I do trust you. I agree. And I also agree to ask: please someone else chime in here if there is more to this mystery.. BTW, seriously, who did invent 32bf ?


Ok, I started off decades ago with the Apogee Rosetta (my first converter !)and then later advanced to the 16X's. These are the absolute penuchle for Apogee. I stand behind these. This could be a extremely long story, so I'll keep it simple, and I know I'll get flack here, lol but - Once the 16X's support was dwindling, and I was expanding I did a extremely involved converter test. The right way, blah blah blah - Summary of it all - I ended up with a JCF Latte for Stereo tracking at times when I want that flav and 6 Prism ADA-8XR's for my multiple channel mixing/recording because these hands down sounded the best between all colleagues double blind testing. (and Lavry, Weiss, Apogee, Apollo, and a few more were involved.)

The point to the Apogee statement was this - During that test I involved my old Rosetta and 16X's too along with their new line up (Essemble/Symphony, etc..). First off, their newer line up sound like cardboard across the board. The older units ended up placing above them. The newer Apogees literally ranked bottom of the list in the blind testing. My thoughts are, Apogee fell off, they completely suck now. Sound literally like the recording is on cardboard to me. Hey Prism did too as their newer units (Orpheus, etc.. at that time) sounded good, but no where near as good as the ADA-8XR's.

FYI, The 16X's sounded great. They really do. Just not the best. Apogee now are like kids toys, built for kids. Look like kids marketing, sound even worse. etc.. I nicknamed them Crappy Appy Gee's hence the statement, but I forgot y'all won't get my inside joke ! lol

I know I know bro... tell them every time. I swear its what I said, cause most the time it is vocals and I think (just my theory) they are embarrassed about something and they fix it. You know how vocalists are, its like, "no one can hear my voice like this, I only send out my voice fixed up a little".

I even tell them the situation (exactly what I am telling you guys) and say don't worry, it will be higher quality in the end to NOT process anything with your stuff, leave all that to me, I don't judge. Don't worry. But it still happens.

But it still happens. See unfortunately when working for money (not my own stuff), I have to deal with unprofessionals. They have their rule of thumbs, etc.. and not everyone listens. I admit a lot do, but not them all. (Do you ever work on Soundbetter?) Thats where it happens the most.

Ahhh, yes sir I see your point now and I do that as well. People lose credibility once they are wrong about something. So I see your point.

I want to comfort you though, my statement about sample rates is entirely different than this mystical 32bf thing. I have spent years testing, proving to others within my testing and I also understand it 100% better than the unicorn of 32bf. lol So trust. That one I got.

Also I want to reiterate its not about telling people higher sample rates are better, I just threw that in on the side cause that's my character, lol The real thing/point was/ is like you said, informing us all higher res downloads are offered now and to me that's super cool, because the outlets like iTunes, etc. beforehand weren't even at a 16bit 44.1 level, so the point isn't about that verses higher formats. Its about the crappy mp3 offerings getting better and I think that's a awesome step. And I'd like to spread the word for us all to support it. I'm buying songs now I don't even want just to get the numbers high ! Please everyone do the same is all I am saying. Lets change the world !

About the actual endless meaningless debate of sample rates though - and what this thread is not about nor did I mean it to be, I think I got people riled up over something I did not mean to be a focus - That said I want to say this and be done with that part of the subject. I will admit others might not find important about what I find important (smoothness of delivery timing and plugin reverb tails) about 96k sessions over lower SR sessions, and that's why the debate can be. I get that and I am not trying to change anyones mind. But there can be/should be no debate amongst intelligent people saying that a 96k session doesn't have PROS and cons from 48/44.1k sessions. (everyone just thinks there is the con)

There are pros, that's no opinion, that's fact. Whether your into that difference is a opinion and whether you can even feel/hear that difference I speak of(and no its not high frequencies or any frequency for that matter) is another monkey wrench. I would just like to state that.

You did understand me correctly. And from what PM said too I know you guys are against it, but it is possible even though I misunderstood 32bf to a extent, that one part of 32bf is indeed helping me in some of my particular workflows and I shall remain to use it then.

