in English
Contents
1. GERMANY ADICON Connecting and Operating 1015 516i LEVEL dB 4 PN 21 18 15 12 10 8 6 4 2 CLP SEAudio ADICON VOLUME PHONES SAMPLE RATE Ee R 7 ocecseeeo i Peete aa 3 217 12 10 8 6 4 2 p Contents 1 2 3 6 SAFETY GUIDELINES READ BEFORE USING oisncissousissicesausduweranadawoseastnnsauaotvemsaatoneusbodeceunesdenexsisdes 3 MUP CMON OT eia e E E A E O 4 COE CUI O earren Enna E E EAE EEE E EEE E E E 4 3 1 FONT SUDD e a a a a a a 4 3 2 Andalo CONCOS tscccnussidocsentadvdecrSshesduntsdacsastsceciandadyseantatacsonbeducaawssdeclantacecsandsdutsestadatenendates 5 Bek TUOMAS AE E E EE E E NA A T A A A A A 5 3 2 2 lapeRe ecorder INPUVOUPUT sciusci a 6 3 3 Da SOT CUO oae a E E E E EE E E A E 6 3al Dealu rset as ny a e r E 6 oe U EPON eN E E EA N E OE O E EOE OAT NO 6 3 3 3 PC Connection via S PDIF or TOSIIMK eessssssesssssseessssseesssssreessseseeesssssressssseeessssseessssseeessssses 7 3 3 4 The Earth or Hum Loop Problems Particularly with USB Ports esessssseesssssseesssesereesssses 8 DEE I E T A A A A A T NE 9 4 1 Input Selection and Input Sensitivity sssssssesssssseessssseeessssrressssseeesssseressseseeeesserressseseeess 9 4 2 Peak Prostam Meter PPM ensorrar inane A er ES 10 4 2 1 S PPMs and AICO oss cercite a rs vcoattesaisco atte saxon trios avant sanreniianss dove easeseuantesaeesate eng aoduteeabediaentes 10 4 2 2 Why Optimum Level COMMON sav cccctctsticdcc2. 2 SS After the installation of Audacity all except a few settings are so that you can directly work with it 6 2 Selecting the Recording Device 6 2 1 Connection via the USB Interface When the ADICON is connected through its USB interface JP BDICON 48000 Hz Hs before Audacity has been started it can resp must be selected as arecording device in the drop down box beside the microphone symbol SBAudio When the ADICON is connected through its USB interface after Audacity has been started it must first be introduced to Audacity before it can and must be selected as a recording device Transport gt Rescan Audio Devices The same applies when the sample rate at the ADICON is changed In this case the ADICON logs off from the operating system and logs on again after a couple of seconds with a new name Only then the new ADICON is available as recording device in the drop down box beside the microphone symbol Note In case of Windows the operation with sample rates of 176 4 and 192 kHz is available with limitations only because Windows does not support USB Audio Class 2 1 At sample rates of 176 4 und 192 kHz the sample width is reduced to 16 bit In those cases the ADICON registers as e g ADICON 192000 kHz 16 2 When the sample rates 176 4 or 192 kHz are selected for the first time after a connection to a Windows PC it takes additional 30 seconds until the ADICON is available as a 16 bit recording device This
3. 3 2 1 Turntables It is to be distinguished e Turntable with MM moving magnet cartridge without RIAA preamplifier e Turntable with MC moving coil cartridge without RIAA preamplifier e Turntable with MC cartridge with transformers without RIAA preamplifier e Turntable with MM or MC cartridge with its own RIAA preamplifier A turntable with MM moving magnet cartridge without RIAA preamplifier is connected to the RCA o jacks IN 1 The push button AUX PHONO must be A pressed to activate the RIAA preamplifier in the A ADICON N ON With the switches LOAD the load capacit f th WwW Af pacitance of the cartridge recommended by its manufacturer is set GND m This load capacitance affects the frequency response IN1 PHONO AUX LOAD at high frequencies The minimum load capacitance of the ADICON is 100 pF Switch Positions Load Capacity 1 2 3 4 5 6 pF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF 100 ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF 150 OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF 200 ON ON OFF ON ON OFF 250 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON 300 ON OFF ON ON OFF ON 350 OFF ON ON OFF ON ON 400 ON ON ON ON ON ON 450 Note the following e Load capacitors may already be installed into the turntable These have to be taken into account or to be removed e The audio cable from the turntable also represents a significant capacitive load that must be considered With a good cable you can expect about 100 pF m Unsuitable cables can have capacitances of up to 500 pF m e F
4. Input voltage at full scale 100 FS 2 Vays at output LINE RCA jacks 200 MVems to 6 Vems DIN socket 200 MVams to 6 Vrms Control range of the gain for IN 1 and IN 2 10 dB to 20 dB 5 1 2 Outputs LINE Type RCA and DIN Output voltage at full scale 100 Full Scale RCA jacks 2 Vems DIN socket 100 MVens PHONES Type TRS jack 4 Usage Headphone output on the front panel Output voltage Max approx 6 4 Vrms unloaded Output impedance 470 S PDIF Type RCA transformer coupled Usage Output digital audio signal coaxial Output impedance 750 Output voltage 1 Vpp at 75 Q load Format Consumer no copyright protection C 1 L 0 TOSLINK Usage Output digital audio signal optical Format Consumer no copyright protection C 1 L 0 5 1 3 USB Connection Receptacle type B USB Audio Class USB Audio Class 1 up to 96 kHz 24 Bit USB Audio Class 1 at 176 4 and 192 kHz 16 Bit Windows USB Audio Class 2 at 176 4 and 192 kHz 24 Bit OS X and Linux Power Supply Self powered device max power consumption from USB 20 mA SBAudio 5 1 4 Power Supply Connector Low voltage connector barrel jack 5 5 2 1 mm lockable Operating voltage 12 Voc Current consumption Full scale no headphone 350 mA approx Full scale max with headphone 800 mA approx 5 2 ADC Sample rates 44 1 kHz 48 kHz 88 2 kHz 96 kHz 176 4 kHz 192 kHz Resolution 24 Bit 5 3 Measured Values 5 3 1 Frequency Response Settings Input IN 1 or I
