From: Suzanne Romie
Hi Bob,
I got your web address from the Radar forum, I am using the Radar 24 at my home project studio. By the way what do you think of that machine?
Hello, Suzanne. Only by reputation. I have heard and liked the older Radar product when mixed on a high quality analog console. I haven’t heard any Radar product mixed in a digital console yet.
I was referred to your website because of my questions regarding jitter when it comes to transferring digital audio from one platform to another e.g. from the Radar to ProTools once the Radar has the capability. What factors come into play when transferring? Is a transfer via AES/EBU better than via TDIF or the lightpipe, does it matter? What about clocking, which clock should I use? I heard the Radar’s is very good. Will the audio be the same or will it be compromised in some fashion?
Makes no difference, Suzanne. The copies will be fine and jitter is not an issue in the D-D transfer. The key to the quality will be the quality of the clocking during the playback in the end.
Also in your articles somewhere you mention that a final mixdown to a CD burner is better done within a computer, because of a cleaner SCSI path as opposed to going into a separate mixdown machine via AES/EBU as in the case of Masterlink for example.
Yes. Kind of an exception to the above rule because it seems the CD medium is somewhat susceptible. It still does not break the jitter rule in that a good D/A converter will eliminate any differences between the various CDs.
Also one sentence in your articles caught my eye “polluting environment of a digital console”. I am trying to make a decision as to which low budget digital console to buy but I am not sure if that would be a good investment because of what I learned from your website. The main reason for me to go that route is automation (fader, EQ etc.). I heard good things about the Panasonic DA7 or the new Tascam DM24. Any thoughts?
Thank you very much for your time and insight.
Suzanne
The “polluting” quote was made discussing A/D converters and D/As within a console or even more so, within a computer. They can hardly be made to sound as good as external units. On any basis, a converter within a digital console will probably be a compromise, because they are built to a price. I have no current experience with the DA7 or the Tascam, sorry. And as I said, the key here will be the quality of the DSP processing in those beasts. I would try to avoid using the built-in preamps or converters.
In the best-quality high-priced studio digital consoles, you will find all the converters in a separate box, with their own power supply… separate from all that contamination!
Take care,
Bob