Its like a safety net.

Well, it's just maths, so I'm not sure if you "invent" or "discover" it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single...g-point_format


Right. I have to say, in the "real world" I never see people sweating about their conversion like I do on here...we just get on with it!

I wouldn't deny Prism etc are amazing - however, you spend a LOT of money to get something a little bit better.

Modern Apogees are great. I don't know what your issue is, but the biggest studio in the world recently ($5m, completed a couple of years ago) chose to equip all their rooms with Symphony IIs. I regularly use an original Symphony, as well as the Ensemble TB in our writing room. They don't sound like "cardboard"; no converter sounds like "cardboard". It's small differences, not "night and day"; and the newer converters are great boxes.

I've used the 16X too, as well as the original AD8000s. They're all good. If they all ranked badly in your test, something was off - it's as simple as that.

I don't love sites like Soundbetter. Lots of people desperate for work, trying to one up each other at cheaper and cheaper prices. like Fivrr Pro. I don't need the work, so I don't have anything to do with it.

But it's kind of what you're doing here - you're entrenched and arguing your position for something being "better" without actually understanding why.

WHAT is like a safety net? WHAT exactly benefit are you getting? You've COMPLETELY misunderstood what 32b fp storage is (not to an extent - it doesn't do ANYTHING of what you thought it did), so how is it helping you? what part of your misunderstanding are you still clinging to?!

Right. Invent might be bad word. Everything in this universe is math, even things that someone thinks are not math, are math in areas they do not recognize. Math is literally everything.

But, it takes someone to implement that math into something like this, (formula to something useful) and then after that, implement that useful thing into a device to harness the usefulness. So I was curious who was responsible for taking the formula and implementing it into something like we now see. Obviously it happened one day or Conversion would have been born from day one with 32bf. So "implementation" happened somewhere. Who is that masked man ? LOL




Yea, I definitely know where you are coming from. I been over this a trillion times with folks. Yes bro, you just met a overly picky person. I get teased all the time by my friends. Just who I am. And I love the results being picky about life gets me. Picky about health, foods I eat, exercise, quality of products I buy, OVERLY picky about looks and women I date, and extremely picky about the things I decide to claim my passion. Its just me man. Go ahead and make fun of me for it, I get it all the time from my slacker friends. lol So I am used to it.

Anyway that said. Prism is not much more if you think about dollar per channel. Its less than the JCF Latte or Antelope Eclipse I got.

You are right, honestly its always small differences, not night and day, BUT that small difference was *going in a direction* of "cardboard" is the way I should have worded it. There were others there too, double blind testing so we couldn't influence each other in anyway. Our results were not 100% equal or identical, but everyone did rank the Symphony and Ensemble lowest. All with the same feeling. Loss of depth. It was a colleague of mine that coined the "cardboard" phrase because of that. I am actually stealing his word, cause it was the best way to describe the inferiority. (even if small like you did point out).

There was nothing wrong with the test, we are pretty meticulous when making tests, variable free, totally fair, etc.. - modern Apogee just aint as good as you think. Blind test it all day against either of them 3 pieces I mentioned above, you'll see.

Apollo was better, even old 16X Apogee AND Rosetta was better. I was truly as surprised as you sound you are too. Trust me. Cause my goal was to buy them ! I came from Apogee. I wanted to buy the new Apogees. Tried to make excuses to buy them. But in my gut I wanted to make sure from testing. Ran the tests and tried to deny it for a while. Then I thought... man, I spent a lot on these tests - time and money.. So shouldn't I let the test do what its suppose to for me, and I should buy the winner. (which was the ADA-8XR). So I did. A year or so later after saving some money back up I then went and got the JCF Latte and Antelope Eclipse too cause they ranked highest in a few instruments, but not overall. So they were like the "runners up" in a sense.

I will say this, this was so many years ago that it was the first editions of the Symphony and Ensemble. So if they got better, maybe I am off base for my remark. But just the way Apogee starting looking, and releasing stuff, bad taste in my mouth. They went the Toys R Us route. Making kids toys is the vibe and energy I feel. The company just isn't the same. Several people left, replaced by marketing tactics types, etc.. I don't think they make things as good as they used to, plain and simple.

