RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE

[Chester]

I like the ability of being able to connect a turntable directly, what a good idea. Having seen a photo of the rear of the unit, where would the turntable ground wire attach?

 

[Gregg Hermetech]

I like the ability of being able to connect a turntable directly, what a good idea. Having seen a photo of the rear of the unit, where would the turntable ground wire attach?

Manual page 105: "Where do I connect the ground cable of the turntable? Simply clamp it under the screw connection of the D-sub adapter (digital breakout cable)." There's a photo of how to do it on page 108 too.

https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/adi24pro_e.pdf

And yeah, the HPF and mono-ing bass options should also make quality rips a joy.

My distributor is still waiting to receive stock, hopefully soon!

 

[bungle]

Manual page 105: "Where do I connect the ground cable of the turntable? Simply clamp it under the screw connection of the D-sub adapter (digital breakout cable)." There's a photo of how to do it on page 108 too.

https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/adi24pro_e.pdf

And yeah, the HPF and mono-ing bass options should also make quality rips a joy.

My distributor is still waiting to receive stock, hopefully soon!

It's bit funny that they did it like this, why not just a pair of RCA on side and dedicated screw for ground. Feels like they took a shortcut (or the whole RIAA was an after-though) for this which is strange as asking price is $2500+.

 

[Gregg Hermetech]

Who knows, maybe it was an afterthought? Maybe they only realised the chip had built in RIAA functions recently and wanted to add extra value? Maybe it would have increased the cost to build, and price to €3k if they had added more connectors? Maybe it already has a ground terminal, so adding another would just be ridiculous? Maybe there was no more space in the case or on the PCB? We could be here all day wondering.

I don't think it's funny at all, and I also don't think it's overpriced. I can't wait to get mine to try with my new ATCs! Will likely be very happy to be able to retire my phono pre too.

 

[bungle]

Who knows, maybe it was an afterthought? Maybe they only realised the chip had built in RIAA functions recently and wanted to add extra value?

That is what I tried to say. It feels they found it too late in design phase. Too late to even add a simple screw for GND. Which I think would have been a nice touch and easily fittable there.

Maybe it would have increased the cost to build, and price to €3k if they had added more connectors?

Adding a pair of RCAs would have been a way harder. But then 500 € increase to 3k€ in price would have been justified as you would then have had two analog stereo inputs. Sure this is probably not their main goal and market with it.

Maybe it already has a ground terminal, so adding another would just be ridiculous?

Every other device that has GND screw have also many other GND contacts, but they still add GND screw, and they are not ridiculous because of that. It is just better UX. Yes, I agree it is a minor one.

Maybe there was no more space in the case or on the PCB?

Of course there is enough space for GND screw. The another set of RCA, might be a tight fit.

Will likely be very happy to be able to retire my phono pre too.

You will be very happy with this. I guarantee you that.

 

[Gregg Hermetech]

Yep, can't wait!

 

[potato]

Nice, exactly what I’ve been hoping for - ADI-2 Pro FS R BE with a Pentacone connector and an IEM mode. A bit unfortunate that there’s no “low fidelity wide PEQ”, since I’d like to have 10 bands at 96 kHz, but that’s definitely not a dealbreaker. Shot an email to my local RME distributor, let’s see what they’ll tell me on Monday.

 

[WalkingInTheRain]

I was about to pull the trigger on the RME ADI-2 FS then realized I have vinyl I want to play and maybe digitize so then the R BE became the next thing to look at, then I saw the 2/4 was announced and it can be preordered on Sweetwater. Now over the next few days I need to determine if the 2/4 is worth it over the R BE. I was originally planning to get a Gustard x16 for $500 and now I'm looking at $2000 or $2500! Choosing Genelec 8030Cs has been the easy part so far.

 

[Sonic-Wall]

For the price difference of 1k between the ADI-2 Pro FSR and ADI-2/4 you can get a lot more flexible phono pre-amp that can be also used for MC cartridges like the new Goldnote PH-5:

PH-5 | Gold Note

PH-10 is an ultra versatile phono preamplifier with unique features, including EQ curve, load and gain adjustment: a fully analog design crafted with the best components to recreate the musical event in the most natural way possible.

www.goldnote.it

 

[jerryfreak]

There is no mic input on the 2/4 Pro, you'd need a mic with a line level output (e.g USB mic, then no need for the 2/4...) or a mic pre between the mic and the 2/4. I'll be using a Chandler TG2 or Cranborne Audio mic pre for when I need to record from my KM84 mic pair, or DI guitar/bass/synth/drum machine etc. fed to the 2/4 ADC input.

silly question, can the gain available in "RIAA mode" (up to +38dB) allow the unit to be used as a quasi-mic-pre, without enabling the RIAA DSP curve? assuming the unit at max input sensitivity of +1dB=0dBFS. the gain range seems right, but im not sure how the low mic level output impedance would affect this

let say you were able to use the higher gain to get a respectable level with a microphone signal. like a mic with sensitivity of 10mV/PA which would output 100 mV recording a loud sound up to 114dB

@MC_RME

 

[Yuhasz01]

Who knows, maybe it was an afterthought? Maybe they only realised the chip had built in RIAA functions recently and wanted to add extra value? Maybe it would have increased the cost to build, and price to €3k if they had added more connectors? Maybe it already has a ground terminal, so adding another would just be ridiculous? Maybe there was no more space in the case or on the PCB? We could be here all day wondering.

I don't think it's funny at all, and I also don't think it's overpriced. I can't wait to get mine to try with my new ATCs! Will likely be very happy to be able to retire my phono pre too.

