• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Cheap ADC recommendations

noel_fs

Active Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
270
Likes
181
title says it all

oldies are valid as long as they are well supported on win10

only one requirement that is good performance
edit: no need mic preamp

ty bois
 
Last edited:

kurcatovium

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2019
Messages
7
Likes
1
I'd go with Steinberg UR series or Focusrite Scarletts. Or Behringers UMC if you want really cheap.
 

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,521
Likes
37,050
The suggestions already offered are good ones. Do you need microphone preamps or just line level ADC use?
 
OP
N

noel_fs

Active Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
270
Likes
181
The suggestions already offered are good ones. Do you need microphone preamps or just line level ADC use?
just line level adc use

thats where i need recommendations i guess, im looking for plain performance since its not gonna be used for mics
 

guenthi_r

Active Member
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
130
Likes
103
Location
Europe/Austria
For an classic ADC take a look here.
I use it for digitalizing old Records, and i love it.
Well engineered!
 

charlesp210

Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Messages
11
Likes
1
Location
San Antonio, TX, USA
In my main system, analog sources are digitized so as to be processed for (1) level trim (0-8dB reduction) aka volume control, (2) DSP for crossover, (3) DSP for room EQ, (3) delay for time alignment, (4) various flavors of limiting on the subwoofer bass to keep from overloading. I do this for vinyl, FM, tape, and also DRM digital recordings such as DVD-Audio where the high rez digital is hidden, and SACD which is not pcm. I do not find this compromises quality audibly. If I run unprotected digital (CD/SPDIF) straight or redigitized, it either doesn't sound different or more often than not, the redigitized version from my ADC (at 24/96) sounds better than the original. For this digitization I use Lavry AD10 (ADC) and take AES digital output. Recently, to make dubs, I send the AES output to an Alesis Masterlink for recording at 24/96. Few consumer products will record SPDIF anymore, especially into Windows 10 it appears (my Emu 0404 no longer works). I've never measured it, but the Lavry specs at 117dB S/N IIRC, which could be 26dB better than a direct digital connection through a AV processor using HDMI (counting the analog output of that device). I have a slew of similar ADC devices, a PAD-1 from MSB, a Sparrow from Black Lion Audio. If I won the lottery, I'd buy a Lavry Gold (130+dB) or Weiss ADC. The PAD-1 and Sparrow are cheap used if you can find them, but these are all SPDIF and/or AES output.

I only use Win10 for measurement purposes, and for that, a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 is now essential kit.* My Emu 0404 no longer works on Windows 10. Early reports of using Lynx Hilo on Win 10 were not encouraging, otherwise that would be the "ultimate" (strangely looks like a metal boxed version of Emu 0404). I use ESI Juli@ card in a WIndows XP box for RMAA. I have a Turtle Beach Fiji card in a Windows 98 box for LAUD 3 (currently not working).

*The Scarlett, like everything I know that still works on Windows 10, has no SPDIF type digital input so I can't use it with my other ADC's.
 

milezone

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
May 27, 2019
Messages
126
Likes
84
Location
Seattle
I recommend a Motu Ultralight MK4 // 8A, though in past experience dating back a couple years ago MOTU PC support is nonexistent. I had a USB interface that would glitch and drop out, presumably due to clock communication and instability issues. That said I was using a somewhat unconventional Xeon processor at the time and it may have been an issue of miscommunication between clocks in the CPU and the Motu hardware and possibly mitigated if using a more conventional cpu?

Just to mention, another thread asks whether master clocks are snake oil or not. For said scenario, they're not snake oil, however said scenario shouldn't exist in this day and age ((am grateful for this)). I would guess that jitter on a device like the 8A is inconsequential and believe that a quality integrated master clock is better than an outboard master-clock. Perhaps a scenario of complex digital routing for large scale live performances // audio recording processes with 50+ simultaneous tracks necessitates a master clock. I don't know. Even then though, I don't see the need.

