JonG Posted February 1, 2018 Report Share Posted February 1, 2018 A lot of recorders these days are including AES inputs as a good portion of their i/o. I'm specifically thinking of the Cantar X3. If I were on a show using the X3 and needed all 24 record tracks, and I'm using Lectrosonics Venues, and I'm NOT using a digital mixer with AES outputs, then how do I get 16 channels of analog line-level signal into my Cantar X3? Ive seen a few AC powered options from the music world that are mostly 2 channel converter boxes, but if I were to use these I'd need an AC powered follow cart to house all these boxes. I guess I could use two Venues and six SRs with AES plates but that sounds like a huge pain that is more expensive than needs be. So then what are our options? What have I missed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiro nakamura Posted February 1, 2018 Report Share Posted February 1, 2018 I think SD970 does it Alternatives might be a bit ... since there are two venues - 788T x 2 or any recorder + another one covers 16 tracks ...;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonG Posted February 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2018 That doesn't really answer my question though. If i need 24 tracks and my X3 has 16 analog and 16 AES, what are people doing to convert to AES? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Constantin Posted February 1, 2018 Report Share Posted February 1, 2018 Ferrofish Pulse 16 is a 16 input A-D converter with ADAT out - or MADI. Does the X3 have MADI enabled yet? It runs on 12V, but it draws up to 3A. If you need AES, you could also get this: http://www.rme-audio.de/en/products/adi_4_dd.php?hc_location= which‘ll convert your ADAT to AES on 7-36V. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonG Posted February 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2018 @Constantin thanks for your responses. Seems silly to spend $15k on a machine, and you still need to spend thousands more to get additional converters, just to get your audio in the box. Since Lectrosonics opted out of AES on their Venues, it'd be great if they or someone could create something to fill this gap at a lower pricepoint. I can see a single rack unit with DB25 connectors, you could easily get three or four sets of eight on a single rack space. Well, one can dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Constantin Posted February 2, 2018 Report Share Posted February 2, 2018 I agree. But I also think that digital audio on an XLR is not ideal for multi i/o. Yes it could be on a DB25, but everyone is going Dante these days, that’s what they all should have. All these converters have ADAT i/o, some have MADI, I don’t understand. Dante is the way of the future, I believe. Although MADI is still pretty cool... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Farrell Posted February 2, 2018 Report Share Posted February 2, 2018 You could use a Lectro DNT BOB 88 and go Dante into the X3. Or if you wanted to stick with AES, you could use a couple of the AJA ADA4 converters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Immoral Mr Teas Posted February 3, 2018 Report Share Posted February 3, 2018 7 hours ago, Patrick Farrell said: You could use a Lectro DNT BOB 88 and go Dante into the X3. Or if you wanted to stick with AES, you could use a couple of the AJA ADA4 converters. Nothing really seems to have replaced the AJA as far as I have looked over the last few years (for AES). Although there are DIY boxes but I've only seen 2 channel which is less useful than the AJA 4. On the other hand, did not the Fostex PD6 (or 606 perhaps) and the HHB PDR2000 have multi AES out on a Dsub25? For a cart (at 48 or 96k) might this be a decent go around until you fork out for the obvious Sonosax AD8? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronFilm Posted February 3, 2018 Report Share Posted February 3, 2018 MixPreD could help out with a couple of channels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Immoral Mr Teas Posted February 3, 2018 Report Share Posted February 3, 2018 2 minutes ago, IronFilm said: MixPreD could help out with a couple of channels Or 552 with four ... another 'new lease of life' solution for aged X3 owners with a back shed full of "do you know what I paid for that back in the day??" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonG Posted February 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2018 31 minutes ago, The Immoral Mr Teas said: Or 552 with four ... another 'new lease of life' solution for aged X3 owners with a back shed full of "do you know what I paid for that back in the day??" Could you imagine a cart with four 552s on it just to convert your signal to AES? The image in my mind made me laugh. However, having a cart full of cables to me makes the point of using digital inputs invalid to some degree. Coming from my standpoint, where I am using an analog mixer, I feel like we've moved past that cumbersome mess. But the Venues not having any kind of digital output makes that hard to build around without loads of cables. Maybe we will be surprised this year at NAB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codyman Posted February 3, 2018 Report Share Posted February 3, 2018 I know you want a DC, AES option BUT Tascam does have a new Dante box (isn't there a Dante option for the X3?). It's 1u and takes 22w which I'd imagine you could rig to a DC inverter pretty easily. Can't beat the price either... Tascam ML-16D Apparently they make a 32 channel version as well. Not too shabby for $2k Tascam ML-32d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tourtelot Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 The longer you wait, the more Dante gear there will be. I think, in time, it will cover high track count problems very nicely in a lot of price ranges. Dante will never be "cheap" because Audinate charges a certain fee for the Dante license but I just bought a simple four-in by four-out Dante to analog box made by Glensound from Gotham just above $500 (IIRC). Ferrofish, mentioned above, as well as Attero Tech (I have their Dante to 32x analog box) are building nice Dante boxes as well. Many more jumping on the Dante train and it's rollin' hard. After all these years in the sound business, I still find it amazing that I can send my 32 track at 96k recording rig from the stage to the control room, hundreds of feet away, on one Cat5e cable. Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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