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Post by jcoutu1 on May 16, 2022 6:40:58 GMT -6
What macOS are you running on the mbp? Still got the desktop? Any updates?
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kcatthedog
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Post by kcatthedog on May 16, 2022 7:39:12 GMT -6
Returning it, just preferred the tried and true, Daking and Aurora n.
I think the desktop is a good unit though.
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Post by jcoutu1 on May 25, 2022 14:49:02 GMT -6
Returning it, just preferred the tried and true, Daking and Aurora n. I think the desktop is a good unit though. I bought one yesterday. Hopefully it works with Pro Tools as advertised.
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kcatthedog
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Post by kcatthedog on May 25, 2022 15:17:12 GMT -6
Good luck, it is a good unit, hopefully, you enjoy it !
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Post by mjheck on May 26, 2022 14:52:47 GMT -6
anyone demo the BLA Revolution 2x2 in relationship to all these models/brands being mentioned? Hi, I just saw this question and wanted to provide an additional response, with my own specifics: • Im on a Mac mini system (no drivers to worry about) • I mix exclusively using Audeze MX4 headphones (so the headphone amp is important to me) • I do not use any outboard gear, save for a Zulu which mixes are sent through as a stereo pair I was surprised at how unfavorable the reviews were, but gave it a shot as I had three different BLA modded pieces and those modifications made a significant improvement. I really liked the sound quality a good deal. The closest piece I can compare it to was the A to D on the old 2192. My complaints would be two fold: 1) I don't love the blend knob for monitoring live signal or mix (not to be angry because it is different, but I just don't find it useful) 2) I have written customer service three times asking for help explaining the digital outputs on the back but have yet to receive an answer (the connections appear to be something like an RCA mini toslink but none of my existing cables fit, so I have never been able to use this feature). Either it is some other protocol, or something was improperly installed - but I don't know because I have not heard back. So, with all of those caveats, the tracks I have recorded with it have been lovely, smooth and detailed, and when mixing, the stereo field is easy to hear and mixes translate. So, I really like the piece, and assume a 2.0 version will resolve these minor issues. That's what I've got. MJH
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Post by notneeson on May 26, 2022 19:37:22 GMT -6
anyone demo the BLA Revolution 2x2 in relationship to all these models/brands being mentioned? Hi, I just saw this question and wanted to provide an additional response, with my own specifics: • Im on a Mac mini system (no drivers to worry about) • I mix exclusively using Audeze MX4 headphones (so the headphone amp is important to me) • I do not use any outboard gear, save for a Zulu which mixes are sent through as a stereo pair I was surprised at how unfavorable the reviews were, but gave it a shot as I had three different BLA modded pieces and those modifications made a significant improvement. I really liked the sound quality a good deal. The closest piece I can compare it to was the A to D on the old 2192. My complaints would be two fold: 1) I don't love the blend knob for monitoring live signal or mix (not to be angry because it is different, but I just don't find it useful) 2) I have written customer service three times asking for help explaining the digital outputs on the back but have yet to receive an answer (the connections appear to be something like an RCA mini toslink but none of my existing cables fit, so I have never been able to use this feature). Either it is some other protocol, or something was improperly installed - but I don't know because I have not heard back. So, with all of those caveats, the tracks I have recorded with it have been lovely, smooth and detailed, and when mixing, the stereo field is easy to hear and mixes translate. So, I really like the piece, and assume a 2.0 version will resolve these minor issues. That's what I've got. MJH You’re saying the SPDIF connections on the back panel are a nonstandard size?
