Etch-A-Sketch wrote on Thu, 24 February 2005 12:06 |
I'm not suprised nobody at alesis knew anything about the masterlink. They were a great idea, but had very poor quality control. It's a crapshoot if the one you have even works correctly. One of the big problems was the sound. Even using AES out the sound from one Masterlink to another could be different.
We noticed it here in our studios. We mixed 3 albums to the masterlink before we decided to stop using it.
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Sounds like urban legends to me.
Did you mix analog or digital, with external converters or with the Masterlink's converters? My tests of the masterlink reveal that it is a reliable storage device and that the AIFF files it creates from an external converter reflect the identical digital output of that converter. No frequency anomalies, nothing.
However, never use the DSP in that unit, and capture 24 bit files in the Masterlink from an external converter.
If you used an external converter and you suspect problems I suggest the following:
1) Use an AES distribution amplifier and feed the external A/D converter simultaneously to the Masterlink and to a DAW such as Wavelab, Cubase, Pro tools, etc.
2) Take the AIFF file from the CD 24 from the Masterlink. Bring it into the same session and null it out against the direct route.
You will find the two files to be identical.
I do agree that it is far more convenient these days to be using your computer as the mixdown deck. If you are mixing digitally. However, if you are mixing analog, I suggest using an A/D at 96 kHz, EVEN IF THE MULTITRACK IS AT A LOWER SAMPLING RATE, as there is a small advantage in my opinion to moxing down to a higher resolution. Postpones those losses, maintains a wider, larger stereo spread; minimizes losses in subsequent mastering, etc.
BK