New interface

[macmanmatty]

I have spent the past few weeks looking at every affordable good quality AD/da converter. I after much reading of reviews and forums postings I have lowered it down to these "afforidable options" (around $1500 ) and wondered how they all stacked up in terms of conversion quality.

Fireface 800
http://www.rme-audio.com/english/firewire/ff800.htm

Metric Halo 2882
http://www.mhlabs.com/metric_halo/products/mio/2882/

Metric Halo ULN-2
http://www.mhlabs.com/metric_halo/products/mio/uln2

LynxTwo "C"
http://www.lynxstudio.com/lynxtwo.html

Motu Ultralite
http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/ultralite/

Rosetta 200
http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/rosetta200.php



I also looked at the lynx aurora but it looks like you have you have to have aes16 to make it work with a mac and buy additional i/o cables. (correct me if i'm wrong)

Also if you have any da/ad conveter that you think i should consider adding to the list your opion would be welcome.


Thanks

Macmanmatty

[zimv20]

there are some good pieces there, but you're all over the place wrt # of channels. what are your needs?

also -- if you need only 2 channels of d/a, check out the benchmark dac-1. i like mine lots. (my other converter is an apogee rosetta 800, fwiw).

[macmanmatty]

I would like to have at lest 4 channels of A/D (more is always nice) and 2 channels of D/A. But I would take less a/d if the convters in one of 2 channel units are REALLY amazing and blow the others away.

[zimv20]

just my personal opinion, but i'd put apogee and metric halo in a group above presonus and MOTU. i don't have any experience with the lynx.

4 is kind of a tough number, as most converters go from 2 to 8. i think the one floating to the top is the 8228, as it's quality and gives you more channels than you need atm.

there's a lot of love for MH over at the osxaudio hardware forum (http://www.bigbluelounge.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=9).

edit: btw, your location is cracking me up.

[zimv20]

also -- i don't know which preamps you have. if you don't have any, or they're of medium quality, then you may want to consider the uln-2. i haven't used it myself, but i've heard some amazing location binaural stuff recorded with it (using earthworks mics, natch).

[macmanmatty]

also -- i don't know which preamps you have. if you don't have any, or they're of medium quality, then you may want to consider the uln-2. i haven't used it myself, but i've heard some amazing location binaural stuff recorded with it (using earthworks mics, natch).

would the unl-2's pre be better than the rnp which I currenty own

[zimv20]

would the unl-2's pre be better than the rnp which I currenty own
as i've not used the uln-2 pre's myself, i can't say for sure (i do have an rnp, which i like a lot). an engineer friend of mine who owns both likes the uln-2 pre's better.

i had to spend a lot more than i spent on the rnp to get something better, fwiw.

[Mac-Addict]

If it helps, the top one looks pretty. :D

[zimv20]

Fireface 800
http://www.rme-audio.com/english/firewire/ff800.htm
ah geez -- i'm so used to seeing presonus' firebox and firepod that i missed the fact that this is an RME unit. i haven't used these, either.

please disregard my presonus comment above.