Antelope Audio Blog

Antelope Audio Appoints Audio Chocolate as a New Distributor for Australia

Antelope Audio — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:18:23 +0000

Santa Monica, CA, May 15, 2013 – Antelope Audio is pleased to announce the appointment of Audio Chocolate as its new distributor for Australia, for its entire range of products. Antelope looks forward to working closely with Audio Chocolate to support the existing user base and to substantially grow the brand going forward.

Audio Chocolate is a 14 year old distribution company of both Pro Audio and Audiophile product in Australia. The company supplies and supports audiophile, pro audio and turnkey solutions for home users, musicians, recording studio facilities, live, broadcast and education markets.

“We are delighted to welcome Audio Chocolate as our exclusive distributor for the territory of Australia for all of Antelope’s products, including our well-renowned high quality master clocks, AD/DA converters and DACs. Audio Chocolate’s expertise in Australia along with their comprehensive network of dealers across the country makes them the perfect partner for Antelope’s products,” says Marc Fenton, Antelope Audio Asia Pacific Sales Manager.

“Antelope Audio is highly respected in the audio industry worldwide. We are very pleased to be associated with Antelope to bring their unrivaled range of products to the Australian customers,” says Don Steele, Marketing and Analyst at Audio Chocolate.

Antelope Audio manufactures the highest quality digital audio equipment and is dedicated to ensuring people achieve high-definition sound both in the recording studio and home environment thanks to its proprietary 64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking (AFC) and Oven Controlled Jitter management technologies. The company pioneered the adoption of Atomic clock generators in Audio Master Clocks and produces the Zodiac line of USB D/A converters (DACs) as well as the new Orion 32, a 32-channel AD/DA converter with USB, ADAT and MADI connectivity targeting both studio and live sound professionals.

“With the release of Orion32, our flagship high definition 32×32 channel AD/DA converter, Antelope sees the Australian market as one of the most important markets in the Asia Pacific region,” Marc added. “With continued high demand for Antelope’s master clocks, including the 10M atomic master reference, our range of Zodiac DACs and Orion 32, the appointment of Audio Chocolate will certainly be instrumental to our success in Australia.”

Mikkel Heimburger Forays Into High Profile Movie Trailer and Sound for Picture Projects with Antelope Audio Orion32

Antelope Audio — Fri, 10 May 2013 08:02:22 +0000

Santa Monica, CA, May 8, 2013 – Mikkel Heimburger is a sound for picture composer focusing primarily on movies, film and television commercials and advertising. During the last several years, he has successfully repurposed his audio career, having previously been an engineer/producer, focusing on the pop music scene. Recently, Heimburger has been working on several high profile projects. He placed a song in the latest Al Pacino film Stand Up Guys, and composed, performed and mixed the trailer score for the most recent Muppet Movie. Each day he relies on his Antelope Audio Orion³²audio interface as the cornerstone of his Los Angeles-based studio

.”I was a creator of dance, pop and urban music just a few years ago,” Heimburger says. “But now I am producing trailers and advertising segments that are diverse and creative, but also more lucrative.” Needless to say, he is working in a segment that has become increasingly competitive and saturated. Heimburger says that to stand apart, he must ensure that his productions are ‘as good as they can be.’ Therefore he depends on his Antelope Audio Orion32 to help set his music apart.

“The companies I am pitching to often receive dozens of tracks in a day — I want them to remember mine not only for writing and performance, but also for sonic quality,” he states. The Antelope Audio Orion32 is now a key component in his set up: “When I first heard it, I was blown away,” he says. “It has what many of today’s other converters are lacking – punch. I really need this for the trailers I am working on, and with the Orion32, it happens automatically — it is just there and I don’t have to adjust the EQ or manipulate the low end.”

For Heimburger, the main differentiator between the Orion32 and other well known high-end converters rests primarily on sonic quality. “I’ve been through a half a dozen audio interfaces during the last decade, just trying to keep up with technology changes in the market,” he says. “When I A/B’d the Orion32 against the other units I had from other manufacturers, suddenly they sounded way too thin and overly sibilant. I also noticed that many of these other converters introduce a ’3D effect’ that just wasn’t true.”

