Quote:
Originally Posted by audiomichael
I'm running Logic, with a Fireface 800. I run out the FF into a Manley VariMu and Massive Passive. I just did an A/B test. First bounce ITB, then out the FF converters with both Mu and MP bypassed. Holy crap, my audio goes to pot!
Is this something that'd go away with a Rosetta 200 or a Big Ben? or is this just one of those things that happens when you leave the digital realm? I love the Manley stuff, but I don't wanna take 4 steps back (leaving digital land) and then 4 1/2 steps forward in quality (trying to get my punch back with the outboard). Should I sell my outboard and buy a G5 Quad?
Ugggg.
Here is a clip, in 4 parts.
1. ITB
2. passing through the FF AD/DA, with Manley's bypassed
3. ITB again
4. FF AD/DA with some gain from MP
By most informed accounts -- except of course from those marketing external master clocks -- the ony time you need an external master is when the interface you would normally be using as master has an inferior clock. And by most accounts, that's none of today's pro interfaces.
Furthermore, by most informed accounts, running an external master clock
on a single interface is unnecessary, period, since the whole point of a master clock is to provide a master clock for synchronizing multiple digital interfaces. Some sources point out that you can actually end up degrading your sound in some cases where you impose an external master on a less-than-top-flight interface.
Let me ask you this... you're normally monitoring through the FF box, right? And it sounds OK?
Now, obviously, anytime you make another D/A and A/D pass you're going, by definition, to get some degradation of your signal. But with today's interfaces --particularly running at 24 bits -- that degradation should be quite minimal, hopefully just about inaudible.
It seems to me if the difference is as significant as you suggest (and I haven't listened to the clips) there's quite likely some hitherto unrecognized issue.