Lynx Aurora vs Rosetta 800

[dreamsongs]

I think I'm going to go for it...

I just re-did my whole studio 2 months ago with high-end gear, pre's, comps, effects, new PC, dual SX3, monitors, all mogami cables etc.. BUT... no quality conversion !

I have a pretty good front end as well as effects:
737, GR MP 2NV, MP20, 2 Distressors, Eventide H8000, ASP 8 Monitors all running thru a Tascam FW1884 on SX3 w/dual monitors.

The converters on the 1884 probably aren't the best but not the worst either.

The questions I have are:

1) Will there be any benefit in investing in a Rosetta 800 or a Lynx 8 and... how much improvement will I notice ?

2) How much difference between these 2 units ? The Rosetta runs $750 more, are the converters that much better than the Lynx ?

Thank in advanced for the replies...

[Matt Hepworth]

Here you go.

http://mercenary.com/lystau8andau.html


And will there be a benefit? BIG!

[dreamsongs]

Thanks Glitch..

I just read it, it doesn't tell me much. They're both good units but I need to know more about these units and the 1st question.....

[kats]

Big means big man. It means your cymbals sound like cymbals and not broken glass. It means your bottom isn't jello and your mixes are richer and less veiled.


TBH, I was a bit of a skeptic but I am completely converted (excuse the pun). IMO the converter you use is everything. You can have kick ass everything else, but your only as good as your conversion. Think of it this way, what would the point of U47's and the sluttiest console getting mixed down onto crappy tape in a misaligned tape deck?

[dreamsongs]

Thanks Kats,

I've always agreed that a good converter will improve your sound. My question was more along the lines of "how much better"?

From what I've been hearing so far is that "it makes a big difference". If I'm spending 2.7k on a Rosetta then that's what I want to hear... But you know, there's always that fear when you buy an expensive piece of gear that after you fire it up, you go....hmmmmm... not as great as I thought !

I have a pretty good ear since I've been making music for 25 years, but many other guys here have racks ans racks of high end stuff and maybe they can pick up a slight increase in audio quality. What I'm saying is that if it comes to that minimal increase, I might miss it, then again who knows, I might notice it...

I guess I just want to be sure before I spend that kind of dough...

[DivineMusic]

i had a chance to a/b them..
the aurora 8 vs a rosetta 800/192

imo the imaging was slightly wider with the aurora, but the overall sound was better "FOR ME" though the rosetta. i also like the rosetta for the firewire card and i can use it as a direct iterface with nuendo vs keeping my 002R and going though litepipe.

right now i have the soundscape/apogee converter. the i/o896
http://www.sydec.be/Products/Details...gee+I%2fO+896/

this box was a huge difference in sound vs my 002R... the rosetta sounds even better.
solid lows, warm mids, smooth hi end... seeing that the 192 version just dropped to 2699... its well worth it. if you wanna save some money but still have a great sound get the aurora... its not like its a bad converter.. better than most

[dreamsongs]

Hey Divine,

I was reading thru earlier posts about monitoring thru R800... couldn't find enough info on this...

I have SX3 and fw1884 controller, how would you set up the monitoring thru the Rosetta ?

[Jeff16years]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

Thanks Kats,

I've always agreed that a good converter will improve your sound. My question was more along the lines of "how much better"?

From what I've been hearing so far is that "it makes a big difference". If I'm spending 2.7k on a Rosetta then that's what I want to hear... But you know, there's always that fear when you buy an expensive piece of gear that after you fire it up, you go....hmmmmm... not as great as I thought !

I have a pretty good ear since I've been making music for 25 years, but many other guys here have racks ans racks of high end stuff and maybe they can pick up a slight increase in audio quality. What I'm saying is that if it comes to that minimal increase, I might miss it, then again who knows, I might notice it...

I guess I just want to be sure before I spend that kind of dough...

it's a huge difference. I have a rosetta 200 and love it.
But now I need a Big Ben (and an 800)

[dreamsongs]

Is there truly a huge difference or are you guys just being slutty....

[Jeff16years]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

Is there truly a huge difference or are you guys just being slutty....

YES, THERE IS TRULY A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!

don't make me get your credit card number and order it for you myself!

everyone on here will tell you, just give it a few more minutes.....


good luck
-jeff

[dreamsongs]

I will patiently wait with credit card in hand...

[dolo]

i had the apogee rosetta 800 and sold it to buy a lynx aurora 16.

they have two very distinc sounds. the lynx has a flatter more even sound.

the rosetta had a fabby bottom and a noticiable low mid boast that most people like. i didn't.

i bought a big ben for my rosetta and it made all the difference in the world. the highs became a little more extended amd the lows became tighter. i liked it better this way.

so if you're going to get a rosetta, then you might want to get the big ben with it or just get the ad16x and the da16x.

i think the lynx has a better stereo field and a smoother, flatter response from top to bottom than the rosetta 800.

with that said, i'm planning to buy the apogee ad16x and the da16x to go along with my two lynx aurora 16s just to have a options.

now that's what you call slutty!

[dreamsongs]

But that's over 6k for those 2 units isn't it...?