In addition to raising the overall sonic quality of his mixing rig, the Orion32 has introduced workflow efficiencies at cost savings that were unexpected, but most welcome. “The Orion32 is considerably less expensive than competitors’ models — you basically get a 32 channel interface for $3,000,” Heimburger observes. “Other models typically cost $3,000 for 8 channels, and don’t sound as good!”

Having access to no less than 32 tracks of Antelope Audio conversion at the output stage has enabled Heimburger to employ creative summing techniques, which he says has led to increased fidelity. “I am using every single output on the Orion32, and having all these channels means I can sum my mixes the way I want. I use the Orion32 in combination with my Shadow Hills Equinox, which is a 30 channel summing mixer. This combination has made a really big difference as far as the width and depth of my mixes are concerned,” he says.

All in all, the Orion32 has earned a place in Heimburger’s studio not only from a sonic perspective, but also feature and price. “In my opinion, the Orion32 wins hands down in every measure,” he concludes. “I am pretty sure the competition will need to rework their product strategies.”

Antelope Audio’s Orion32 Interface to Demonstrate New Features and Upgraded Capabilities at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt

Antelope Audio — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:52:34 +0000

Santa Monica, CA, April 3, 2013 – Antelope Audio’s Orion³² interface, the world’s first 32-channel AD/DA converter and audio master clock in a 1U rack, will be the company’s flagship at the upcoming Musikmesse in Frankfurt, April 10 – 13, 2013. Antelope team will demonstrate exclusively the new and upgraded features of the audio interface which had become a best-seller in only 3 months after its launch, at Hall 5.1, Stand C74.

The mixer, elegantly integrated within the control panel, provides extremely low latency mix and monitoring that can be distributed using the control panel, allowing it to be routed from any output of the Orion32. For example one can drag all 32 USB play channels to the “mix channels” and then the MIX L/R inputs to DAC 1 and 2, providing a stereo bus mix to DAC channels 1 and 2. The Zero Latency Mixer provides the basic functions of a real mixer such as: Solo, Mute, Pan, Volume Level controlled by faders and a Master Fader, so one can easily make a stereo mix.

Among the new features of the Orion³² is the ability to notify users on firmware updates directly from the control panel and automatic updating just with a click of the mouse. A news-feed on the bottom of the panel provides the users with links to recent, tutorial or demo videos, reviews and user cases meant to further help sound engineers discover the versatility of the interface.

“Updates from the control panel and other new features we are announcing will enhance our customer’s experience even further,” commented Marcel James, Director of Sales & Marketing, Antelope Audio. “With these and other new updates, the Orion32 packs a host of features never before seen on a pro audio device including its massive channel count per square inch and unmatched USB performance.”

The USB performance is further enhanced by the new driver for Mac, offering 32 channels In/Out at 96 kHz, much lower latency numbers and better stability even on higher sample rates like 192 kHz (up to 24 tracks).

Orion³² has already been highly evaluated and plays major part in studio and live rigs of top artists such as Rihanna, Skrillex and Beyonce as well as sound engineers like David Kahne.

Orion³²: Unmatched Audio Quality and Clocking in an Interface

The Orion³² allows 192 kHz I/O streaming of up to 32 channels through its custom-built USB chip, which provides seamless connectivity to any USB-enabled DAW or computer. The converter also provides 32 channels of 96 kHz (16 ch of 192 kHz) audio through its Fiber Optic MADI I/O connections, making it perfect for capturing audio in live sound environments and many other applications.

Orion³² is also an audio master clock, employing Antelope’s proprietary 4th generation of AFC and oven controlled oscillator — both technologies that made Antelope Audio clocks an industry leader for sound clarity and reliability in recording, mastering and post-production facilities around the world. The four word clock outs, together with the 10 MHz input, make Orion³² ideally suited to be in the center of any project or high-end studio.

Experience Real Mastering Files on a Mastering Quality Set-Up Brought to you by Amphion and Antelope Audio

Antelope Audio — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:57:26 +0000

Santa Monica, CA, April 2, 2013 – Amphion and Antelope Audio are co-exhibiting in room 117 at the National AV Days at the NH Conference Center Koningshof in Veldhoven, The Netherlands, April 6-7, 2013. The two brands will demonstrate a very reasonably priced mastering-quality set up easily fitting any larger or not so spacious room.

