How many people want a 12-channel or 16-channel DAC? And a 7-channel or 12/16-channel power amplifier?

[Ricardus]

I'm still trying to figure out what I would do with it.

 

[gnarly]

I can think of only 3 types of consumer who needs so many DAC channels:


3. DIY'ers who are trying to make their own Kii 3's or using DSP to shape the radiation pattern with multiple drivers

I fit into this category.
I've done some radiation pattern work with line arrays using multiple drivers, that need a dozen or two amps channels for full control.

But most of my work has simply been 4 and 5-way unity/synergy designs.
And then running them in 3-channel LCR for enhanced stereo...and A/Bing different designs.
So lots of channels needed.

The qsys platform I currently have, has 32 channels of amps within its own ethernet communication & control structure.
Additionally, it has another 28 channels of DACs available, for use with amps outside its ecosystem, although such amps don't provided any monitoring/reporting functions.

 

[Sokel]

The Anubis will not do 12 channels without additional hardware.

I just bought a Merging Technologies HAPI II with 16 DACs (as well as 8 channels of DIO).
Power amps are various.

And really good price (if I'm not mistaken about the 5K euro).
Yep,that seems to do it.

 

[Snoopy]

All I need and probably will ever need is stereo with a subwoofer out from a DAC.

I doubt I need 120 Sinad for a movie setup.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

And really good price (if I'm not mistaken about the 5K euro).
Yep,that seems to do it.

Depends on the board options you select.

 

[Sokel]

Depends on the board options you select.

I only had one look but seems that the base and the DA8P is what I need (8 channels are more than enough for me)
I maybe need some analog inputs too though,so couple a thousand more?
Small stretch but if the quality is what it seems...

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I only had one look but seems that the base and the DA8P is what I need (8 channels are more than enough for me)
I maybe need some analog inputs too though,so couple a thousand more?

They do offer a single board ADA, https://www.merging.com/products/interfaces/specifications#ADA8S-ADA8P-Option-Card

 

[Ibanez]

If DSD/DXD is not the most important.
Antelope Orion 32+ Gen3 or 4 32 i/o USB/TB Dsub Out @192 Khz Usb

Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core
16 Dsub Out @ 192lhz 24bit USB/ Thumderbolt, (i own this)

Apogee Symphony MK2 modular
Antelope Galaxy 32/64 very expensive.

Merging Hapi modular 2 slots for ad/da dsd256
Merging Horus modular 6 slots for ad/da dsd 256

Steinberg AXR4 usb or Thunderbolt,
24 i/o @ 384khz 32bit.

There is a lot more options but these should be good for multi amped systems.

 

[dualazmak]

Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core
16 Dsub Out @ 192lhz 24bit USB/ Thumderbolt, (i own this)

Thank you for the info.

I assume you use two of D-SUB25 to 8x-XLR-male output cable/adapter for 16-Ch analog out from Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core into pre-amplifiers or power-amplifiers; I would appreciate if you could give me info on which cable/adapter (brand name, also) of how long ones you use.

 

[Ibanez]

Thank you for the info.

I assume you use two of D-SUB25 to 8x-XLR-male output cable/adapter for 16-Ch analog out from Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core into pre-amplifiers or power-amplifiers; I would appreciate if you could give me info on which cable/adapter (brand name, also) of how long ones you use.

Hello,
Yes I use D-Sub to XLR male. I soldered the myself, I bought 1 meter 110 ohm Mogami 8132 cable and some backshells and the 25pin connectors with soldercups.

And i connected the Siltech g5 XLR's I already had to the amps.

I connect Dsub > XLR > NC500 and NC400 Amps.

For the moment I am just using 6 of the 16 outputs.

And if you tend to buy an interface, the USB in CH1-2 is often a sum of all other channels.
But that can be worked around if I you at least on the Antelope put ch 1-2 on mixer1 and the rest of the channels on direct routing USB to Line-outs.

I am pleased with mine so far.

I bought it because i can measure without any clockdrift.

 

[dualazmak]

Thank you for your quick info, looks you are so good at soldering!

If I would buy Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core, do you know any of ready-to-use D-SUB25 to 8x-XLR-male output cable/adapter having proper channel numbering on XLR-males?

Let me have another fundamental question, please. I assume Antelope provides a set of intensive software including ASIO drivers; looking from any of ASIO-capable DSP software on Windows 11 Pro PC, and 16-Ch ASIO digital outputs are simply available, right?

 

[Ibanez]

This is the cheapest multicore snake 8 xlr male i found, 5 meters.

Hosa DTM-805

Balanced 8-Way Multicore Length: 5 m, DB25 to XLR3M, Compatible with standard analogue Tascam, etc.

www.thomann.de

Amazon.com

Planet Waves is an D'Addario brand
Or Klotz, Mogami 2932, but then there is is an price increasement.

Yes Antelope provides their Launcher which include Routing, Mixers, Volume for every output all in software, there is no remote to this form of interfaces, and there is also the volume control for Dsub line-outs.

An asio driver is also included.

Jriver dsp is capable of 24 channels at least for the OSSC via usb /32 via thunderbolt.

Acourate and Audiolence, I assume these two DSP/Convolvers has support of as many channels as you give them, so that is not any issue I would belive.

 

[Ibanez]

I use Jriver as global volume control,, when I cannot control the volume in Antelopes Program via keyboard or via bubbleupnp.

Bubble uPnp Qobuz from phone to Jriver on PC as renderer > choise of dsp/crossover > Antelope OSSC.

