How much of an improvement?

[Paddlepop lion]

G'day all. Been a while since I have posted. How are ya's all?

I am thinking very seriously about getting a new a/d converter. After doing some research on this forum I decided that the UA 2192 would be the best choice for me but I can only afford the lavry blue and from what I understand the differences are really just a matter of taste and not quality.

My question is however, can anyone give me a percentage on how much of an improvement this lavry will give me in my signal chain. I currently use the convertors in the original 02r not the 02r96. 10% 20% etc. This may be a silly question however living out in the sticks does not afford me the opportunity to try one of these units at home.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers mate!

[The Byre]

As an owner of all different kinds of converters inc. 48 IOs of Radar, some would expect me to sing the praises of ultra high-end converters, but if money is a limiting factor, then I can think of many other things to spend money on (monitors, mics, room, etc) that will bring far greater benifits.

Back when we bought the Radar, there were great differences between converters. Today, the quality of off-the-shelf converter chips is such, that it has become very difficult to build a bad converter.

Obviously the converters in the Lavry will be far better than the old O2R, but the difference between the Lavry and a less expensive model will be very small.

[Paddlepop lion]

Yeah I'm investing in some other gear also but have left room in my budget for better ad converters if necessary. In looking at the forums it seems the general consensus is that better ad convertors are worth it but I am just trying to get some sort of quantifiable figure so I can sleep better at night. It is interesting that you have said that the difference between most off the shelf convertors may not be that significant, or at least none of them are bad anyhow. This is certainly something to think about. Thankyou for your reply.

cheers mate!

[Andrew Kinsey]

The LavryBlue AD is a very transparent and detailed converter. The 2192 is designed to add some colour and does so quite well however IMO the actual conversion side of things is not quite as detailed as the Lavry.

As far as some of the cheaper interfaces being up to a similar standard as the dedicated converters, i have a Motu 2408 and compared to the LavryBlue it sounds awfull!

[macleodgrant]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kinsey

The LavryBlue AD is a very transparent and detailed converter. The 2192 is designed to add some colour and does so quite well however IMO the actual conversion side of things is not quite as detailed as the Lavry.

As far as some of the cheaper interfaces being up to a similar standard as the dedicated converters, i have a Motu 2408 and compared to the LavryBlue it sounds awfull!

that's interesting about the motu 2408. they used those converters for the latest scissor sister album. i use the motu 828MKII and think they're quite good though i would like to update them for maybe FF800 (RME fireface) which i believe is very good and in listening tests i felt was better than apogee. there's a thread on here about it and half way through there are some more listening examples of a file played out of ther converter and back in through FF and Apogee and the FF seemed to be the most true to the source.

[critical]

Im sure if you try to bargain with sales you should be able to get the 2192 for the same price as the lavry.

[baikonour]

Originally Posted by macleodgrant

that's interesting about the motu 2408. they used those converters for the latest scissor sister album. i use the motu 828MKII and think they're quite good though i would like to update them for maybe FF800 (RME fireface) which i believe is very good and in listening tests i felt was better than apogee. there's a thread on here about it and half way through there are some more listening examples of a file played out of ther converter and back in through FF and Apogee and the FF seemed to be the most true to the source.

I used an 828 mk2 for years and switched to an RME fireface and the improvement in clarity is really audible but as the byre said the difference now between hi end converters and mid priced units is getting smaller.

[Andrew Kinsey]

Originally Posted by macleodgrant

that's interesting about the motu 2408. they used those converters for the latest scissor sister album. i use the motu 828MKII and think they're quite good though i would like to update them for maybe FF800 (RME fireface) which i believe is very good and in listening tests i felt was better than apogee. there's a thread on here about it and half way through there are some more listening examples of a file played out of ther converter and back in through FF and Apogee and the FF seemed to be the most true to the source.

The 2408 and the 828 both use the same converters, im not really too sure how much difference there would really be between one of those and the RME Fireface.

When i use my 2408 its allways clocked to the LavryBlue M.Sync, this improves the DA performance of the 2408 dramatically IMO.

Interestingly i found that the converters in the old Motu 1224 to be far better than in the 2408.

[Paddlepop lion]

Originally Posted by critical

Im sure if you try to bargain with sales you should be able to get the 2192 for the same price as the lavry.

Well by getting the lavry I have the option of having a/d only. This is the only reason the lavry will be cheaper. Ideally I want d/a as well but all in good time I guess.

But by what you blokes are saying, I am also considering a mytek a/d96 now which is cheaper again and shouldn't be a huge difference between this unit and the lavry or 2192 but I should still get a marked improvement on my yamaha 02r.

Cheers mate!

[Confusionator]

While the sonic quality I gained from going to high-end converters was probably worth it, the peace of mind I got from putting my best foot forward for myself and my clients--and the fact that I didn't have to second guess myself anymore, or read any more threads about high-end converters--was definitely worth it!

Do yourself a favor and just abandon the prosumer world. You'll sleep better at night, and yes, you'll also produce noticeably better results.

[kyle barton]

I used a 2408 in my project studio for years before i heard the Mytek and switched. to my ears, there was a big difference. If you want colored conversion, there would be better choices than the Mytek, but I wanted clear and detailed, so this is the way i went. I'm sure Lavry or the UA would be good choices as well and a big step up from the 2408.

and don't believe what you hear about Mytek's support on this forum. I've sent two questions to the Mytek guys this year and got immediate and helpful answers. both questions were about interfacing it to Cubase, not about the performance of the box.

[u b k]

Originally Posted by Confusionator

Do yourself a favor and just abandon the prosumer world. You'll sleep better at night, and yes, you'll also produce noticeably better results.

there it is, in a nutshell.

my $.02:

1) a/d conversion makes a huge difference, bigger than most around here credit.

2) motu converters have a grain that accumulates in a very unmusical and veiled way. one track = so-so. 32 tracks = ugh.

3) lavry is a good way to go if you have what you want in your front end and don't want it changed. 2192 is a good way to go if you want a very musical coloration added to your front end, either because it's too vanilla or because (like me) you can't enough color.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[Paddlepop lion]

Well my front end is pretty good (1176, chandler ltd-1 etc.) and I do find the ltd-1 pretty coloured anyhow so I wonder if the 2192 would be too much? Anyway the decision has been made to at least by a high end convertor so this is good news. Its just a choice between lavry or mytek now. Anyway I'm sure I probably wont go wrong with either of these units and then finally I can get some sleep!..... at least unitl I read another thread telling me my signal chain falls short somewhere else. God I'm industry fodder!

Cheers mate!

[Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kinsey

The LavryBlue AD is a very transparent and detailed converter. The 2192 is designed to add some colour and does so quite well however IMO the actual conversion side of things is not quite as detailed as the Lavry.

As far as some of the cheaper interfaces being up to a similar standard as the dedicated converters, i have a Motu 2408 and compared to the LavryBlue it sounds awfull!

I just bought Prism Sound Orpheus through Sound Tools in UK 3 weeks ago and still waiting for the rest 250£ and receipt.

How pro is that?

Avoid dealing with this guy Andrew Kinsey.