The visitors will be able to listen, and experience the clearly articulated pitch and the spectacular soundstage brought by Antelope Audio’s 384 kHz USB D/A converters. As a reminder of high fidelity´s original goal, the public will have the chance to listen to original studio masters, from the same speakers on which they were mastered. Amphion Two15 studio monitors, as well as all other Amphion loudspeakers, use the innovative waveguide technology and controlled dispersion, which allow speakers to work in all acoustic spaces.

Antelope Audio’s Integrity Line of D/A converters, is especially designed to suit the diverse demands of hi-fi enthusiasts, high-end audiophiles and professional sound engineers. Zodiac DACs’ unique transparency, openness, clarity and depth inspire multiple Grammy Award Winners and Nominees like Jim Anderson, Scott Hull, Howie Weinberg and Morten Lindberg to choose them as their favorite reference converters, both for their studios and their homes as well. Together with speakers like Amphion Two15 this allows you to hear the music just as the mastering engineer and musicians intended.

Zodiac DACs feature a plug-and-play custom design USB interface, allowing seamless connection with iPad, Mac, PC or just about any other digital media source, while supporting sample rate streaming of up to 384 kHz. The DACs also feature the renowned Antelope Audio 64-bit AFC technology and oven-controlled oscillator, which secured the company’s reputation as the clocking leader in the pro audio industry.

Amphion loudspeakers are designed to be in harmony both with the most demanding aesthetics and room acoustics. Thanks to their excellent dispersion characteristics, Amphion loudspeakers perform magnificently in challenging spaces, such as rooms with large windows and other hard, acoustically unfriendly surfaces. Amphion’s design embraces a natural midrange – traditionally a loudspeaker’s greatest challenge. Clarity and intelligibility come across crystal clear, even at low listening levels: for example as background and late night listening. Similarly, an even, wide dispersion permits the listener to experience a realistic and detailed sound while moving around the room, attending to chores or guests.

The ‘special guest’ of the event will be Rubicon – the CES Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering Award honoree and the world’s first 384 kHz digital audio preamplifier with integrated atomic clock. The Atomic AD/DA Preamp will be on display and people will be able to see up-close its retro-futurist silhouette and learn more about the benefits of the precise atomic clocking and Antelope’s proprietary jitter-management technologies. The audience will be introduced to the versatility of the Rubicon, offering AD/DA conversion up to 384 kHz; transformer-based, ultra-low noise, discrete JFET phono preamp; DLNA streaming and remote control capability; ultra linear, dual stage headphone amplification and the highest quality of digitizing and storing of analog records through the custom-built USB chip.

Visitors are welcomed to join Amphion and Antelope Audio at the National AV Days at the NH Conference Center Koningshof in Veldhoven, room 117, April 6-7, 2013.

Howie Weinberg Relies on Antelope Audio for “The Best Clocking and Conversion Money Can Buy”

Antelope Audio — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:38:54 +0000

Santa Monica, CA, March 28, 2013 – Following his 30 year career as head mastering engineer at Masterdisk, where he mastered The Ramones, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Public Enemy, The Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Herbie Hancock, Nirvana and so many others, Howie Weinberg has established himself as one of the most in-demand mastering engineers in the world. His success led to him opening his own facility in 2011, appropriately named Howie Weinberg Mastering.

The new facility, located in the Laurel Canyon Hills of Los Angeles, features a selection of the best digital and analog gear available in the world. For his clocking and conversion needs, Weinberg depends on Antelope Audio’s rock solid Isochrone 10M|Trinity combination, in addition to Antelope’s Zodiac+ and Eclipse 384 digital audio converters (DACs).

Weinberg, who has just completed work on new releases by Metallica, Fiona Apple, Joe Walsh and others, clocks his entire room and DAW rig with an Antelope Isochrone 10M| Trinty combination, a set up which he refers to as “the Holy Grail of clocking.”

He says this combination makes an audible difference for both his clients in the studio as well as in the finished article: “When clients come in, I will play them what the music sounds like with the native clocking hardware in my DAW, and then with the Antelope. When I switch to the Antelope, their jaws drop every time.”