5. T E E E E T E E E 22 SBAudio 1 SAFETY GUIDELINES READ BEFORE USING The device meets protection class 2 and has left the factory in a technically faultless state In order to assure this state and to insure riskless operation the user must obey the notes and warnings which are part of this manual SAFETY RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THIS DEVICE ARE GUARANTEED ONLY WHEN e Installation expansions modifications and repairs are accomplished only by the manufacturer or by personal authorized by the manufacturer e The electrical installations of the relevant room meet the corresponding IEC ANSI requirements e The device is used in accordance with this user manual POWER SUPPLY The device is designed for continuous operation The power supply s operating voltage must meet the local line voltage Avoid connections to the power supply system in junction boxes together with many other devices The electrical outlet needs to be installed close to the device and easily accessible Use the supplied power supply unit Other power supplies may cause malfunctions or even damage the device INSTALLATION SITE The device should stand only on clean horizontal work surfaces or be installed in a suitable rack During operation the device must not be exposed to vibration Humidity liquids of all kinds and dust must be kept away as far as possible Sufficient ventilation needs to be provided Avoid direct sunshine and the proximity
6. gain of the input stage can only be set in a range from 10 dB to 20 dB SEAvdio 4 2 Peak Program Meter PPM The sensitivity of the inputs should be adjusted so that the ADC does not overdrive in any case Not because that would mean a physical danger to it but because otherwise distortions by cutting the voltage spikes known as clipping would arise On the other hand it should not be set too low 4 2 1 S PPMs and VU Meter For level metering a digital so called Peak Program Meter PPM is provided which measures the digital data stream and not the analog signal That is why there are no positive values on its scale because the signal is either within limits or it is clipped but a digital signal cannot exceed its range of numerical values Clipping is indicated by the red LEDs CLP With the VU meters customary in tape recorders it is totally different There is no distinct limit on tape recorders With a rising level only the harmonic distortions increase moderately so that overdriving particularly at short peaks hardly carries any weight Full scale in tape recorders depends more on the trade off between dynamic range and distortion and is in contrast to the level control of digital signals relatively arbitrary A PPM is different from VU meters also in that it reacts much faster to voltage spikes In particular the variant used here a so called sample PPM SPPM takes into account each sample in full Its atta
7. his production is not as loud as possible but when the original dynamic range is maintained and when he does not go for the limits of the full scale range SEAvdio When the level is to be adjusted it is of course usually impractical or even impossible to determine the loudest passage in advance So you have to work with a corresponding safety margin This safety margin is individual it depends on the program material as well and a little bit on the user s experience As a reference value the following could be specified A level control of program material coming from a CD which is permanently maximally modulated as described above is easily and safely possible until shortly before clipping The 2 dB LED would flare quite frequently but only briefly at a time That applies to the orange section of the LEDs Recordings with greater dynamic should perhaps first be modulated with 8 dB max that means in the yellow section of the LEDs in the hope that no 8 dB higher peaks occur Out of purely technical reasons you can be much more confident that with voice transmitted via radio no particularly high peaks will occur which is completely different to recordings from a child s birthday party 4 2 3 The Peak Hold Function Often a peak hold function where a measured peak value is displayed over a certain time by an illuminated LED proves to be useful Because you do not have to look so closely short peaks can be recognized easi
8. host e g a PC or notebook the ADICON is reported as another audio device labeled ADICON XXXXX Hz where XXXXX indicates the sampling rate set at the ADICON If the sampling rate is changed at the ADICON it logs off and after a few seconds logs on again as another audio device with the new sampling rate and appropriate different name SBAudio In case of Windows and at sample rates greater than 96 kHz ADICON XXXXXX kHz 16 will be indicated The time until the ADICON logs on again as an audio device after it has been connected for the first time to a Windows PC will be prolonged by another 30 seconds It is not necessary to install any drivers This device is only intended for recording on the PC Playback must take place using a different audio device on the PC Note This means that the signal from the ADICON via USB is not directly audible under normal circumstances i e it is not available in the playback control The signal can solely be recorded and is audible only during playback This is caused neither by the ADICON nor by the operating system of the PC It is caused principally by the digital technology and is because a correct reproduction of audio signals produced in real time e g by an ADC like the ADICON is possible only when the clocks of ADC and DAC run exactly synchronously Due to the USB interface the precise timing of the source gets lost in the PC If playback through another audio device i e another DAC necessar
