Better Converter Than Apogee Ensemble

[Sophroneo]

Wassup gear gurus!. Ok, I searched but couldn't find the answer. The questions are: What is a quality converter worth investing in and should it be AD or DA?

I have an apogee ensemble to a dangerous dbox. I'm considering the current mastering setup, running the mix through an Avalon AD 2055 (which I recently got), to Summit Audio TLA 50 pair, to Focusrite Mixmaster (multiband compressor), then back into the Ensemble.

Now, let's be frank, the AD/DA on the ensemble is very decent. It's not the best, there are better options, but let's not go trashing the ensemble like its a mbox mini -- I'm serious.

I spoke to the guys at Apogee and they communicated that while the Rosetta 200 is better than the Ensemble, it's not a significant difference. So running the chain from the the focusrite into a Rosetta 200 then into the Ensemble is not gonna be a significant difference.

Oh ye wise ones, please chime in and provide some direction.. AD or DA. I was considering the mytek stereo96 adc. Thoughts?

[Suda Badri]

Mytek is amazing, Metrc halo is amazing, apogee is great but no experience with ensemble... lavry is amazing... RME ADI-QS is also amazing...

I know I have not helped.... but check out metric halo....

If your heart is set on the ensemble however, run with it... you are not gonna miss a huge deal, just make sure the rest of your chain is banging...

[azirkin]

Leaving aside comments about the other gear in your chain, I'd suggest looking into the UA 2192. You get both AD and DA in the same unit and the quality is fantastic. It's also a very high quality clock source if you need one. I had one for a while and loved it. I found myself mostly using the AD, and ultimately switched to a Weiss (fantastic if you're willing to spend the money) but the UA served me very well.

It does impart some color, but I liked that.

[ORC]

Lavry, Mytek, Benchmark, Prism Sound. I like the Lavry Black series for their neutrality.

[jimmydeluxe]

I would ditch the Ensemble and get a Metric Halo 2882 2d+ used. I hated the sound of that thin box. The conversion on the MH is amazing--better than Lynx Aurora for me, as well as 002 sig mods, which are supposed to be on par with mytek. Works flawlessly with Logic and you get a great internal mixer with plugins. Pres are not as hifi as Ensemble, but sound great nonetheless. You could actually make money on the deal like I did. I sold the AE for $1400 and got a 2882 2d+ for 1100, though I was using an Aurora in between. Unless you paid more for your Ensemble, of course.

[MASSIVE Master]

Crane Song HEDD.

You can close this thread now...

[Twerk]

Originally Posted by MASSIVE Master

Crane Song HEDD.

You can close this thread now...

Agreed. By far the nicest and most flexible convertor I've used.

[Strobian]

Using the Prism Orpheus here.

[Sophroneo]

Thanks. The cranesong sounds like a good box to come into and back into the Ensemble. The metric 2882 sounds like a superb deal too.

I was thinking about the new Apogee Symphony, the one that's now replacing the rosetta 800 and 16x series. Has anyone tried this new baby yet? I've read that the folks at Mercenary are in love with this thing and thinks it out performs a lot of the high end stuff.

[Sophroneo]

Originally Posted by ORC

Lavry, Mytek, Benchmark, Prism Sound. I like the Lavry Black series for their neutrality.

Anything but the Apogee Ensemble. lol. i hear you. Thanx.

[Sophroneo]

Originally Posted by jimmydeluxe

I would ditch the Ensemble and get a Metric Halo 2882 2d+ used. I hated the sound of that thin box. The conversion on the MH is amazing--better than Lynx Aurora for me, as well as 002 sig mods, which are supposed to be on par with mytek. Works flawlessly with Logic and you get a great internal mixer with plugins. Pres are not as hifi as Ensemble, but sound great nonetheless. You could actually make money on the deal like I did. I sold the AE for $1400 and got a 2882 2d+ for 1100, though I was using an Aurora in between. Unless you paid more for your Ensemble, of course.

Sounds like a plan. I like that. THe price point isnt bad at all.

[Sophroneo]

Originally Posted by MASSIVE Master

Crane Song HEDD.

You can close this thread now...

I've heard a lot of good things about it. So would I run the end of the analog chain into it or run the the stereo mixdown to it first and then out to the analog stuff?

[Twerk]

Originally Posted by Sophroneo

I've heard a lot of good things about it. So would I run the end of the analog chain into it or run the the stereo mixdown to it first and then out to the analog stuff?

Personally, I'd run into it via SPDIF from your DAW's interface, out the analog outs, through the gear, back into the analog ins, then SPDIF back into the DAW interface. And be sure to set your DAW's interface to be slaved to the HEDD's clock. The HEDD is great in that it allows you to move the DSP emulations to either convertor with the turn of a knob. And the I/O is VERY flexible.

[thermos]

Originally Posted by jimmydeluxe

I would ditch the Ensemble and get a Metric Halo 2882 2d+ used. I hated the sound of that thin box. The conversion on the MH is amazing--better than Lynx Aurora for me, as well as 002 sig mods, which are supposed to be on par with mytek. Works flawlessly with Logic and you get a great internal mixer with plugins. Pres are not as hifi as Ensemble, but sound great nonetheless. You could actually make money on the deal like I did. I sold the AE for $1400 and got a 2882 2d+ for 1100, though I was using an Aurora in between. Unless you paid more for your Ensemble, of course.

Hmm, does the 2D have better converters than the normal 2882? If not, I'd have to disagree and give the nod to the Auroras over the 2882s for sure.

Hedd is good, but Forssell's MADA is better. Some like the digital processing on the Hedd, but to me it always sounded like digital processing. It all comes down to what the op wants to spend.

[jdg]

the MH 2d card adds a newer (and arguably better) clock to the 2882 and ULN2

i still think the ULN8 DAC is the best DAC i've ever heard (and there are shiton of DACs i have NOT heard yet, so, YMMV, OMFGBBQ, ETC, DTMF)