“The Antelope clocks are very accurate and as a result, make everything sound wider and cleaner,” he continues. “They provide much more depth and a sound that I can only describe as ’3D.’ To my ears, the difference is really audible.”

In addition to relying solely on Antelope’s renowned clocking technology, Weinberg favors the transparent sonic qualities of Antelope’s converters. “I use the Zodiac+ mastering DAC right out of my Pro Tools unit, and this is the first conversion,” he explains. “I like it because it doesn’t introduce any color. Honestly, I think it is the closest thing I’ve heard to the source on any converter.” Weinberg also appreciates the quick set up, seamless compatibility and I/O flexibility of the Zodiac: “I like it because it interfaces with my entire Pro Tools rig really easily. It also has five inputs so I can have a lot of sources on there — I can have everything set up on one box.”

For the recording of the final master, Howie incorporates the award-winning Eclipse 384, which is also the final monitoring DAC for playback to his array of high-end monitors. “I realized my weak link was A/D and D/A conversion and that’s why I upgraded to an all-Antelope setup.”

As technology in the studio seems to get more and more complicated, Weinberg likes to keep things focused with Antelope. “I’ve used a lot of different clocks, and am running a studio full of digital and analog gear,” he states. “There is so much digital stuff going on these days that your clocking has to be as accurate as possible. It just makes every piece of digital gear I have sound better.”

To ensure superior sonic results for his first rate client base, Weinberg has a ‘no compromise’ philosophy: “I have the best equipment money can buy, so I need the best clocking and conversion money can buy,” Weinberg concludes. “And I think I have it. You know what I’m sayin’?”

Amphion and Antelope Audio team up for the Bristol Show to demonstrate the most transparent, neutral and detailed home audio system

Radoslav S. — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:41:14 +0000

Santa Monica, CA, February 12, 2013 – Amphion and Antelope Audio are co-exhibiting in room 424 at the Sound & Vision Bristol Show in the United Kingdom, February 22 – 24, 2013. The two brands known for their neutral, yet musical and detailed sound are going to demonstrate a few different set ups, starting from mastering quality to easy-to-use desktop systems.

The visitors will have the chance to see for the first time in the UK the winner of the CES Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering Award, the world’s first 384 kHz digital audio preamplifier with integrated atomic clock – Rubicon. The Atomic AD/DA Preamp will be on display and people will be able to see up-close its retro-futurist silhouette and learn more about the benefits of the precise atomic clocking and Antelope’s proprietary jitter-management technologies. The audience will be introduced to the versatility of the Rubicon, offering AD/DA conversion up to 384 kHz; transformer-based, ultra-low noise, discrete JFET phono preamp; DLNA streaming and remote control capability; ultra linear, dual stage headphone amplification and the highest quality of digitizing and storing of analog records through the custom-built USB chip.

In addition to seeing the Rubicon, the visitors will be able to listen, and experience the clearly articulated pitch and the spectacular soundstage brought by Antelope Audio’s 384 kHz USB D/A converters. As a reminder of high fidelity´s original goal, the public will have the chance to listen to original studio masters, from the same speakers with which they were mastered. Amphion Two15 studio monitors, as well as all other Amphion loudspeakers use the innovative waveguide technology and controlled dispersion, which allow speakers to work in all acoustic spaces.

Antelope Audio’s Integrity Line of D/A converters, is especially designed to suit the diverse demands of hi-fi enthusiasts, high-end audiophiles and professional sound engineers. Zodiac DACs’ unique transparency, openness, clarity and depth inspire multiple Grammy Award Winners and Nominees like Jim Anderson, Scott Hull, Howie Weinberg and Morten Lindberg to choose them as their favorite reference converters, both for their studios and their homes as well. Together with a speaker like Amphion Two15 this allows you to hear the music just as the mastering engineer and musicians intended.

Zodiac DACs feature a plug-and-play custom design USB interface, allowing seamless connection with iPad, Mac , PC or just about any other digital media source, while supporting sample rate streaming of up to 384 kHz. The DACs also feature the renowned Antelope Audio 64-bit AFC technology and oven-controlled oscillator, which secured the company’s reputation as the clocking leader in the pro audio industry.

