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Post by garbulky on Jan 20, 2013 17:32:32 GMT -5
We have been trying to record some music. I've been having some trouble figuring out audacity only managing the most basic functions so far like the record and the mute button. ;D But for my lack of knowledge, I am doing surprisingly well and was able to record some music. Unfortunately my laptop is a big limiting factor as its microphone input is a POS with lots of background noise. My new project is taking a ten year old PC and attempting to revive it so that I can slot in my asus xonar essence st to use for recording. Here's hoping it works....  |
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Post by garbulky on Jan 20, 2013 22:36:25 GMT -5
So some progress on a somewhat painful journey. The computer does turn on! The essence does fit into the slot - that's what she said - but I haven't installed the drivers. Unfortunately the darn thing seems to have trouble updating to the latest service pack and without that it won't connect to the internet router. So, I'm slowly blundering through some fixes of microsoft. The latest which involves a registry permissions reset. Blech.
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Post by RightinLA on Jan 20, 2013 23:00:59 GMT -5
Update on the xda-1;s and upa-2 combo. I am trying a little experiment -On the advice of poster goldeneye - to use the 12db attenuators AND adjust the gain at the back of the upa-2 to get the xda-1 between 70 and 80 at listenable volumes. Well before using the attenuators I tried adjusting the gain control at the back of the upa-2 and it sounded bad. There was audible distortion and the sound felt compressed. So I put it down to 1. The input of the Upa-2 with the xda-1 at 80 was just too much for the upa-2 gain control when turned down low. 2. The gain control is a POS. ;D Now with attenuators: interestingly, on initial listen I don't detect audible distortion or significant compression. This is just my first listen to it. But I may have been wrong about point 2 and it was the xda-1's interaction with the upa-2 causing the distortion in some way with the gain control not necessarily the gain control itself. On initial listening I feel that I'm hearing what may be a positive sound quality change. However, it's still way too early to say if using the gain control will contribute negatives I can't live with or to even describe what I'm hearing. I shall update.  I use a NHT PVC to control the volume to an amp when not using a preamp. It works well with a XDA-1 and the UPA-2 amp. I also use one as a master volume with my Airmotiv 5's. www.nhthifi.com/passive_volume_control_PVC_PC?sc=12&category=1213  You may want to consider this. |
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Post by garbulky on Jan 20, 2013 23:39:05 GMT -5
Thanks rightinLA. That sounds like a great solution. Unfortunately, I'm short on funds  but that is certainly a good price and one of the cheapest higher end options I've seen. |
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Post by garbulky on Jan 22, 2013 11:15:06 GMT -5
Good news for me! The ancient desktop computer has been revived. And what's more cool - the Asus Xonar essence ST is now alive and well in it! After awkwardly shoving the bulky CPU into a shelf not built to hold its weight (ahhh the old college years   ), I tried the coaxial spdif out for the very first time. This allows me to do quite a few things. 1. It allows me to play high resolution audio files which I couldn't do on my laptop restricted via USB to the XDA-1. 2. It allows a high quality jitter controlled SPDIF transport due to the essence onboard st's jitter reduction chip. 3. Most importantly - my wife and I are musicians and it allows me to actually record in stereo via its stereo microphone input without the annoying noise floor of my laptops 35 cent microphone input. I still have a few things to do. - My wireless on the desktop doesn't work so I have to purchase a new one. - I found a very nifty device called a KVM (keyboard video mouse) switch. It allows one monitor, keyboard-mouse to be connected to two different computers. Very useful. Of course, it all takes money so I may have to wait on it. If anybody has a wireless USB dongle they don't care to use ever again do let me know [/u\] Initial impressions: something that surprised me was that there appears to be a sound signature change using the spdif input vs the usb input on the xda-1. And it is certainly a pleasing sound. Apparently the xonar essence st is a bit temperamental on ASIO on windows XP, so I have no idea whether I'm actually receiving a bit perfect signal or not but I didn't really expect a change as in the past my HD-DVD player via TOSLINk and my laptop via USB had pretty much an identical sound. So I'm a little confused as to where this change is coming from.... if I'm not imagining things.  Any Xonar essence users want to chime in here? |
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Post by savjac on Jan 22, 2013 15:49:22 GMT -5
Good news for me! I still have a few things to do. - My wireless on the desktop doesn't work so I have to purchase a new one. - I found a very nifty device called a KVM (keyboard video mouse) switch. It allows one monitor, keyboard-mouse to be connected to two different computers. Very useful. Of course, it all takes money so I may have to wait on it. If anybody has a wireless USB dongle they don't care to use ever again do let me know [/u\] I do have an extra KVM switch or two I would be happy to donate. Just need to know if you are using the USB for the mice and we can go from there. |
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Post by garbulky on Jan 22, 2013 21:14:07 GMT -5
Wow thanks Savjac! I'm Pming you the details now!