I'm barely scraping for the 2.7k for the Rosetta. What are you trying to do to me...get me kicked out of my place?

[dolo]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

But that's over 6k for those 2 units isn't it...?

I'm barely scraping for the 2.7k for the Rosetta. What are you trying to do to me...get me kicked out of my place?

just my experience.

what are you looking for?

smooth freq from top to bottom with a better stereo field? thenget the lynx.

noticeable low mid punch? then get the apogge

tight bottom with low mid punch? then apogee with big ben.

i haven't tried the lynx aurora with the big ben so i can't speak about this set up.

[Mind-Over-Midi]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

But that's over 6k for those 2 units isn't it...?

I'm barely scraping for the 2.7k for the Rosetta. What are you trying to do to me...get me kicked out of my place?

I have an Rosetta 800 and like it a lot. If money is an issue, don't feel bad, you definitely won't be "barely scraping" sound wise with a Rosetta 800.

[dreamsongs]

Funny thing is...why do I have to choose ?

I want all those things for 2.7k.. Defined lows, clear mid lows, warm and smooth high end and good stereo field...

There's gotta be one unit out there that can sound like that without sacrificing other things.... I'm hoping that if I choose one over the other I won't notice that much those things you mentioned between the two ?

[dolo]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

Funny thing is...why do I have to choose ?

I want all those things for 2.7k.. Defined lows, clear mid lows, warm and smooth high end and good stereo field...

There's gotta be one unit out there that can sound like that without sacrificing other things.... I'm hoping that if I choose one over the other I won't notice that much those things you mentioned between the two ?

i think the aurora 16 is what your're looking for. it has everything you said. the mid lows are very clean it just not an addition boast like the apogge. the high edn is extended an clear and has god low end. i love mine that's why i have two of them.

the apogee has a sound! that's the deffernce. the aurora is kinda what you put in is what you get out. that's what i likw moat of the time in convertors.

[dreamsongs]

Do you guys monitor out of those units... ?

Mind,
How do you control volume with the Rosetta, if you monitor ?

[RainbowStorm]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

1) Will there be any benefit in investing in a Rosetta 800 or a Lynx 8 and... how much improvement will I notice ?

2) How much difference between these 2 units ? The Rosetta runs $750 more, are the converters that much better than the Lynx ?

You have at least three options:

1) Buy any of them, one at a time until you are satisfied

2) Try all of them and buy the one you are most satisfied with

3) Try all of them and buy the one you are most satisfied with if you think it will improve your sound a lot.

I personnally recommend the third option. If that's not an option for you I recommend that you contact two quality sources that have tried them both, one that has chosen the Rosetta and one that has chosen the Lynx. Ask why they made that decision and do the same decision yourself if it matches what you are looking for.

I personnally think the Rosetta is a better choice, mostly because the engineers at Sound Kitchen - Nashville have decided to upgrade Studio A with a such converter after the Apogee AD1000 they had earlier. These guys are among the best decision makers in Nashville...!

I think Chad Clarke at Sound Kitchen will answer your e-mail, I have personally received answers from him before, good people there...

[dreamsongs]

Thanks Tony,

I might just do that or.... just say the hell with it and chose one. All along I was leaning towards the Apogee until the Lynx folks put doubt in my head. But I still appreciate all the help and the comments. That's what makes it interesting and hopefully at the end, I will make an educated decision.

[kats]

From what I've been hearing so far is that "it makes a big difference". If I'm spending 2.7k on a Rosetta then that's what I want to hear... But you know, there's always that fear when you buy an expensive piece of gear that after you fire it up, you go....hmmmmm... not as great as I thought !

Here's the deal - the HUGE difference is this: The Apogee makes digital recording tolerable. Whereas otherwise, I couldn't listen to the mixes. How far is the line from shit to tolerable for you? I dunno could be 1 inch, in which case the difference isn't HUGE - but it makes all the difference in the world. Get what I'm saying?

PS re: the Rosetta - what's up with the low end...is it fake or what? My mixes don't seem to be as "meaty" when I'm recording them - but they certainly are on playback!I like it, but it's bugging me.....

[Doublehelix]

I also have the Aurora-16, and love it to death. I have not used the Apogee, so no comparison, sorry, but to address the "buyers remorse" issue:]

I went from a Motu 24 i/o to the Aurora, and it took me several weeks to get my custom cables made and delivered. (I needed very long AES cables to go from my racks to the computer)

The cables finally showed up, but they were the wrong ones...Grrrr!!! They had to go back, and new cables made. Took forever.

During that time, the Aurora and my AES-16 card were just sitting there collecting dust... all US$3,700 of them. I started wondering if it was really worth it as the excitment was wearing off. I started to think that the Motus were just fine, and I could really use that money elsewhere...

Thankfully, I resisted sending them back, becuase when the cables finally arrived and I installed the Aurora and the AES-16 card, I was just floored by the difference. It was like night and day!!! I was ready to say that the difference was not that great, and was already thinking about what I could spend the money on instead...UNTIL I heard these things! Wow! It is money well-spent, and is not subtle.