I'm tripping out right now how your not freaking out over me more for saying Lavry Gold and Weiss was in the test and didn't win. haha. They didn't dude. To me both them units sound great, BUT they change the audio to sound great. Lavry kinda hypes the low mid. Sounds swollen/thicker compared to source. Weiss has a roll off up top somewhere (people mistake this for "warmth") Now this might be exactly why some would like it. But I am not into *conversion* that hype in or scoop out. I liked the ADA-8XR because nothing changed frequency wise. Nothing at all changed except it somehow did something to the source that made it sound more honest ? Lack of better word ? IDK ? And whatever that is, is undeniable amongst 4 colleagues. I tried (not in the test though) several other known "vanilla" converters, and Prism has something beyond Vanilla, its like Vanilla in the right parts, but gives you a better translation of your source than any other converter I've heard, so its not vanilla there, you HEAR that deeper more honest translation. Just a very nice converter and it does D to D on a per channel basis simultaneously, different sample rates per channel simultaneously if wanted, and DSD if wanted AND its 16 channel modular using all XLR, which is very important to me (not a DB25 fan and try to avoid it when possible). So IMO for the price, that aint bad.

To me, just to be honest and blunt, I don't care what 30mil dollar places do, most of the bigger pro places/industries make decisions based on bang for buck and not totality. Which I understand, so I am not bashing them. My point is using them as examples doesn't make any point to me that the conversion they chose is best.. All it means to me is I would not record there. lol

I really don't follow "big box store" mottos. I'm more: the few, narrow path, boutiquey, esentric type. But even more important than that, I use testing to make my decisions. I feel its the most fair to me personally if it me that will be using it. Know what I mean ?

Totally feel you. I am the same way. I turn work down all the time if I don't get minimally my $60 hr. So I am 100% on your side on this one. And frankly I don't even like to work with or for people anyway. Takes me away from my personal projects... so again, I feel ya. Isn't that something I said in the beginning of the thread ? I hate working for price match clowns. I won't do it.

But I just accidentally I guess came across a few that will make it worth my while and I've been helping them out on SB,... so I'm ok with it. Gotta weed through the BS there. And some cool folks eventually come across it.

Also, I sub-contract from SB sometimes too, so I am the buyer in those cases ! All in all, my experiences have been ok there and you know how picky I am.

In all these instances, I've seen files passed to me that have the ol' classic plugin push accidentally pass the 0.0db realm.


I thought we just cleared this up ? lol You even confirmed it. Please let me know if this was also misunderstood. If a track has a plugin (or multiple plugin chain) process on that track and the processing you do raises the *tracks* volume enough past the 0.0db, and that track gets exported/bounced with said processing on it, if both sessions had been in/are in 32bf, then that track/file is still ok. Technically never clipped.

If this is true, then I like that safety net is what I am saying. Especially for the unnoticeable cons recording at 32bf gives me.

Now, if this isn't the case - lol Then damn, I misunderstood you and Matt yet again ! haha and please let me know.

No idea. Probably some faceless programmer...I don't know what the first DAW to incorporate a floating point summing engine was.



It's not really to do with being picky - we're ALL picky - it's to do with if the conclusions you draw are correct!

Prism is currently $10.5k on vintage king for 8 channels. the equivalent Avid HDIO is $4.5k at sweetwater for 16 channels, plus a whole load of other functions and integrated support.

Yep, the Prisms are far more expensive, pound for pound...and some have even preferred the HDIOs!

you're entitled to your opinion. I just don't agree Although I'm not surprised the Prism was the winner!

Again, don't agree, but that's up to you!

I can understand that. Lavry Gold is a mastering capture converter - it's not even designed for tracking, too high latency...I have no interest in converters that attempt to "add" something to the sound...and plus mixing ITB means I don't *need* a capture converter.

db25s make a LOT of sense when interfacing with a patch bay, but to each their own.

My point is that they did the same sort of shootouts you did and came to a different conclusion.