Use with turntable very very minor application for this device. Most people will predominately use many functions it offers as Ad-DA, headphone amplifier, preamp, PEQ.

 

[Gregg Hermetech]

silly question, can the gain available in "RIAA mode" (up to +38dB) allow the unit to be used as a quasi-mic-pre, without enabling the RIAA DSP curve? assuming the unit at max input sensitivity of +1dB=0dBFS. the gain range seems right, but im not sure how the low mic level output impedance would affect this

let say you were able to use the higher gain to get a respectable level with a microphone signal. like a mic with sensitivity of 10mV/PA which would output 100 mV recording a loud sound up to 114dB

@MC_RME

No idea, you'd have to try it and see. I could try it with mine, if I ever get one... They were supposed to be available end of October/beginning of November, but my distributor in Italy has still heard nothing.

 

[FINFET]

silly question, can the gain available in "RIAA mode" (up to +38dB) allow the unit to be used as a quasi-mic-pre, without enabling the RIAA DSP curve? assuming the unit at max input sensitivity of +1dB=0dBFS. the gain range seems right, but im not sure how the low mic level output impedance would affect this

let say you were able to use the higher gain to get a respectable level with a microphone signal. like a mic with sensitivity of 10mV/PA which would output 100 mV recording a loud sound up to 114dB

@MC_RME

Manual said the RIAA mode via TS +38db gain will give you 73dbA of SNR and -69db THD+N. I would use whatever mic preamp I can find instead of that.
Manual mentioned RIAA equalization will turn on in RIAA mode with current firmware. Also 38db is just not quite enough for most dynamic mics in practice and there's no 48v phantom power for condenser mics.

 

[Rja4000]

silly question, can the gain available in "RIAA mode" (up to +38dB) allow the unit to be used as a quasi-mic-pre, without enabling the RIAA DSP curve? assuming the unit at max input sensitivity of +1dB=0dBFS. the gain range seems right, but im not sure how the low mic level output impedance would affect this

let say you were able to use the higher gain to get a respectable level with a microphone signal. like a mic with sensitivity of 10mV/PA which would output 100 mV recording a loud sound up to 114dB

@MC_RME

I will try to answer

I attempted to standardize on a microphone pre-amp dashboard some time ago.

My proposal, as you may read here, was to measure SINAD for a standardized gain giving 32mVrms level at -10dBFS (which is around 100mV at 0dBFS).

32mV is around -30dBV, or around -27.8dBu.
This is 28.8dB below +1dBu.

At that kind of level, the good mic preamps show only noise.

If the RME ADI-2/4 has a SNR of 120dB at 1dBu, that leaves around 91dB SNR at 32mV.

If you compare with my mic preamps measurements in this post and following posts, you'll see that, for the same 32mV, the (excellent) RME UCX II reaches a 96.7dB SNR, while the very common Yamaha DM1000 only gives 90.0dB (but with much lower SINAD, due to high distortion).
The very best I measured being the $1000 per channel Millennia HV-3C, at 98.0dB.

So, no, the ADI-2/4 will not best the best specialized microphone preamps.
But still, its (announced) performance is nothing like ridiculous for this common use case.

EDIT:
See Matthias Carstens' comment here below.
90 kohm input impedance is, indeed, way above a typical mic input stage impedance.

 

[jerryfreak]

thanks for the link, the UCX II looks like a great swiss-army knife

you mentioned in your thread that all the measurements were not weighted. the typical condenser mics i use (schoeps, dpa, neumann) have self noise in the mid 20s dB range, with their A-weighted specs in the mid teens. They also have higher sensitivity than the SM58 you model (1.6mV/Pa), most are 8-13 mV/PA with the lowest being 2 and 3.6 mV/Pa)

i am going to pick one up and attempt to measure some other mic preamp/recorders i have according to your methodology

 

[Rja4000]

If the RME ADI-2/4 has a SNR of 120dB at 1dBu, that leaves around 91dB SNR at 32mV.

And, in real life, this gives you this: 92.3dB SNR @32mV
(RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Analog Output +1dBu range @-3.4dBFS - Both channel summed - Shure AT15AS -25dB - RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE Analog input +1dBu range)

NB: Input Level is at -28.8dBFS.
This is in normal, stereo, mode.
If you average both inputs (like I do for measurements purpose), you'll get 94.9dB SNR.

 

[Rja4000]

the UCX II looks like a great swiss-army knife

It is

 

[Keith_W]

Honest question. I use my laptop to output digital out to a DAC-amp for my headphones. I can do all the DSP on my laptop prior to output. Does this unit offer any additional benefit?

 

[Trell]

Honest question. I use my laptop to output digital out to a DAC-amp for my headphones. I can do all the DSP on my laptop prior to output. Does this unit offer any additional benefit?

It has lots of features you’re not going to use, like the ADC and DSP, so I would look elsewhere. Much cheaper too.

Something you feel is missing with your DAC/amp?

 

[FINFET]

Honest question. I use my laptop to output digital out to a DAC-amp for my headphones. I can do all the DSP on my laptop prior to output. Does this unit offer any additional benefit?

If you don't need the ADC or RIAA function and stay with the software, honest answer will be no, it doesn't. Anything the on board DSP can do, software on a decent PC or Mac can do better. Also you won't hear a difference from the higher spec ADI-2/4 pro, and You won't hear a difference with the better digital volume attenuation, auto level or anything this device uniquely offer if you already got a 300 dollar DAC-AMP in the blue SINAD region. You can still choose to buy it if you like the build quality, ports, appearence and stability of course.