How to convert 192kHz single-wire to double-wire.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I need to convert Aphex 1100 mic preamp's single-wire 192 kHz AES
output to Tascam DV-RA1000's double-wire 192kHz inputs.

The only box I've found that will do this is www.rme-audio.com ADI-192
DD for $1299. The 8 channels of AES conversion is nice, but it's way
overkill for just a stereo conversion that I need.

Is there something else out there that's cheaper?

Thanks for any info.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On 24 Sep 2005 05:34:29 -0700, "Mike Rivers" <mrivers@d-and-d.com>
wrote:

>
>J.W. wrote:
>> I need to convert Aphex 1100 mic preamp's single-wire 192 kHz AES
>> output to Tascam DV-RA1000's double-wire 192kHz inputs.
>>
>> The only box I've found that will do this is www.rme-audio.com ADI-192
>> DD for $1299. The 8 channels of AES conversion is nice, but it's way
>> overkill for just a stereo conversion that I need.
>
>> Is there something else out there that's cheaper?
>
>For something as off-the-wall as this, that's not a bad deal. Often we
>have to take more than we want to get what we want. You could get a
>Weiss Hydra (though I'm not sure if he has one that goes to 192 kHz
>yet) but I believe it costs about the same as the RME 8-channel box
>you're looking at.

I was quite shocked and disappointed that the Tascam DV-RA1000
required two AES inputs just to handle 192kHz. All the other hardware
I bought within the last two years could do 192kHz on just ONE cable
(GraceDesign 904, LynxStudio i/o card, Aphex 1100, etc). I would've
never expected a late-model "mastering" unit to be so
behind-the-times! I guess I should be thankful it uses DVD+RW media
instead of 9-track tape for storing audio files.


>Have you tried analog out of the Aphex 1100 to the analog in on the
>RA-1000? Is there anything you don't like about it other than that it
>rubs you the wrong way to use the TASCAM A/D converters rather than the
>Aphex? That doesn't cost anything, assuming you already have cables.

Reason #1:
I lose the convenience of the Aphex 1100's built-in
limiter-before-the-A-D-converter. Same issue if I use Apogee's
Rosetta built-in limiter to prevent digital clipping. I guess it's
not the end of the world if I set the levels myself. It's funny how
adding one piece of equipment negates the benefits of a previous one.

Reason #2
I wanted to keep the preamp close to the performer but locate the
digital recorder (i.e Tascam DV-RA1000 or computer DAW) far away, like
maybe 50+ feet in another room. I'd prefer that 50 feet be a digital
cable rather than 2 audio cables.

Reason #3
I totally forgot it had A/D converters on it. I never used the A/D
functionality on Sony DAT machine. When I upgraded to the Tascam CD
burner (CD-RW2000), I never bothered with its A/D either. Now that I
got the new Tascam DVD burner, my mind selectively forgot it could do
it. It's funny how the brain works.

I'll look at doing the analog connection. You win some, you lose
some.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

J.W. wrote:

> >Have you tried analog out of the Aphex 1100 to the analog in on the
> >RA-1000?

> Reason #1:
> I lose the convenience of the Aphex 1100's built-in
> limiter-before-the-A-D-converter.

I seem to recall that the "Mic-Lim circuit works around the first
stage, so it also protects the analog outputs from clipping. But, yes,
you will have to adjust the level going into the recorder. But really,
all you need to do is set the input gain on the recorder so that you're
just below clipping at the maximum output level of the preamp and
you'll avoid digital clipping. It can be a calibrate-once-and-forget
setting. But you might want to experiment to see if one or the other of
them performs worse when it gets near maximum level. You may want to
run the preamp output level a little lower and make up the level (or
leave yourself some extra headroom) with the input level control on the
recorder.

A review that I read of the RA-1000 said that it sounded really good
through the analog inputs. The reviewer had some really top shelf
audiophile converters that he said sounded better, but a certain amount
of that is to be expected. I don't know where the Aphex converter
stands in comparison with the TASCAM, but I'd put them both in the
"utility" class - that is, good enough so you shouldn't need to worry
about but not so good as to brag about it.

> Reason #2
> I wanted to keep the preamp close to the performer but locate the
> digital recorder (i.e Tascam DV-RA1000 or computer DAW) far away, like
> maybe 50+ feet in another room. I'd prefer that 50 feet be a digital
> cable rather than 2 audio cables.

You'll be running at a pretty hot line level, so 50 feet of cable is no
problem at all. If you had the option of fiber rather than copper, it
might be worth worrying about. And I'll agree that running one cable is
better than running two, but then running 192 kHz audio through a
single cable puts greater demand on the quality of the cable. Before
anyone designed a "100 ohm digital" cable and educated us about jitter
due to standing waves, we used to run 44.1 kHz AES/EBU thorugh ordinary
mic cable and not worry about it. Y'know what? I still do.

> Reason #3
> I totally forgot it had A/D converters on it. I never used the A/D
> functionality on Sony DAT machine. When I upgraded to the Tascam CD
> burner (CD-RW2000), I never bothered with its A/D either. Now that I
> got the new Tascam DVD burner, my mind selectively forgot it could do
> it. It's funny how the brain works.

Yes, it is. A lot of people these days just automatically think that a
digital connection MUST be better.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On Sat, 24 Sep 2005 18:51:01 GMT, Carey Carlan <gulfjoe@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>"Mike Rivers" <mrivers@d-and-d.com> wrote in news:1127565269.910236.251320
>@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:
>
>>
>> J.W. wrote:
>>> I need to convert Aphex 1100 mic preamp's single-wire 192 kHz AES
>>> output to Tascam DV-RA1000's double-wire 192kHz inputs.
>>>
>>> The only box I've found that will do this is www.rme-audio.com ADI-192
>>> DD for $1299. The 8 channels of AES conversion is nice, but it's way
>>> overkill for just a stereo conversion that I need.
>>
>>> Is there something else out there that's cheaper?
>>
>> For something as off-the-wall as this, that's not a bad deal. Often we
>> have to take more than we want to get what we want. You could get a
>> Weiss Hydra (though I'm not sure if he has one that goes to 192 kHz
>> yet) but I believe it costs about the same as the RME 8-channel box
>> you're looking at.
>
>Except that its $100 more than the first price I found on Google for a new
>DV-RA1000. There's something inherently wrong in paying more for the
>interface than for the recorder.

Yep.

And the only reason it's "off-the-wall" (as Mike Rivers puts it) is
because Tascam engineers had the infinite wisdom of putting in a
prehistoric digital i/o interface.