That transformer physically vibrates a lot in my build with it being adjacent to the main transformer. In my case due to their location at the very front of the chassis they don't appear to be causing any noise on the output. Your build is more tightly packed than mine, there was a point I was pondering using a larger 6 winding transformer to get rid of the stock blue thing.
If you don't mind I would like to run the same tests or similar you have, but using a modded AD24QS/CS5381@192k24 as capture, which software did you use? Might have to do it via a laptop.
If you don't mind I would like to run the same tests or similar you have, but using a modded AD24QS/CS5381@192k24 as capture, which software did you use? Might have to do it via a laptop.
I used ARTA, it's not wonderful but did basic measurements fine. Had to use fb2k to output test tones since ARTA only recognizes WDM and it's horrible.
I've thought about using a larger toroidal with 4 secondaries instead of stacking, but I would have to install vertically and I don't see enough benefits. Another factor is rated voltage. You want the trafos to be rated higher than your actual mains to reduce flux density. In my case, the blue thing is rated 110v and fed 120v so it's oversaturated and overheating.
By the way, at what level would mains noise become audible in a sensitive(speaker?) setup? I measured the SE output to couple about -100db noise but I doubt it's audible.
That's fine I guess. Usually the XLR 3-pin shields aren't even connected. If they are, you might want to clip off the small metal pin that connects shield to ground. Perhaps even this wouldn't matter since your chassis is not grounded, but for safety reasons it's probably best to connect it to mains earth, in which case you would want to isolate the XLR pin 1 from chassis.
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I had to drop using my old emu0404, the so called win7 beta driver just didn't work in win7.... I'm now using a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6.
Interesting. Here on my studio monitors in a treated room using the DAM1021 with lot's of VREF capacitance and the current "soft" filter listening to the previews I find these indeed to sound detailed and with a good sense of space, but ultimately very "hollow" and with an annoying upper midrange timbre.
I much prefer the tracked-to-tape and mixed-on-a-Neve VR (or similar analog console) sound:
YouTube
Listen to the CD, not yt, of course.
BTW, a lot of more recent soundtracks sound downright broken to my ears. No idea what's going on.
There is a lot of nonsense on audioforums like these...
This is just one of them
Thanks for letting me know so that I can adjust my insight!
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This is my system FR in my sofa using PN and a calibrated ECM6000. Still working on it.
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Response looks quite good. Have you done waterfalls and step response measurements?
I'm not convinced static frequency response is all that important and consider dynamic behaviour as more consequential. Got rid of all ported speakers a long time ago for this reason.
But big mains in a living room are a lot more forgiving than studio nearfields. You hear more of the flaws than the music. ;-)
There are many happy EMU0404 users with Win10 on the internet. I'll let you guys know if mine doesn't work when I get it this week.
Spike, if you're interested in getting a toroidal for the SK Lite, search for AnTek. I believe they sell the smallest 10VA 6V toroidal on the planet, and possibly the only one that will fit in my build (and provide enough power and not run too hot)... If space is no issue, Talema 15VA 6V potted may also be a good option (taller and 3mm larger in diameter, does not work for me...). 7V might make the regulator chips on the back side run too hot according to the designer. The original 110V UI laminate is no good, especially with 120V AC.
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As a frame of reference, would you mind naming the complete playback chain?
The problem might be slightly deeper than that. Salas also felt that dam1021 lacked presence (compared to a number of good delta-sigma reference dacs) even though it has natural timbres and a nice sound overall. I remember that the headphone out on the Behringer, which in all likelihood measures far better than dam1021, is less "hollow" on some sounds. But the Behringer sound was horrible in detail/clarity/naturalness of timbre/etc. I'm not trying to give the last word here, but it is possible that some recordings would sound more "hollow" on a perfect playback system than what we might like. It is reasonable to believe that it could be coloring from the delta-sigma dacs, if we accept that the resistor errors of dam1021 contribute only to harmonic distortions that we can't hear, and that the jitter level on dam1021 isn't audible (or at least the difference wouldn't be easily pinpointable with the audiophile vocabulary, contrary to the belief of the audiophile) If this is the case, maybe it would constitute a good reason for us to stop pursuing the "better sound", unless one is fully confident of his ability to tell what sounds "better" for him. Of course, it would be terrific if we do somehow acquire this fine-grained judgement of audio. For it would enable wonderful possibilities of artificially coloring the sound in all sorts of ways to our true benefit. Perhaps such is required of every recording sound engineer, then the mastering process would seem to me very much a part of the art.
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Either custom 3-way monitors or NS-10, Class AB studio amplifier.
TNT said:
This was done a few years back, with a mic made for measurements at the ideal listening position.
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