I really don't follow "big box store" mottos. I'm more: the few, narrow path, boutiquey, esentric type. But even more important than that, I use testing to make my decisions. I feel its the most fair to me personally if it me that will be using it. Know what I mean ?

Right. I'd personally be more worried about what ELSE they're screwing up, and if they're not able to follow the simple request of "turn off all processing before exporting", then they're possibly not going to be able to select the correct bit depth either.

You are right - if someone is competent enough to choose the bit depth you request, but not so competent to be able to follow other basic instructions, AND has the habit of turning things up so they clip...you could be saving yourself.

I'd personally just re-request non-clipped, unprocessed files.....simpler all round!

lol Very true. But the word "correct" is ok to use when dealing with some debate with lets say the 32bf we just went through. But its very hard to use (if not even not proper) when dealing with art/sound opinions.


I guess I forgot to mention I feel the new Prisms are not as good as the old ADA-8XR. Since you were comparing 8 channels, I was thinking maybe you were comparing a newer device ? In that case I'd agree.

I got 5 ADA-8XR's for the 80 outs I need (and the In's I need to). I paid approx $5,600 max for each one. Some even cheaper, each came with 16ch. 3 of them I got from my boy Ryan at Vintage King. Most came with I/O config I didn't want, but I sold the ones I didn't need and copped the ones I did. I needed to buy 7 total over time to pull this off then sell the 2 other chassis with the unneeded cards. I know of no other converter with the same quality that hooks directly to HDX with the quality it has AND has so easily swappable I/O which allows me to only need 5 units to cover both In's I need and 80 Outs. (cause I never need 80 Outs while simultaneously needing my In's. When I need IN's then I only need 2 OUTS, when I need the 80 OUTS [for mix] I do not need any IN's). So I do a swapping trick for mix time). Its so simple the way they designed it. It a very fast easy swap. Oh and I calculated it all out and nothing was going to give me the combination of quality nor the price point per channel while hooking directly up to HDX AND being a good channel swappable design (which is what caused for only needing 5 units to cover it.)

I absolutely despise Madi or DB25 protocol/cable connector for analog paths (they are fine for digital) but will never use them for analog, so those units were out. (plus remember the quality opinion I have, that comes first). Bottom line, Prism was best bet for me (or IMO anyone using HDX that needs the highest quality of multiple channels beyond 8+).

Agreed, I love the space they save (which is also the ONLY reason companies like to use them too) - But I have a pretty involved patch-bay for all my set up and the cable guy I use (ha, cable guy, no not Jim Carrey, LOL) that custom makes most of LA's big studio patch bays and much more famous ones worldwide back in the 80's can make them all just fine with no DB25. They do make sense for space, but IMO not for quality in analog paths (again, just my opinion, don't really wanna open this debate). He also doesn't like the originally designed Printer connector for analog either. Again, just opinions. Though he had actual technical good points why he feels they are inferior for analog.

Also the Mogami cable I use (again, tested in blind testing and felt sounded best, even better than some $400 cables ! lol no joke) 3173 is hard to fit in them little connectors anyway. But can be done, I got several for my digital side. Thats mostly DB25.



I just thought with those quality names and reputations that there was no "attempt" to add anything. I know Dan and Dan (lol) are smarter than that. If it was, then I lost respect. What I was thinking was it was inadvertent part of the design/path ? IDK. But yes +1 I agree with you.


Do you think they really did run shootouts ? Now a days that's not common practice for a large place. They say they do, but what drives the decision is the deal Apogee gives them for the advertisement. (I bet).

Then they tell you they test to make their customers feel better and also probably part of the deal Apogee wanted to help validate the new products some more.

That said, being just my opinion of big business practice, maybe they did as you said. And if so it goes to show you how opinions are. And I support that. OR they simply didn't have a ADA-8XR in the test. LOL Which I bet is the case, its old, unsupported soon, etc.. Plus tracking down used ones like I did wouldn't be part of their wisest practice just for higher quality.

So just personally, I still don't think their opinions are any better or wiser than mine, for me. Maybe for them.


+1,000 !!

