Differences between analog-digital converters of audio interfaces?

[vin97]

Hello.

Are there noticable differences between modern audio interfaces regarding the quality of the analog/digital converters?
I will bypass the preamps of my M-Audio 8R (24bit 96KHz), so the ADC should be the only thing that has an effect on the sound of the recording.

 

[seamonkey]

There is not. This stuff has been stable for years.

 

[silky smoove]

Certainly not among consumer and even prosumer grade converters. If you stepped up to something on the level of say a Burl or Cranesong converter you might be able to tell an appreciable difference, but you might be so dumbstruck by the hit to your bank account that it would completely overwhelm any sonic delta

 

[FNHScar17s]

Certainly not among consumer and even prosumer grade converters. If you stepped up to something on the level of say a Burl or Cranesong converter you might be able to tell an appreciable difference, but you might be so dumbstruck by the hit to your bank account that it would completely overwhelm any sonic delta

Lol that's a good way of putting it Into perspective. I've always agreed with you on your insights silky. In my experience if you fork over the cash for some good high quality pro grade adda or do some significant mods to something like a digi 192 you can have somewhere around a 10 to 15 percent increase in quality if your front end is made up of good equipment (preamp, comps, good mics).

 

[Bassbeater]

IMO extra money is better spent on combinations of mics and outboard preamps. Or on mixing monitors and acoustic treatments.

 

[silky smoove]

Just parroting what @FNHScar17s and @Bassbeater have already said: Is your room, your monitoring, your input devices, and your front end all up to a level you’re happy with? Is that level a noticeable step above the prosumer tier? If you answered ‘yes’ to all of the above you might want to think about a nicer dedicated converter (or converters depending on your needs). If you did not answer ‘yes’ then your money will see a much bigger value if spent elsewhere.

 

[FNHScar17s]

Agree with everything said so far all of these things are very valid points. A lot of my mentors have always told me "you only sound as good as your weakest link in the chain whether that is your front end, the room, the mics, and even the player. audio engineering is a game of small victories additively over time in every aspect".

 

[vin97]

thanks for the answers!

 

[Bassbeater]

Agree with everything said so far all of these things are very valid points. A lot of my mentors have always told me "you only sound as good as your weakest link in the chain whether that is your front end, the room, the mics, and even the player. audio engineering is a game of small victories additively over time in every aspect".

IME the most important link of all is typically the first link. Songwriting.

 

[FNHScar17s]

IME the most important link of all is typically the first link. Songwriting.

Yes of course the player is interlinked to the song as well.

 

[BrianVengeance]

It starts with the hands and then works it’s way in from the walls. You’ll get more out of 2000 quid in proper treatment than you will out of better converters, preamps or mics.

 

[dexter3d]

I've recently compared RME Babyface A/D to Apogee Rosetta rack A/D (connected to the same babyface). Had it lying around (the ancient model, not the 200) and thought of selling it if the Babyface does that equally well. My chain is SWR Redhead DI out (original) -> AD -> Babyface. I'm no gullible 'audiophile', but the difference is there. Rosetta is quite a bit fuller, less clinical sounding, more organic. When listening through headphones, the location of the bass feels a bit 'deeper' and nicer. My theory now is that clean power matters - you want to avoid pc bus powered devices.