ADAT to AES - lost in translation?

[audiomichael]

I have an RME Fireface. I'm getting a Hedd for my master AD/DA, however I need to use a ADAT to AES format converter to get to the Hedd. Am I gonna lose something with this digital conversion?

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by audiomichael

I have an RME Fireface. I'm getting a Hedd for my master AD/DA, however I need to use a ADAT to AES format converter to get to the Hedd. Am I gonna lose something with this digital conversion?

No. It should be fine. However, to my experience, the HEDD likes to be the master clock, let the A/D be the master clock, and again to my experience, it sounds best at 96 kHz (versus 44 or 48), primarily because I do some digital processing after my analog processing and that definitely sounds better at 96. As do the HEDD pentode, tape and triode effects. That puts a number of monkey wrenches, including clocking, in your planning. For the ADAT to AES, I would suggest getting an older RME ADI-8-DD model or the replacement for that, because it's versatile, it can either clock from the ADAT port or from wordclock or from AES/EBU.

The second monkey wrench, if you take my advice on working at 96K, is how to capture the 96K if your sources are at 44.1 and then subsequent SRC after that. I do this all live with a dual Weiss SFC-2 and a second DAW to capture the 44. But you can set up a second DAW to capture the 96 and then SRC afterwards.

The good news is once you get all the monkey wrenches out of the works you'll have great sound.

BK

[audiomichael]

I'll put on my thinking cap.

I was planning on getting the RME ADI4dd which I think functions the same as the 8, but it only does 4 channels (fine with me)