Your right and I do request that always. They fix the prob next time, surely. But it still happens sometimes here and there. Anyway good to know we cleared this up. I admit what I think is a good safety net might not be worth it for others. But I am glad we both see my minuscule and avoidable point. lol - So we can leave it at that.

The other thing that's makes me feel more comfortable about it is this - I also back all my sessions up 2 different ways. 1 is the normal manually backing up the session as its entire session folder, etc.. But the other is a 10,000+ year to infinity future proof back up - I bounce every track down as a linear .wav file with all plugins/processing, etc.. So the song could be opened and sound the same (for the most part) even if one day Pro Tools/Daws as we know them now is no more. But .wav playback will last forever.

So to have those files with the 32bf storage applied to them might one day pay off for reasons I/we may not be thinking about now... Just some added insurance. Anything - just throwing this out there as one small example, but if some new invention comes out decades from now and it can do something we are not thinking about now (so lets just not bother to debate it cause its something our brains can not wrap around currently) to your old files IF and only IF those files are 32bf. Something along those lines.

Why not do it then (for me personally). Future proof, plus my immediate benefits which are admittedly small and avoidable.

True. "your conclusion is the only correct one" perhaps then?

I'm talking about whatever's currently for sale - but holds true for the older ones too. They're massively more expensive new than the equivalent Avid interfaces, and whilst one might argue they're "better", you pay a lot more for a little bit better. If money is no object, I suppose that's ok!

Well, no-one could accuse you of not putting your money where your mouth is!

Obviously the Avids do 80 full io in 5 units too.....

Sonically, I'm not sure there's an argument to make there - it's just wires, made correctly there's nothing really any different between that and point to point wiring - but reliability wise, especially if you're moving things around you may have a point.

Agreed, I love the space they save (which is also the ONLY reason companies like to use them too) - But I have a pretty involved patch-bay for all my set up and the cable guy I use (ha, cable guy, no not Jim Carrey, LOL) that custom makes most of LA's big studio patch bays and much more famous ones worldwide back in the 80's can make them all just fine with no DB25. They do make sense for space, but IMO not for quality in analog paths (again, just my opinion, don't really wanna open this debate). He also doesn't like the originally designed Printer connector for analog either. Again, just opinions. Though he had actual technical good points why he feels they are inferior for analog.

Also the Mogami cable I use (again, tested in blind testing and felt sounded best, even better than some $400 cables ! lol no joke) 3173 is hard to fit in them little connectors anyway. But can be done, I got several for my digital side. Thats mostly DB25.



Err - I wouldn't go speculating about things I don't know! Besides, I don't think ANY studio is "big business". They're all still small businesses really.

I didn't say they were. I just said it's far from a universal thought that modern apogees "sound like cardboard".


There's a massive disconnect here - you're mixing on an 80io prism rig and dealing with amateurs....?!

That's fair enough - although see comment above re amateurs, is this really projects that are going to need that? I print stems for everything, and very detailed stems too - not every track, but minimal groups - so I figure on the offchance one of my lesser products gets the remix treatment 40 years from now, I'm probably covered...

PS - so for every project, which might be 80 channels, you print a stem through your console (assume you're using a console or summing amp with 80ins?!)? How long does that take?!

Again - only if you've clipped the stems at the mix point I suppose. Otherwise its 24b files with a bunch of 00s padding it out.

A 24b file that hasn't been clipped can ALWAYS be converted to a 32b float file at some point in the future - whatever mystical processes might be invented. After all - that's how you created your 32b files in the first place - you captured your stem through your 24bit converter and stored it as a 32b file.

So (again, assuming no f-ups - and I'm assuming if you're invested enough to run 80 channels of prism, you're a bit above an amateur!) you're really NOT future proofing yourself any more than storing at the same sample rate/24bit. Sorry!

I suppose a more sensible thing to do would be to capture all mix passes at 24/96 to a separate, synced up rig. That WOULD be more future proofed. But that's more expensive still!

Not mine per se. But the listener. So this applies to us all. So for you and your choices, studio, mixes, etc.. your opinion on sonics should be the correct one for you. I really hope I did not come across as if my opinion was the right one for everyone.