And i have installed Bubbleupnp server as windows service on pc also.

 

[dualazmak]

Really nice, and I thank you very much for these information.

I use DSP software EKIO as system-wide DSP(XO/EQ/delay) center which has unlimited number of output channels into any of the available ASIO output routes.

Currently I use JRiver MC as music player and master volume controller feeding 96 kHz 24 bit (or 192 kHz 24 bit) into virtual audio device ASIO4ALL, and EKIO can receive the signal through ASIO4ALL-VB_Audio_Virtual_Cable.

Since I now use OKTO DAC8PRO, I feed EKIO's crossover-ed 8 digital channels into DAC8PRO by using dedicated 8-Ch ASIO driver (DIYIHNK ASIO driver provided by OKTO Research). EKIO also feeds two channels of input-through digital signal into a separate DAC, KORG DS-DAC-10, only for VU meter monitoring.

I would like to expand my multichannel configuration using 16-Ch capable single multichannel DAC unit (like Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core), so that I will be able to feed at least 12 channels (2 channels for through VU monitoring via KORG DS-DAC-10, 10 channels for L&R of sub-woofer, woofer, midrange, tweeter, super-tweeter: 4 stereo amps plus active L&R sub-woofers); I will be happy still having 4 extra auxiliary channels for possible further expansion in future.

Your kind information clearly suggests all the above would be easily possible by Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core in up to 192 kHz 24 bit; really fine for me.

I will further look into the details of Antelope Orion Studio Synergy Core and software and I/O drivers (ASIO) thereof. I would like to know what is the DAC chip(s) (ESS or AKK? which chips?) in it.

Just for your reference, you may find here and here the latest setup of my multichannel audio project.

Thank you again for your kind cooperation.

 

[Ibanez]

I can't really get the info on what AD/DA chips they are using. I have asked on two places.
And i will get back to you as soon as get any good info.
I don't really wanna open the chassis on my own unit if not necessary.
I think it sounds very good to me. Actually on par or even better than my Okto Dac8 Pro did, but then that unit was something wrong with, it had some distortion in the sound. That unit was faulty from day one, and Pavel fixed it just after 3 weeks of use, and then same fault again after 10-11 months after I bought it. And I dont really wanna talk bad about Okto/Pavel, he gave me superb customer service both times. My specific unit was something wrong with, which Pavel said to me, and I got refunded for it. I sure believe that Okto's Dacs sounds really good when they are working as they should, which most of them seems to do.

But I like the sound from my Syngery Core for sure. It's more pristine in my ears.
And i bought my from Marktplaats.nl in second hand. Got an good price 1950€

I wouldn't had bought it new. If have had that much money to buy an interface for. I had saved up an got me an Merging Hapi instead. But now that was not possible, all too expensive for me new. I got my money back from Okto and just bought this device for that money. And I am very happy with it.

Will just need an measurement microphone with 48v phantom, power so I don't get any clockdrift. Just need to figure out how to make an loopback channel with the unit first.

Ofcourse i want to help, that's what a forum like this is for, you have your megathread about your multi amped system, which I have been reading a lot in. So I will help back, with the things I know about.

 

[8T_BoCO]

Not for me, as I'm agreeing with others who post two are plenty to try to get right.

 

[pseudoid]

I don't really know what it is but I gave you a like for coolness [your kindness]!

idem
I fear someone is gonna go one-upman by offering 33-channels... last one being dedicated to the live termite activity as organic dither.

 

[dualazmak]

I can't really get the info on what AD/DA chips they are using. I have asked on two places.
And i will get back to you as soon as get any good info.

According to the Japanese language page on "ANTELOPE Orion Studio Synergy Core" of in-Japan-dealer "SOUND HOUSE"; (English trans. by Google Chrome.)
The new Orion Studio evolves the nascent Synergy Core FX processing platform and brings it to the next stage. It features two unique Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chips and a whopping six ARM-based DSP processors. The sheer amount of computing power contained in this interface is amazing.

It looks "ARM-based DSP processor" would be ARM CPU running with embedded (firmware) DSP software, I guess.
I will further search and learn about details, including sound quality, of "ARM-based DSP processor"...

It would be highly possible that they would also use dedicated DA-AD chip(s) in it, though.

 

[Ibanez]

According to the Japanese language page on "ANTELOPE Orion Studio Synergy Core" of in-Japan-dealer "SOUND HOUSE"; (English trans. by Google Chrome.)
The new Orion Studio evolves the nascent Synergy Core FX processing platform and brings it to the next stage. It features two unique Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chips and a whopping six ARM-based DSP processors. The sheer amount of computing power contained in this interface is amazing.

It looks "ARM-based DSP processor" would be ARM CPU running with embedded (firmware) DSP software, I guess.
I will further search and learn about details, including sound quality, of "ARM-based DSP processor"...

It would be highly possible that they would also use dedicated DA-AD chip(s) in it, though.

I have asked antelope on Facebook.
But before they have seem to be using Cirrus dacs.
But I am waiting on Antelope.
I believe those six are just for plugins used on DAWs.
The Orion Studio SC have 12 hifi dacs according to Antelopes homepage, I belive also the manual says that

 

[dualazmak]

Thank you again, I will wait for your further info on the DAC chips.

BTW, so far Antelope (in Bulgaria) has been known in Japan for their excellent pro-use precision clock generator/distributor, and recently they became to be known for the nice pro-use audio interface units. I assume, therefore, their internal clock-sync technology/method for multiple DAC chips in their audio interface products should be much reliable all the way.