
Intended mainly for musicians, the Hercules 16/12 has little in common with traditional sound card in terms of its design, its size... or its price. Musicians often need numerous inputs and outputs. They also care about compatibility with their equipment and secure operation at least as much as light weight and compactness. So what you'll find here is a larger unit with professional-type connectors instead of the standard ones. You'll also find lots of features... and a heftier price tag than that of a consumer model.

The 16/12 can be mounted in a 19" rack, the professional standard; two brackets are supplied for this purpose. The unit is handsome, if a bit austere, and well-suited for its intended use. A FireWire cable is also supplied, as well as - perhaps unexpectedly - a three-channel FireWire PCI card for your PC, if it doesn't already have one. For use with a portable, a 6-pin-to-4-pin FireWire adapter is also supplied, since few portables have the 6-pin connector.
Power is not provided by the interface, regardless of the cable used, but rather via a power adapter that plugs in behind the unit. This is not a very practical solution, but it's pretty much inevitable, since devices like this consume a considerable amount power. The FireWire cable is more than 13' (4 m) long, which can be very handy in many situations where the interface has to be far from the PC.
Installation is very simple and follows the usual process - you install the drivers before you connect the device. The manual covers the procedure well and we had no problems. Once the device has been recognized, you can install the bundled software and any of the included trial version software packages that might interest you.
| Hercules 16/12 FireWire | |
|---|---|
| Interface | IEEE-1394 (FireWire) |
| Main circuits | Altera Acex EP1K50 PLD and Analog Devices AD1871 |
| Max. sampling rate | 96 kHz |
| Quantification | 24 bits |
| ASIO | 24 bits/96 kHz |
| MIDI/games connector | No |
| Inputs | |
| Rack | 10 line, 2 mike / instrument / line
1 S/PDIF optical stereo 1 S/PDIF coaxial stereo |
| Outputs | |
| Rack | 8 line
1 S/PDIF optical stereo 1 S/PDIF coaxial stereo |
| DVD and Cinema | |
| Standards | S/PDIF output |
| Configuration | Up to 7.1 |
| DVD Audio | No |
| MIDI | |
| Ports | 2 standard DIN |
| System Requirements | |
| Processor | Minimum 800 MHz |
| Memory | 128 MB (256 MB recommended) |
| OS | Windows XP SP1a |

As its name indicates, the 16/12 has sixteen input channels and twelve output channels, but that doesn't mean you'll find that many connectors. First of all, we should point out that these numbers represent total monophonic channels, because that's the way professionals count, even though two linked channels are most often used to make one stereo input. The first ten input channels are balanced line inputs on the back of the unit, using ¼" (6.35 mm) stereo jacks. Channels 11 and 12 are separate, since they have a real configurable, adjustable preamplifier. They're on the front panel and use combo XLR/¼" jack connectors - the two most common professional standards.
Switching from line level to mike level is done separately for each input, via a potentiometer that lets you adjust the gain to suit the equipment you have connected. Each channel also has an "Instrument" switch for changing a microphone input to high impedance (100 k?) in order to adapt to an instrument output without having to use a direct box. Naturally, these inputs have a 48 V phantom power supply, to allow the use of static microphones. Be careful not to press this button at the wrong time, especially since it's common to both inputs!
If you count up all the inputs, you get twelve, whereas Hercules claims there are sixteen. The four missing inputs are supplied by the two S/PDIF (coaxial and optical) connectors, which are naturally stereo inputs. So in practice, you indeed have twelve analog channels and four digital channels for recording, for a total of sixteen.
Hercules counts the outputs the same way, meaning that there are eight analog channels (also balanced, using stereo 1/4" jacks) and four S/PDIF outputs. This seems quite sufficient for most possible uses. The outputs are well designed, but you may have to beef up your cable collection to adapt your equipment to your new device. Naturally there's also a headphone jack on the front panel, with its own volume control.

