> i'm new to pro-audio world and i need some advice about > how to setup a studio. > > i got my PC setup with an RME HDSP-9652 + SPDIF A/D D/A converter. > Ardour works great. i'm planning to purchase a FocusRite > OctoPre/ADAT and a bunch of microphones. Sounds like a good start... > > i think i need speakers too. Yes, this would be good... ;-) > > Is there anything like digital speakers or digital amps which > can accept ADAT directly from my linux box and turn it into > sound? Or do i need to convert ADAT to analogue and plug > that into a conventional amp/speaker system? You've gotten some other good answers, so I'll only add a couple of specific ideas: 1) Don't get speakers with built in D/A's. They usually make compromises that aren't sonically the best. Consider a good quality stereo D/A for your main outs, and then go from there to your amps and speakers. Active monitors (I.e. - the power amp built into the speaker cabinet) are OK if you like the sound, but make sure you can bypass that amp. What you like today might not be what you like in the future. 2) Don't forget your headphone paths - mixing & driving to musicians is pretty important too. Drummers need different mixes than singers, etc. (Well, drummers are just different from most people...) ;-) 3) You WILL get as many recommendations for studio monitors as you talk to people. It's the nature of ears and humans. Currently I'm using a fairly nice set of NHT A10-Pro's that I got really cheap. ($300 for the pair including the power amp, cables, etc.) They're pretty nice when I turn them up a bit. A compatriot absolutely loves the Adam S3, but at $3K/speaker they're a bit beyond my means right now... 4) Continue to buy equipment that supports word clock like your (and my) RME cards do. Down the road this can yield a big improvement when you start using it, and it can simplify overall clocking anyway. > > Considering how much care i'm taking to record sound digitally, > without noise, it seems like i should also take care that > the speakers can actually playback my recordings without > too much distortion. That's the ticket...