9. pre listening through the PC during recording is possible but with a high probability that after more or less time faults in the heard but not in the recorded audio signal will appear Pre listening is enabled with Transport gt Software Playthrough SBAudio 6 5 Listening in Already Recorded Audio Tracks When an audio track has already been recorded and a new audio track is instantiated with a new recording the previous audio track will simultaneously be played back This is important for musicians but bothering when e g records shall be digitized This option is called overdubbing and can be disabled with Transport gt Overdub 6 6 Playback Playback is started and stopped with the playback button or key space and can be paused with the pause button or key P When no selection within a recording has been made all audio tracks will be played back from the beginning until the end of the longest audio track When a Selection within a recording has been made only this selection is played back During playback individual audio tracks can be muted or selected to be solo hue i e to be the only audible track 6 7 Editing Recordings 6 7 1 Selecting Time Periods Using the selection tool I a time marker can be set or a time period can be selected Afterwards such a marker or selection may be modified with this tool 6 7 2 Zooming Using the functions Ae zoom in and out zoom a time period a display the whole re
10. reserved in order to avoid overdriving in case of unforeseeable loudness peaks Only when the recording is finished it is apparent how much of this headroom was actually used and only then it is possible to subsequently adjust the recording level so far that the loudest location of the recording reaches exactly 100 or as usual a Slightly lower level This is commonly the case at commercial records like CDs Due to the ADICON s extreme resolution of 24 bits losses in signal quality need not to be feared Such losses can only appear at resolutions of 16 bit or less in a very small amount Audacity is able to perform this process automatically First the whole audio track is selected e g by clicking into the control section left of the audio track or by selecting all audio tracks by key ctrl A Then normalizing is initiated with Effect gt Normalize Note At recordings from vinyls clicks or cracks caused by scratches on the surface or particles in the groove may cause significantly higher signal amplitudes than normal Even in this case normalizing would refer to the loudest click or crack but not to the loudest audio signal Such clicks cracks or crackle may possibly be reduced or removed by changing single samples refer to above or by a click filter an effect for the advanced users Effect gt Click Removal SEAvdio 6 7 8 Save an Audio Track or a Part of an Audio Track to File Complete audio tracks may be saved by File gt
11. 0 0015 0 0010 0 0005 0 0000 0 0005 0 0010 0 0020 0 0015 0 0010 0 0005 0 0000 0 0005 0 0010 0 0020 In this picture 3 gaps with obvious silence can be recognized 3 Place a marker 1 approximately in the silence gap between two parts 4 Shift this marker to the next gap of silence Now a time period approximately corresponding to the part is selected 5 Use the magnifying glass 2 to zoom into the area around one edge of the selection 6 If necessary zoom further vertically to locate the gap of silence more precisely and place the edge of the selection exactly to the desired location SBAudio 7 Zoom out and repeat this process for the other edge of the selection If required the selected time period can be copied now into a new audio track 1 Edit gt Copy 2 Tracks gt Add New gt Stereo Track 3 Use to jump to the beginning of the audio track 4 Edit gt Paste The selected time period or part as well as the audio track that was copied from it may be exported as a file Refer to chapter 6 7 8 Save an Audio Track or a Part of an Audio Track to File 6 7 6 Fade In and Out Simple fade in and out may be performed by selecting the desired time period to be faded and then by applying Effect gt Fade In resp Effect gt Fade Out More options are available with the envelope tool 5 6 7 7 Normalize When a digital recording is made considerable headroom should be
12. 2144 pts Hanning 5 3 4 S N Ratio Settings Input IN 1 Level O V input low impedance terminated Output Digital at 96 KHz sample rate Readings Gain dB ANSI A 20 Hz to 22 kHz linear 10 110 dB 108 dB 0 109 dB 107 dB 10 107 dB 105 dB 20 98 dB 96 dB SBAudio 5 4 Housing Material Steel powder coated surface front panel 5 mm aluminum Dimensions Depth 172mm without connectors incl control elements Width 219mm Height 40mm without stands Height 50mm with stands Weight ADICON 1455 g incl phono preamp and USB interface Power supply 160g SBAudio 6 Getting Started with Audacity Audacity is a free open source software for professional recording editing and playback of audio signals and provides much more functions than within the scope of the usual use of the ADICON is required The huge number of functions is not only advantageous it may also cause confusion for a beginner so that a start becomes more difficult than necessary Other recording software is generally not free but offers in return a wider range of functions Corresponding to our experiences for this but also for other reasons it is sometimes significantly more difficult to learn to know in these programs This is why we present a short introduction to Audacity and its most important functions here Note Computers are highly complex systems Their behavior is not always explainable and not always reproducible Particularly in the case of
