PULSAR 2 spdif and analogue out

lore · Post by **lore** » Sat Dec 08, 2001 12:32 pm

Hello,
is it normal to have a huge difference of sound quality between pulsar 2 analogue out(unbalanced) and pulsar 2 spdif out?
i.e. : an hi hat coming trough spdif out has much more hi frequencies and brillance than the analogue out .
i Have also noticed that spdif has more hi frequencies BUT LESS BASS ONES than analog out !!!
I can also add that pulsar analogue out has tha same quality of my shitty mac sound card(sound manager)!!!!!!

[ This Message was edited by: lore on 2001-12-08 12:45 ]

[ This Message was edited by: lore on 2001-12-08 12:46 ]

[ This Message was edited by: lore on 2001-12-08 13:07 ]

Mo · Post by Mo » Mon Dec 10, 2001 7:16 am

well, i guess you don´t plug the spdif right into your ears, do you?

so the two sounds you compare are the sounds of the used converters - one is the creamware converter on the card, and the other one is the converter which converts the spdif signal into an analogue signal.

you can be sure that the sound sent to the different outs is certainly the same - bitwise.

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 8:01 am

and what cables are you using? seems weird to have an audible difference between the two convertors!
Even playing a .wav thru a SoundBlaster/Pulsar should not make an audible difference... Check your mixer and cables, I'd say!

lore · Post by **lore** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 10:32 am

Hello guys,
well to convert pulsar spdif out from digital to analogue i use my dat :tascam da 30 mk2, so i assume that the dat's ad/da converter is much better then the pulsar's one.
Anyway some times i use this situation just to have more outputs from pulsar in order to use my mixing desk's eqs etc..

But a "normal" situtaion would be to mix everything in pulsar and then record everything to dat ok? so whenever i record from pulsar to dat in the analogue or digital way i can always listen to what the dat is recording by connecting the dat's out to an ampifier or mixing desk( using 2trk or simply a stereo channel strip) right?
i've tried good and bad cables the result is the same : the sound coming trough pulsar spdif out is much much better then the analogue one so i come to the conclusion :
pulsar's AD/DA converter is crap while the dat's one is good !
So one more question :is the converter of the A16 better then pulsar's one? cause in this case my problem will be solved, in effect i really like pulsar's eq and effects but i still like to work with analog eq (hardware mixing desk) in order to have a warmer an subtile compressed sound. So i could apply all effects and eq in pulsar and then have every single sound separatley on my mixing desk.
Cheers

and thanks for help

subhuman · Post by **subhuman** » Mon Dec 10, 2001 10:40 am

Pulsar's AD/DA are definitely NOT crap at all. Pretty clean, if you have high quality cables, and no groundloops in your living environment's electrical wiring, and no power connectors close to the physical Pulsar board inside your computer (use lots of zip ties!) Likewise, the SPDIF sounds as it should, if you have a stable, proper digital clock in the system.

Post by **garyb** » Tue Dec 18, 2001 11:09 pm

when you go to big studios,they NEVER (almost) use the ad/da converters built into dats 'cause they're lousy.(they use expensive outboard units that cost as much as the dat machine itself) if you like the sound of yours tho- thats your business..... whatever you like for your music is good.
i think the pulsar converters are very good.
cabling can make a huge difference.also extra high end at the expense of low end is not good.maybe the dat is just THIN like most of those machines.
extra low end(not thin sounding) can make it seem like the high end is lacking, especially in a room with poor acoustics and with a low powered or home stereo-type amplifier.(the low end eats all the power and makes the output dull and distorted)

[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2001-12-18 23:12 ]