• From: SE USA
  • Registered: 2020-04-29
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Topic: ADI-2 Pro FS to Capture/Playback of a Pre-master/Master Source

In terms of reference-like audio capture and playback, how would the ADI-2 Pro FS best be used? What are the typical uses for sample rates above 192k, i.e., DSD/DoP Streaming? I haven't used DSD in terms studio applications.

How have others used the ADI-2 Pro FS in their studio?

Later,

GrievousAngel
Live Sound & Recording Studio Owner
Severely influenced by Rock'n Roll!
ADI-2 Pro FS
  • ning
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Re: ADI-2 Pro FS to Capture/Playback of a Pre-master/Master Source

not really useful as source in a studio application.

3 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2022-05-25 09:21:47)

  • KaiS
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Re: ADI-2 Pro FS to Capture/Playback of a Pre-master/Master Source

grievousangel wrote:

In terms of reference-like audio capture and playback, how would the ADI-2 Pro FS best be used? What are the typical uses for sample rates above 192k, i.e., DSD/DoP Streaming? I haven't used DSD in terms studio applications.

How have others used the ADI-2 Pro FS in their studio?

Later,

Studio recording is 96 kHz 24 bit PCM.
Everything above is audiophile mumbo jumbo.

Only exception:
Laboratory measurements of high frequency signals.


DSD is an end-user format, not usable for studio recordings as it’s not editable in it’s native form.
All production intersteps would be PCM anyway, so even the theoretical advantage of DSD is lost immediately.


Or to say it like I usually do:

DSD is a pain in the ass, even for the end-user.
If you like trouble, use it.
If you want to produce or listen to music without being distracted by technical problems, use PCM.

KaiS's Website

4 Reply by Curt962 (edited by Curt962 2022-05-25 16:36:25)

  • Registered: 2019-01-07
  • Posts: 1,462

Re: ADI-2 Pro FS to Capture/Playback of a Pre-master/Master Source

KaiS wrote:

...Or to say it like I usually do:

DSD is a pain in the ass, even for the end-user.
If you like trouble, use it.
If you want to produce or listen to music without being distracted by technical problems, use PCM.

Nicely Phrased KaiS

As I've expressed here previously... When analyzed I've found these "alleged" hi-res recordings to be nothing more than a Re-Master containing no spectral content that couldn't easily be encoded in a 44/16 format.

Production Quality is where the secret lies.  Not Sampling Rate.   I have examples to prove it!

Amongst them...

Cantus (US) "All is Calm" is positively eerie in it's "presence"    All at 44/16 !

In the end?  The Mastering Engineer decides !  wink



Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes
  • From: SE USA
  • Registered: 2020-04-29
  • Posts: 23

Re: ADI-2 Pro FS to Capture/Playback of a Pre-master/Master Source

The replies supported what I thought I understood, but I was not confident enough to discuss it, etc. I was off-base thinking it is also used for final audio mixes. I researched [it] some after posting this thread. DSD & DoP. DoP = DSD over PCM. The program content is 16 bit and the remaining bits are for decoding, meta-data and other info. It is basically for consumer media (audio & video) streaming. Since it is a 1 bit stream, I think that leans into why the high freq sample rates are required. I think that is correct. Someone needs to explain this technology better. I was fading fast on my explanation ...

Later, Billy

GrievousAngel
Live Sound & Recording Studio Owner
Severely influenced by Rock'n Roll!
ADI-2 Pro FS

6 Reply by Curt962 (edited by Curt962 2022-05-26 15:15:34)

  • Registered: 2019-01-07
  • Posts: 1,462

Re: ADI-2 Pro FS to Capture/Playback of a Pre-master/Master Source

Billy,

I think you came to the right place for answers.   Here in this Forum, we do have members who work in the Studio environment daily, and they would be best qualified to explain to you the Hows & Whys.

The widely held views here are that High SR/Bit depths ie: 96/24, are most advantageous in the production process, and allow the engineer to work with greater precision (Levels, Eq, Fx), and helps to ensure better cross-compatability amongst those systems in your production chain.  DSD is immediately rendered useless in this environment, and seemingly exists ONLY to entertain the expectation biases of Audiophiles. wink

On the Playback end?  A well-engineered recording from your Studio will shine through!   Even when boiled down to Mp3!

Key to this?  An engineer who with a critical ear Listens to his/her work is essential!  Sample Rates cannot compensate for poor engineering.  (My collection contains numerous titles that were obviously produced at a Hearing Loss Center yielding a "High-Res" Mess  sad

My $0.02

Be Well!

Curt

Vintage 2018 ADI-2 DAC. "Classic AKM4490 Edition"
Cables:  Red, and White Ones.
Speakers:  Yes

7 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2022-05-26 18:10:25)

  • KaiS
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Re: ADI-2 Pro FS to Capture/Playback of a Pre-master/Master Source

The basic idea with DSD is:

To (in the recording studio) store the signal like it comes from the 1-bit AD-Converter stage inside the chip, before it‘s recalculated (noise shaped and filtered) and packed into PCM format.
Then feed this “raw” signal (at the consumer’s place) back into the DA-Converter’s final stage only.

The idea sounds convincing, as it bypasses two recalculation inter-steps:
- 1-bit to PCM + Antialiasing Filter,
- and PCM to 1-bit + Reconstruction Filter.


What renders the format unusable is the fact that you cannot process this bit-stream in any way:
No editing, no multitrack mixing, no EQ, nothing, not even change the loudness, during production (or on the consumer side like inside ADI-2).


For the recording engineer this simply would mean working with both hands tied to the back.
It sacrifices all that can be done during production, even artistically, for using a theoretically “better” recording format.

This in the light of the fact that the recording format is by far the least significant factor in producing a good recording!



Remark:
DoP = DSD over PCM is just a transport format of DSD.
DSD data is packed into a PCM stream, to make it possible to handle DSD inside normal computer (PCM) architecture.

KaiS's Website