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Post by garbulky on Apr 3, 2013 14:12:27 GMT -5
A few updates. I have another set of harrison 12 db attenuators coming in. A very kind savjac provided me the kvm switch and it works great. A little annoying, the RCA output of my xonar essence also overloads the input of my headphone amp. Maybe I just need to get a little dot mkIV se pre-amp/headphone amp and just cut my losses? www.littledot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=820&sid=63c5599e7f1b7da861dad09c2e581eb1 It's a class A tube amp/pre-amp that does 500 mw @ 300 ohm for headphones. If I do, I will be choosing between the little dot and the xda-2 and I've never even heard tubes so I'm not sure if I would like the sound. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Apr 3, 2013 14:16:35 GMT -5
...I really do wish I had put in a full (2600 ft2) basement instead of this partial (1100 ft2) basement... What's a basement? |
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Post by Boomzilla on Apr 3, 2013 14:18:45 GMT -5
...If anybody has a wireless USB dongle they don't care to use ever again do let me know... Cheap tech: www.meritline.com |
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Post by garbulky on Apr 3, 2013 14:34:31 GMT -5
Thanks boom! Those are very cheap prices. Luckily I managed to get the wireless dongle for around 10 bucks so i'm, okay. I will probably use meritline to get an hdmi cable on the cheap. As for other things: I'm looking for suggestions for a condenser microphone that can compete with my m-audio Luna so I can record in a stereo sounstage as much as I can. I've been thinking of this any thoughts? www.amazon.com/MXL-Large-Capsule-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B000JRPYGE |
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Post by GreenKiwi on Apr 3, 2013 14:48:42 GMT -5
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Post by garbulky on Apr 3, 2013 15:27:40 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestions. A used O2 sounds fantastic. I'm a fan of nwavguy and I really wanted one. If it had pre-amp outs I would have been all over that thing. The xonar essence has a nice headphone amp and can deafen me but it can't compete with my current xenos 3ha amp in terms of quick response and power delivery (sound quality). The headphone outputs jacks also are rated at lower SNR quality than the line out RCA outputs on the xonar which I prefer to use. The quality difference is audible to me. I was thinking about the little dot as it solved a few things and had some specific things I liked over the others. Solves: Allows me to run the xda-1->little dot-> UPA-2 as a pre-amp. This will allow me to lessen the impact of the digital volume control by adjusting the gain on the little dot to a set amount and then make small adjustments down from 80 on the xda-1. This would also allow me to not need the features of the xda-2 (headphone amp). Hopefully it will also serve the purpose of my 12 db attenuators on the upa-2 (the dynamics sound better with the 12 db attenuators in). - Use as a headphone amp that's pretty high powered. What the other headphone amps lack here is really the tube pre-amplifier output section. Thing I liked : Full class A output no A/B like the magni or my xenos. So this allows me to go class A from the xda-1 to the class A on the pre-amp/headphone amp section of the little dot. . |
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Post by GreenKiwi on Apr 3, 2013 15:41:25 GMT -5
I think that if you're going to take advantage of it as a preamp then it's probably more than worth it.
Hmm... if I get balanced amps, I'll have to try the LD VI as a preamp.
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Post by garbulky on Apr 3, 2013 16:02:53 GMT -5
So what do you think of the tube sound on the MK 6 will it offend a guy that likes the emotiva sound but doesn't know about much else? I know that's terribly subjective, I guess I'm asking for is a review of the sound ;D
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Post by Boomzilla on Apr 3, 2013 16:04:37 GMT -5
Garbulky -
You want an HDMI cable? I've got spares. How long do you want? Yours free.
You need a good microphone? Give me a month - I'll find you one at a yard sale. Yours free.
Boom
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Post by garbulky on Apr 3, 2013 16:41:28 GMT -5
Golly Boom! The HDMI cable sounds great! I'm not sure how long but around 6-9 feet I imagine. I know it can't be shorter than 6 though. I had a rat chew through my HDMI connector exposing barewire and damaging the cable some making it a risky endeavour as I only have one and I have to continously unplug it and switch it between two components. As for the microphone, I don't know where you'll find a good condenser that can do a clear recording at a yard sale but you've found some crazy good finds so far. I wouldn't want to put you through too much trouble hunting for itas it may not match properly with my current condenser. But, if you are willing, I will certainly take what I can get! Thank you for your kindness! |
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Post by GreenKiwi on Apr 3, 2013 16:46:23 GMT -5
So what do you think of the tube sound on the MK 6 will it offend a guy that likes the emotiva sound but doesn't know about much else? I know that's terribly subjective, I guess I'm asking for is a review of the sound ;D I haven't connected it to my amps, they are only single ended, but I really do like the sound of it. I actually really like tube preamp with solid state amplification. I definitely wouldn't say that tubes will offend. At least modern tube products. Where do you live? |
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Post by garbulky on Apr 3, 2013 16:49:45 GMT -5
sending greenkiwi and boomzilla a pm
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Post by garbulky on Apr 8, 2013 12:17:54 GMT -5
Looks like my second pair of attenuators will arrive today. I hope to get some testing in within two days. I'm excited as I hope this will finally give enough attenuation for my headphone amp to function. Then maybe I will finally hear the xda-1 through the hd600's.
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but that is certainly a good price and one of the cheapest higher end options I've seen. 
), I tried the coaxial spdif out for the very first time. 
