I have the opportunity to score a Gen1 Crane Song Avocet for a bargain from a reputable studio (because it's a beast for them to ship and pay eBay/Reverb percentages). Currently, I'm on a Gen1 Antelope Orion 32 to a Presonus Central Station. Eventually I'll want to acquire a Gen3 Antelope for more I/O and the improved converters. Since I mix alone at home and am not a commercial studio I'm mostly attracted to the Avocet for its distinguished D/A and could get along fine with another desktop monitor controller (like Heritage) coupled with the Antelope Gen 3. So, the question is how the Antelope D/A conversion stacks up against the Avocet and whether the Central Station is subtractive in quality against the Antelope Gen 3 D/A? Am I better to put my dollars toward the Antelope Gen3 which solves two issues at once (added I/O and improved conversion along with a passive monitor box like Heritage) or should I jump on this Avocet?
Antelope vs Crane Song Converter question
- Thread starter Beeswax
- Start date
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pucho812
Well-known member
am I missing something? The avocet is a monitor controller.
It's also a D/A.
pucho812
Well-known member
Yes so why would you use it along side an additional monitor controller?
Maybe my post wasn't clear. I guess the question has two parts. Firstly, how does the Antelope Gen 3 D/A converter compare to the Avocet? Secondly, I own a Presonus Central Station but wonder if, as it is also a D/A itself, whether it diminishes the Antelopes D/A? Is it better to use a passive controller box (like Heritage) strickly for monitor control rather than the Central Station?
scott2000
Well-known member
Not sure I'd want to use the DA function of the Central Station. Maybe just as a passive controller . I remember not really liking it when I had one tbh.. But that was a long time ago.
PermO
Well-known member
I don't know that unit, but passive controllers use analog inputs.
Crane Song gear sounds great if you ask me... if you can get it at a really low price just grab it, you can always sell it if you don't like it.
Crane Song gear sounds great if you ask me... if you can get it at a really low price just grab it, you can always sell it if you don't like it.
scott2000
Well-known member
Yes. You're using the digital "D" (input) and it's being converted to it's analog "A" (outputs). So using it as a DA converter. Like PermO says, using the analog inputs through it's outputs would make it a passive controller and not use the digital conversion. Just listen to the differences. Should be pretty obvious I'm guessing.
I would grab the crane song in a heart beat like PermO says. I’m sure it sounds great.
That said, I find the DA in the Central station useful. I use Toslink in for the Mac dig out to play iTunes library and use the spdif in [on Central station
] for a quick 2track of protools 2 mix from the Omni I/O out both dig and Analog. I also use the Analog in From my API 2 mix as well when using the API as a summing mixer. I’m sure there are better sounding DA’s like the Avoset. The Omni 2 out is a better sounding DA than the 192 and for me is good enough.
That said, I find the DA in the Central station useful. I use Toslink in for the Mac dig out to play iTunes library and use the spdif in [on Central station
] for a quick 2track of protools 2 mix from the Omni I/O out both dig and Analog. I also use the Analog in From my API 2 mix as well when using the API as a summing mixer. I’m sure there are better sounding DA’s like the Avoset. The Omni 2 out is a better sounding DA than the 192 and for me is good enough.