Input levels are indicated by a series of diodes - green for normal level, orange for near saturation, and red for saturated. For the outputs, only the presence of a signal is indicated, but that does spare you having to look for which input isn't working when there's a problem.
In addition to all these audio inputs and outputs, there are two pairs of MIDI connectors (input and output), one on the front and one on the back. There are also two Word Clock BNC plugs, which can send and receive data to ensure proper synchronization of the various digital equipment being used. This is a real advantage for users who have studio equipment!
The number of inputs and the possibilities for connection in general will be one of the 16/12's main strong points, but certain users will probably wish ADAT connectors had also been included.
The 16/12's Control Panel is somewhat limited in the possibilities it offers compared to those of certain competitors; the real processing is handled by your software. The Control Panel lets you make only certain configuration choices (channels are configurable in pairs) and set the sensitivity of the various inputs and select whether they're balanced or unbalanced. Don't try to use it as a mixing board, however; the input levels are adjustable only in 3 dB increments. Again this is only for configuration, with a choice of two standard values - consumer line level (-10 dBV) and professional line level (+4 dBu). In fact, the gain on each pair of channels is adjustable from 0 to +12 dB, with 0 corresponding to 4 dBu and +9 to -10 dBV.

The Control Panel is very simple and easy to use
Advanced Properties let you configure the output channels for the WDM driver for multimedia applications (we'll get back to this), control the size of the DMA buffer and the corresponding latency, manage copy protection (SCMS), and choose input channels for DirectX operation.

You can configure your card in 7.1 for surround sound when playing DVDs!

Adjustment of the buffer size, which determines latency.

You can manage digital copy protection (SCMS) on the S/PDIF outputs.

It's possible to choose input channels for DirectX applications. The choice is displayed in red on the Control Panel.
We'll admit that we were hoping for a little more elaborate software, allowing more advanced - and especially finer - adjustments. This Control Panel has a very basic "Windows-like" feel. From this point of view, there isn't much advantage over what you get with a consumer-model sound card... aside from the number of inputs and outputs, obviously!
Needless to say, the 16/12 has WDM and ASIO drivers, providing compatibility and very good performance with all music applications.

With Samplitude, shown here, you can choose your driver, obviously including ASIO.
The software bundle that accompanies the 16/12 includes Cubase LE and Ableton Live SE. Cubase LE is a slightly simplified (but quite usable) version of Steinberg's famous audio and MIDI sequencer. Ableton Live SE is an audio sequencer that works mainly with loops; as its name indicates, it is capable of real-time processing. Version 2 is a bit dated given that Version 4 is now out, but it will still please those who want to try their hand at live music. Note that you will need a fairly powerful computer with a lot of memory, however.
Functional but time-limited versions of Cakewalk Sonar 3 and Project 5 are also included.

Cubase LE, a "Lite" Version that nonetheless offers numerous possibilities, is a music production tool that will let you get you started with the 16/12 right away.

Live is both a production tool and a kind of virtual musical instrument that uses loops.
Under The Hood
The metal case of the 16/12 is very solidly built and not very easy to take apart - which is not a bad thing. Once open it reveals complex, very nicely built electronics, which are professional-looking in terms both of component choice and build quality. Most of the circuitry is on a big board that takes up the whole area of the rack. Two other boards are present, for some of the inputs/outputs on the rear panel and the front-panel controls. They're connected to the main board using brackets and connectors that give the unit very good rigidity.
Electronically, the main circuit is an Altera Acex EP1K50 PLD (Programmable Logic Device) - in other words, a proprietary solution. Analog/digital conversion is via six Analog Devices AD1871 24 bit/96 kHz stereo converters, providing the twelve channels. The typical dynamic range of this circuit is 105 dB. For digital/analog conversion Hercules used a Cirrus Logic CS4382, a well-known solution that offers eight 24 bit channels up to 192 kHz, with a typical dynamic range of 114 dB. The microphone preamps are based on the Texas Instruments BB INA163 circuit, a low-distortion, low-noise amplifier.