That said, when someone hears something differently than I do, I really like to investigate to see what I might be not pin-pointing on. (this is why I even had that test). Hopefully others do that as well, instead of just saying I'm crazy if I make a claim about something I heard. Test it out now focusing on what I said I heard and see if you then hear something to back my opinions, etc.. I do that for others.

LOL, yea and it hurt when I did it too. lol But you always snap back.

The Avid interfaces, you are right, they do (and have done) equivalent I/O possibilities. Another long story there, but if I went Avid, I'd only ever go with the MTRX. But that thing had a couple low level strikes against it for me (even though it is a AWESOME piece). (no XLR, etc..) nothing that important.

Man - for now, sticking with what I got as far as conversion. But I was on the fence about it, so those MTRX's are good pieces for sure. I bet the fluidity that it works with PT is just amazing and zero latency. Definitely would like it for that.

Very true. Just 5mil is indeed a lot to do in one swoop. I'd say they have investors for sure, which puts them in a category of possibly (just possibly) doing as I said for reasons I said.

But, very possibly not as well.



Yea, I don't see the disconnect. I will work with anyone that doesn't haggle my prices and whom I like their energy. (those two are a must). And just so has it, some of these folks are great in every aspect except that pseudo clipping one. lol

You know, one of my biggest clients whom I will not mention names, but one of the huge video game companies, are the worse to deal with. These "amateurs" are actually pleasant, creative. etc... As long as someone just pays without the price match Joe blow down the block thing, I am happy with them. I've narrowed down to only those types in my life.



I rarely, if ever use all 80 channels. Which is why I have 80, cause I want more than I usually use. That said, the usual session IDK, tops off at around anywhere between 50-70 channels for me and my style/approach. Of course pending on genre, artist, etc.. I swear I could easily get by on 64. So the 80 is for the overkill comfort zone. (for me).

So you caught me cutting a corner dude !! lol what I say to never do. haha. But let me explain - The way I do them linear wav file back ups is more like if you got the old Tapes from a old song. I bounce/export the tracks all ITB with all ITB processing/plugs embedded in them. This is a very adequate back up IMO, but the person *will indeed have to mix it through a console again* to get the exact flav. But all my automation is done ITB, I use the console and outboard gear in a good way that you can tell/hear, but due to my exact approach, you will get about 90% of the mix from my ITB exports. I of course take detailed notes and instructions and save them in the wav file folder of all outboard and console settings. But if this is ever gonna happen, they would use a different approach IMO anyway. So starting with my ITB files might even be preferred.

Anyway, because if I didn't do it that way, the backup process could be a nightmare long time. And maybe not what you really want in the end. Better to start a step back, to maybe use a different console, stay ITB, use different outboard, etc..

I'd say doing it this way on average it takes me around 3-5hrs to completely back up each of my songs. Pending on track count and song length and other details/issues popping up.

(P.S. My recording/tracking approach also has a lot (about 80%) of the outboard used printed in the session. Its just how I do it. So the backup files get that too ! But obviously has zero of the final console pass)

If I did it the way you were saying (which I admit is really the best way to mimic it exactly) my god, IDK, might take a full day to back up ? LOL Seriously.


You know, you bring up a excellent point here. Didn't think of that. A 24b file can always be converted to 32bf if that weird reason ever approached us. I know why I didn't think of that before, its because I thought 32bf was more than what it is (something happening to it also within the DAW).

Anyway man, very good point !

And your last point/idea is spot on. That'd be dope ! I do have 2 rigs. But the 2nd one wouldn't be suffice for that exact task quite yet. (I/O inferiorities, conversion, patch bay not set up for that, etc..) But that would be ideal ! I don't think they would need to be sync'ed. cause one is just capturing linear files. So in theory, tempo, time, means nothing to it.

I tell you though, I'm a pretty picky dude, and I feel fine with the ITB file backups. It is really a good starting point for a new mix IMO. Almost preferred. It would be easy to match the original exactly with a little work if you wanted that, or go in a another direction (to improve it). Etc..

I've never seen an MTRX in the flesh - they don't seem that common in studios at all! The latency isn't likely to be that different to any of the HDX interfaces though - you obviously never get "zero" latency with digital.

