Regarding balanced versus "RCA" : consider that for computer-djing, or
performing on a computer in a place where DJ's might normally play
records... the mixer inputs that are at easy reach have RCA jacks (and
you may not have time to go spelunking for other inputs if you've got
a strict timeslot and a list of performers or DJs.). In such
situations, balanced outs not emanating from case-mounted XLR jacks
might just be extra one-of-a-kind donglage to break. Maybe other
situations in "stage" or studio presents with balanced options -- but
it's probably a good idea to have an easy and reliable nonbalanced
output available as well (and a ground-lifting power cord for the
computer). The one thing I don't like about RCA is if you have any
tight fitting jacks on your high-end cables, then the RCA connector on
your gear might end up coming loose after a while and/or many
connections and disconnections. Ultimatley, nothing beats a nice 3-pin
XLR output jack for durability and reliable connection. And easy
enough to just hookup one side of the circuit into an RCA or 1/4"
phone jack for unbalanced "house" connections.
And i'd second the recommendation of the 24/96: lets' not forget the
fast MIDI port, digital i/o, and the the built-in digital mixer and
it's "zero latency monitoring" provided by the ice1712 chip, all
controlled by ability to control ALSA's envy24control and not
alsamixer. (or higher end equivalents of this card:
Module for Envy24 (ICE1712) based PCI sound cards.
* MidiMan M Audio Delta 1010
* MidiMan M Audio Delta 1010LT
* MidiMan M Audio Delta DiO 2496
* MidiMan M Audio Delta 66
* MidiMan M Audio Delta 44
* MidiMan M Audio Delta 410
* MidiMan M Audio Audiophile 2496
* TerraTec EWS 88MT
* TerraTec EWS 88D
* TerraTec EWX 24/96
* TerraTec DMX 6Fire
* TerraTec Phase 88
* Hoontech SoundTrack DSP 24
* Hoontech SoundTrack DSP 24 Value
* Hoontech SoundTrack DSP 24 Media 7.1
* Event Electronics, EZ8
* Digigram VX442
* Lionstracs, Mediastaton
* Terrasoniq TS 88
)
It's too bad the "high end" 1724HT (
http://alsa.cybermirror.org/manuals/icensemble/Envy24HT091DS.pdf )
solutions such as the AudioTrak Prodigy HD2, fine and beautiful as it
is, is missing the built-in digital mixer. Last seen in the
pre-Via-acquisition 1712 series whose design was in the hands of
people more into music than consumer audio:
http://alsa.cybermirror.org/manuals/icensemble/envy24.pdf
> PS: Info on differences of balanced / unbalanced stuff (from Sound on Sound):
> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan02/articles/faq0102.asp#Anchor-11022
My understanding is that the M Audio Delta 1010 is actually the
highest fidelity of the 1712-based lot, in that its rack-mount
breakout box actually carries the i2s digital signal between the 1712
sitting on the PCI bus and the mostly analog rackmount box. Within
that box the i2s is converted to analog via higher end converters
such as AKM AK4393 (
http://www.audioforums.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-1896.html ). And
probably, quasi-balanced outs, or did they spring for the extra op amp
per output?
Oh, and one more thing. Quasi-balanced outs like M-audio does is
better from one standpoint -- one less op-amp to color the signal path
.... and an assumption that it's a very short cables length from the
mixer/monitor destination of those outputs. Balanced audio out means
two buffer op-amps whose outputs might be slew-rate limited, twice the
noise, and potentially, twice-as many coupling capacitors that respond
differently based on signal magnitude, frequency, etc. -- and lets not
forget microphonics ( http://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=14630
http://www.kyocera.co.jp/prdct/electro/pdf/technical/highcv.pdf
http://www.analog.com/library/analogDialogue/Anniversary/21.html ).
Only in truly high quality, expensive gear do they do a good job on
the balanced outputs: to get the equivalent to consumer/audiophile
performance you have to have each op amp with half the noise, twice
the slew-rate, many times the bandwidth, significantly more output
current (600 ohm load -- potentially all capacitive if it's a long
cable). And unfortunately, it's more likely that a compromise w/
true-balanced outs means they'll use two consumer op-amps, two
consumer coupling capacitors of the same size, and end up
significantly degrading the sound over the equivalent unbalanced
"audiophile" gear. At which point you're better off scrapping the
other output and going quasi-balanced....
-- Niels
http://nielsmayer.com
PS: I want my next soundcard to be a gigabit ethernet port. Seriously
-- what's the point of firewire, USB etc when we have gigabit ethernet
and we can use that to hookup audio gear with cheap ethernet-to-RCA
dongles anywhere you need a pair of audio channels.. i know ... crazy
idea using an old standard that's been used for decades for delivery
of realtime information, guaranteed quality of service connections,
etc.
PPS: likewise, i want my next MIDI port to be an ethernet port with
some MIDI jacks that talks ipMIDI and then use
http://qmidinet.sourceforge.net to talk to your ethernet-connected
midi devices via alsa).
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