards are really nice, their upper lines are very expensive, (1500$) but have midi and spidif in along as a few different other formats.

just an idea to check out.


i ordered a behrrringer ad8000 other day, 8ch of ad-da for 190$, really cant be beat and its supposed to sound pretty well. i couldnt afford the 2000+$ price on that many channels of apogee. hell, 2ch of rosetta is 1500. does sound nice though.

get all that stuff in, and find a 100w amp for my new ribbon monitors and im set :green:

what were you thinking about price wise on the AD/DA? how does your dat converters sound compared to the 002 rack?

good luck man.

taylor

Mbira:

Using you DAt as Da you are limited to 16 bit, this is your weakest link in your chain.
Also a recomendation is using always Wordclock sync when working with ADAT, the ADAT sync have LOT of jitter, better use Spdif if you don`t have WC.

Best Regards,

Synthi

I`m thining twice:

There seems that you are using Optical output from your sound card, not ADAT out.... the DAT machines can`t acept ADAT. Note that ADAT uses the same type of conection, but is not the same type of signal, adat is 8 channels, optical is 2 channels.
RME 9652 (either HDSP or project hammerfall + B ADA8k is the cheapest way to go hi res.

Synthi.

Yes,
I am currently going optical out (2 channel) to thhe DAT and then to the amp.