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Author Topic: The ideal Master DAC.  (Read 12723 times)

breathe

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The ideal Master DAC.
« on: November 18, 2010, 05:18:32 PM »

So, my Benchmark DAC1 is WAY more transparent than the DAC in my Crane Song HEDD.  Indisputable.  The HEDD is definitely a "color box", and I love the front end, but I think the job of a Master DAC is to be a transparent/accurate to the source as possible.  Do you agree?  If this is the case for you, what would you recommend as an improvement on the DAC1 as a Master DAC?

Nicholas



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danickstr

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2010, 07:49:25 PM »

A Lynx Aurora 8 is known specifically for its transparency, and the price is not too terrible.  Try that.  you don't need an accompanying card for the comp if you go in AES
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Nick Dellos - MCPE  

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breathe

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2010, 10:44:40 PM »

I used to own the Lynx Aurora 16.  The clock on that thing is excellent, but I'd hardly call its "tone" accurate to the source.

Nicholas



danickstr wrote on Thu, 18 November 2010 16:49

A Lynx Aurora 8 is known specifically for its transparency, and the price is not too terrible.  Try that.  you don't need an accompanying card for the comp if you go in AES

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Bubba#$%Kron

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2010, 01:17:30 AM »

The best bang for the buck (besides a Tijuana call girl) is a Mytek off ebay.  Super transparent and uncolored!!!!!!!!!
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"When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point."  -Alan Watts

breathe

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2010, 01:59:20 AM »

Fact: The DAC in my Tascam CD-RW2000 CD recorder is more transparent than the DAC in the Crane Song HEDD192.  I really don't know what Dave Hill was thinking with that aspect of the HEDD (I think the front end of the HEDD is unbelievably beautiful sounding).  I don't even see how I could use the HEDD DAC other than as an "effect" sending Pro Tools tracks into it to go into my MCI mixer, or maybe going into a digital delay to soften the sounds from it.

Nicholas



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Bubba#$%Kron

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2010, 02:07:41 AM »

How the hell can you be in love with it yesterday and now you hate it??   Are you two fighting again???  Did u leave the toilet seat up or something?? Wink


breathe wrote on Thu, 18 November 2010 22:59

Fact: The DAC in my Tascam CD-RW2000 CD recorder is more transparent than the DAC in the Crane Song HEDD192.  I really don't know what Dave Hill was thinking with that aspect of the HEDD (I think the front end of the HEDD is unbelievably beautiful sounding).  I don't even see how I could use the HEDD DAC other than as an "effect" sending Pro Tools tracks into it to go into my MCI mixer, or maybe going into a digital delay to soften the sounds from it.

Nicholas

p.s. Mytek converters can toss my salad btw.  A mastering engineer friend of mine was using Myteks for i/o before I met him, then off of my advice he got the Lavry Blue A/D/A converters, and was THRILLED at the difference.  I'd like to hear one good sounding record that used Myteks in the recording, mixing, or mastering process.





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"When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point."  -Alan Watts

breathe

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2010, 02:08:54 AM »

I mean, don't get me wrong, Myteks are better than RME converters.

Nicholas



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breathe

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2010, 02:18:00 AM »

I was gushing about the HEDD's ADC + processing features, which are beautifully realized.  The DAC in the HEDD seems to be designed with the same philosophy as the ADC, which unlike what is desirable to many in an ADC is not appropriate for an accurate reproduction of audio fed into a master DAC.  I am guessing for a two channel master A/D/A converter most users would like to see a hifi DAC.  My Apogee DA16-X DACs are not what I would call "accurate" either, but I'm not using those as 2-mix reference converters.  If anything, for DACs used for multichannel audio for the purpose of feeding an analog mixer or summing box, creating a euphonically "colored" sound could be highly desirable, at least with certain styles of music (esp. rock music).

Nicholas




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Bubba#$%Kron

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2010, 02:22:55 AM »

Apogees are colored.  So you think Mytek is not High end enough for ya??    So you can afford prism or weiss, or are you just guessing??  What are you talking about anyways?
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"When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point."  -Alan Watts

breathe

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2010, 02:24:11 AM »

See above.


Bubba Kron wrote on Thu, 18 November 2010 23:22

Apogees are colored.  So you think Mytek is not High end enough for ya??    So you can afford prism or weiss, or are you just guessing??  What are you talking about anyways?

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Bubba#$%Kron

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2010, 02:26:18 AM »

Mytek is by far the best converters without having to sell your house to buy them, more transparent and higher quality then lynx and apogee could dream of.  I only use apogees because thats all I can afford for a 16 track da.   Take your pick- weiss -prism-radar- thats it!!!

http://www.vintageking.com/Computer-Audio/Digital-to-Analog- Converters?range=&sort1desc=T&sort1=Item_ONLINECUSTO MERPRICE
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"When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point."  -Alan Watts

Bubba#$%Kron

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2010, 02:32:54 AM »

breathe wrote on Thu, 18 November 2010 22:59



p.s. Mytek converters can toss my salad btw.  A mastering engineer friend of mine was using Myteks for i/o before I met him, then off of my advice he got the Lavry Blue A/D/A converters, and was THRILLED at the difference.  I'd like to hear one good sounding record that used Myteks in the recording, mixing, or mastering process.







