# Opinions... - Site: Analog Industries - Author: Chris Randall - Date: 2006-10-11 - URL: https://analogindustries.com/2006/10/opinions/ Okay, A/D with a cheapness. I need balanced analog input, AES output. Obviously the M-Audio Flying Cow will fit the bill, but just thinking about buying something where even a penny will end up with the shareholders of Avid gives me the cold sweats; I can't bring myself to do it. Anyone have another option they'd like to expound? ## Comments (26) **shamann** (2006-10-11): How cheap is cheapness? I can't think of anything in the $200 flying cow range, but for around $400 there's the MindPrint DI-MOD. **Chris Randall** (2006-10-11): I think that bad boy is only for the Mindprint t00b-a-thon, if I'm not mistaken. -CR **synthetic** (2006-10-11): Who do you hate more, Avid or Behringer? Grab a Behringer Ultramatch Pro SRC2496 for $129. **synthetic** (2006-10-11): How can you argue with this review (from AmericanMusical.com): "The SCR2496 does what it is advertised to do.It has what I like to call analog smooth and digital clean sound. Very neutral DAC section, but tends to distort when accepting a digital signal, so it is best to decrease the level of the digital feed going out to it. ADC input has good headroom and sound. It is worth the price in my opinion. My recordings are benefiting from the increased audio resolution of this box." **shamann** (2006-10-11): > I think that bad boy is only for the Mindprint t00b-a-thon, if I'm not mistaken. Hmm, seems you're right. Pity, I was hoping to spare you the pain of the Avid/Behringer dilemma. **dpirone** (2006-10-11): how about a flying cow from ebay ? ( no money directly to avid ) **BringMeUp** (2006-10-11): I'd get a second hand SEK'D... http://www.dacs-audio.com/Distribution/SEKD/ADDA2496S.htm You can probably get one for ~ $300. **noisegeek** (2006-10-11): Depending on your definition of "with a cheapness", there's this: http://www.frontendaudio.com/Lucid_DA9624_24_96_kHz_D_A_Converter_p/2984.htm Not what I'd call cheap, but I don't make music for a living. **noisegeek** (2006-10-11): Oops, that link goes to the D/A converter. **Chris Randall** (2006-10-11): You guys should know better than to even suggest Behringer. I don't care if they pay _me_ $129 to use it, and it is just chock full of techno. There ain't no way. The Lucid is on my list. Truth be told, I might as well just cowboy up and get the fucking Aurora 8 or Rosetta 800. That'd solve all I/O issues for now and ever. For the interim, however, that Sek'd box might be just the ticket. -CR **meeglosh** (2006-10-11): Doesn't your eclipse have bal ins/AES outs? Couldn't you use that just for the conversion? **dm** (2006-10-11): What about digging up a Rosetta A/D (like the original 2 channel one)... How much could they be nowadays? **Chris Randall** (2006-10-11): The Eclipse has other jobs to do. I'm not going to use a $2K multi-fx unit for a simple task like that. -CR **meeglosh** (2006-10-11): Mini me? **kL** (2006-10-11): Kurzweil Rumour (a $400 multi-efx unit with good convertors and not so much else to do), good old Frontier Tango, and that big, hulking, last generation ADAT (I can't remember the model number, but it's the gigantic, ridiculously expensive one they made as a last ditch effort to stave of the inevitable. If you find one with the transport broken you can get it for cheap and the audio path and convertors -- 24 bit throughput, even though only 20 to tape -- are amazing... 8 in and 8 out for roughly $200). **Chris Randall** (2006-10-11): The Rumour has SPDIF, not AES. I've already thought of that. Frontier Tango is Lightpipe. ADAT is actually AssDAT, and do I really want to give up 4U and 80 lbs to that monster just for the convertors? Not really, no. That sort of thing just smacks of "Diamond Dave's School Of Studio Construction." As for a Mini-Me, I might as well just get another Rosetta 200, really. More useful, and the same price used. (I got my current 200 for $1300.) Nah, I think I'm just gonna bite the bullet and get a Rosetta 800. It's the smartest choice. As my wife always says, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. -CR **antix2** (2006-10-11): As I sometimes say, if it worth paying for, it's worth shmoozing the finance dept. ;P **noisegeek** (2006-10-11): "As my wife always says, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." You seem to have a fairly intelligent wife, if she's saying that about gear. **Downpressor** (2006-10-11): CR thats what my wife told me when I rebuilt last year. Three cheers for smart wives! **synthetic** (2006-10-11): Is this for your live rig? Didn't you tour with a Behringer line mixer for a while? I guess you'll have to buy that API A2D after all. **itdoesntsuck** (2006-10-11): I'll put in a vote for an echo audio Layla 24/96; this unit has great sound, no wall wart & rock solid drivers (which the company is still upgrading despite the unit being discontinued). Echo is a great company with little/no hype I'm using my Layla as a "digital-analog fx loop"; the I/0's go to guitar stompboxes, various filters, etc. Having said that and being somewhat familiar with CR's philosophy, I suspect he'll wind up getting the best (Rosetta 800) **studio nebula** (2006-10-11): You just haven't been able to sleep at night since I bought my Rosetta 800. Admit it. --Adam **Wade Alin** (2006-10-11): you should give Adam some one up-in' and go buy the Lynx Aurora 8. Or hell, the 16. Honestly, I just want to know how they sound ; ) W **kL** (2006-10-11): Sorry; I didn't pay attention to the AES thing and blindly starting recommending "budget convertors I have known." And you're right, the Last Adat is Laughably Huge. But it sounds surprisingly good (I played bass on somebody's CD in somebody's studio that was using one and it sounded great). Anyway, you can't lose with Aurora. (Actually, come to think of it, if you find a Benchmark AD2496-4 they're all AES and sound amazing; I used to have one.) **TheTwlo** (2006-10-12): just noticed the Joemeek TwinQ http://www.joemeek.com/twinq.html has AES. I have a new 3Q and love it(for the price) it has a lot of character, and feels very well made. ...i know, you'll get the Rosetta anyway... **soup** (2006-10-12): the flying cow has been discontinued.