jerryfreak
Active Member
without getting into the classic 'noise limited vs distortion limited' argument, this is more a discussion of comparison of input noise on ADCs relative to their maximum input levels
looking at some older ADC rankings, the RME ADI-2 Pro and Lynx Hilo were often touted as top dogs for their 116-117dB SINAD
the portable RME Babyface Pro was deemed to be somewhat of a "compromise" with only 108 dB SINAD
but its apples and oranges
those top performers were tested at +23dBu to get their 116-117dB numbers
the Babyface's 108dB SINAD was measured at 4V input (aka +14dBu)
we see numerous other examples, like the Topping E2X2 with 110 dB SINAD at 4V/+14dBu, the Topping M62 @ 116 dB @ 2.14V/+8.8dBu, etc
as someone who is looking at ADCs primarily for field recording, and understanding that every preamp has input noise that gets amplified as well... indeed "nothing's free" if you want to amplify a signal to +24 dBU or more to max out your ADC, in this use case 116dB of range at 8.8 dBu input is much more appealing to me. adding 10-14 dB of gain with any device would vbe diminishing returns
indeed i see this design philosophy with many of the modern 32-bit all-in-one recorders with microphone inputs. Everyone ive tested are optimized for mic level signals in the 0 to+8 dB range, and basically just putting a pad on top of that for line-in. I get that the "professional" equipment uses higher voltage rails to increase headroom, but is this really practical or necessary for most applications?
a typical condenser microphone puts out a maximum voltage of 2-4V at max SPL and is a good match to this new generation of recorders. their ADC range is still limited between the EIN and the clipping point of the input. with a typical microphone of 100 dB or less of dynamic range in lout environments (before we even get into room noise), you pretty much run straight into them ad gain, if any, is a very basic IC or more often digital
am I on base here? I know were all spec nerds on this site but in this case the details matter... and not looking blindly at noise specs but having a greater understanding of the application and range of material we are trying to record. I'm thinking back to my review of the Deity PR-2, a moderate performer by today's standards vs other portables. Comparing it to the Sony and Tascam competitors, they trounced the deity at higher input levels, but at mic input ranges of -30 to -10 dBu, they were comparable... and thats where ive subsequently used it to make plenty of good recordings
looking at some older ADC rankings, the RME ADI-2 Pro and Lynx Hilo were often touted as top dogs for their 116-117dB SINAD
the portable RME Babyface Pro was deemed to be somewhat of a "compromise" with only 108 dB SINAD
but its apples and oranges
those top performers were tested at +23dBu to get their 116-117dB numbers
the Babyface's 108dB SINAD was measured at 4V input (aka +14dBu)
we see numerous other examples, like the Topping E2X2 with 110 dB SINAD at 4V/+14dBu, the Topping M62 @ 116 dB @ 2.14V/+8.8dBu, etc
as someone who is looking at ADCs primarily for field recording, and understanding that every preamp has input noise that gets amplified as well... indeed "nothing's free" if you want to amplify a signal to +24 dBU or more to max out your ADC, in this use case 116dB of range at 8.8 dBu input is much more appealing to me. adding 10-14 dB of gain with any device would vbe diminishing returns
indeed i see this design philosophy with many of the modern 32-bit all-in-one recorders with microphone inputs. Everyone ive tested are optimized for mic level signals in the 0 to+8 dB range, and basically just putting a pad on top of that for line-in. I get that the "professional" equipment uses higher voltage rails to increase headroom, but is this really practical or necessary for most applications?
a typical condenser microphone puts out a maximum voltage of 2-4V at max SPL and is a good match to this new generation of recorders. their ADC range is still limited between the EIN and the clipping point of the input. with a typical microphone of 100 dB or less of dynamic range in lout environments (before we even get into room noise), you pretty much run straight into them ad gain, if any, is a very basic IC or more often digital
am I on base here? I know were all spec nerds on this site but in this case the details matter... and not looking blindly at noise specs but having a greater understanding of the application and range of material we are trying to record. I'm thinking back to my review of the Deity PR-2, a moderate performer by today's standards vs other portables. Comparing it to the Sony and Tascam competitors, they trounced the deity at higher input levels, but at mic input ranges of -30 to -10 dBu, they were comparable... and thats where ive subsequently used it to make plenty of good recordings
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