Amphion loudspeakers are designed to be in harmony both with the most demanding aesthetics and room acoustics. Thanks to their excellent dispersion characteristics, Amphion loudspeakers perform magnificently in challenging spaces, such as rooms with large windows and other hard, acoustically unfriendly surfaces. Amphion’s design embraces a natural midrange – traditionally a loudspeaker’s greatest challenge. Clarity and intelligibility come across crystal clear, even at low listening levels: for example as background and late night listening. Similarly, an even, wide dispersion permits the listener to experience a realistic and detailed sound while moving around the room, attending to chores or guests.

Visitors are welcomed to join Amphion and Antelope Audio at the Sound & Vision Bristol Show, Marriott City Centre Hotel, room 424, February 22 – 24, 2013.

Antelope Audio to demonstrate Its Series of D/A Converters at the High-End Audio Show in Alkmaar, The Netherlands

Radoslav S. — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:34:29 +0000

Santa Monica, CA, February 7, 2013 – Antelope Audio is exhibiting at the High-End Show in Alkmaar, The Netherlands, February 16 – 17, 2013. The company known for its precise audio master clocks, favored by most prominent A/V facilities around the globe, is demoing its line of audio DACs, supporting USB streaming of sample rates up to 384 kHz..

Antelope Audio’s Integrity Line of D/A converters, is especially designed to suit the diverse demands of hi-fi enthusiasts, high-end audiophiles and professional sound engineers. Zodiac DACs feature a plug-and-play custom design USB interface, allowing seamless connection with iPad, Mac , PC or just about any other digital media source. The DACs also feature the renowned Antelope Audio 64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking technology and oven-controlled oscillator, which have secured the company’s reputation as the clocking leader in the pro audio industry.

All three models are receiving very positive comments any time they are reviewed. Audiovideo2day says: “Closer to the original is hard to get. You are, as it were, catapulted to the place of recording with a very natural setting with seemingly unlimited dynamics.” Hifi.nl adds: “… if you’re just looking for a very good D/A converter with preamp bonus feature and dual headphone jack, then the Zodiac is simply the smartest choice.”

Zodiac DACs’ unique transparency, openness, clarity and depth make multiple Grammy Award Winners and Nominees like Jim Anderson, Scott Hull, Howie Weinberg and Morten Lindberg choose them as their favorite reference converters, both for their studios and their homes as well.

Aspectos críticos del diseño de convertidores A/D y D/A y relojes maestros en audio de alta gama

Antelope Audio — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:44:41 +0000

A continuación una entrevista con Igor Levin publicada por Audio Times en 2012. Igor responde a preguntas sobre algunos aspectos críticos del diseño de convertidores A/D y D/A y relojes maestros.

Independientemente de la frecuencia de muestreo, ¿cuáles son realmente los elementos importantes en el diseño exitoso de convertidores A/D y D/A?
Hace unos 20 años cuando monté mi primer convertidor D/A también tuve que crear un reloj para él. Por entonces, los relojes no eran algo que pudieras salir y comprar. Así que construí mi primer reloj para mi primer convertidor D/A. A la gente le gustó el convertidor, pero lo que realmente apreciaron fue el reloj. Fue entonces cuando me di cuenta de la importancia de una sincronización de referencia estable para el audio digital.

Aún sigo creyendo que una sincronización precisa es la base para una conversión correcta. De hecho según mejoran los chips y los circuitos que luchamos por superar decrecen, la importancia de una buena sincronización ha aflorado como nunca antes. Hoy diría que conlleva al menos el 75% del total del sonido. Por supuesto hay una lista de otros factores importantes como un diseño adecuado, fuente de corriente estable, control de volumen basado en analógico, etc.

¿Por qué algunos convertidores suenan mucho mejor que otros, cuando la ciencia detrás de la conversión de audio seguramente se conoce de sobra a esta altura?
El diseño de convertidores tiene tanto de arte como de ciencia. Es como cocinar. El secreto no es sólo tener buenos ingredientes sino tener habilidad en el arte de combinarlos, teniendo en cuenta cómo interactúan y con sentido del equilibrio. Mucho de algo bueno no siempre es bueno. Y respecto a la ciencia, hay cientos de investigaciones y estadísticas pero un “buen sonido” es en alto grado algo subjetivo, sujeto a tendencias y consenso social. Como resultado, muchos de los parámetros que usamos para medir los equipos como el THD no se aplican muy bien a la percepción subjetiva de la calidad. Esta ambigüedad es algo con lo que un buen diseñador aprende a vivir al mejorar sus habilidades. Y, al final del día es lo que hace el diseño de audio Arte.