Three of the AD1871 converters for the inputs (at left) and the CS4382, which provides eight output channels (at right)
Our test hardware was as follows:
- Processor : 2.4 GHz Pentium 4
- Memory : 1 GB DDR SDRAM
- Graphics card : NVIDIA GeForce Ti4200
- Hard disk : 80 GB 7200 RPM
- Optical drive : DVD LG16/48X
- OS : Windows XP Home SP2
- Direct X version : 9.0c
- Speakers : Creative Gigaworks S750, Logitech Z2200
- Video playback : Power DVD, Win DVD
Measurement:
- RightMark Audio Analyzer 5.4
- Right Mark 3Dsound 1.24
- DAAS audio measurement system
- Neutrik 3337 audio measurement system
As usual, our tests with RightMark were conducted in record/playback mode, connecting the output and input with an external loopback cable. Using a single mode (record or playback) naturally produces better test results.
Measurement of the level obtained playing back a 1 kHz signal show that the theoretical values are there, but we would have liked to get slightly higher levels.
In input, saturation was quite far from the nominal sensitivity level. Take care when using -10 dBV, though, because certain consumer sources such CD players can go beyond the saturation level on peaks (the typical output level is 2 V for 0 dB).
Line inputs and outputs (rear)
| Nominal level | -10 dbV | +4dBu |
| Maximum output level | 0.46 V / -3.8 dbV | 1.82V / +5.2 dbV |
| Input saturation | 1.6 V / +4.1 dBV | 4.4V / +12.9 dBV |
The preamplifiers on inputs 11 and 12 offer a maximum gain of approximately 60 dB, which is added to the standard input level. You can still use the gain adjustment on the Control Panel (0 to +12 dB) on these channels. Watch out for cumulative gain!
Using a high-end sound device at 16 bits naturally limits its performance to the capabilities of that format. In practice, it should be close to the theoretical values. And that's the case with the Hercules 16/12.
- Frequency response (40 Hz - 15 kHz) : +0.02, -0.03 dB
- Weighted signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) : 98.4 dB(A)
- Distortion : 0.0094%
- Stereo separation : 99.6 dB

Frequency response : Frequency response was close to perfect, with only a very slight attenuation at the high end of the spectrum.

Noise level : No problem here - we're near the theoretical limits of 16 bit digitization.

Capacity dynamic : A very good result, with a value of around 94 dB.

Distortion : Though not as low as we had hoped, distortion was far from being a problem.

Intermodulation : A very good result. Here again there's no danger of the ID being perceptible.

Stereo separation : No problem here either; crosstalk was zero - that is, comparable to the SNR.
Recording in 24 bits at a sampling rate of 48 kHz means moving into a professional mode where we can hope for performance that's clearly beyond the capabilities of consumer products. The results here depend to some degree on the adjustments used during the test: you can favor signal-to-noise ratio or distortion. In the first case, distortion increases a little, and in the second signal-to-noise ratio diminishes slightly. The results we show here are based on optimization of SNR:
- Frequency response (20 Hz - 20 kHz) : +0.02, -0.28 dB
- Weighted SNR : 103.2 dB(A)
- Distortion : 0.011%
- Stereo separation : 103.8 dB

Frequency response :Frequency response is nearly identical to what we got at 44 kHz - that is, excellent - but even slightly better.

Noise level : Noise was very low and didn't increase in the treble, which is very positive.

Dynamic capacity : In 24 bits, dynamic capacity made a leap forward and was really very good.

Distortion : Since we had optimized the signal-to-noise ratio, THD was a little high (for this class of equipment!) but still far from being audible.