Get the better converters (Lynx or Apogee), you will notice a HUGE difference!

BTW...the Lynx support is second to none...guaranteed! They are an great company to deal with. They will get my money every time just due to that!

Paul is the man!

[max cooper]

Yeah, as owner of a Rosetta 800, I gotta say that it was a necessary expense for any kind of serious recording.

Good converters get you to zero; before that you're not yet at zero.

[dreamsongs]

OK, THAT'S IT !!!

I think I'm convinced. Is Mercenary open on Saturdays, anybody there I can talk to...

If I don't get one right now I won't be able to sleep tonight...

[RainbowStorm]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

OK, THAT'S IT !!!

I think I'm convinced. Is Mercenary open on Saturdays, anybody there I can talk to...

If I don't get one right now I won't be able to sleep tonight...

Hehe, cool! Go for it!!!

[RainbowStorm]

Originally Posted by Doublehelix

I also have the Aurora-16, and love it to death. I have not used the Apogee, so no comparison, sorry, but to address the "buyers remorse" issue:]

I went from a Motu 24 i/o to the Aurora, and it took me several weeks to get my custom cables made and delivered. (I needed very long AES cables to go from my racks to the computer)

The cables finally showed up, but they were the wrong ones...Grrrr!!! They had to go back, and new cables made. Took forever.

During that time, the Aurora and my AES-16 card were just sitting there collecting dust... all US$3,700 of them. I started wondering if it was really worth it as the excitment was wearing off. I started to think that the Motus were just fine, and I could really use that money elsewhere...

Thankfully, I resisted sending them back, becuase when the cables finally arrived and I installed the Aurora and the AES-16 card, I was just floored by the difference. It was like night and day!!! I was ready to say that the difference was not that great, and was already thinking about what I could spend the money on instead...UNTIL I heard these things! Wow! It is money well-spent, and is not subtle.

Get the better converters (Lynx or Apogee), you will notice a HUGE difference!

BTW...the Lynx support is second to none...guaranteed! They are an great company to deal with. They will get my money every time just due to that!

Paul is the man!

I think many of use would appreciate A/B clips so that we can hear/experience the difference before we buy it. Anyone with clips, please post us and show what a "huge difference" sounds like!!

[AB3]

I have an Aurora 16. It even sounds better with my Isochrone clock. I also have a Lavry Blue. I cannot say that one is better than the other (When the isochrone clock is used with the Aurora). Just a little different. I think for multitracks, the Aurora 16 is awesome (especially with the Isochrone - and I assume Big Ben as well - as Fletcher notes on his review). I have not read Fletcher's review in a while but it seemed that he did not think that with the Big Ben, that the Aurora and Apogee were far apart. But maybe Fletcher will comment on that.

The Lynx folks are great people and accessible and go out of their way to please their customers. I do not know if the same can be said of apogee. My guess some of the money on apogee goes to the name and marketing expenses.

I should also mention that I record on one computer at 96K with the Aurora and then mixdown to another computer using the Lavry. Now is anyone saying that the Aurora at 96k is significantly inferor to the Apogee at 96K? I would find that hard to believe.

[RainbowStorm]

Originally Posted by kats

Here's the deal - the HUGE difference is this: The Apogee makes digital recording tolerable. Whereas otherwise, I couldn't listen to the mixes. How far is the line from shit to tolerable for you? I dunno could be 1 inch, in which case the difference isn't HUGE - but it makes all the difference in the world. Get what I'm saying?

PS re: the Rosetta - what's up with the low end...is it fake or what? My mixes don't seem to be as "meaty" when I'm recording them - but they certainly are on playback!I like it, but it's bugging me.....

This caused the laugh of the day for me! Great reply, the line could be 1,5 inch for me...

BTW, do you think the Apogee is tolerable for ITB mixing too and not only for OTB?

[RainbowStorm]

Originally Posted by AB3

I have an Aurora 16. It even sounds better with my Isochrone clock. I also have a Lavry Blue. I cannot say that one is better than the other (When the isochrone clock is used with the Aurora). Just a little different. I think for multitracks, the Aurora 16 is awesome (especially with the Isochrone - and I assume Big Ben as well - as Fletcher notes on his review). I have not read Fletcher's review in a while but it seemed that he did not think that with the Big Ben, that the Aurora and Apogee were far apart. But maybe Fletcher will comment on that.

The Lynx folks are great people and accessible and go out of their way to please their customers. I do not know if the same can be said of apogee. My guess some of the money on apogee goes to the name and marketing expenses.

I should also mention that I record on one computer at 96K with the Aurora and then mixdown to another computer using the Lavry. Now is anyone saying that the Aurora at 96k is significantly inferor to the Apogee at 96K? I would find that hard to believe.

Do you have any sound clips with comparisons? It would be fun to hear this difference that everybody are talking about...

[RainbowStorm]

Originally Posted by max cooper

Good converters get you to zero; before that you're not yet at zero.

What do you mean by that, that it's totally transparent? So you explain the added sound quality as preventing monitoring problems and signal over consumption?

How big is the difference? Do you maybe have any comparisons to post so that we can experience this difference?