Are those cheap analogue to digital converter boxes any good?

[JTC]

John, did you ever do this? We spoke about it but it wasn't mentioned again...

 

[peter bj]

I also think you can use certain mini disc players to do this , there is a thread on cyrus unoffical about this

 

[Mort]

I'm not familiar with the Behringer interface, but I assume it is simlar to other USB and FireWire hardware. Mine has "direct monitoring" which means that the input(s) is mixed and routed to the output(s) - analogue and digital. According to the maual, it will operate in "standalone mode", i.e. no computer attached. You would need to configure the routing using the software and a PC< but the settings are saved to onboard flash and recalled when it is next powered up.
It's an Echo Audiofire, but I imagine the same is possible with the Behringer? Might be worth looking for the manual online to check?
Cheers,
Mort

 

[sergeauckland]

NO, I've explained myself quite clearly before. I want to be able to play analogue records through a digital only preamp. Quite simple.

The Behringer should be able to do that, but it means having a PC on in the listening room and switching on the monitoring. A better solution, albeit at a higher cost is to use a dedicated ADC, and the suggestion to get an old Minidisc machine is a very good one. There then won't be any need to use a PC, no issues of drivers.

The Behringer and other similar units are designed more as USB ADCs for recording into and playing out of a PC.

S.

 

[JTC]

Update: I've bought one of these: Neet ADC

...which may or may not be any good, but worth trying. Might arrive today, so will report back (though will need a hand installing it as I'm still operating with only one arm...)

 

[Peter Stockwell]

Update: I've bought one of these: Neet ADC

...which may or may not be any good, but worth trying. Might arrive today, so will report back (though will need a hand installing it as I'm still operating with only one arm...)

Let us know how you go on, I have one of those dac/preamp things with one analogue input. TV and turntable are analogue, so this boxee would be nice to move TV over to digital (When I put the SL1200 back in action)

 

[paulski]

I may be missing something here but how are you going to get equalisation applied to the signal from your P25? As it stands the phono signal will be biased towards the high frequencies with reduced lower frequency levels - 'tinny'. With that Neet ADC you'd still need a phono pre-amp between the Rega and the Neet to provide equalisation (and probably a decent signal level).

Maybe that was the 'tweek' John W was referring to?

 

[JTC]

I have a Dynavector P75 phono stage - so it'll go P25->P75->Neet->MDAC->Adams

The A->D->A conversion is a necessary evil until I get an MPAX or change to a DAC/Pre that has analogue inputs.

 

[paulski]

I have a Dynavector P75 phono stage - so it'll go P25->P75->Neet->MDAC->Adams

The A->D->A conversion is a necessary evil until I get an MPAX or change to a DAC/Pre that has analogue inputs.

Ah, that clarifies it. You might find it sounds hald-decent in the interim, my understanding is that it's far easier to implement a cheap ADC solution than a DAC.

For what it's worth I recorded some vinyl by running my LP12 / Linto through a TC Electronics Konnekt 24D (which I have for music production) via firewire into a laptop. The results were fantastic, streamed back through the MDAC it was pretty much Indistinguishable from the original.

 

[JTC]

In the past I was very surprised at how good the ADC was in my Zoom H4 hand-held recorder, and I used it on a number of occasions for vinyl rips (for personal use only) and unless you were doing a direct A:B comparison it was very difficult to pick out differences. I'm hoping that the ADC->DAC step doesn't degrade the vinyl sound too much, but as it's really a 'get me by' I can live with a little degradation as the alternative is no vinyl at all.... at least until MPAX or whatever...

 

[domfjbrown]

pick up a sony minidisc deck, will cost very little and do what you want with no computer in the chain!

...and you get a passable to decent headphone amp into the bargain then

Certainly, I was surprised (again) at the stage in my JB940 when making up a compilation master for a friend a couple of weeks ago...

 

[JTC]

Oddly enough, having received it around an hour ago, and being at home anyway, I managed to install it (with one hand), and here's my initial impression:

Not bad. Not bad at all. OK, so I've been unable to listen to my vinyl in a while, so audio memory might be a bit unreliable, but I'm sitting here and very impressed by the sound. It certainly sounds like my turntable playing a slab of well known vinyl. It's converting the analogue into 24/48, and my worry was clipping, but I certainly don't hear any. For a little over thirty quid, this seems to have done the job well enough...

 

[JTC]

OK, managed to spin a few more sides tonight, and I'm genuinely very surprised by how good this matchbox-sized device is. I've not encountered any clipping (suggesting that they're sensibly using some of those 24 bits as headroom rather than cramming it all up the loud end) and I'm not really aware of any degradation. Maybe in a switchable comparison, but in isolation this really does the trick. I did notice a slight lack of 'air' but that's as likely my needing to tweak the tracking weight for the AT33 PTG as it is anything about this handy little box.

So, it gets a thumbs up from me