• Hardware
  • Audio Interface / conversion upgrade ideas (p.2)
2016/04/18 15:07:58
Amicus717
That doesn't jive with what I've read and been told, but I don't presume to know first hand, as I've never worked with high end converters. I have been told that upgrading your converters can make quite a difference - depending on lots of other factors, of course. The guy who told me this owns and runs a Toronto-based studio that has done some pretty significant work in recent years, and he swears by Lynx -- says of all the companies producing interfaces, Lynx "really has their $#@% together", to quote directly. This guy's main hardware is a RADAR system, I believe, but he also has an Aurora rig at home, and he says it is fantastic.
 
I do understand that in general, digital/analog conversion has come a long way in the last 10 years, and even mid-range interfaces offer up pretty good specs and performance. Do they really compare to Lynx's converters, or even RME's or MOTUs high-end products? And will the average home-studio dude like me notice the difference?
 
2016/04/18 17:32:34
tlw
For what it's worth the DA convertor chip in my RME UFX is also used in a Presonus interface that costs quite a lot less.

What you principally get with higher end interfaces is not just better convertors but better electronics supporting them. There isn't however a whole series of steadily better and better convertor chips as the price rises, certainly not when you get to RME, Apogee etc. The other thing more money tends to buy you is lower noise analogue components and circuits and better preamps.

I ran a comparison a while ago between my UFX and an old Cakewalk badged UA-101. The UFX pres and line inputs are good for at least a 3dB reduction in noise per channel and if the specofications are to be believed a bit less distortion each. Which hardly matters if you rarely work with more than a few recorded tracks and do most things ITB. It does make quite a difference in the summed noise floor and headroom if you are working with a dozen or more recorded tracks. In your case that may not be a factor.

If you need a couple of mic inputs, a couple of line inputs or so and a flexible mixer for it (including built in reverb, delay, dynamics and eq all of which can be printed or sent to the monitor bus only) I'd suggest considering the RME Babyface. RME drivers have a well-earned reputation for rock-solid performance at low latency and while no-one knows what the future may hold, RME have a history of supporting their products for a long time, rather than discontinue driver support when an operating system upgrade occurs and point out your old interface is now a brick, so you'll be overjoyed to hear they've a new interface you can buy.

Once you get to RME or UA etc. you're already into the region where the returns per extra dollar get smaller and smaller. An effect which increases more and more as the prices go up.
2016/04/18 19:41:30
steveo42
I wouldn't touch a Presonus Studio 192 with a barge pole.
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar16/articles/presonus-studio-192.htm
 
 
2016/04/18 23:18:16
Amicus717
I felt the same after reading Soundonsound's review. Which is too bad, as the 192 looks like it should be a great piece of gear.
 
tlw - Thanks for the input. As far as converters go, my friend made the same point -- the actual chip is only part of the equation, and it was the components and circuitry supporting the chip that played a big role in how it sounded. He felt Lynx was doing really outstanding work getting the best from the converter chips they were using (Aurora uses one of Cirrus Logic's chips, I believe, which is also found in a lot of other interfaces). 
 
I checked out the Babyface Pro, and yeah its a pretty nice piece of gear. My local music store has one available for rent, so possibly I should grab it for a weekend and see what it's like...my interim soundcard is an old ESI Juli@ that I had lying around, and it might be interesting to compare the them. The ESI was a pretty good card in its day, and I think it still holds up pretty well.
 
 
2016/04/19 00:23:55
steveo42
I was chomping at the bit for the Studio 192 because I run Studio One.. When the early reports about horrible RTL started to surface I got concerned and dug deeper and decided to go with a MOTU Ultralite AVB instead. It has been flawless from day one.
 As always, look at the data and decide for yourself.
 
2016/04/19 05:29:08
fireberd
Just a comment on Presonus.  A few years ago I was looking for a replacement for a dead Focusrite Saffire Pro 40.  I tried 3 NEW Presonus 8 channel firewire interface units and they all had a hardware problem.  One had one channel that would not work, another was DOA, and the third had a problem with the headphone circuit.  I bought a Presonus Dual Blue Tube preamp and as it turned out it had the typical "starved plate" low voltage tube that was basically nothing more than a buffer.  It did nothing for the mic's.  I dumped it in favor of a "real" tube mic preamp.
2016/04/19 11:26:26
JonD
steveo42
I wouldn't touch a Presonus Studio 192 with a barge pole.
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar16/articles/presonus-studio-192.htm
 



Interesting -- and surprising.  USB 3 should translate to lower latencies (than USB2 and firewire) for the unit.  It takes a special kind of design skill to make one that's worse.
 
That said, the review is over a year old.  Anyone know if they've improved on those original drivers?
2016/04/19 11:37:38
steveo42
JonD
steveo42
I wouldn't touch a Presonus Studio 192 with a barge pole.
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar16/articles/presonus-studio-192.htm
 



Interesting -- and surprising.  USB 3 should translate to lower latencies (than USB2 and firewire) for the unit.  It takes a special kind of design skill to make one that's worse.
 
That said, the review is over a year old.  Anyone know if they've improved on those original drivers?




The review is from March 2016.
2016/04/19 11:38:40
Amicus717
As I understand it, usb3 offers more bandwidth but won't make a huge difference in latency...
2016/04/19 17:12:12
tlw
As far as bandwidth goes, firewire 400 is still quite adequate in most real-life situations. USB2 has more bandwidth than almost anyone outside studios with a huge number of input and output channels will find limiting.

USB3 might contribute a little to latency reduction, but I doubt it's even measurable. I get the same minimum latency from my UFX via firewire (adaptor connected to Mac Thunderbolt bus), USB2 and USB3. Mac or PC makes no noticeable difference either.
© 2025 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1

Use My Existing Forum Account

Use My Social Media Account