13. Export Audio to a file Selected time periods may be saved by File gt Export Selected Audio to a file Different compressed and uncompressed audio formats are available Particularly popular are e g WAV und MP3 Uncompressed 24 bit audio the native format of the ADICON will be saved when Format Other uncompressed files gt Options gt Header WAV Microsoft Encoding Signed 24 bit PCM is chosen Afterwards a variety of meta data may be added if required Due to reasons of patent law the free MP3 encoder Lame needs to be installed subsequently in order to generate MP3 files When it is not installed and an MP3 file is to be encoded the process of installing this encoder is explained 6 8 Further Functions As already written Audacity offers much more features than mentioned here Click through the menus and submenus and look at the functions Many of them are self explaining Also have a look at the various settings in Edit gt Preferences You will understand many of them immediately For everything else we would like to point to the help function in Audacity as well as to the descriptions and videos about Audacity in the Internet to learn to know it SBAudio GERMANY SSB AUDIO COM ADICON OUT MADE IN GERMANY N APEMs TT C E L EE E Ga POWER 12V 1A S PDIF OPTICAL SET IN1 PHONO AUX LOAD SSB Audio 2015 05 29
14. N 2 Gain 0 dB Input voltage 1 8 Vams approx equivalent to 1 dB FS Output digital Readings Sample rate 96 kHz refer also to the following figure Approx 2 Hz to 48 kHz lt 0 3 dB Approx 10 Hz to 43 kHz lt 0 0 2 dB Sample rates lt 96 kHz Upper cut off frequencies proportionally reduced Sample rates 176 4 and 192 kHz Upper 3 dB cut off frequency Approx 69 kHz resp 76 kHz Upper 0 2 dB cut off frequency Approx 48 kHz resp 52 kHz EE g a E Eh EE 10 20 40 100 200 400 1k 2k 4k 10k 20k 40k Frequency Hertz 5 3 2 Frequency Response PHONO Corresponding to RIAA standard plus 7 Hz high pass filter Deviation 0 5 dB max typ 0 2 dB in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz SBAudio 15 5 3 3 Distortion and Crosstalk Settings Input IN 1 Gain 0 dB Left channel Signal 1 kHz Sine level 3 dB FS equivalent to 1 4 Vrms approx Right channel Level 0 V input terminated at low Output Digital at 96 kSa s sample rate Readings Refer also to the following figure Distortion 0 00015 116 dB at 1 kHz and 3 dB FS Crosstalk 103 dB approx at 1 kHz af Overall Level 3 01 dB Let Channel THI 0 00015 8 30041 _ Relative Amplitude dB i Overall Level 100 52 dB Right Channel 440 0 120 0 a co g a g Tel aft jah Bo 100 300 600 1 0k 30k 60k 100k 200k 400k Frequency Hz eS SS Rel Tie 96000 Hz 24Bit Stereo FFT 26
15. ck time is practically 0 4 2 2 Why Optimum Level Control In principle it would be possible to make the inputs so insensitive that the ADC cannot be overdriven under any conditions It would then normally be modulated only slightly but in contrast to e g a tape recorder in which a low level control reduces the dynamic range the inherent noise of a modern ADC like the ADICON is so low that this effect does not matter in practice This is particularly true in connection with tape recorders and turntables There is a more important reason for optimum level control The ADICON will probably not be the only digital source in the audio system When its signal is played back its loudness should not differ much from the loudness of other sources e g CDs Thus the ADICON should be set or modulated accordingly Some background information Many CDs are modulated in a way that the loudest passages or the highest voltage spikes just reach the technical maximum The full scale range FS is used to 100 This is called a level of 100 FS As this can hardly be done manually the whole recording is searched for the loudest passage on a computer before the mastering and subsequently the gain is set so that this passage is recorded just with 100 FS This is called normalizing and it is often also combined with a more or less strong compression so that full scale may occur not only once but also even very often It speaks well for the producer when
16. cooperation with external hardware applications work in some cases only after extensive tests and possibly further measures The number of possible obstacles is enormous sometimes insurmountable obstacles also arise The application software is complex too and if important settings are incorrect or operating procedures are unclear in the software another source of alleged malfunctions arises Therefore the responsibility for the correct operation of the entire system is with the user SSB AUDIO GmbH cannot take over this responsibility The ADICON has been successfully tested with several computers operating systems and recording programs 6 1 Installation Audacity is available for Windows OS X from 10 6 Snow Leopard on and Linux When it is installed on OS X 10 9 5 and higher it may happen that the start of the installation will be blocked because the identity of the developer cannot be verified In case that the program has been downloaded from a trustworthy source the installation process can be resumed without fearing negative consequences In this case you need to Confirm the message with OK Click on AUDACITY dmg once more but this time with the right mouse button In the context menu that appears shortly afterwards click on Open The same message appears again but this time you are asked whether you really want to open the application 5 Confirm this by clicking on Open Then the installation will start
