Analogue inputs - good ADCs and streaming?

[dave2010]

I've been following several of the threads about DACs with interest, but I wonder about going the other way. Initially I was thinking about digitising some LPs, and I should be able to do that using my current ADC, but then I though that if that, which also can do DAC, is not as great quality as for example the DACMagic and the Caiman, then presumably there is scope for a good ADC.

What do guys here recommend?

Ideally I'd quite like to be able to digitise an LP, but not only that, also to stream it across a network, so that I could put the disc player in another room. Discs would be played from there, and digitised to hard disc, but at the same time would be played back via a suitable DAC. I don't know how much of this is feasible.

I'm guessing that the first step is to obtain a high quality ADC - or at least higher quality than I have now. Then perhaps use some form of internet radio streaming tool to broadcast across my network. Could I also get this to do FLAC encoding on the fly at the same time? How easy would it be to "tee" in the writing to the hard drive?

[DSJR]

I think you can get PCI fitting ADC-DAC's for your computer. M-Audio should be able to help at a fair price (Transit?????)

As for multi-room streaming - Airport express's feeding a Caimans or similar???????

[Themis]

Dave, what is your actual ADC ?

I hope you have read this : http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4866

In any case, digitising and streaming are two different setups. They have two things in common, though : a computer (you will need for splitting the digitized streams from the ADC into pieces/songs, then, perhaps for streaming) and a hard disk (for storing).
Then, of course, a good quality ADC can be a DAC, too, but this is not essential.
I will come back for further details tomorrow, you have some reading in the meanwhile. ;)

[Spectral Morn]

Meridian made some very good, highly regarded ADC units once upon a time. The Yamaha HD 1300 series also has quite a good ADC section as well.


Regards D S D L

[Spectral Morn]

Dave, what is your actual ADC ?

I hope you have read this : http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4866

In any case, digitising and streaming are two different setups. They have two things in common, though : a computer (you will need for splitting the digitized streams from the ADC into pieces/songs, then, perhaps for streaming) and a hard disk (for storing).
Then, of course, a good quality ADC can be a DAC, too, but this is not essential.

Yamaha HD1300/1500 does all of those things. DAC, ADC, Hard Drive, CD Player, Hard Drive recorder, CD Recorder. Excellent imho...I use one quite a lot. It has analogue ins and outs and both co-ax and fibre optic digital ins and outs.


Regards D S D L

[dave2010]

Thanks for responses so far.

My soundcard iis a Creative Soundblaster MP3+ which is only 16 bits - see http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-Blaster-External-System/dp/B000095IMS Until I got the new DAC I thought it was OK, but the comparison with the Caiman isn't favourable to the MP3+. and hence I suspect that there may be better ADCs too. [Incidentally, does anyone know where I can get an online manual for the MP3+ unit now - Creative seem to assume that it's not worth supporting equipment more than just a few years old, which is a pity.]

The Yamahas (1300/1500) are presumably only available used now. Not sure if they'd do what I'm envisaging, but I'll try to find a user manual to check the specs. If they do have analogue inputs as indicated, then presumably they can be used to make CDs from any analogue source.

I realise that digitising and streaming are two separate functions. I'm just trying to avoid having to spend time doing both activities sequentially, rather than putting on an LP and listening to it and digitising it at the same time. Similar considerations apply to CD ripping, where I have thought of buying something like a Brennan JB7. I don't know how good the sound quality is of the JB7, but it it rips OK, and the sound is bearable, then it has the potential to save quite a lot of time. I still have quite a number of LPs which would take a while to play through.

[Themis]

[Incidentally, does anyone know where I can get an online manual for the MP3+ unit now - Creative seem to assume that it's not worth supporting equipment more than just a few years old, which is a pity.]
http://www.manualnguide.com/download/manual-guide/creative-sound-blaster-audigy-mp3-user-guide.html
then click on "Go to View/Download page". ;)

[Spectral Morn]

With the Yamaha you can record your album, signal routed via phono stage to your pre/integrated amp then to the Yamaha (you could hook phono stage direct if you wanted and monitor via headphones). Once the albums are on the hard drive you could then transfer the data via one of the digital outs to your PC/Mac.

I think you might still be able to get a Yamaha new....google it to see.


Regards D S D L

[purite audio]

Have a lok at the Metric Halo range, A/D and D/A and built in recording software, you can plug your tonearm lead directly into the machine and configure the RIAA in the digital domain, the ULN8 is also the best dac have heard.
Keith.

[dave2010]

With the Yamaha you can record your album, signal routed via phono stage to your pre/integrated amp then to the Yamaha (you could hook phono stage direct if you wanted and monitor via headphones). Once the albums are on the hard drive you could then transfer the data via one of the digital outs to your PC/Mac.

I think you might still be able to get a Yamaha new....google it to see.


Thanks. The 1500 seems a good bit of kit, but doesn't look like it's available now. Tried eBay too - there are a couple of 1300s - does that also do the analogue input? Presumably it just stores fewer CDs, so the 1500 is the one to go for - if it can be found. Pity that much of the good kit from a few years back has gone off sale - guess that most people don't really want to have better quality equiment, so the market drops it.

There are a couple of newer SoundBlaster ADCs (X-Fi Go! and X-Fi Surround 5.1) which might just be OK - but if I'm going to digitise LPs I'd probably rather start with a good chance of getting quality results rather than spend time on an activity which may be limited by the equipment - subject to my keeping my arms and legs of course.

[dave2010]

Have a lok at the Metric Halo range, A/D and D/A and built in recording software, you can plug your tonearm lead directly into the machine and configure the RIAA in the digital domain, the ULN8 is also the best dac have heard.
Keith.Thanks. Maybe my arms and legs would be torn off with that stuff. I'd get a lot of flak from someone who'd probably rather have a lot of other things before this.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

I used one of the older creative ones with superb results
these have also been mentioned for this sort of thing http://www.behringer.co.uk/EN/Products/SRC2496.aspx

[dave2010]

OK - so several of you still seem to reckon the Creative ones are OK at the price - while usually throwing in a reference to something more esoteric and costing more than a cheap second hand car as well. Maybe I should try my MP3+ again, or get one of the newer ones with 24 bit outputs.

One other thought. As I was about to type this. I looked at my desk and saw a Sony Hi-Mini Disc recorder which I don't use much. The top end model I think (probably MZ-RH1), and I wondered if that has a good ADC? If I used that would I get better results? Also, would I actually have to record to disc, or could I just switch the sound through without recording? Going via Hi-MDs would slow things up a bit though, but it should be a route. The download from Hi-MD to my computer shouldn't take too long.

[DSJR]

I'm way off on this (as if you haven't noticed :lol:), but I've been given an M-Audio 2496 and i intend to experiment with needle drops etc from the little AT phono stage i've just taken a punt on (after all I said to Marco too :eek:).

Good luck.....

[Themis]

Dave, please consider putting Tascam US-100 (only 16/48) and US-144mkII (24/96) into your list of converters. ;)

[mikecole]

I have been using my Audigy soundcard for several years with decent results. But I use mine to record my LPs to CD for use in my car. I recently bought the Cakewalk (formerly Edirol) UA-1G. It has a mode where it bypasses Windows and uses its own driver. It is also capable of 24/96 recording and playback, although I have never tried it. It only costs $100 so may be worth a try to see what you think. The sound is very clear and punchy with decent PRaT, but somewhat clinical sounding IMHO. I haven't tried an Audigy vs. Cakewalk recording to CD yet as I just got it a few weeks ago.

Mike