AKM AK5394a

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#2
I forgot to say something:

I am working in a German music-studio.

At the moment we are using ProTools 888-Interfaces with 8/8 ADDAs, but the A/D is crap.

In order to record a perfect sound from our microphones, we need good A/Ds.

I first thought about buying Apogoo-ADs, but they I found this forum where audiophile-profis are chatting about quality and I thougt, it's better to request a self-build A/D.

Can you help me?
Better A/Ds means better sound for you !!
 
#3
DIY

Hi, there is a way, of course. I have a pair of CS5394 117dB ADC for 4 years and yet I've done nothing with them. Now there are better, 96/192kHz ones. Check also CS5396. I think it needs a microcontroller. Good layot is very necessary. And some quality opamps or something exotic, - and, of course, good low jitter clock generator.
What is your budget??? And how many channels do you need? In one box or separate stereo ADCs?
regards
marry X-mas
 
#4
Why does the CS5396 needs a microcontroller?

Of course ... quality OPs ... I thought of OP275 by Analog Devices.
Jitterclock can come in from Wordclock in the studio-beat.

2 Channels needed right now ... for prototyping of course.
Finally we need 8 channels (mono) A/D and 40 channels (mono) D/A.

But I did not find any good pricing D/A in this forum.
The main problem is, you guys build very good D/As and write much about them in this forum.

But nobody can send me a prototyp to test the sound.

I am really interested in paying a prototyp or paying the time to test it :-(

btw: Budget isn't a big problem 🙂)
 
#5
Adc

Hello Tobias,
Have a look at this thread. I don't know the Audionote ADC is ready for marketing yet.
http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=digital&n=71320&highlight=peter+elso&session=
I also did receive the CD ROM from Peter Qvortrup and I can assure you it sounds good. The CD ROM contains samples from LP's played back through a conventional AD converter and through Peters new product.
I feel he would make a much stronger case if he used a life music feed to demonstrate the differences.😎
 
#8
Hi peranders,

Have you checked this?
Click to expand...
I know Digitalaudio very well, but many professional mixers (human beings, hehe) don't like it's sound. That#s why I did not choose it.

What are they based on, AD chip etc?
Click to expand...
Unknown ... They changed their chips at every revision.
There was

888-16
888-18
888-20
888-23
888-24

Now they switched to "HD-96" and "HD-192"

I think they only use the flagships of Crystal or AMK.

Indeed, but what is your budget then?
Click to expand...
Budget means ... 8 channels => 2000-3000 EUR

Have you thought about buying a digital mixer? Yamaha for instance?
Click to expand...

I really hope, this was a joke ... If not, I will never write to you again 🙂
 
#14
CS5361

Howdy Tobwen,


I can say nothing but great things about crystal semiconductors cs5361. A discrete input stage and a kwak clock make it very nice sounding. You could buy their evaluation board and modify it fairly easily.


The stoock eval board is not optimal, with an opamp input stage with electrolytic dc blocking caps, but can be modified.


Its great to have a really low noise adc chip, the hard part is making the preceeding gain stages quiet enough to use the super wide dynamic range it offers. I've reached the point that different brands of to92 transistors make a difference in noise. I've managed about 100db of dynamic range (dc-20khz) with 80db of gain, 24/192khz is very demanding.


The real challenge is if you are going to use multiple adc chips, they need to be clock synced. The crystal semi's have this feature. The next sticking point is the aes3/spdif tx/rx system is less then optimal for multi track recording, adapting an existing adc box could be the answer.

I'm still trying to come to grips on exactly how bad the aes3 multichannel problem is. At the moment I've had some advice from Brian Brown in another thread here, and have read a few aes.org papers covering the topic. I'm still at the very start of this learning curve re: aes3 clock sync/group delay



Mark Hathaway
 
#15
Re: CS5361

Mark Hathaway said:
Howdy Tobwen,



I'm still trying to come to grips on exactly how bad the aes3 multichannel problem is. At the moment I've had some advice from Brian Brown in another thread here, and have read a few aes.org papers covering the topic. I'm still at the very start of this learning curve re: aes3 clock sync/group delay



Mark Hathaway
Click to expand...


Methinks you doth see a problem where none exists,sir.
 
#17
Happy X-Mas Mark Hathaway,

I can say nothing but great things about crystal semiconductors cs5361. A discrete input stage and a kwak clock make it very nice sounding. You could buy their evaluation board and modify it fairly easily.
Click to expand...

The problem is, the cs5361 is pretty old. It was standard for studio-equipment some years ago.

Today standard is: AKM5392a and CS5381

But the AKM is used more and more. Is the CS5381 pin-compatible to the CS5361?

The stoock eval board is not optimal, with an opamp input stage with electrolytic dc blocking caps, but can be modified.
Click to expand...

A friend of mine developed a nice board for the cs5361.

Which op-amps would you prefer? At the moment he is using OPA2134 by TI / Burr Brown
and Switched-Capacitor Voltage Converter LT1054 by Linear Technology.

The Interface Transmitter is the CS8405A.

Its great to have a really low noise adc chip, the hard part is making the preceeding gain stages quiet enough to use the super wide dynamic range it offers. I've reached the point that different brands of to92 transistors make a difference in noise. I've managed about 100db of dynamic range (dc-20khz) with 80db of gain, 24/192khz is very demanding.
Click to expand...

Yes ... 100db of dynamic range @ 192 KHz.
But in Europe, music studio produce @ 44.1 KHz & 24 bit.

What about dynamics & noise @ 44.1 Khz?

The real challenge is if you are going to use multiple adc chips, they need to be clock synced. The crystal semi's have this feature. The next sticking point is the aes3/spdif tx/rx system is less then optimal for multi track recording, adapting an existing adc box could be the answer.
Click to expand...

At the moment I only need a REALLY PERFECT Stereo-A/D for recording vocals or guitars.

Happy X-Mas
Tobias
 
#18
Happy X-mas rfbrw,

Is there any particular reason for selecting this A/D as opposed to one from Analog Devices, Crystal or TI ?
Click to expand...

Yes ... because you can find the AKM in any A/D > 1000 EUR / $

So there must be something about this chips (argh, my bad English). Perhaps the new Crystal CS5381 is as good ...

I have opened many actual A/D & D/As and inside were:

ADC: AKM5392
ADC: AKM5392a

DAC: AD1852
DAC: CS4396
 
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