17. cording and pe zoom the selected time period parts of the recording can be displayed in detail e g in order to examine specific events like the beginning or the ending of a part or a disturbance within a recording and to modify it 6 7 3 Cutting A selected time period will be removed with the scissors symbol 4l and everything subsequent will be moved left 6 7 4 Modifying Single Samples Single samples can be modified e g in order to remove clicks For this purpose first the corresponding time period must be zoomed so far that the individual samples become visible as dots With the draw tool f these samples can be modified or even a whole freehand line can be drawn 6 7 5 Separate Recordings into Several Audio Tracks This function will be useful when e g an LP record was recorded in one piece and shall be separated into individual tracks This is possible automatically or manually For manual separations the corresponding beginnings and ends of the individual parts must be located It is advisable to 1 Display the whole recording 2 or a sufficiently big selection of it Bh SBAudio 00 5 1 0 1 0 0 5 0 0 0 5 1 0 In this picture a prospective part has already been selected from its beginning to its end 2 In order to locate exactly the gaps between the tracks expand the display vertically by clicking repeatedly with the cursor resp magnifying glass on the 0 0 left of the audio track
18. cstoutcrcesssterdetaciusactaceatasteshcnaaisedeceebasenantheansectenteaute 10 423 The Peak Hold FPUNCUO M seccecscsaanetcamsnteccecescaodennacesseucensea acaceateesgesedeacecsaaeneacenteneesssaascacecdeseciee 11 4 2 4 LED Brightn Ss iesenii raai 12 4 3 BAVC E E E E E R E EE 12 4 4 Headphone QUU sssini e AE E E a a E E Eara 12 Tecnica eE E T E E E EE ENT 13 5 1 OTIS CUO INS ea E E A E E E E E 13 e E NDUE e a E ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee eee 13 hi NG r E E E E E E E EE E E 13 EN Pe R OE e A E E E A E E E A E A AEE A A E 13 A FONT UPP ee a 14 5 2 ADC O E E A E ans steteectsasetensseacaawticne 14 5 3 PAS OV ASS cic evens incendie ine iniii deuce ansueueansiee acusece vacate ce cseieusetaacde edsecte t 14 SP SNC Si pacer apssr rere A dea sense tems oanea cee A E NA EE 14 Deane Preguen INOS DOM ls PRONO ceii cust sacetanesaca aaah pacesecugaeageatpacesanepacagnaeacetennsacagnateacecas 14 Z9 IDISTOTTION ara COS Sta a cncsatcecescsepacnaceruasoacanasniconnestaneaneanausssestasannsesconiaessecacnecnanarwonecanpantees 15 De SLVR AE 0 ae e a A EE E E EEE E NEE EEEO OERE 15 5 4 OUSE ea E E E AE E E T E E IEE 16 Getting Started with Audacity eeessessesssssseeesssssresssssreessssreeesseseressssreesssseressseseeessssseeessesreesssees 17 6 1 6 2 6 2 1 6 2 2 6 2 3 6 2 4 6 3 6 4 6 5 6 6 6 7 6 7 1 6 7 2 6 7 3 6 7 4 6 7 5 6 7 6 6 7 7 6 7 8 6 8 MFRS Fee A ON g a N E A omen anions sieonamoeesensntodareeatos 17 Selecting t
19. el meter is not necessarily valid in such a case Undesirable resampling cannot easily be recognized Depending on the system it may be necessary that the sampling rate on the PC must be set equal to that on the ADICON Unfortunately we can give no more than such vague tips here at best the simple advice For more information ask your system administrator study the manuals of your system components or conduct intensive behavioral research on your system 3 3 4 The Earth or Hum Loop Problems Particularly with USB Ports General background information Often the sound in hi fi systems is interfered with so called ground or hum loops Put simply this phenomenon arises especially when the signal grounds of the individual components of a system are connected to at least two different points to the protective earth Hi fi components in the home are not usually grounded to earth but are usually connected to the protective earth via the antenna connection of the tuner This single connection to protective earth is not only harmless it may even be important and prevent hum of another kind A problem arises when a second device that also has a connection to protective earth is connected to the hi fi system This can be a TV set with its antenna connection or an earthed PC for example Then so called equalizing currents flow through the signal masses of the audio cables that are superimposed on the signal voltage and jam it The compensation curren
