-10/+4 switch on A16 Ultra only work in groups of 8 channel?

[ChampionSound]

The title says it all, I have a A16 Ultra and I haven't used it yet, because I have to build my new PC first, if I find the time later this week.

I have one preamp (Focusrite Penta) which I want to connect to my A16U, and want to use it at +4dBu of course (balanced), but that is the only external hardware which I can, and want to use at +4dBu. The rest of my gear which I want to connect are all synths which have to be set at -10dBv.

It's quite obvious looking at the back of the box, but I'll ask it anyway:
Can I connect only a maximum of 4 synths to the A16U? (e.g. group A)
And my mic preamp (balanced) to ch.9+10 (it's also a stereo compressor) must be set at +4dBu, but that means that channel 11 to 16 are set at +4dBu then too?
So that means that channel 11 to 16 can not be used for other pro-sumer gear using levels of -10dBv (so practically all synths) right? That would be a waste of channels, I'm affraid.

Fortunately I have a luna box too, but still..

I hope someone can confirm this.

Thanks!

cheers, Darcy

[Shroomz~>]

Hi Darcy,

Yes, the channels can only be switched between +4 & -10 in whole 8-ch groups (A & B).

One option that might be worth considering would be to use good quality multichannel DI unit/s for the rest of your gear.

Mark

[ChampionSound]

Aha!

I thought so and thanks for the confirmation, Mark

I will look for a multichannel DI-box box (preferably a 19" unit) in the near future then.

[Shroomz~>]

No problem mate.

If you're on a tight budget, you might consider the SM Pro Audio DI8 -




Music Store are selling it for 119 euro. It should be good bang for bucks and better quality than the cheaper 8-ch Behringer option. See it at Music store here. FWIW, I think Music Store have the biggest & best selection of DI boxes I've seen - 117 products in their DI section. Music Store DI section.

Mark

[Shroomz~>]

Actually, come to think of it, that SM Pro Audio unit, might not be the best option at all. Reading through the manuals of any that you end up considering is the best option.

Mark

[ChampionSound]

Wow thanks a lot!
I will take a look at all the DI boxes/racks available at Thomann and the Musicstore. For sure a lot of options...

[garyb]

your "prosumer" gear connected to a +4 input will show the level to be a bit low, but it should still be acceptable. you can add gain inside Scope, and you should still have enough level for reasonable bit depth in a 24bit recording. a buffer amp might be nice, but it's not absolutely necessary. a DI will require a mic pre, as DIs usually output mic level. a mic pre that has a hiz input could also be used, but i think that might be overkill.

[Shroomz~>]

You're talking about losing over 2 bits worth of the full dynamic range if you just plug the gear straight into the A16 gary, but you've got a good point about using a DI. An 8-ch pre amp might actually be a better option than a DI.

[dawman]

I used a Nady PRA-8 before I got the FMR RNP's and it works fine and used costs very little on ebay or Craigs List. It was used for instruments for rehearsals until our mic pre's arrived.
I know you're across the pond but the link here will show you just how cheap they are over here.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nady-PRA-8-8-Channe ... otohosting

[Neutron]

I think the degradation from attenuating and then re-amplifying the signal would be worse than losing 2 bits on the a16 input.

[garyb]

yeah, the CORRECT solution is a -20 to +4 buffer amp, but if you went to a real studio, even a $2000 a day room, the engineer might very well just plug a synth into the +4 input without any pangs of guilt whatsoever. losing 2 bits of 20bits is not so bad. the cd will be 16bit and if one does a good job in general and the synth has a good sound, the cd will sound great.

if you can afford the matching amp, go for it! real audio tools are a great thing for a studio owner to invest in.

[Shroomz~>]

yeah, the CORRECT solution is a -20 to +4 buffer amp,

Are you sure you don't mean a 'balancing amp'? You can get 8-ch balancing, impedance and level matching units for interfacing between consumer and studio equipment that have their inputs optimized for -10 dBu signals & have output level adjustment up to about +21 dB. They're pretty expensive though (6 to 7 hundred euros).... There must be a cheaper option in the form of a combi amp/DI unit or similar with the right specs.

[garyb]

balancing amp, buffer amp, line matching amp, whatever....

a DI usually is for going from line level to mic level, although there are boxes that are swiss army knives. either way, 8 channels without signal loss will be quite pricey. cheap solutions will likely degrade the sound quality more than just plugging straight in.

[Shroomz~>]

cheap solutions will likely degrade the sound quality more than just plugging straight in.

...then again, an ADA8000 is a cheap solution for conversion, but I digress.

[Neutron]

Personally i wouldnt bother (well i dont actually, thats exactly what im doing) its nice to have the extra headroom, and be able to turn the synths up to full without having to worry about overloading the inputs(especially when theres some resonance peaks happening). and if i had 600 euros lying around i certainly wouldn't spend it on 8 op amps.

[Shroomz~>]

I don't think I'd spend 600 euros on 8 op amps either Neutron.
I like the look of the PR8E mic/line preamp though... For 133 euros it's a pretty versatile unit. It'll take any combination of mics, keyboards, drum machines etc. I'm sure Katano & some others here use one of these & have said nothing but good things about it.

[Neutron]

yes that one looks good. I dont believe you could build it yourself for that much, and certainly not looking that good.

i might even get one

[bassdude]

Personally i wouldnt bother (well i dont actually, thats exactly what im doing) its nice to have the extra headroom, and be able to turn the synths up to full without having to worry about overloading the inputs(especially when theres some resonance peaks happening). and if i had 600 euros lying around i certainly wouldn't spend it on 8 op amps.

Sage advice. Unless I'm plugging into a really nice preamp or want to add character with a really nice tube preamp I wouldn't bother. It's just more cables and connections between the synth and recording device.