¿Dónde nos encontramos con el jitter?
El jitter es otro tema complicado y controvertido. De nuevo no creo en el simple dicho “cuanto menos, mejor”. Creo que el jitter se puede usar creativamente como el dither, que no es otra cosa que ruido. Yo explico mi filosofía en un video que subí a Youtube. Pero dar forma al jitter, algo que hacemos en nuestros productos, es algo muy complejo. Así que si los ingenieros no son muy versados en las complejidades del jitter, lo mejor que pueden hacer es reducirlo todo lo que puedan. Eliminar el jitter al menos te permite empezar de cero.

¿Existen problemas particulares obteniendo audio digital en/desde PC’s/MAC satisfactoriamente? ¿Cuáles son los pros y contras de USB/Firewire/MADI/otros?
No vemos ningún problema en obtener audio digital en/desde PC o MAC. Nuestro chip USB propio nos permite transferir una señal de 384 kHz. Cuando se trata de conectar con ordenadores creo que el USB 2.0 y pronto el 3.0 son la mejor forma. Firewire es un estándar en vías de abandono, ampliamente reemplazado por USB. Madi es un estándar ya antiguo con rendimiento limitado, más apreciado para cables largos. En mi opinión el USB 3.0 tiene la oportunidad de convertirse en el siguiente estándar ubicuo ya que Thunderbolt es propio de Aptel (Apple/Intel) y no se adoptará universalmente en Windows o dispositivos móviles basados en ARM.

¿Qué debería saber un usuario al conectar convertidores de alta gama en sus equipos de grabación, asumiendo que tienen una variedad de equipos de audio digital?
Al conectar los convertidores es mejor usar conexiones de audio equilibradas. Esto ayuda enormemente a prevenir bucles de tierra. Lo siguiente a considerar es la sincronización. Es mejor usar un reloj maestro generador central y proveer conexiones individuales de señal maestra a cada dispositivo.

¿Son los problemas de operación síncrona/asíncrona aún relevantes hoy en día?
Para conexiones USB uno debería evitar el modo adoptivo. Los modos síncronos y asíncronos consiguen un jitter mucho menor. Muchos convertidores aún están funcionando con modos adoptivos. En nuestros diseños podemos usar tanto el modo asíncrono como el síncrono, pero vimos que el modo más utilizado (asíncrono) no proporciona la experiencia de usuario más fluida y requiere drivers patentados en algunos sistemas operativos. Puesto que somos uno de los pocos que tienen la capacidad de hardware para usar el modo síncrono lo utilizamos en vez del asíncrono en nuestros DAC’s. Los beneficios son un funcionamiento del jitter excelente y una experiencia de usuario sin drivers personalizados.

¿Necesito un reloj maestro separado?
Yo siempre recomendaría usar un reloj maestro dedicado por separado. Esta es la única manera de estar seguro de que los dispositivos digitales están perfectamente sincronizados y la multiplicación de jitter debido al encadenamiento de dispositivos es evitada.

¿Cómo puedo reducir el jitter?
Como he mencionado, reducir el jitter es algo básico. Debes esforzarte más en dar forma al jitter como se hace en nuestra tecnología de gestión del jitter de 4ª generación. Pero para reducirlo debes usar cables digitales cortos correctamente fabricados, conexiones AES en vez de S/PDIF, evitar usar Toslink y finalmente, usar un reloj maestro centralizado.

¿Necesito preocuparme aún del recorte digital o es algo del pasado?
Es mejor evitar el recorte digital ya que sus efectos acústicos son generalmente muy molestos y no hay nada como sobrecargar la cinta. Si deseas saturación de cinta o compresión de sonido, usa dispositivos analógicos dedicados con tubos o transformadores para conseguir dicho sonido. Sobrecargar el A/D crea un solape atonal que suena fatal. Ahora, para cada regla hay excepciones. Si quieres saber realmente lo que estás haciendo puedes hacer un ligero recorte del A/D para un cierto tipo de material pero esto es más para Bob Katz, debo decir.