20. er The peak hold time is set with the switches 1 and 2 of the 4 switches SET on the rear of the ADICON according to personal preferences Switch Position Time s Description 1 2 OFF OFF offr Advantage Even a short flare of individual peak values can be recognized ON OFF 1 A common peak hold time OFF ON 3 Leaves more time during which you do not have to keep an eye on the level control Leaves an extreme amount of time during which you do not ON ON 10 have to keep an eye on the level control Note In position OFF the red LEDs CLP also have peak hold functions of 1 second more precisely Clip hold functions SBAudio 12 4 2 4 LED Brightness The LEDs can be adapted in their brightness to the user s individual preferences in 4 relatively big steps The setting is done with the switches 3 and 4 of the 4 switches SET on the rear of the ADICON Switch Position Brightness 3 4 OFF OFF 100 ON OFF 25 OFF ON 6 ON ON 1 5 4 3 Sample Rate The sample rate SAMPLE RATE can be set to the most common values between 44 1 kHz and 192 kHz 44 1 kHz is used with CDs 48 kHz among others with DVDs Higher sample rates are rather found in sound studios They allow for a higher signal bandwidth 88 2 96 There are no disadvantages when working with higher sample rates e g between the ADICON and an amplifier with digital input or a DAC as long as this device supports the higher sample rate Of course more memory space
21. er 3 minutes when no change of state was encountered If needed we recommend the free program AUDACITY for recording editing and playback of files http audacity sourceforge net which is available for Windows OS X and Linux This program offers a great deal more than simply recording an audio signal A brief introduction can be found at the end of this manual Note SSB AUDIO GmbH cannot take over the system responsibility for ensuring that your computer or software in particular in cooperation with the ADICON is working properly 3 3 3 PC Connection via S PDIF or Toslink PCs can be linked directly to the ADICON via S PDIF or Toslink or by using the USB port Both have advantages and disadvantages If the ADICON is digitally connected via S PDIF or Toslink to a PC the restrictions concerning the simultaneous playback of the audio signal on the PC listed in the previous chapter 3 3 2 USB Port SBAudio do not apply even if the connection is made via an external USB interface which allows simultaneous recording and playback However it must be expected that the audio data is changed that way without the user being able to recognize it The audio can be resampled and or changed in amplitude It is a good sign and a minimum requirement if the record level control is not adjustable because if it is adjustable it is almost certain that the audio data is changed in amplitude Aside from that the indication of the ADICON s lev
22. gnals LINE TAPE IN OUT IN 2 IN 2 and TAPE IN OUT must not be used at the same time When connected to IN 1 the RCA jacks IN 1 are used for the playback signal and the RCA jacks LINE for the record signal The push button AUX PHONO is not pressed 3 3 Digital Connections 3 3 1 Digital Outputs Both digital outputs deliver the same signal and can be used simultaneously The S PDIF output is equipped with an isolation 7A o transformer Thus hum loops caused by the coaxial cable are avoided Particularly for the operation of a turntable and an exclusively digital S PDIF OPTICAL connection to the hi fi system it may prove necessary that the ADICON or e g the turntable must be connected to ground or protective earth to avoid hum troubles The ADICON provides a corresponding ground screw 3 3 2 USB Port There is a combined USB Audio Class 1 2 interface available being able to transfer sample rates of 44 1 48 88 2 and 96 kHz at 24 bit as well as 176 4 and 192 kHz at 16 Bit resolution USB Audio Class 1 and 176 4 und 192 kHz at 24 bit resolution USB Audio Class 2 Note Microsoft Windows only supports USB Audio Class 1 so that in Windows operating systems the sampling rates of 176 4 and 192 kHz are available with 16 bit resolution only Apple OS X from 10 6 Snow Leopard and Linux also support USB Audio Class 2 so that all sample rates listed above are available at 24 bit resolution When connecting to the USB
23. he Recording Device vrs lt dsscssccdsssssedeeeeseedeccessadcatececdaanadscdeccassndecessesdencatecdusncehedeaust 17 Connection Via the USB Interface oo cecssseccsssssecesssseceesseeccssueecessseeesssseeesseueeeeseaseeenes 17 Connection Vid S PDIF RESD TOSHIAK scussrcascscansesdsncrssactiosaqushsusdiicansiasscecasiantseticansetubedteansvenies 18 FO CE E E PE cance OE E E E A A E E 18 Pre E a E EE sanuigonsioonsmoussoacnonsgonnsousieczwester 18 FRE OCU areren T sectde see seeumesoeeoce 18 PreListening While RECOrdINE ac cocsconcsansoneesaciconcesecsaadstnaceaciesncnenassauwaoastacanoestnewoonacedcenastancnacnse 18 Listening in Already Recorded Audio Tracks ssssssesssssseessssseeesssseressssseeessssreeessssrressssees 19 PD OK e E T E E E E A E E E E NE 19 FaN RO OrFGINE Soeren EE 19 Selecting TMe PENOU S seuescucsdinananda a a a a 19 ZOO MMII E ccseatcatescateedescaese2eenceacdeseaciaadeossceeaescoteataacetattesa tieteuaueeccceactsecemesuasasaatucteaseteececeeasarencauaas 19 CUOU E aa a decade se sees seca E E E E E E T 19 M difyine Single Samplas cnisinusiesestiovsesnantusnctacumsaiansniomisonissegsolndusenauscunlectserresnaninisuiace 19 Separate Recordings into Several Audio TrackS sssssesssssssessssseessssseresssesreessssseeesssseeess 19 Faden an OU a A E EN TAA 21 NOED E ai E EE EE A E E A E A E AE E E 21 Save an Audio Track or a Part of an Audio Track to File 0 cece ececssseccesesseeeessseeeeesneees 22 PURAC FUR UOS sorena E E
