Whats to become of 44.1 digital outboard as folks move to 96K a second hand bonanza??

[Jules]

As technology creeps towards 96k....

Are folks out there looking forward to second hand deals on things like..

Pro Tools Mix + systems?
Motu setups?
Lexicon & TC & Eventide gear?

Or will folks skip all that and glide into brand new bit low price 'new stuff'?

Will buget concious facilities or even project / hobbiest studios have a field day with the cast offs of the 'gotta have the new stuff brigade'?

Anyone planning on picking up the stuff as it come on the market?

Is there something round the corner out there that would chop the Mix + market off at the knees?

Second hand 44.1 digital gear..... discuss.....please

[alphajerk]

i try NOT to buy digital gear. that said, i can do 96khz with my MOTU setup. so at this point, i dont have any digital units except a Q2 [which wouldnt matter anyways, just use the analog i/o... the only good stuff on there is the weird stuff which sampling rates or sonic pristineness dont matter], i do have some "digital" units without any digi i/o, so that doesnt matter either.

if i end up getting a digital console, then it would be 96khz anyways... unless i can pick up an oxford for the price of the dmxr.

if prices for dated digital hardware effect units dropped, id probably buy them.

i'd rather the prices for a small API console to drop big time

[Drumsound]

Originally posted by alphajerk


i'd rather the prices for a small API console to drop big time [/B]

I'm with you there Alph!

[Jay Kahrs]

Some people will soak it up and take advantage of the deals. I got my 20-bit Mytek A/D converter for $400 last year. Beartracks paid I don't know how much for it back in '97. I'm thrilled with it. Just about everything ends up at 16/44.1 anyway and I hate buying brand spanking new digital gear. Even computers. The stuff loses it's value too quickly. I know people that still use PT III even though it's "obsolete" the point is that it's paid for and still does the job needed.

What amazes me are the things that drop and then shoot back up again. Shouldn't an AMS reverb or PCM42 be worth about $150 if you use the everything old and digital is cheap logic? I guess some things just really are classics.

[Markus Stock]

I am aboslutely with Jay. As long as something does the job well (like my PT III Setup does) I don't see a reason in upgrading. I don't want to bring this up again, but don't you think that 24/96 is a bit overhyped? I mean, I know lots of brilliant productions from the Mid 90s of which I know they have been done on 16/44,1 Equipment and I am not yet in the same league as these productions - so, I'll still stick to it as I know there is still much room for improvements when it comes to my equipment. I'd rather buy a distressor or some new mic pres for now and wait and see if 24/96 will be worthy enough to jump on....


Later,

[Jay Kahrs]

In my case I have recordings I did years ago at a Neve/Studer room with good acoustics and lots of outboard that destroyed most of what I've done in the last few years. I'm getting close to the quality of those sounds again now that my gear has improved. But, those were all done at 16/44.1 through a stock 3700. So, who needs 24/96? The front end makes a much bigger difference.

[Gone Fission]

One of my favorite scores is the Lexicon LXP-15II. The thing was over a grand when it came out, now it tops out around $400, and it beats the pants off of the current cheap Lexicon boxes IMO. Sure, it's 16 bit, 44.1 kHz, but it wasn't a bottom feeder box when it came out, so it doesn't suck.

The real highend stuff tends to hold on to its value, though. I don't expect to see an EMT-251 cheap ever, and only moderate breaks on pro grade Lexicon, t.c., Eventide, etc..

Bear

[hollywood_steve]

I'm too busy looking for $300 Ampex recorders and $2500 Trident consoles to get too excited over used digital gear. But because I do use an old SV3800 for location recording I have started bidding on used A/D converters. I just missed an old Lexicon M20/20 and I know I'll grab something in the near future. But that's about as far as I'll go with this new fangled technology.

steve

[Gone Fission]

I here you, there. I've got my Lexicon box, and I might try to score some decent delay lines cheap, but otherwise, I don't feel the need for more digital stuff unless I were to get a DAW or a Radar. An EMT plate, though . . .

Bear

[Tubelover]

Well a Digi 001 cost me $500 in mint condition, an Apogee Rosetta that had been used once (upgradeable to 96) was $750, a U95S that a dealer couldn't move was $2500, M-147s new in the case for $1000, that list goes on and on. I've got my foot in the door for cheap, it's the only way to fly IMHO.

[hollywood_steve]

Well a Digi 001 cost me $500 in mint condition..........snip............. , that list goes on and on. I've got my foot in the door for cheap, it's the only way to fly IMHO.
***************

We're getting off topic here but this is a good point. While I agree with the idea of finding a local dealer you like and supporting his business, setting up our own recording studio is a huge financial burden for many of us and we need to be very creative when shopping for gear. Ebay has been a godsend; for every clown looking for list price on their old gear, there are five great deals if you look hard enough. And there are countless other ways to find deals that would amaze anyone who shops at the mail order places and thinks they've gotten the best price.
I've gotten many new products for far below any dealer's price by carefully purchasing "B"-stock, demos and other manufacturer's close-outs or direct sales. It helps if you are flexible; if you need a new mic for tomorrow's session, be prepared to pay for it, but if you've got a few months to find a good deal, the possibilities are endless. happy shopping!

steve

[subspace]

All my recent digital purchases were items that have been orphaned by technology. A Lexicon Nuverb with AES I/O, same DSP as the 300 but in an outdated card format. A friend gave me an 8100/80AV to install it in for free. I bought a MOTU 1224 for $390 when their 96k interface came out, which gave me the converters with AES I/O I needed for the Nuverb. I picked up a Swissonic DA24 for $200, to add 8 more D/As from my 2408 to my Trident. I also got an extra MOTU PCI-324 card for $100 to allow me to use the 2408 on one Mac and the 1224 on another. Of course, the Macs themselves are from 1995 with G3 upgrades, just to stay with our "vintage digital" theme...

[spandau fondue]

i'll pick some of that stuff up once people unload for 24 bits. it still sounds good. what people miss is the quality of the alogarithm and converters is more important than bit depth and sampling rate. 16 bits done right over good convertors sounds better than 24/96 done mediocre. christ digitech makes 24-bit boxes, does that make them good? 16 bit prizm or 24 bit m-audio?

[C.Lambrechts]

Originally posted by spandau fondue
..... 16 bits done right over good convertors sounds better than 24/96 done mediocre..........

VERY true

[Jay Kahrs]

I hear that, really I do. Last year I decided to upgrade my converter for the DAT and DAW. It came down to a used 18 or 20 bit Mytek or a new 24/96 Flying Cow. I'll tell ya, that Mytek sure runs hot! They came in around the same price too. Would I like to go 24/96 at some point? Yeah, but this converter will still come in handy for things.