From: mayer@hplnpm1.hpl.hp.com (Niels P. Mayer)
Subject: Low cost A/D w/ AES/EBU output?? (was Re: Comments/Experiences/Recommendations on Emu EIIIxp)
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 02:29:24 GMT
	<MAYER.92Sep22233918@hplnpm1.hpl.hp.com>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Labs, Media Technology Lab, Palo Alto, CA.


I previously posted an article in rec.music.synth entitled
"Comments/Experiences/Recommendations on Emu EIIIxp)"... this is a follow
up on some of the trials and tribulations I've been having on getting an
A/D front-end for that sampler...

Turns out using a pro-DAT deck w/ AES/EBU digital outs may be the most
economical way to get an A/D converter... (?)...

In article <MAYER.92Sep22233918@hplnpm1.hpl.hp.com> Niels P. Mayer writes:
> At $3995.00 list, and $3200 retail

Actually, I either got misquoted or "bait and switched" on the EIIIxp
pricing -- It retails for $3498.00. I'm giving them the benefit of the
doubt on their cluelessness because this unit just came out...

I got an EIIIxp on loan to me for a few days, and it's way cool, though at
approx $3500.00 (+ A/D/ converter), it isn't giving the Akai units as much
of a run for their money as I had expected. And there's some interesting
bugs when doing backwards sample looping that allow you to produce
Morton-Subotnikesque noize from otherwise normal sounding samples (will be
fixed when they ship the next OS -- on a 3.5" floppy -- I'll keep around a
copy of the old OS in case I ever need weird sound effects...).

Unfortunately, the sales person didn't quite understand the A/D connections
on the back of the EIIIxp (AES/EBU), and tried to sell me a $1000.00 A/D
converter (Sonic Solutions) which only had optical digital outs. The Sonic
Solutions optical-to-AES/EBU converter costs an additional $500.00, at
which point, I might as well use a pro-dat deck for my A/D converter....

Since I was just trying to set up a demo system for myself, I decided to
blow off the sonic solutions A/D and just get them to loan me anything they
had w/ a AES/EBU digital out. So another run to the store got me a loaner
Apogee AD500 A/D converter (a paltry $1995.00) and a separate power supply
that only costs $500.00 (such a bargain!). Well, the Apogee A/D converters
sound incredibly wonderful, as well they should at those outrageous
prices...

It seems that getting a pro DAT deck with AES/EBU digital outs is the
cheapest way to add an A/D converter to a low end digital studio... So far
I've found two units that'll do the trick:

	* Tascam DA-30 -- $1000.00 (retail)
		* two separate 16bit 64x oversampling delta-sigma A/D's
		* doesn't require a DAT cassette in order to do A/D conv.
		* "AES/EBU digital interface bypasses copy prohibit mode"
	* Panasonic SV-3700 -- $1350.00 (retail)
		* two separate 16 bit 64x oversampling delta-sigma A/D's
		* to use as A/D converter, requires a DAT casette to be
		  inserted, with unit placed in record-pause mode....
		* SCMS can be disabled via dip/switch on the back

Anybody have any preferences/recommendations for either of the above
models?

Know of others DATs w/ AES/EBU outs that I should look at?

Which unit has the best-sounding analog input and A/D section? (The specs
show that the Tascam unit is better...). Since I'm primarily interested in
the A/D, the fancy DAT features of the Panasonic are just icing...
Therefore, I'm leaning towards the Tascam...

If anybody has opinions on other ways of getting a decent quality A/D
converter w/ AES/EBU digital outs for under approx $1000.00, please do
tell!

Thanks in advance.

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	    Niels Mayer -- hplabs!mayer -- mayer@hplabs.hp.com
                     Collaborative Multimedia Project
		       Hewlett-Packard Laboratories
			      Palo Alto, CA.
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