24. ily running with another asynchronous clock is possible at all it is therefore only possible with compromises For that buffers are usually introduced which on the one hand cause a delay in the output and secondly overflow or underflow over time due to the asynchronous clocks As a rule this leads to discarding a complete buffer content at overflow or to a repetition at underflow causing significant disturbances in the signal Often such a way is therefore not even provided Depending on the operating system and any application program the audio signal from the ADICON can at least be made visible on the PC where appropriate with a level meter Also the program AUDACITY further mentioned below shows the audio level in recording mode with the correct setting AUDACITY even offers the opportunity to output the signals from the ADICON with the delay caused by the buffer and the possible overflow and underflow via another audio device The green LED C signals that a USB host is connected The green LED S signals by slow flashing that the ADICON is ready for data transmission It does not signal that the data transmission actually works or that a host is connected It is constantly illuminated when data transfer is taking place It indicates by double flashing that a connection to a Windows PC at 176 4 or 192 kHz is established It goes out briefly when the sampling rate is changed on the ADICON In order to avoid annoyance flashing is terminated aft
25. is needed for the recording of such Signals For operation via the internal or an external USB interface please regard the information in the chapter USB 4 4 Headphone Output The headphone output is equipped with an individual volume control adjustable with the potentiometer VOLUME All common headphones can be connected to the output PHONES For headphones with a 3 5 mm jack a 4 adapter is required Caution Compared to headphone outputs e g in hi fi systems this output supplies a significantly higher volume as common in professional practice The gain of the headphone amplifier was chosen so that it does not overmodulate as long as the red CLP LEDs are not illuminated Strictly speaking this is true only for headphone impedances greater than 300 ohms approximately as usually found in headphones for hi fi systems Head phones for professional applications often have significantly lower impedances However their output signals always remain undistorted at modulations to about 1 dB SBAudio 5 Technical Data Errors and technical modification subject to change 5 1 Connections 5 1 1 Inputs IN 1 Type RCA Usage Phono Tape Aux Input voltage at full scale 100 FS 2 Vays at output LINE Switch PHONO AUxX in position PHONO MM 2 MVems to 60 MVems Switch PHONO AUxX in position PHONO MC 0 2 MVems tO 6 MVems Switch PHONO AUX in position AUX 200 MVems tO 6 Vrms IN 2 Type RCA and DIN Usage Tape Aux
26. ital connection did not separate the compensating current flowing in that case would probably be harmless because it does not flow over an analog audio cable Conclusion to avoid earth loops It is sufficient when one of the above three conditions is not satisfied 1 When the antenna is disconnected or connected via an isolating transformer 2 When a notebook or netbook which is not connected to protective earth is used But it must also not be linked to a further device e g a monitor or printer or via a network cable connected to protective earth 3 When the ADICON is connected exclusively digital to the hi fi system This condition is easily met Another example If e g a tuner Set top box TV was linked additionally to an ADICON connected to protective earth via USB a ground loop would probably arise again via the antenna or network connection of the devices The compensating current over the analog connection cable caused by that would probably disturb the sound of these devices 4 Operation 4 1 Input Selection and Input Sensitivity The push button SELECT is used to select between the inputs IN 1 and IN 2 The selected input is indicated by the corresponding LED The sensitivity can be set separately for each input with the corresponding potentiometers IN 1 or IN 2 respectively This setting is not thought of as volume control according to custom where the signal can be reduced to total silence Instead the
27. ividually adjustable in their sensitivity e For one of the inputs an RIAA preamplifier can be activated so that it also can be used as turntable input moving magnet moving coil on demand e The other input can also be accessed via its DIN connector for tape recorders with a DIN cable e Line output RCA e Headphone output for operation as a separate headphone amplifier or to preview the source e Level indicator for the ADC e Digital outputs optical Toslink and coaxial RCA S PDIF 44 1 to 192 kHz 24 bit e USB interface The connection and the operation of the ADICON are quite obvious with only a few exceptions This should particularly be true for those users who have been concerned for many years with the technology of their equipment But at least for the digital part some valuable information could be found here 3 Connection A OOO O a SSS ADICON IN jee O K E ty S i J ad MADE IN GERMANY USB ON APEMs dar a ON APEMs sail SNe Ww 3 BARRED 1234 S 123456 POWER 12V 1A S PDIF OPTICAL SET IN1 PHONO AUX LOAD 3 1 Power Supply The included 12 volt power adapter can be connected to the ADICON with a lockable connector Rotate the plug clockwise so that that it cannot accidentally be disconnected POWER 12V 1A The ADICON is turned on by pressing the POWER switch The operation is indicated by the illumination of one of the two LEDs SOURCE on the front panel SBAudio 3 2 Analog Connections
