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paris converters now... [message #103672] Tue, 07 July 2009 06:40 Go to next message
damien is currently offline  damien   FRANCE
Messages: 36
Registered: October 2008
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Somebody already had apogee Lynx Mytec or whatever modern hi-end AD/DA plugged into an adat card in paris ?

Can you talk about this ? on what recorded sources did you tried, and do you feel it worth an upgrade from stock paris conveters ? Does 16 bits limtation is an issue ?

Assuming i mostly proceeed outboard for mixing, i noticied a slight degradation when just DA /AD a track (plug the out in the in) in 24 bits, not a big deal but...

Thanks for inputs,

Damien

Re: paris converters now... [message #103673 is a reply to message #103672] Tue, 07 July 2009 11:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
kerryg is currently offline  kerryg   CANADA
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What you call "degradation", others call "mojo" Smile

PARIS convertors were excellent for the day, but even in 1998 they weren't considered the "top of the line" like Apogee - although they were closer to that quality than many of the other offerings of that day (can you say "AudioWerks 8"? Pfeh). I like the slight "mojo" myself (my ear hears it as "musical and pleasing") but it's not "crystalline and pure".

Before you invest in external convertors, have you tried clocking it to a higher quality external source? PARIS' internal clock was excellent for its time but folks have reported noticeable gains by clocking it to higher quality external sources.


"... being bitter is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other guy to die..." - anon

[Updated on: Tue, 07 July 2009 11:51]

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Re: paris converters now... [message #103674 is a reply to message #103673] Tue, 07 July 2009 12:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
damien is currently offline  damien   FRANCE
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Registered: October 2008
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Hi Kerry,

Did not clocked externally so far. I was told it could be an notiecable improvement in a multiple MEC rig. I use Two EDS one MEC.

Re: paris converters now... [message #103680 is a reply to message #103674] Tue, 07 July 2009 19:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne is currently offline  Wayne   UNITED STATES
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Location: Las Vegas
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I've got 2 EDS on and one MEC.

There is a noticable cleanliness with an external clock.

Mud goes away and the kick and bass feel separated now. Also a bit more open and deep in field.

wayne
Re: paris converters now... [message #103682 is a reply to message #103672] Tue, 07 July 2009 19:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ted Gerber is currently offline  Ted Gerber   CANADA
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I just spent some time on this a few months ago.

I found the AD conversion improved when I used a Lucid GenX word clock generator on the Paris converters. Then I found another improvement with the Focusrite AD converters that are loaded up in my ISA 428 box (also clocked to the Lucid) sending out 20 bits into the Paris ADAT card. Then I found yet another improvement by sending the same signal out at 24 bits into the MEC S/PDIF input. Then I found the best signal by swapping out the Lucid clock and using the Apogee Big Ben.

So I bought the Apogee and use it to clock the ISA AD converters.

javascript:%20insertTag(document.post_form.msg_body,%20'',%2 0'%20:)%20');

Ted
Re: paris converters now... [message #103683 is a reply to message #103672] Tue, 07 July 2009 20:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ted Gerber is currently offline  Ted Gerber   CANADA
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Rats - how do you get those little smiley things to work?
Re: paris converters now... [message #103685 is a reply to message #103683] Tue, 07 July 2009 21:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
kerryg is currently offline  kerryg   CANADA
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Just put your cursor where you want the smiley and then click on the one you want, and that'll insert it at the cursor's location.

Perhaps you tried to drag them into your message? That'd give you something like this:

javascript:%20insertTag(document.post_form.msg_body,%20'',%2 0'%20:(%20');


"... being bitter is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other guy to die..." - anon

[Updated on: Tue, 07 July 2009 21:47]

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Re: paris converters now... [message #103687 is a reply to message #103672] Wed, 08 July 2009 03:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
damien is currently offline  damien   FRANCE
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Registered: October 2008
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Interesting informations here,

Wayne, did you feel one of those improvement a major leap compared to the other ?

By the way, i wondered if ADAT transfert could be less accurate than SPDIF 24 bits, and your first hand experience make this looking like a valid point.

