CD mastering

jan.didden · 24th August 2006, 11:23 AM

Hi,

Does anybody have experience with or tips for equipment to be used to record (or master) CD's from analog sources?

Something like this http://www.fostexinternational.com/d...ts/cr500.shtml ?

Jan Didden

PMA · 25th August 2006, 06:22 AM

Jan, in case you seek for highest quality, buy the equipment from Ed Meitner, EMM Labs.

Werner · 25th August 2006, 07:02 AM

Dag Jan,

I have been doing this, building my system over the years and still not where I want it to be.

After two low-end (~300 euro) PC-based ADC/DAC boxes (with mods) I am now going to buy the Tascam DV-RA1000 DVD recorder, if only to make recording from the big turntable in the living room easier.

I also looked into mid-end solid state recorders (Tascam, Fostex) but rejected them as their analogue input circuits and ADCs are built to a dreadful standard, only suitable for interviews and low-end movie stuff.

I have no illusions about the DV-RA1000 being better than mid-fi at the circuit level, but at least it is a big box with room for improvement, improvement that probably only requires ripping out most of the circuits feeding the ADC.

Just some observations:

Nearly all 1-chip ADCs have primitive half-band AA filters. Some have wide-band stop-band rejection not exceeding 70dB (!).

Record at 88.2kHz and do the downsampling after all processing in the DAW, preferrably using a downsampler of known high quality (I wrote my own routines in Matlab and now can trade aliasing versus impulse response).

If you have many dull LPs (I do), then use a really good analogue EQ between phonostage and ADC. Or modify a phonostage with a variable RIAA and use this to tweak treble.

jan.didden · 25th August 2006, 01:32 PM

Very interesting! We need to talk....

Jan Didden

jan.didden · 25th August 2006, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PMA
Jan, in case you seek for highest quality, buy the equipment from Ed Meitner, EMM Labs.

Yeah, great stuff. Now, if I had another 20k euro laying around...

Jan Didden

Gooch · 25th August 2006, 07:00 PM

Hi Jan

You might want to check out this site Link
It's everything you ever wanted to know about mastering sample rate, bit depht lots of go stuff. I do all my mastering with Pro Tools and Bias Peak Pro. I personally don't down sample I just record everything @ 24bit

Regards,

Dave

24th August 2006, 11:23 AM	#1
jan.didden diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Great City of Turnhout, Belgium Blog Entries: 6	CD mastering Hi, Does anybody have experience with or tips for equipment to be used to record (or master) CD's from analog sources? Something like this http://www.fostexinternational.com/d...ts/cr500.shtml ? Jan Didden __________________ /Yes! Its out: Linear Audio Vol 5! I'm not an "accademic", just a plodder who loves a challenge - Ian Hegglun

25th August 2006, 01:32 PM	#4
jan.didden diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Great City of Turnhout, Belgium Blog Entries: 6	Very interesting! We need to talk.... Jan Didden __________________ /Yes! Its out: Linear Audio Vol 5! I'm not an "accademic", just a plodder who loves a challenge - Ian Hegglun

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25th August 2006, 06:22 AM	#2
PMA diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Prague, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka	Jan, in case you seek for highest quality, buy the equipment from Ed Meitner, EMM Labs.

25th August 2006, 07:02 AM	#3
Werner diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Belgium	Dag Jan, I have been doing this, building my system over the years and still not where I want it to be. After two low-end (~300 euro) PC-based ADC/DAC boxes (with mods) I am now going to buy the Tascam DV-RA1000 DVD recorder, if only to make recording from the big turntable in the living room easier. I also looked into mid-end solid state recorders (Tascam, Fostex) but rejected them as their analogue input circuits and ADCs are built to a dreadful standard, only suitable for interviews and low-end movie stuff. I have no illusions about the DV-RA1000 being better than mid-fi at the circuit level, but at least it is a big box with room for improvement, improvement that probably only requires ripping out most of the circuits feeding the ADC. Just some observations: Nearly all 1-chip ADCs have primitive half-band AA filters. Some have wide-band stop-band rejection not exceeding 70dB (!). Record at 88.2kHz and do the downsampling after all processing in the DAW, preferrably using a downsampler of known high quality (I wrote my own routines in Matlab and now can trade aliasing versus impulse response). If you have many dull LPs (I do), then use a really good analogue EQ between phonostage and ADC. Or modify a phonostage with a variable RIAA and use this to tweak treble.

25th August 2006, 07:00 PM	#6
Gooch diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: West Coast of Florida	Hi Jan You might want to check out this site Link It's everything you ever wanted to know about mastering sample rate, bit depht lots of go stuff. I do all my mastering with Pro Tools and Bias Peak Pro. I personally don't down sample I just record everything @ 24bit Regards, Dave