AES on SC48

[TheMAXX]

AES on SC48

When using an SC48 with a system that has a DSP that has either analog or AES inputs. Has anyone had a chance to listen carefully to see if there is much difference when using the AES out to your DSPs instead of using the analog outs?

[vikingthor]

Hey,

I use AES outputs all the time on sc48, There is clearly a lot of difference. It's sounds more smooth and transparent. I guess clean is the right word.
though i have the impressions that there output gain is lower compared to analog outputs. i'm not sure that it's because sc48 outputs, or the system dsp inputs.

[Brent Lind]

There will definitely be a difference, but the simplest way of looking at it is that by using AES you are eliminating 2 stages of conversion, which should be a no-brainier. Yes, you will probably eq a bit differently so there is a bit of learning curve, but skipping unnecessary conversion is always a good thing, so it's worth the effort.

[TheMAXX]

This is in an install and I am wondering if it will require me to re-EQ the system. There are 4 Rane DSPs and they control a very exploded cluster.

[Brent Lind]

More than likely, yes. Switching to digital drive usually results in a considerably brighter sound, particularly in the air frequencies.

[Kristo Kotkas]

As for the sound, try it for yourself to see if you really hear a difference or just imagine it. Have someone pushing the A/B switch for you and see if you can tell the difference. I personally stopped using AES after when I have got twice a nasty digital sync-error sounding results feeding AES into system controller. These were different systems, both were FOH rack into Galileo. Galileo upsamples.

[TheMAXX]

Originally Posted by Kristo Kotkas

As for the sound, try it for yourself to see if you really hear a difference or just imagine it. Have someone pushing the A/B switch for you and see if you can tell the difference. I personally stopped using AES after when I have got twice a nasty digital sync-error sounding results feeding AES into system controller. These were different systems, both were FOH rack into Galileo. Galileo upsamples.

Did you ever figure out what was causing the AES problem? I have done AES into a DBX drive rack 4800 a few times and never have had a problem with different consoles. It was a very short run and I used DMX cable one time and plain old mic cable another time.

This is an install and the AES cables will need to be run, a run of about 220feet. They are asking me how much this will cost. So I am trying to figure out what I am going to need to do besides running the cables.

[Kristo Kotkas]

Originally Posted by TheMAXX

Did you ever figure out what was causing the AES problem? I have done AES into a DBX drive rack 4800 a few times and never have had a problem with different consoles. It was a very short run and I used DMX cable one time and plain old mic cable another time.

This is an install and the AES cables will need to be run, a run of about 220feet. They are asking me how much this will cost. So I am trying to figure out what I am going to need to do besides running the cables.

It might have been just bad luck. One of the places I had an issue is an installation and I have never heard anyone else had the same experience there after that so it must have been bad luck. In your case it is rather long run of cable, not a typical console-to-controller 5meter cable, so going AES instead of analog might be a good idea. Plus it is an installation.

I'm still sticking to analog for various reasons, still sometimes system techs insist on using AES first only to then back off saying "ah well it turns out we can't have two/tree desks feeding system all AES so can you please give L/R or L/R/FFL/FFR/SUB feed instead.

[Greg C]

I've been using AES out of my SC48 into an XTA DP448 for a while now. The elimination of any additional D/A to A/D steps is almost always a good thing. I give it a thumbs up.