¿Deberían ser los convertidores “transparentes” o no?
Mi filosofía es que los convertidores deberían ser transparentes. Cualquier modificación de sonido debe hacerse con dispositivos dedicados (ecualizadores, compresores, simuladores de cinta, tubos, transformadores) que se diseñan para un propósito y tienen un gran grado de ajuste y control. Tener un convertidor “con color” es como tener una cámara con lentes rosas. No quieres todas tus fotos rosas, ¿verdad?

A 24 bit/96 kHz, ¿nos estamos acercando al punto donde futuras mejoras de rendimiento serán insignificantes?
Bueno, sí y no, o como dicen los alemanes: “jein”. Los 24 bits no se han alcanzado aún. A pesar de la oleada de convertidores de 32 bits, que utilizan marketing más que bits, el funcionamiento de los convertidores punteros es actualmente de 21-22 bits. Personalmente no creo que más bits importen más. Pero mayores frecuencias de muestreo SÍ son importantes. Y el problema no es que puedas convertir hasta 200 kHz (que sólo tu perro puede oír), sino el hecho de que muchos plugins de software trabajan mucho mejor a frecuencias de muestreo mayores. Esto es especialmente cierto en compresores y varios simuladores de saturación que se benefician del sobremuestreo. Se puede discutir que los DAC’s también trabajan mejor convirtiendo audio muy sobremuestreado eliminando algunos pasos de remuestreo. Actualmente hay sitios que venden música remasterizada a altas frecuencias de muestreo (352.9 kHz) y puedes usar Eclipse 384 o Zodiac Gold para escuchar este material. Adicionalmente, con Eclipse 384 puedes masterizar tu propio contenido con 384 kHz y darte cuenta de los beneficios de este modo.

El productor/mezclador/ingeniero once veces ganador del Grammy Rafa Sardina, confía en la tecnología de sincronización de Antelope Audio

Antelope Audio — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:58:21 +0000

Santa Mónica, California, 22 de Enero de 2013 – Rafa Sardina es uno de los productores/mezcladores/ingenieros más solicitados de los EE.UU. y a lo largo de su carrera se ha hecho con no menos de once premios Grammy por su trabajo con los artistas de más éxito del mundo (Lady Gaga, Beyonce y Shakira entre otros). Hace varios años, Sardina abrió su propio estudio comercial, “After Hours”, para proporcionar a sus clientes de élite un espacio creativamente inspirador donde pudieran tener acceso al mejor equipamiento del mundo, con el mismo Sardina al mando. Los relojes de Antelope Audio estaban entre los pilares fundamentales de la infraestructura técnica de “After Hours”.

“He estado experimentando con muchos relojes años atrás y ahora uso Antelope Audio exclusivamente”, afirma Sardina. Recuerda la primera vez que le presentaron los dispositivos sincronizadores de estudio: “Estaba haciendo algunas bandas sonoras de cine y necesitaba usar diferentes frecuencias de muestreo en el mismo reloj porque algunos compositores habían empezado el proyecto usando diferentes frecuencias de muestro. El Antelope OCX-V era el único aparato que encontré que podía ofrecer simultáneamente diferentes frecuencias de muestreo”. A Sardina le gustó lo que escuchó. “Me impresionó y lo compré inmediatamente”.

Tras su periodo inicial de “luna de miel” con Antelope, Sardina empezó a experimentar con la tecnología de sincronización atómica de Antelope y pronto compró la combinación Trinity/10M. Desde entonces, nunca se ha vuelto atrás y afirma que la diferencia que ha marcado en el estudio es “absolutamente audible”. “Realmente tienes que comparar relojes uno con otro para oír la diferencia. Y tras oírlo, te das cuenta que la tecnología de sincronización de Antelope es superior”.

Sardina actualmente posee un Antelope Audio Trinity y 10M en su estudio principal, además de dos OCX-V que usa en su equipo Pro Tools y en una B-room en la planta de arriba. Para Sardina, la combinación Trinity/10M añade otra dimensión al audio. “La gente tiende a concentrarse demasiado en preamplificadores y ecualizadores cuando mejoran sus estudios, pero para mí, una buena sincronización marca la diferencia”, observa Sardina. “La acústica, los altavoces y la sincronización son los tres ingredientes más importantes para obtener un gran sonido. Haz de estos la inversión número uno en un estudio, y cambiará completamente tu mundo”.