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2022 21:31:05 GMT -6
anyone demo the BLA Revolution 2x2 in relationship to all these models/brands being mentioned? Hi, I just saw this question and wanted to provide an additional response, with my own specifics: • Im on a Mac mini system (no drivers to worry about) • I mix exclusively using Audeze MX4 headphones (so the headphone amp is important to me) • I do not use any outboard gear, save for a Zulu which mixes are sent through as a stereo pair I was surprised at how unfavorable the reviews were, but gave it a shot as I had three different BLA modded pieces and those modifications made a significant improvement. I really liked the sound quality a good deal. The closest piece I can compare it to was the A to D on the old 2192. My complaints would be two fold: 1) I don't love the blend knob for monitoring live signal or mix (not to be angry because it is different, but I just don't find it useful) 2) I have written customer service three times asking for help explaining the digital outputs on the back but have yet to receive an answer (the connections appear to be something like an RCA mini toslink but none of my existing cables fit, so I have never been able to use this feature). Either it is some other protocol, or something was improperly installed - but I don't know because I have not heard back. So, with all of those caveats, the tracks I have recorded with it have been lovely, smooth and detailed, and when mixing, the stereo field is easy to hear and mixes translate. So, I really like the piece, and assume a 2.0 version will resolve these minor issues. That's what I've got. MJH Conversion and pres rule on the apogee desktop. So does the apogee symphony channel strip. It’s dirty but really well though out for fast monitor fx. They just need a reverb. I don’t know if the clearmountain spaces is ported to their dsp yet but if it does. Ace man. Their best plugs
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Post by BenjaminAshlin on May 27, 2022 3:58:52 GMT -6
Hi, I just saw this question and wanted to provide an additional response, with my own specifics: • Im on a Mac mini system (no drivers to worry about) • I mix exclusively using Audeze MX4 headphones (so the headphone amp is important to me) • I do not use any outboard gear, save for a Zulu which mixes are sent through as a stereo pair I was surprised at how unfavorable the reviews were, but gave it a shot as I had three different BLA modded pieces and those modifications made a significant improvement. I really liked the sound quality a good deal. The closest piece I can compare it to was the A to D on the old 2192. My complaints would be two fold: 1) I don't love the blend knob for monitoring live signal or mix (not to be angry because it is different, but I just don't find it useful) 2) I have written customer service three times asking for help explaining the digital outputs on the back but have yet to receive an answer (the connections appear to be something like an RCA mini toslink but none of my existing cables fit, so I have never been able to use this feature). Either it is some other protocol, or something was improperly installed - but I don't know because I have not heard back. So, with all of those caveats, the tracks I have recorded with it have been lovely, smooth and detailed, and when mixing, the stereo field is easy to hear and mixes translate. So, I really like the piece, and assume a 2.0 version will resolve these minor issues. That's what I've got. MJH You’re saying the SPDIF connections on the back panel are a nonstandard size? 99.9% sure they will work if you push a little bit harder. They are standard size.
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Post by mjheck on May 27, 2022 9:54:51 GMT -6
You’re saying the SPDIF connections on the back panel are a nonstandard size? Hi! From reading the manual and comparing it to the modification they (BLA) did on my two Apollo Twins. it sure looks like it is supposed to be a mini Toslink port. The cable I have inserts fine into the Apollo, but just does not insert into the Revolution. This would represent an entire new low in user error if I have failed at "insertion" which is why I've written to make sure I am using the correct cable. So I think it may be a flaw in the unit, or design or frankly I will simply have to turn in my man card. Worth knowing either way, as I really od like the sound of the AD conversion quite a bit. I prefer to my BLA Apollos. MJH PS: Benjamin, I am fighting every fiber of my being not to respond with "that's what she said."
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Post by Guitar on May 27, 2022 10:10:43 GMT -6
BLA Revolution 2x2 is a Coaxial / SPDIF / RCA connection. NOT Toslink, not optical, not fiber, not ADAT, not SMUX, etc.
If this is your misunderstanding, wow! Good one LOL.
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Post by notneeson on May 27, 2022 10:58:49 GMT -6
BLA Revolution 2x2 is a Coaxial / SPDIF / RCA connection. NOT Toslink, not optical, not fiber, not ADAT, not SMUX, etc. If this is your misunderstanding, wow! Good one LOL. Yeah man, it’s a glorified RCA. Some of the higher end RCA cables tend to fit very snuggly in my experience.
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Post by Guitar on May 27, 2022 11:15:35 GMT -6
BLA Revolution 2x2 is a Coaxial / SPDIF / RCA connection. NOT Toslink, not optical, not fiber, not ADAT, not SMUX, etc. If this is your misunderstanding, wow! Good one LOL. Yeah man, it’s a glorified RCA. Some of the higher end RCA cables tend to fit very snuggly in my experience. Technically (don't shoot me) you shouldn't be using audio cables for this connection. You "should" be using coaxial 75 Ohm or maybe 110 Ohm cable. If you have a three wire RCA cable, use the video one, the "yellow" one, not the red and white ones, and it should work fine. Long cable runs, unmatched impedance, can result in imaging or reflections from receiver back to transmitter. svart can tell us more than we should know, but it's good to have a basic idea of "what the hell is going on." It's a digital signal, not an analog audio signal, the rules are different, including the cabling.