So if the top billboard charted albums were ran through a Mytek, they would not be there??   I guess I'll never make it unless I buy a prism and a u47.  Once you get above a certain level its up to YOU, not the converters. Maybe the mastering department here can hire you for consulting. To each his own I guess!!!  

Cheers


P.S. The answer is above $2000, they are all good and are all professional tools. They vary slightly in character, but slightly.     I would not worry so much about it , if a person cant make good records with all the those fantastic converters you already own, then its not the converters.
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"When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point."  -Alan Watts

breathe

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2010, 06:42:08 AM »

I apologize to Mytek for shit talking their products earlier.  I don't like the sound of any Mytek I've heard, but my opinion on them is irrelevant.

Nicholas



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Fletcher

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2010, 08:22:12 AM »

I know I can't be of any assistance -- I love the DAC on the HEDD-192 -- more so than most of the others I've experienced over the years.  Clearest and most honest high and low frequency clarity and response than anything else I've heard in the price range / weight class.

Peace.
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CN Fletcher

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If you've spent most of your life with a few thousand dollars worth of musicians in the studio, making a decision every second and a half... and you and  they are going to have to live with it for the rest of your lives, you'll get pretty arrogant too.  It takes a certain amount of balls to do that... something around three"
Malcolm Chisholm

ryan streber

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2010, 09:38:08 AM »

I have to ask, Nicholas - how are you making these judgments?  Are you monitoring on phones, monitors?  Maybe more importantly, what's your room like?  Unless you have some extremely accurate monitoring in place, I'm just a little suspicious of these claims.  I've never used the HEDD, and I could care less whether you like it or not.  I guess I'm just wondering "out loud" (so to speak) how you come to the conclusion that one system's clocking sucks or another's DAC is useless or another's ADC is brilliant,  but only clocked to x.  

 

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bleen

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #15 on: November 19, 2010, 11:00:03 AM »

Nicholas, aren't you selling your Benchmark over on GS? Why, if it's so great?
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danickstr

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #16 on: November 19, 2010, 01:35:25 PM »

i think you need to double blind yourself before making so many emotionally charged blathers.
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Nick Dellos - MCPE  

Food for thought for the future:              http://http://www.kurzweilai.net/" target="_blank">http://www.kurzweilai.net/www.physorg.com

NelsonL

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #17 on: November 20, 2010, 02:32:48 AM »

Also, have you nailed down you control room acoustics yet?

Because worrying about "the ideal master DAC" is cart before horse if you're still mixing in an untreated bedroom.

I guarantee the HEDD DAC is several orders of magnitude more accurate/reliable than an untreated bachelor pad.
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Gold

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #18 on: November 20, 2010, 09:06:14 AM »

NelsonL wrote on Sat, 20 November 2010 02:32


I guarantee the HEDD DAC is several orders of magnitude more accurate/reliable than an untreated bachelor pad.


I have mustard yellow curtains and a Danish Modern couch. What else do I need to improve the accuracy of my bachelor pad?
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Paul Gold
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NelsonL

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #19 on: November 20, 2010, 12:25:30 PM »

Gold wrote on Sat, 20 November 2010 06:06

NelsonL wrote on Sat, 20 November 2010 02:32


I guarantee the HEDD DAC is several orders of magnitude more accurate/reliable than an untreated bachelor pad.


I have mustard yellow curtains and a Danish Modern couch. What else do I need to improve the accuracy of my bachelor pad?



Precision ladies.
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Gold

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #20 on: November 20, 2010, 01:04:47 PM »

NelsonL wrote on Sat, 20 November 2010 12:25



Precision ladies.


I like them loose.
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Paul Gold
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tom eaton

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #21 on: November 20, 2010, 09:56:01 PM »

I had the opposite reaction.
When I bought my HEDD192 I sold my DAC1.
The upsampling of the DAC1 became painfully obvious to me.
I owned a RADAR, the HEDD killed it in both directions.
I also own Apogee 16x boxes and the HEDD is certainly better to my ears.

I find the HEDD's DAC to be more honest than any other I've heard.  The midrange accuracy is what sold me... and then the lack of hype in either top or bottom sealed it.

Of course everyone has their own ears and preferences!

tom


Roland Storch

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #22 on: December 21, 2010, 05:07:02 PM »

A DAC you can rely on ist the Forssell MDAC-2.It is affordable and stands up against more expensive DACs.
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Bubba#$%Kron

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #23 on: December 21, 2010, 05:16:11 PM »

No piece of gear on the planet comes close to the high fidelity of this right here!!!  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZgPcZOV2nM
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"When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point."  -Alan Watts

Nick Sevilla

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #24 on: December 29, 2010, 12:09:40 AM »

I still am awaiting any music that you need such equipment to convert to digital.

Until then, it really does not matter what you use, nor how you use it.

Rolling Eyes
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djwaudio

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Re: The ideal Master DAC.
« Reply #25 on: January 06, 2011, 10:28:30 PM »

I've got a few DACs here and found the Prism Orpheus to be the best lens to hear my work through for translation, enjoyment, etc.  

I also really like this Weiss DS1 MK2 that I'm using to feed the analog chain, but that's a pretty far-out price tag.  

Of the Lavry, Mytek, Hedd and Apogee crowd, they are all pretty much in the same territory, but they don't always bring the consistency that I hear with the higher dollar converters in the dynamics end. They also seem to be a bit more picky about what they are plugged into. YMMV


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Respectfully submitted,
Dana

Dana J. White
specializedmastering.com



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