En cuanto al sonido del Trinity/10M, explica que “abre el campo sonoro para todo. Puedes sentir siempre la amplitud de la pista con Antelope. No puedes oír esta amplitud al usar relojes maestros inferiores”. Afirma que su Trinity/10M también hace la imagen sonora más definida a través del rango de frecuencias: “Percibo unos bajos más definidos con menos distorsión, y una gran apertura en los altos”, dice. “Los relojes de Antelope me abrieron los ojos en muchos sentidos”.

Frecuentemente, invertir en tecnología de sincronización puede no ser la elección más popular al mejorar un estudio, pero no para Sardina. “Cuando los artistas me piden consejo para configurar sus estudios caseros, siempre se sorprenden cuando no les doy bombo a los últimos preamplificadores o convertidores. Al contrario, hablo de altavoces y relojes. Esto es porque es más importante saber qué estás escuchando.

Antelope Audio es nombrado ganador de los Premios CES Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering por su preamplificador AD/DA Rubicon Atomic

Antelope Audio — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:59:03 +0000

CES 203 2013 Innovations Honoree

Santa Mónica, California, 13 de Noviembre de 2012 – Antelope Audio anunció hoy que ha sido nombrado ganador de los Premios CES Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering por Rubicon, su revolucionario preamplificador de audio digital a 384 kHz el cual integra el mundialmente conocido reloj atómico 10M Rubidium. Los productos participantes en este prestigioso programa son juzgados por un preeminente panel de diseñadores industriales, ingenieros y miembros de los medios independientes para premiar el diseño y la ingeniería más extraordinaria en productos de electrónica de consumo vanguardistas, a través de varias categorías de producto diferentes.

Rubicon atiende al creciente interés en audio de alta definición, recogiendo las necesidades específicas de los entusiastas de la electrónica de consumo de gama alta de reproducción precisa de audio y un sonido detallado tanto grabaciones analógicas como digitales. Es el primer DAC que integra un reloj atómico Rubidium, el cual es 100.000 veces más estable que un oscilador de cristal tradicional.

“Es un honor increíble ser reconocidos por los Premios CES Innovations Design and Engineering”, comenta Igor Levin, Director General y fundador de Antelope Audio. “El Rubicon es un hito ingenieril representativo ciertamente para nuestra empresa, pero más importante aún para los consumidores puesto que mejora dramáticamente la experiencia de audición general.”

Tecnología de sincronización superior
Asociado con el Reloj Acústicamente Enfocado de 64 bits de Antelope, el Rubidium es un gran paso adelante en la gestión de jitter, mejorando la calidad del sonido de una forma sin precedentes. La misma tecnología se implementa en los grandes éxitos de taquilla como Avatar y está disponible en los mejores estudios de grabación y masterización de todo el mundo.

Dispuesto en una robusta carcasa de aluminio maquinado con un diseño clásico Art Decó, Rubicon incorpora un preamplificador phono discreto, ultra lineal, controladores de auriculares de dos fases y el conocido control de volumen dorado de Antelope.

El preamplificador phono JFET discreto basado en transformador, de ultra bajo ruido es un complemento que será altamente apreciado por muchos amantes del vinilo. Además del DAC 384 kHz, Rubicon también incluye una elevada conversión A/D de frecuencia de muestreo. Estas funcionalidades junto con la capacidad de grabación USB de alta definición aporta a los usuarios la sublime experiencia de digitalizar sus pistas favoritas, pero manteniendo la profundidad y calidez de las grabaciones analógicas originales.

Junto con la transmisión USB a 384 kHz, Rubicon ofrece una flexibilidad extendida y una experiencia de usuario fluida gracias a la capacidad DLNA implementada. La transmisión DLNA da a los usuarios la oportunidad de enviar inalámbricamente archivos de audio desde sus smartphones, PC o servidores NAS (almacenamiento conectado en red) y reproducir el contenido a través del DAC de alta frecuencia de muestreo.