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Post by notneeson on May 27, 2022 12:18:35 GMT -6
Yeah man, it’s a glorified RCA. Some of the higher end RCA cables tend to fit very snuggly in my experience. Technically (don't shoot me) you shouldn't be using audio cables for this connection. You "should" be using coaxial 75 Ohm or maybe 110 Ohm cable. If you have a three wire RCA cable, use the video one, the "yellow" one, not the red and white ones, and it should work fine. Long cable runs, unmatched impedance, can result in imaging or reflections from receiver back to transmitter. svart can tell us more than we should know, but it's good to have a basic idea of "what the hell is going on." It's a digital signal, not an analog audio signal, the rules are different, including the cabling. Indeed, I was merely speaking to the connector standard and fully expected someone to chime in about impedance. 😂
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Post by svart on May 27, 2022 12:18:54 GMT -6
Yeah man, it’s a glorified RCA. Some of the higher end RCA cables tend to fit very snuggly in my experience. Technically (don't shoot me) you shouldn't be using audio cables for this connection. You "should" be using coaxial 75 Ohm or maybe 110 Ohm cable. If you have a three wire RCA cable, use the video one, the "yellow" one, not the red and white ones, and it should work fine. Long cable runs, unmatched impedance, can result in imaging or reflections from receiver back to transmitter. svart can tell us more than we should know, but it's good to have a basic idea of "what the hell is going on." It's a digital signal, not an analog audio signal, the rules are different, including the cabling. Whether or not you need impedance controlled conductors (traces, cables, etc) is usually based on a rule of thumb. That being 1/10 of the wavelength of the highest frequency of interest. SPDIF edge rates can be around 3MHz, so that's about 2000" of wavelength of a ground-referenced conductor. One tenth of that is 200" or about 16 feet. Anything less than that would probably be fine with any decent cable regardless of whether or not it was impedance controlled. In analog video, the yellow conductor is usually the same as the red and white conductors. The color is only to signify the type of signal, not impedance control. And the physics rules are the same for analog and digital, but the electrical effects are perceived differently. Any reflected signal can interfere with the incident signal. Analog signals just distort more, whereas digital signals will eventually either fail to be detected or will have issues like multiple triggering.
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Post by Guitar on May 27, 2022 13:09:39 GMT -6
Technically (don't shoot me) you shouldn't be using audio cables for this connection. You "should" be using coaxial 75 Ohm or maybe 110 Ohm cable. If you have a three wire RCA cable, use the video one, the "yellow" one, not the red and white ones, and it should work fine. Long cable runs, unmatched impedance, can result in imaging or reflections from receiver back to transmitter. svart can tell us more than we should know, but it's good to have a basic idea of "what the hell is going on." It's a digital signal, not an analog audio signal, the rules are different, including the cabling. Whether or not you need impedance controlled conductors (traces, cables, etc) is usually based on a rule of thumb. That being 1/10 of the wavelength of the highest frequency of interest. SPDIF edge rates can be around 3MHz, so that's about 2000" of wavelength of a ground-referenced conductor. One tenth of that is 200" or about 16 feet. Anything less than that would probably be fine with any decent cable regardless of whether or not it was impedance controlled. In analog video, the yellow conductor is usually the same as the red and white conductors. The color is only to signify the type of signal, not impedance control. And the physics rules are the same for analog and digital, but the electrical effects are perceived differently. Any reflected signal can interfere with the incident signal. Analog signals just distort more, whereas digital signals will eventually either fail to be detected or will have issues like multiple triggering. Thanks, svart. I have some cable that has a thicker video wire. I haven't tested it with an ohm-meter. Not sure if there's a big difference in geometry between coax video/cable and regular shielded audio wire. But I've heard that symmetrical geometry is important? Appreciate the knowledge as always!