The advantages of an all avid system are proper io latency compensation, and support - you won't get proper support for your system if you were to have a detailed tech issue, since you're on 3rd party conversion. That may matter, hopefully it won't!

No investors save the owner - you'd have heard of him

Maybe I'm doing you a disservice there then - it just seems a little odd to have this massively high end gear and not be dealing with higher end clients, if not only because they're the ones who pay without haggling! but I suppose it depends...



Right

OK that makes sense - and yes I'd do the same if I felt I needed to, I just think the chances of needing to recall that indie EP I did 5 years ago is unlikely most of the time! and I'll keep detailed stems that would do for most purposes anyway.

I've had to deal with a few issues at majors from previous bad archiving efforts though and that's enough to make me want to do things at least slightly correctly!

Still - 3-5hrs for proper backup, I hope you're charging!

Exactly you're getting it!

God that MTRX I truly stand behind. (and I haven't even heard it yet ! lol) And again, if you calculate it out, per channel, what you get... Not really that expensive. Its there with my Prism's. Which I deemed a better deal than people think once numbers are crunched.

I heard the latency is truly the best with that MTRX, yes. And you are 100% right about latency and Avid interfaces, that's what always drew me towards them, but to me the quality was never that great. UNTIL the MTRX brother !! lol I swear I almost jumped the Prism ship. Mainly for the latency calculation as you said.

End of day, I usually don't need tech support that Prism or Avid can't handle (actually so far never had in all my years of having PT and 3rd party converters) and so far man, the Latency on my Prisms (and old Apogee's) are all workable. And I track live drums too ! Never a issue.

Your doing no disservice man, no worries. I totally see your point. Like I said, remember, this SB thing is prob less than 30% of my work. And its even only that high cause recently I had to go there to sub contract people (I'm paying ! lol) - so don't think its all I am doing.

I personally just don't see the difference as long as they are paying. I don't discriminate on knowledge/talent or things like that. Like I said, I sometimes have bigger issues if the client is too large of a company. (late payments, always got to front the work or you don't get the job, etc..).

I like actual personalized people, as they pay upfront, and are easily communicated with. Unlike... ahummm.. *insert large popular company name here*

Keep in mind about 65% of my business is from clients that are probably more like what you're thinking I should have.

This is soooooo true.

Yea, so here is how I work it. (and it makes sense after you think about it) - When dealing with clients, I charge half-time ($30hr) for backing up. Why ? Well because its not really my talents for engineering being tested there.. lol and its a relaxing environment as I'm not always in front of the computer that entire time.

I think it's fair for them, and not so bad for me. I also give the option for no back ups of course. And obviously choices in those back-ups. (Session Folders only, Linear wav files, both, etc..). Most choose Sessions only. Which is definitely easy for me, so the $30hr is more fair to me in that case.

When I'm doing my own personal stuff (which FYI is a lot lately) I obviously can't charge anyone, lol. And I do both (Session Folders and Linear wav files) and both then get redundant backups to yet another drive (each) that I keep in a separate building miles apart.

Reason for the severity is I am backing up songs not completed yet and ones that are, but not released, sometimes prior to copyright, etc.. So its not for remixes all the time. Its for storage, making sure I can never lose them due to fire, theft, lightening, Zombie Apocalypse, strange acts of god, or me spontaneously combusting or something, haha

I try to stress the importance of redundant back-ups with one stored in a different location than the other to clients. But as you guessed it, only a extremely small few have listened over the years.

But you haven't heard it...?

The HDIO is great quality - I've heard people prefer them to your Prisms! The 192 certainly isn't up to Prism standards, but it's also nothing like as bad as people make out.

It's not about "low latency" per se with avid interfaces, it's about how the SYSTEM knows exactly how much latency the converter itself is adding and can compensate accurately. Much is made of the Lynx being matched to the Avid converters so it's a direct replacement; others don't.

The MTRX does indeed look amazing..but so many of it's features simply aren't needed in a recording studio. It looks more like a post/broadcast featured product, and probably a price to match!

