AD/DA Converter Help

Hello Everyone,
I currently have two Focusrite Sapphire Pro 40's as my AI's and I now am thinking of investing in a decent AD/DA Converter.  Money is tight, and I understand my product will only be as good as my weakest link, so I don't want to just GET something to fill the void, and end up hurting myself in the long run - or wasting my money getting something that's no better than what I already have.
 
Firstly, do I need to get a seperate unit?  I've heard pretty good things about the converters for the Pro 40's, but this is not my area of expertise by far.  It's not until recently that I've even understood what AD/DA converters are and why you need them.
 
So, I'm looking at decent low end ones, around the $500 range?
http://www.midi-classics.com/h/h38004.htm
 
Anyone know anything about this brand (SM Pro Audio)
 
Anyone have anything to add?
 
Thanks so much!  Hopefully this will produce some good leads.
 
 

Most convertors these days are pretty good.  Like most music equipment, getting that last little bit of sonic power is very expensive.  I haven't heard the SM Pro AD/DA, but I doubt if it is any or much better than the saffire, not to mention clocking problems, etc.

As bmd sez, you are really going to have to spend some money ($1000) to hear the difference, and that will only be obvious on a good montioring system probably.  When I stepped up to TCK from an old Presonus FirePod I could hear a difference, but there was lots of price difference and years between the two.  And I still didn't hear the "night and day" some people go on about.  It was better, but not enough to go gaga about.  I've had more a difference upgrading preamps to something mid-level (a Focusrite ISA One) from the TC preamps (or Firepod).

Unless I could upgrade to a Lynx I wouldn't worry about it.  Nothing wrong with the Saffire and, depending upon your acoustic needs, a good mic or preamp would be a better use of your money.  You'll hear more difference there, I would think.  I did.  I do mostly electronic stuff and usually only record vocals, but the Focusrite (and now the Rupert Neve) made a lot more difference in the end product.  If you do a lot of electronic tracks it makes even more difference.  If you don't have a good mic, that would probably be a wiser investment, even if you are only doing vocals.

The other thing is montioring.  It is almost silly to spend big bucks there since learning your monitors and their weaknesses is as important as the sound quality, but if you can't hear a problem you can't fix it.  And sometimes a quality monitor is the only thing that will expose such a problem.  And monitoring includes the room - a bad room will ruin a mix quicker than anything else.

So, I really haven't told you anything you probably already didn't know, except conversion would be farther down my "to get" list than those other items.  And if it was, I would want to spend a lot of money - at least the $700 for a lynx stereo + more for the ADAT adaptor for my Saffires.  I do wish Lynx would come out w/ a stereo stand alone unit w/ their new USB interface, if it works better than their FW one.

@

from all the high end converters i've heard, versus the low end, i agree with all the above....

i use my soundcard (maudio audiophile 192) to do about half my conversion.....

the other half, is done thru a CHEAP ART DPS....

and honestly, nothing below a thousand dollars that i've heard or used, sounds any better than those 2 things i have.

i spent $220 for my ART DPS new, it has (2) plate-starved 12ax7's with varying preset eq's, and a stereo digital convertor, and it sounds every bit as good as all the $1000 and below units i've used.

but once you get to the lower end DAC units, and lucid and apogee, you can really hear the difference.


i'd strongly suggesting doubling your money, and looking at a DAC benchmark, or comparable lucid or apogee.

then you'll be getting a big jump up, worth the money.

I spent the money about a year ago to upgrade to dedicated RME converters.  The sound difference is noticeable over what I had, but as others suggest, not by mind-blowing proportions.  However, something nice about having 16 channels in and out that is great is that you can connect them to a patch bay, making using whatever preamp you want super easy-- whereas many of the <$1000 units are combinations of converters and pres.  (Another thing to take into consideration is that many (not all) of the users of high-end converters interface them with analog equipment such as mixers or boutique mic pres.)

But, as others have already said, good pres and better mics are probably more noticeable to your ears.

spindlebox


Hello Everyone,
I currently have two Focusrite Sapphire Pro 40's as my AI's and I now am thinking of investing in a decent AD/DA Converter.  Money is tight, and I understand my product will only be as good as my weakest link, so I don't want to just GET something to fill the void, and end up hurting myself in the long run - or wasting my money getting something that's no better than what I already have.
 
Firstly, do I need to get a seperate unit?  I've heard pretty good things about the converters for the Pro 40's, but this is not my area of expertise by far.  It's not until recently that I've even understood what AD/DA converters are and why you need them.
 
So, I'm looking at decent low end ones, around the $500 range?
http://www.midi-classics.com/h/h38004.htm
 
Anyone know anything about this brand (SM Pro Audio)
 
Anyone have anything to add?
 
Thanks so much!  Hopefully this will produce some good leads.
 
 

I don't think you will hear a difference without spending a ton of money. The Pro 40 already has good converters. Spend the money on something else.  Preamp, Headphones, headphone amp, Monitors, Mics, all good investments you can use with any interface you may have in the future.