D to A converters

[calberga]

Having postponed buying an out-board A to D converter I have found that the MidiMan Flying Calf is no longer available. However I have found another device in the same price range, the ART DIO. (Actually, it is cheaper and is both A2D and D2A.)

I have two questions: first, has anyone else any experience with this unit?

Second, the unit contains a (signal) tube, which can be used (variably) to modify the audio being digialized. Is there any reason to use this, or will it just add extranious information to the data?

[Craig Maier]

Re: D to A converters

I do not know anything about this sound card. But this I can tell you from an engineering perspective. The only thing that a tube does differently compared to an op amp or a good negative feedback transistor amplifier is to add substantial non-linearity to the system. That translates into Harmonic and Intermodulation distortion. These effects are often interpretted as being "pleasing to the ear by producing a warming effect." Maybe they do and maybe they do not. It depends on who you ask. But this I can tell you for certain. Once you introduce distortion into a signal, it is almost impossible to get rid of it. However, if you start with a clean signal, you can always distort it later. Diamond Cut Software has its VVA or Virtual Valve Amplifier. This sytem uses computer models of real electron tubes like the 12AX7, etc. to introduce "tube warmth" (which is really just a very specific form of distortion.) So at the end of the day, stay away from the use of tubes before processing, in my humble opinion. Why add distortion to a perfectly good signal when you can always do that later?

[calberga]

Re: D to A converters

Thanks, I'll be sure to not use the tube option. It is supposed to be an option, with a selector that runs from "transparent", i.e. no tube effect, to "fat" -- full tube effect. It is not a card, but an external box, so the analog signal doesn't get into the computer. I have the SB Live! card with an RCA digital input to get the signal into the box. I haven't thought of a use for the D to A side yet, but the whole thing is only $189 from SamAsh.com and the D to A side got a pretty high review at at least one site.

Can't be worse than using the on-card converter.