Thks guys.
Re: paris converters now... [message #103688 is a reply to message #103672] Wed, 08 July 2009 05:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ted Gerber is currently offline  Ted Gerber   CANADA
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Hi Damien -

The biggest improvement came with either the ISA converters instead of the Paris converters or the word clock by itself added to the paris converters. Either one yielded a very similar improvement. Both together (ISA AD with the Lucid) was a bigger bump in clarity and definition, without getting too clinical. The Big Ben was another bump up, but less than adding the Lucid in the first place. The 24 bit S/PDIF vs. the 20 bit ADAT had the least impact but one that I thought I heard nonetheless. (By the way, the ISA has 24 bit straight out, and dithering to 20 bit available. I used both options and if I was sending out to the ADAT cards, I preferred the dithering down to 20 bit approach).

These are all subjective, personal conclusions of course.

Also - As a further experiment, I tracked to Cubase, with the same mics and pres using both the setup described above (ISA/Big Ben) and a Lynx Aurora 8 AD/DA ( a fantastic unit at a great price) and I preferred the ISA/Big Ben combo. It seemed the image was bigger and more forward. Both had great clarity and 3D images. I ran out of time to try the Aurora 8 clocked to the Big Ben, which is what a certain big wig at Mercenary Audio says he prefers over the Apogee AD16x (with or without the Big Ben). Since I couldn't afford both the Aurora and the Big Ben, and since I already had the ISA with ADAT out in my rig, I was too concerned to try this combo.

Good luck

Ted
Re: paris converters now... [message #103689 is a reply to message #103672] Wed, 08 July 2009 05:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ted Gerber is currently offline  Ted Gerber   CANADA
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Registered: January 2009
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"Since I couldn't afford both the Aurora and the Big Ben, and since I already had the ISA with ADAT out in my rig, I was too concerned to try this combo."

Meant to say - I wasn't too concerned to try this combo...
Re: paris converters now... [message #103690 is a reply to message #103688] Wed, 08 July 2009 06:19 Go to previous messageGo to next message
dnafe is currently offline  dnafe   CANADA
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Ted Gerber wrote on Wed, 08 July 2009 08:35
...which is what a certain big wig at Mercenary Audio says he prefers over the Apogee AD16x
Ted



Gee would that be Fletcher...nice guy, quite knowledgeable and very quick to share his opinions

hehehe
icon3.gif  Re: paris converters now... [message #103691 is a reply to message #103672] Wed, 08 July 2009 06:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
damien is currently offline  damien   FRANCE
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Registered: October 2008
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understood.

The bad new is, as always, "you want better ? spend money ! ".

The good news is i can't wait to listen to a better sounding paris, as it already sounds good !

Re: paris converters now... [message #103710 is a reply to message #103687] Thu, 09 July 2009 12:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne is currently offline  Wayne   UNITED STATES
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Registered: July 2008
Location: Las Vegas
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Hi Damien,

Sorry it took so long to get back. I'm involved in letters to Congress. Another story.

Anyway. What I heard was clarity and tightness on the A to D tracking and playback using the Apogee Big Ben at 44k narrow.

Another stereo field improvement came from using the digital MEC s/pdif out to the Benchmark DAC and to Adams A7 monitors. I think this bypasses the DA of the MEC.

I'm very happy with this system setup. Warm and tight and it doesn't change the Paris sound. Easier to mix too.

I tried each component individually and each had improvement. My biggest listening improvement came from the Adams. I used Yamaha NS-10s prior with a weak Alesis RA-100. My best tracking improvement came from Big Ben and I'd say the Benchmark assisted in clarity and stereo field. What it told me is that Paris does indeed have excellent converters to begin with.

Each component helped but not increditably. Just noticable. All together it's wonderful. But it cost $3K. Approximately $1K for each component. That pretty much blew my budget for the year.

It should be noted that, part of my former playback system included the MEC mains out (MEC D to A converters) to a Mackie 1604vlz. The Mackie created some harshness and mud which is gone now since it is no longer in the playback chain.

Lastly, I can hear a distinct clarity and tightness with headphones plug'd into the Benchmark DAC over the MEC headphone out. The MEC headphone outs used to be my favorite for listening but the Benchmark blows them away. Smile

wayne
Re: paris converters now... [message #103719 is a reply to message #103672] Fri, 10 July 2009 01:58 Go to previous message
damien is currently offline  damien   FRANCE
Messages: 36
Registered: October 2008
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Thanks all for this,

Does the "ADAT - external converter" chain increase latency ? Did someone tested it ?
With stock stuff, paris is 1.3 @ 48K in to out, witch is one of the reasons i like this system (despite i found no way to align perfectly tracks who have been processed externally).

[Updated on: Fri, 10 July 2009 02:00]

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