Loaded question???

Do you mean best at a given sample rate? Do you mean most transparent? Most features? Best soft limiters?

Define best...

Also, what's your price point? Are you genuinely interested in a $20K converter, or are you looking for the best converter under $5K?

Help us help you....

just heard the lynx auroras ... absolutely amazing

Loaded Indeed!

If I were to answer the question, I'd say the MOTU 828MKII. It had the features I needed at a price I could afford.

Mario-C. wrote: just heard the lynx auroras ... absolutely amazing

I'll definitely second the opinion!

I use Lynx Auroras in my studio and wouldn't trade them for converters costing 20x as much per channel! The features and routing are great, the sound is amazing and the customer service is better than 99% of any companies I've ever dealt with.

I wish it handled digital overs better, but that's my ONLY complaint.

I have the cranesong Hedd A/D and I like it better then my Lynx L22, and the Fireface 800 by RME.

I would agree - the HEDD definitely sounds better than the L22. Try the Aurora though - it's leaps and bounds better than the L22. The HEDD and the Aurora are different beast - both awesome in their own rights. The HEDD is smooth as a baby's butt, but a little warm. The Aurora isn't quite as smooth, but it's as transparent as you get.

Let me re-phrase....... The BEST A/D coverter in the WORLD........ and obviously when we say best in converters, it means the Best Conversion quality ... nothing else !

how about on the specific sample rate of 96/24

Which can convert the analog input to digital AS IT IS.

Well....no need to get snippy. Most of the time, people say "What's the best widget?"

Then I or others reply "It's the X-Brand Widget, but it costs $15,000." Then the poster says..."Oh...I meant to go along with my $49 microphone and Sound Blaster card."

If I had no budget cieling, my money would be on:
dCS
Lavry Gold
Prism

Would someone please explain me the uses and importance of having an A/D converter in the studio and situations it can come in and save?

reginald wrote: Would someone please explain me the uses and importance of having an A/D converter in the studio

Hmmm....to convert an analog signal into a digital signal (A=Analog, D=Digital A-to-D or A/D coversion)

All signals present in the air (what you can hear) are analog - meaning that they are actually moving air molecules. A microphone captures analog signals by converting those moving air molecules into electrical energy using the motion of a diaphragm (and/or it's other various components) within an electrical field.

That electrical field is still analog as we are still dealing with energy (remember Newton's laws - energy cannot be created nor destroyed...) In this case, kinetic energy (motion of air molecules) is simply being converted to electrical energy. A microphone is known as a transducer since it is a device which is capable of directly transforming one form of energy into another. (For that matter, a speaker is known as the same.)

A microphone preamplifier simply receives that voltage and amplifies it. Since we are still dealing with physical energy which is being acted upon by more energy (AC or DC voltage).

Where the signal goes from there is the important part of this lesson. If you record to tape (analog tape specifically, not digital tape - ADAT or DAT, etc.), you are simply storing the physical representation of that energy which is "written" to the tape using magnets essentially driven by that very voltage.

However, if you record to a digital medium (hard disc, digital tape, CD, etc.) you need a device which converts your electrical energy (voltage) into electrical data (bits within a binary system). In a standard 16 bit system, you have a string of '1's and '0's (16 of them) which are used to numerically represent the voltage present at the A/D processing chip.

An A/D converter takes the signal from your mic preamp (or mixer, etc.) and converts its voltage into that binary figure. This now allows you to manipulate your signal digitally as it is no longer physical energy, it is now 1's and 0's.

Reginald wrote:
and situations it can come in and save?

Pretty much any situation where you need to convert electrons into digits...

Hey Irfan_Khalid,

Catch a clue. What is considered best is subjective and is almost never absolute. Even if you had 100 people all agree on what is best, that would not prove or confirm what is best.

What is the BEST car?
What is the BESt color?
What is the BEST Food?
What is the BEST way to ask a question about what is best?

any suggestions for 1 or 2 channel a/d converters in

dCS
Lavry Gold
Prism?
how about apogee?

AudioGaff,
ive given my definition of the "BEST" already so i guess we shouldn't be dragging it further...!

btw ... BEST color is a really bad example

Sorry Irfan_Khalid - this is now becoming annoying. I placated you in case you were being naive, but now you're kinda pissing me off.

Gaff was 100% right, there is no "BEST" only what works best for you. As far as I'm concerned, you are not someone who knows a damn thing and you certainly don't have the kind of money to afford a converter of this caliber or for that matter, even a cheap piece of crap Beh***er.

First, for you to lump Apogee in with the others is stupid. Second, if you knew a damn thing about recording, you wouldn't need to ask the question.

Consider spamming a different forum, otherwise, I'll insist to Chris that he allow me to play with you before he toasts you.

ok... u r the winner! got no time for ur kiddish debate...!

I hear the pacific microsonics converter was among the very best ever

Irfan_Khalid,

If knowinng or having the BEST so important to you, why don't you get a hold of some of the mentioned converters and come to your own conclusions?

Only a fool and or a troll would post such a vauge question and then believe what they read from other peoples responses without comming to their own conclusions. I suspect you are a bit of both.

Guess what? I know exactly which one is best.

But I'm not going to tell you...