Hardware Sample Rate Conveters

[meshtheflesh]

I run a music and sound design Studio. we are running at 44.1 for the reasons of CD burning/extracting and the 48k Quicktime bug. But the Video Post houses are running 48k, and they have been butchering our re-stipes. We have decided we need to give them 48k Dats, but we don't want to switch our systems back to 48k. Can any one recommend a hardware sample rate converter. And has any one done any listening tests between just going analog, and using s/r converters?

[This message has been edited by meshtheflesh (edited February 11, 2000).]

[Jules]

I too wonder, I'm doing music (rock) sessions all in PT, I have the following at my disposal.

TC Finalizer (96k)
Apgee AD8000

NB, I monitor via both

Any point in me running at 48k the whole time? I need to make a 44.1 DAT master at the end of each session. I am running at 44.1 for no particular reason at present.

TIA

Jules

[This message has been edited by Jules (edited February 11, 2000).]

[LarsRec]

To my ears the Z-system boxes are your best bet in a reasonable price range if you want to remain in the digital domain. Even their little $300 box sounds good.
You could also use a high quality D/A and back to digital at your new sample rate.

[editor]

As a mastering engineer, I find that any sample rate conversion is.......sort of grainy. Tracking at 48k and mixing analog to a 44.1 dat is ok, if you have decent convertors, although, there really isn't that much of a difference (I am sure some will argue that point). For me I like to get my dats from the clients already at 44.1. Any A to D conversion represents another generation away from the original, even if it seems to be a sweet conversion, it is still a conversion.....generation loss.

e

PS; Good name for a band "generation loss"

[Jonny Atack]

FWIW, the difference between the converters of an Apogee and, say, a Sony PCM500 is not subtle. I always avoid the DAT's converters -- go through your 888/Apogee/Prism and then via AES to DAT.

If you do it analog, that's a good opportunity to add your stereo eq and comp thang if needed.

[editor]

To clarify, there is a huge difference between convertors. The difference between 48 and 44.1 is there but not that hairy...most of the time........there is that 1% of the time that 48k is actually there and an issue.

I always capture digital in, AES/EBU jacks, master the file and spit it back out digital to CDR disc image etc. If I have to capture analog, I use the manley or appogee convertors. It is still however not an exact duplicate of the master.....IT HAS BEEN RESAMPLED........sometimes a file benefits greatly from the resample process.

In the case of MESHTHEFLESCH's question, use the appogees with UV22 and go in to them analog, spit out digital 48k masters from your 44.1 tapes, to me all RT SR convertors are still in the "a bit harsh zone"

Just my opinion

I respect all you guys input.

[Jules]

Err? What?
Jules

[Jonny Atack]

Yup, second that. Go out to analog with Apogees and back to digital at your new SR via Apogee with Soft Limiting on and with UV22 on if it's 16 bits, off if 24. Sometimes the audio even sounds better after this process depending on what analog gear the signal is running through.

[meshtheflesh]

Hang on, I only have one Ad800, and it can only have one sample rate for all the inputs and outputs right?, so i would have to go out of my Apogees analog , into my SONY PCM 7040 at 48k. Does anyone have an opinion about the 7040 convertors?

cheers
Ramesh

PS We are doing TVCs , and the option of mixing to dat at 44.1, the playing it back in through the ad8000 aat48k, and then back to the dat master is to slow an option, as is using the PT s/r conversion. Anyone who does music/post would know thats the last thing you want be doing at the end of a session, with the clients waiting for a DAT for restripe.

[This message has been edited by meshtheflesh (edited February 13, 2000).]

[Jules]

Say if you had 2 x AD8000's ??

are they good sample rate converters? Whats the best? Anyone want to do a top 5 ?!!!

Jules