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Post by svart on May 27, 2022 13:31:47 GMT -6
Whether or not you need impedance controlled conductors (traces, cables, etc) is usually based on a rule of thumb. That being 1/10 of the wavelength of the highest frequency of interest. SPDIF edge rates can be around 3MHz, so that's about 2000" of wavelength of a ground-referenced conductor. One tenth of that is 200" or about 16 feet. Anything less than that would probably be fine with any decent cable regardless of whether or not it was impedance controlled. In analog video, the yellow conductor is usually the same as the red and white conductors. The color is only to signify the type of signal, not impedance control. And the physics rules are the same for analog and digital, but the electrical effects are perceived differently. Any reflected signal can interfere with the incident signal. Analog signals just distort more, whereas digital signals will eventually either fail to be detected or will have issues like multiple triggering. Thanks, svart. I have some cable that has a thicker video wire. I haven't tested it with an ohm-meter. Not sure if there's a big difference in geometry between coax video/cable and regular shielded audio wire. But I've heard that symmetrical geometry is important? Appreciate the knowledge as always! Conductors don't have an impedance. An impedance rating is simply noting that the conductor will work at the specified source and load impedance. Most of the time a purchased 110 ohm cable will probably be the exact same as the 75 ohm cable, or vice-versa, and they are just tested at those impedances to work with whatever protocol is being transmitted over them for the given length. It has nothing to do with conductor thickness or really even the materials, as long as they test to work OK in the application. Only in the cases where cables are long enough for their parasitic effects to affect the signals at the specified impedance will the cross-section of the cable structures start to matter. That's where you start to reduce parasitic L and C components by using lower loss insulators and thicker conductors. In the case of SPDIF, you could probably use coathangers without a single lost bit if they were only a few feet long, lol. It's all about the length. (TWSS) For symmetrical geometry, that's usually more for PCB work since it's much more common to have asymmetrical layers of dielectric and conductor. It's a similar situation though, the parasitic components (L, C, R) work in 3 dimensions. If the stackup is asymmetrical, then you can still figure out the overall effects, it just takes a lot more math because it's now ratios of the effects of multiple dimensions.
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kcatthedog
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Post by kcatthedog on May 27, 2022 13:58:16 GMT -6
Ah, like svart said !
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Post by notneeson on May 27, 2022 14:52:46 GMT -6
Thanks, svart. I have some cable that has a thicker video wire. I haven't tested it with an ohm-meter. Not sure if there's a big difference in geometry between coax video/cable and regular shielded audio wire. But I've heard that symmetrical geometry is important? Appreciate the knowledge as always! Conductors don't have an impedance. An impedance rating is simply noting that the conductor will work at the specified source and load impedance. Most of the time a purchased 110 ohm cable will probably be the exact same as the 75 ohm cable, or vice-versa, and they are just tested at those impedances to work with whatever protocol is being transmitted over them for the given length. It has nothing to do with conductor thickness or really even the materials, as long as they test to work OK in the application. Only in the cases where cables are long enough for their parasitic effects to affect the signals at the specified impedance will the cross-section of the cable structures start to matter. That's where you start to reduce parasitic L and C components by using lower loss insulators and thicker conductors. In the case of SPDIF, you could probably use coathangers without a single lost bit if they were only a few feet long, lol. It's all about the length. (TWSS) For symmetrical geometry, that's usually more for PCB work since it's much more common to have asymmetrical layers of dielectric and conductor. It's a similar situation though, the parasitic components (L, C, R) work in 3 dimensions. If the stackup is asymmetrical, then you can still figure out the overall effects, it just takes a lot more math because it's now ratios of the effects of multiple dimensions. I'm mixing a project now through a couple vintage coat hangers from England, and it sounds AMAZING!!
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Post by mjheck on May 27, 2022 14:53:13 GMT -6
BLA Revolution 2x2 is a Coaxial / SPDIF / RCA connection. NOT Toslink, not optical, not fiber, not ADAT, not SMUX, etc. If this is your misunderstanding, wow! Good one LOL. Well that would explain it I suppose. Funny that reading the manual is actually a problem in this case. Very cool you got it to work!
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Post by BenjaminAshlin on May 28, 2022 2:57:40 GMT -6
PS: Benjamin, I am fighting every fiber of my being not to respond with "that's what she said."
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