But that's the point - Avid won't tech support your system because it's not 100% compatible. For some, that's necessary. And yes the latency isn't an issue of course - it's just not 100% sample accurate.

Fair enough - we've only talked about the problems (or potential problems )

OK.

and that also makes sense in the main. Check out Backblaze if you've not got cloud storage already, very simple, easy to integrate with existing setups and it's very cheap!

No I have not.

I have heard this too. And even a step further, correct me if I am wrong, but I heard Avid got Prism to make the HDIO's. But I do not know if that is true.

Even if so, I will humbly say/think that I am not sure these people that preferred the HDIO were comparing to the ADA-8XR or not. Cause again, the newer Prism units are simply not all the way there. The XR was released in 2006 ! lol So.... any slightly more recent comparison to "Prisms" I'd have to bet are verses their newer units.

And as far as Prism making the new HDIO's for Avid, even if true, that doesn't always mean it will be as good. I'm sure you know the story with things like that.

Yea, totally right. Thats is what I meant too. But starting off with a lower latency in the first place always helps its own self make the delay compensation sound best/compute, whatever I am sure.
Yea I'd only get it for the conversion quality and system response. I'm funny, I actually don't like or use features (like those) for the most part. My approach is entirely simple and basic. I never use Mic Pre's or any added fluff in converters. I got my own mic pre's for that.
Yea I could see that. I think some also don't know how to get creative when getting support. I have indeed used Avid for support, but the only thing I contact them for is actual DAW issue support not involving interfaces. They always help with that fine. Respond quickly, I've never been discriminated against due to my system.

Once PT App is working fine, then if you have a issue in your system's entirety, you know its the interfaces issue (or maybe computer) and you get support from your interface company, and they always help with that. Prism is excellent for that. Especially once you verify that you know for sure PT App is working properly.

Like I said, I never had a problem with support for my system. You just got to know which company to call and when. Never had a problem they didn't fix. Also, due to the fact that the ADA-8XR's directly hook up to PTHD, PTHDX, PTMix, Etc.. just like Avids converters do, they were indeed supported at one time FYI. I don't know if they still are though. Just like the AD/DA 16X's were supported too if you were running HD or Mix system with the HD/Mix modules installed in your converter.

Wow, thanks for the referral ! I never heard of them. Looks cool. If you buy the 2 year at a time package, that's basically $4.60 a month of unlimited backup !

Being in the cloud has its pluses and minus of course. Retrieve it anywhere ! Thats cool. Set up auto backing, etc.. The minus is, every so often, I'd still want to have a redundant copy of that physically somewhere, so ultimately I'm still dealing with that. And of course the trust issue, if someone hacks into their servers one day, etc..

But all in all, I'm 110% interested. Looking further into it. Do you use it ?

Aside from cases were you will some day start recording or be handed a 32-bit float file - likely via a device like the MIxPre II - I expect you needn't look for benefits. Just know that that future is already here for some and coming for many more.


Best regards,

Ray H.

Personal note: Apologies for the long delay in this response - I've been dealing with my father's failing health issues that are still a bit overwhelming. And as so much time has gone by, I suspect you have far less uncertainty now - though I've not had the time to catch up on this thread. It is likely I will continue to be unresponsive as my father's health continues to degrade. But I hope some of this helped.

I only now saw this thread -- I'm about six weeks late -- and I'm already trying Amazon HD lossless.

As much as I'm enjoying it -- and ironically a good pal just comped me into his Tidal Lossless family plan [but I HATE the Tidal player (or the Tidal player as it existed last week; today add-to-queue and play-next are both on appropriate rt-click context menus AND working more as I would have originally expected. But it was def messed up when I wrote this post!] -- I have to agree with psycho_monkey: I just don't think there's popular interest in this -- nor would such interest really make that much sense, perhaps, since most folks, do, indeed, listen on quite inferior gear.

I posted in FB about my exploration of Amazon Lossless and the response was profoundly underwhelming, despite the fact that most of my FB friends are musicians.

But, anyhow, I see the conversation here has moved on to advanced data compression codecs for higher sample rate content, a topic I find less compelling, though it's no doubt fascinating when you get into it.