Intermodulation : Two zeros after the decimal point - a very good result

Stereo separation : As the results at 44 kHz suggested, stereo crosstalk was practically nil. No comment necessary!
As usual, moving to 96 kHz resulted in only a fairly modest improvement in performance. This is all the more true since Hercules uses a filtering system that keeps the bandwidth from widening when you move to that sampling frequency.
- Frequency response (20 Hz - 20 kHz) : +0.02, -0.30 dB
- Weighted SNR : 105.1 dB(A)
- Distortion : 0.010%
- Stereo separation : 106.6 dB

Frequency response : No problem in the audio spectrum, but response didn't widen towards the top, since the filtering Hercules uses seems to be the same as at 48 kHz.

Noise level : The noise level was a little lower than at 48 kHz. We aren't complaining...

Dynamic range : Fine dynamic performance at 105 dB

Distortion : Distortion was identical to the result at 48 kHz, but could be lower if the level were reduced a little.

Intermodulation : Extremely low intermodulation distortion; you're not likely to perceive it.

Stereo separation : Again the results are excellent, around 105 dB in the middle part of the spectrum and 100 dB at both ends.
Overall, the Hercules 16/12's performance was very good, even excellent, compared to a consumer-level product. However, we had hoped for a slightly better SNR and slightly lower distortion. But that shouldn't make you hesitate to choose this model if it meets your needs! A test we ran using an E-MU sound card for recording and the 16/12 only for playback resulted in lower noise and distortion levels.

With the 16/12 used only for playback, you can see that the noise level was significantly lower, as was distortion, which dropped from 0.0074% to 0.0006%.
The device's weakest point, however, was operation with unbalanced inputs. In that configuration, performance dropped significantly, mainly for noise and those areas of performance that can be affected by it. Operating in 24 bits / 48 kHz, the SNR went from 102 dB to a little more than 92. When switching to unbalanced, a drop in performance is to be expected, but here it was more than what we'd hoped for. The difference isn't catastrophic, but for highly demanding work you'll need to take care to use only balanced connections.

The comparison of noise levels in balanced (green) and unbalanced mode (white) showed a marked increase in unbalanced mode.
There were no particular problems with setting up the 16/12, though you might run into some issues in learning whatever software program you'll be using. Obviously we won't go into that area, since everything depends on your experience with audio and with your chosen software tools!
The major strong point of the 16/12 is obviously the number of inputs and outputs it has, which lets you to do complex recording. Clearly you'll need some equipment if you're going to exploit all its possibilities - instruments, a mixing board, mikes, etc.

As illustrated by Hercules, the configuration needed for using the 16/12 will require you to round up a good deal of equipment. And this is only the stripped-down version...

You can start with only a limited amount (one or two instruments, a mike, and a playback system), but you won't be using the full capacities of your 16/12.
Unlike some other professional sound cards, the 16/12 can also operate in multimedia mode, for playing DVDs in surround sound up to 7.1 (Dolby Digital or DTS, depending on your playback software and the content of the DVD). The only problem will be the connections between the device's outputs and the input of a sound system. They're not the same type of connectors, and you'll have to adapt the outputs to the proper inputs on your sound system. A test DVD (or appropriate software) can help you. For regular use, obviously you should plan on making up a cable for connecting the 16/12 to your sound system, with clearly marked connectors.
Is the 16/12 usable for games? The answer to that is more unclear. It doesn't have a hardware 3D engine or EAX compatibility, which means that the results won't be comparable to what you'll get from a sound card intended for gaming.
We had no particular problems using the 16/12, and we were able to get down to latencies of a few milliseconds with the right configuration. Of course, depending on the software you use, the problems you run into and difficulties with configuration can change significantly.

On the Samplitude mixing board, it'll take you some time to configure everything, but the twelve analog input channels are all accounted for.
We found the sound quality to be quite good, even though the preamps are not the best that can be had. But in this category of products that's pretty much inevitable, and for complex work it will generally be necessary to use a mixing board. That's par for the course.
In Conclusion

Hercules has met the challenge of offering a high-performance, multi-channel audio interface at a reasonable price. The Hercules 16/12 FW is universal thanks to its FireWire interface and has many advantages that should earn it a spot on the market. Its retail price is $699.