Black Lion Mod ??????

[K Roche]

2 Questions 1. Does any one here have the Black Lion Mod on their 002R or 003R if so your thoughts please ..... 2. would the BL modifications void the warranty on a new unit ?? thanks, Kev

[Ad Sluijter]

Hi K Roche,

Taken from the Digidesign answerbase:
The Black Lion Mod (or any modification) voids your Digidesign warranty and we cannot work/rework modified products. Please contact Black Lion Audio for service options.

I've had several 002's but none with the Black Lion mod, so can't help you with your first question. I'm quite curious to that answer myself actually.

Best regards, Ad

[Sounds Expensive]

email Nate at BLA for more info. plus read the reviews on the site, if you haven't already.

I have a Signature Series modded 002r, and in a word: stellar!

The unit you send them will not be the same when you get it back. The thing becomes a monster. On the Sig. Series mod., everything gets upgraded to very high end spec.: the pres., the AD/DA, the word clock, all the analogue paths including the headphone out, the power supply, etc.

When I got mine back I couldn't believe the sound. Whether I was just listening to the D/A's or tracking, it was nothing short of spectacular. For example, when I was tracking voice and piano, I armed the track for record and heard the singer speaking into the mic. (a Studio Projects C1), my mouth dropped to the floor. I can't imagine how good the sound would be if I was using a U47 and the singer was really good. But, an o.k. singer, a SP C1 going through my modded 002r was unbelievable.

I highly recommend it if you're wanting a pro sound at a reasonable price. You will not be disappointed.

[K Roche]

Yes I've read the reviews at the site, one thing that got my attention was the claim about the new clock being superior to even an external high end clock via SPTIF, As currently I have an 002 console but use an Apogee Rosetta 200 for ad/da and clocking . Any more ppl using a Black Lion Mod ?

[peppertree]

Strangely, digidesign won't let me state my (quite extremely negative) opinions of Black Lying Audio on this site...I guess because they don't want those creeps coming on here and defending themselves.

So I will just recommend the M-Audio Profire 2626 plus good outboard as by far the best way of spending your money.

External clock does not improve the timing accuracy of a converter, period. That is a fact (digi even put out a white paper on it) and that plus your observation from that website should tell you much of what you need to know.

[EGS]

Originally Posted by peppertree

Strangely, digidesign won't let me state my (quite extremely negative) opinions of Black Lying Audio on this site...I guess because they don't want those creeps coming on here and defending themselves....

Really? IMHO, the 002R Mod sounds great.

[randyE]

LOVE IT!

they were quick, easy, and patient with all my anal questions.

i got the full meal deal and could never live without it!

complaints are very VERY rare with this company. i did tons of research.

[eyrespace]

Very happy BLA Signature Series customer here.

I felt I had outgrown the limitations of the 002r. I like working in the PT environment but the only options were spend a lot of money on external work arounds, or even more on an HD system that only lasts until you upgrade you computer--and it's bus archetecture had changed.

Would cost three times as much to purchase comparable external upgrades. (Clock, pres, Benchmark DA, AD/DA signal paths, etc.)

Warranty cannot be voided if your unit is over a year old... it has no longer has any warranty!

I choose to spend my bigger dollars on hardware pieces that will last for 20 years and retain some value.

YMMV

[erthquake]

I got the HD mod on my 002 console last Spring, and it made me wish I had the rack version so I could have gone all the way with the tweakhead mod. Then when the Sig mod came out, and I really wish I had the rack version instead.

Even with only the HD mod, there was a dramatic improvement in my monitoring when I got the 002 back. Before I sent it off to BLA, I had been working pretty hard on some mixes, so I knew them very well. I kept everything the same in my pretty well-treated room while it was gone, so that when I got it back the only difference in sound would be from the mod.

In short, the anecdotes about taking a blanket off your monitors are no joke. My mixes sparkled. The bass cut through so much more prominantly than before the mod; it was much tighter and less muddy. I can only imagine how much better the Sig mod would be. Note that back before the mod, I hadn't tracked much, so I really couldn't objectively compare the preamps before and after the mod, but I've had no complaints since.

Since you have a console 002, I'd really think about finding a used or new 003 to get the mod. This mod is quite an investment, and it'd be a shame for it go to waste if Digi drops support for the 002R. So getting an 003R might help future proof your BLA mod.

In response to peppertree's comments, it's true that Digi's white paper does show data from an unnamed external clock demonstrating its jitter is worse than that of the 192 I/O's internal clock. So it's only "fact" for one clock, and we don't even know which external clock Digi was using for comparison. Second, that doesn't necessarily mean there aren't any external clocks out there that would exhibit less jitter than the 192 I/O's internal clock. Third, even Digi recognizes in the paper that less jitter by itself might not necessarily mean better sound.

It's all irrelevant anyway. The 003/002 clock isn't nearly as good as the 192 I/O. The BLA mod give you a much better internal clock than you would have otherwise. Go for it and enjoy.

[K Roche]

Do you work for Digi ?

certainly a valid suggestion, thanks

Yes : there has been a long running debate on GS about this very subject. However as I mostly only record 2 channels and I use the Apogee Rosetta 200 as an outboard converter and clock. #1 So even if that is true ( which BTW it appears Dan Lavry agrees with, all thing being equal) it seems to me the modifications that BL does coincides with that assertion and not only claims to improves the internal clock, but improves the rest of the signal chain as well . So in that light, not much there in and of itself to negate the BL Mod... any other good solid scientific reason ?? And #2 Still the area of question has more to do with the issue raised on th BL web sight of SPDIF not being good because the audio is in the same cable ( is this valid scientifically, or not ?? ) Thanks again