28. mode is indicated by double instead of single flashing of the LED S on the ADICON s rear side 6 2 2 Connection Via S PDIF Resp Toslink In this case in the drop down box beside the microphone symbol only the corresponding sound card needs to be selected as recording device In the settings of the sound card the S PDIF input must be activated Attention If possible available settings for volume should be disabled because otherwise it is very likely that the original audio data is modified in an unpredictable manner possibly even by DA conversion level change and successive AD conversion 6 2 3 Project Rate The project rate project s sample rate should match the sample rate of the Project Rate Hz ADICON otherwise a sample rate conversion during recording will take place 48000 The project rate that Audacity adopts after start up can be set in Edit gt Preferences gt Quality gt Default Sample Rate 6 2 4 Pre listening When pre listening is enabled with Transport gt Software Playthrough the ADICON s signal can be listened to with a click on the recording level meter 6 3 Recording Recording is started with the record button or key R paused with the pause button or key P or terminated with the stop button or key space With each new start a new audio track is instantiated Needless audio tracks can be removed with the X in ludia Track 6 4 Pre Listening While Recording As already described above
29. of radiators and radiant heaters IMPORTANT NOTE Computers are highly complex systems Their behavior is not always explainable and not always reproducible Particularly in the case of cooperation with external hardware applications work in some cases only after extensive tests and possibly further measures The number of possible obstacles is enormous sometimes insurmountable obstacles also arise The application software is complex too and if important settings are incorrect or operating procedures are unclear in the software another source of alleged malfunctions arises Therefore the responsibility for the correct operation of the entire system is with the user SSB AUDIO GmbH cannot take over this responsibility The ADICON has been successfully tested with several computers operating systems and recording programs SBAudio 2 Introduction Many now historic but high quality sound sources from the analog time that is to say tape recorders and turntables meanwhile do not only scrape an existence as visual museum or collector s items anymore but they are actively operated again The desire for an appropriate digital connection of these devices to the modern digital world is obvious The ADICON Analog to Digital Converter was specially designed to provide this missing link This ADC is equipped with special inputs and outputs and other functions that are necessary or useful for this application e Two inputs RCA both ind
30. or this reason the audio cable from the turntable should never be extended A turntable with MC moving coil cartridge without RIAA preamplifier is also connected to the RCA jacks IN 1 but instead of an MM RIAA preamplifier an RIAA preamplifier for MC cartridges option must be installed in the ADICON The push button AUX PHONO must be pressed to activate the RIAA preamplifier in the ADICON The properties of MM and MC cartridges and preamps are very different MM preamps have an approximately 10 times higher gain a very small input impedance and do not need an external load capacitance SBAudio A turntable with MC cartridge with transformers without RIAA preamplifier is connected like a turntable with MM moving magnet cartridge without RIAA preamplifier to the input IN 1 The push button AUX PHONO must be pressed to activate the ADICON s RIAA preamplifier Turntables with MM or MC cartridges with their own RIAA preamplifiers can be connected to IN 1 as well as to IN 2 The push button AUX PHONO is not pressed 3 2 2 Tape Recorder Input Output A tape recorder is preferably connected to its designated input IN 2 but it can also be connected to IN 1 Thus two o tape recorders can be connected simultaneously to the 4 ADICON When connected to IN 2 the RCA jacks IN 2 can be used ASO R for the playback signal and the RCA jacks LINE for the Zw record signal or the common DIN socket TAPE IN OUT can be used for both si
31. ts are really critical where they flow through analog audio cables There however where they flow e g through antenna cables power cables digital lines or network cables they are relatively harmless The ADICON s special situation So beside the antenna connector the second connection to protective earth could be a grounded PC which is connected via USB to the ADICON and from there via analog audio cable to the hi fi system The above sentence must be read carefully It says that exactly three conditions for a ground loop must be met 1 The hi fi system is already earthed at one point e g via the antenna 2 The PC or a device connected to the PC is grounded as well That is common only in netbooks or notebooks this might not be the case 3 The ADICON is not only digitally but also via an analog cable typically at ADICON output LINE connected to the hi fi system On point 3 However a solely digital connection optical or coaxial between the ADICON and the hi fi system is completely harmless because the optical output OPTICAL is isolated by nature and the coaxial output S PDIF of the ADICON is equipped with an isolation transformer which prevents earth loops reliably In a purely digital connection so to speak two mutually insulated earthed islands are formed The hi fi system earthed via the antenna of the tuner and the SBAudio ADICON with its sources grounded via the USB cable to the PC Even if the dig
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