Motu isn't known for their PC support though their customer support is very good. Ultralight MK4s and 8As can be had used for fairly cheap and measure better than the Weiss ADC and from what I can tell equal to or better than the Lavry ADC (both over $8000) mentioned in a previous post. Those are antiques far as I'm concerned and things have improved a lot since the release of said products -- attributed in large part to more space efficient circuitry // shorter signal distances in ICs, more energy efficient ICs, better measuring and more stable components that can be had for cheaper than their counterparts of yesteryear thanks in part to mass production; and a lineage of extensive R and D implemented in the products of yesteryear. No doubt those units sound great but there's no reason to spend $8000 when the same or better performance can be had for 1/10th the cost, and with a more contemporary feature set, greater quantity of channels, and 'sometimes' improved user experience.

Other options would be a RME Babyface Pro -- great Windows driver support -- or on a lesser budget a Focusrite Scarlet/Clarett 2i2.
 
Last edited:
OP
N

noel_fs

Active Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
270
Likes
181
I recommend a Motu Ultralight MK4 // 8A, though in past experience dating back a couple years ago MOTU PC support is nonexistent. I had a USB interface that would glitch and drop out, presumably due to clock communication and instability issues. That said I was using a somewhat unconventional Xeon processor at the time and it may have been an issue of miscommunication between clocks in the CPU and the Motu hardware and possibly mitigated if using a more conventional cpu?
Just so you know, cpu has nothing to do with usb's compatibility
 

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,521
Likes
37,050
Just so you know, cpu has nothing to do with usb's compatibility
Did you get an ADC yet? I guess the question might be how cheap is cheap? And though you don't need microphone inputs, if it is really cheap, you'll end up with them anyway. If the price is alright for your budget the Motu was an excellent suggestion.
 
OP
N

noel_fs

Active Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
270
Likes
181
Where in my post do I say cpu is related to usb compatibility? Don’t waste my time.
I was using a somewhat unconventional Xeon processor at the time and it may have been an issue of miscommunication between clocks in the CPU and the Motu hardware and possibly mitigated if using a more conventional cpu? .
There is where you said it. You wasted your own time typing nonsense.
 
OP
N

noel_fs

Active Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
270
Likes
181
Did you get an ADC yet? I guess the question might be how cheap is cheap? And though you don't need microphone inputs, if it is really cheap, you'll end up with them anyway. If the price is alright for your budget the Motu was an excellent suggestion.
Nope, i was looking for something actually cheap for a little project, something stupid. I understand 500$ can be considered as cheap in comparison with other things but that wasnt even close to what i was looking haha
 

milezone

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
May 27, 2019
Messages
126
Likes
84
Location
Seattle
There is where you said it. You wasted your own time typing nonsense.

Nowhere in my post do I mention usb and cpu compatibility. I was using an engineering sample 10core Xeon with no hyper threading designed for AWS, but not released to the public. Whenever an audio dropout would occur, 100% related to a clock instability issue in the DAC section, the cpu would clock to its maximum and cause OS and software glitches all due to a clock instability / sync issue in the Motu. You write like a knowitall and a dweeb in your attempt to educate. That’s a much as I can explain on the issue.
 

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,521
Likes
37,050
Nope, i was looking for something actually cheap for a little project, something stupid. I understand 500$ can be considered as cheap in comparison with other things but that wasnt even close to what i was looking haha
Do you need two channels? A Focusrite 2i2 is like $159. You quite possibly could get one for $100 2nd hand. Or maybe a touch less.

You could get a Solo for $109. If you are looking for cheaper than that you might want to tell us how you'll use it and we could suggest something.
 
OP
N

noel_fs

Active Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
270
Likes
181
Nowhere in my post do I mention usb and cpu compatibility. I was using an engineering sample 10core Xeon with no hyper threading designed for AWS, but not released to the public. Whenever an audio dropout would occur, 100% related to a clock instability issue in the DAC section, the cpu would clock to its maximum and cause OS and software glitches all due to a clock instability / sync issue in the Motu. You write like a knowitall and a dweeb in your attempt to educate. That’s a much as I can explain on the issue.
Saying that it was an engineering sample doesnt make you cooler, neither that it wasnt released to public. Its a pretty common thing to buy them on ebay and they work just as fine, maybe just with sllightly lower cocks than the retail version. You are just making up shit out of your ass trying to look cool and making no sense at all in anything you have said.
 
Top Bottom