What is this? - 8-Channel A/D and D/A Converter

The Behringer ADA8000 Ultragain Pro-8 A/D/A Converter is a state-of-the-art 8-channel A/D/A converter with built-in phantom-powered Invisible Microphone Preamplification (IMP) mic preamps. You can connect analog audio signals directly to a multitrack recorder or similar equipment via the integrated ADAT interface—and it takes up only one rackspace. It will even connect the digital signal of a multitracker via ADAT to the 8 line outputs of the ADA8000. Selectable signal conversion allows processing at 44.1kHz or 48kHz with 24-bit resolution. The ADAT I/O can be operated independently with an identical word clock signal.

Behringer ADA8000 Ultragain Pro-8 A/D/A Converter Features:
8 channels
24-bit A/D/A converters
Processes 44.1 and 48kHz sample rates
Studio-grade IMP mic preamps
Phantom power
Optical ADAT I/O
External sample rate synchronization via word clock or ADAT input
ADAT input can be routed to all line outputs
Mic/line inputs are routed to ADAT output
Master/locked (slave) LED display
Rugged construction
 
Let's say you are using Pro tools to do your recording. You will need a way to hook your microphone(s) up to your computer. This is the interface that does this, via, usually USB or FireWire.

You plug your microphones into this and this into your computer. I didn't read all the specs on this, but it needs to be Pro Tools compatible, (if that's what you are using. ) This will allow you to use your computer as a mixer to set the levels for the recording as well as capture the signal.
 
A/D means analog to digital. It takes an analog signal via a microphone and converts it to digital bits to be stored on a hard drive. 8 channel means you can record 8 channels at once. D/A means just the opposite by converting digital bits to analog for playback via speakers.
 
unfortunately thats NOT what it does, if nobody has noticed there is no way to hook it up to a computer unless you got some old school computer that still has an optical port. behringer only makes 1 interface to hook up to a computer and it's a little tiny rca to usb converter that costs about $40 bucks. the most useful function of the ultragain is that it can route 8 different signals to different locations, or in the case you already have a multi track recorder with optical then you can send 8 signals to the multi track and turn it into 8 separate tracks.

if your looking for an interface you would be better off getting something like an mbox or getting a mixer that has a built in usb port.
 
Ah ok cheers!
Yeah i didn't think it was an interface :)
I heard somewhere that if you have an interface with say 8 preamps.....it can increase that to 16 inputs. Is it true? If so , how? Like what route would it be.
Thanks!
 
This can be kind of complicated if you are just starting out. Don't know where yo uare from, but if you have access to a music store that is on the larger side, orne that sells quite a bit of sound equipment, see if they have someone whom you can communicate with and understand.. There are a lot of options and you need to understand. Too much info to learn through a forum

azrae1 spoke about a lot of money ($40) for an interface you have to buy.. Well, compared to the price of mbox, the price of the ADA8000 + $40 still isn't that bad for 8 inputs. Lots of people do it this way. It's that the ADA8000 is just part of the equation

Intersting info

EDIT: What I meant to say was that a lot of people use the ADA8000 as part of their setup. As you see in the article, it is not the interface, just part of the equation...
and,I'm not disagreeing with azrae1, just though he was a bit to quick to judge previous comments and take them out of context a bit..
 
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maybe i phrased that wrong, i was just pointing out that it does not hook up to a computer like people were suggesting. and just speaking from experience (i have 2 of them sitting in the studio right now) just to convert analog to digital and vise versa there are easier and better ways to do it.

the difference between using something like an mbox and an ultragain w/ a usb converter is that the mbox is more stable, the ultragains are prone to pots going out and various other things, as well as those cheap $40 usb converters (i didn't say lots of money mind you), if you check around many many people have complained about 1 side or the other shorting out after a few months use. and to some people $40 bucks every few months may be worth it, ok.

ultragain + usb converter is not all thats required. the converter is rca to usb. which means you have to buy something else to convert xlr to rca. or you can buy a trs to rca jack for a couple bucks and bypass the ultragain all together. you mise well forget about the optic ports since not to many things other then tv's and dvd players even have them anymore. all in all once you got the whole set up going a $250 mbox and all the stuff to get the ultragain to work is not that far apart cost wise.

my point here is, after the ultrgains failing and having to be fixed several times and going threw 4 of the converters before giving up, i spent $50 bucks on a used 4 channel mixer with a built in usb port and eliminated that whole equation. but that is just how i ended up going, you could spend more or less, go easier or harder, simpler or more technical, as long as it gets the job done thats the main thing.....
 
azrae1l said:
you mise well forget about the optic ports since not to many things other then tv's and dvd players even have them anymore.
Click to expand...

Lots of audio equipment use ADAT, Digi 002 + 003 being heavy hitters as far as popularity go. I might go so far as to say just about every company offering digital I/O's offer ADAT ports on some of their models.

Aside from any problems specific to the unit mentioned by the OP, these types of units are great for expanding on existing systems with ease, both in setup and on the pocketbook.
 
You know..! They should think about adding a Techincal Tab for the Drum Gear section.

More and more of us are starting to uses this stuff and it is even more daunting than the typical drum gear...

What of it moderators..?
 
jer said:
Lots of audio equipment use ADAT, Digi 002 + 003 being heavy hitters as far as popularity go. I might go so far as to say just about every company offering digital I/O's offer ADAT ports on some of their models.

Aside from any problems specific to the unit mentioned by the OP, these types of units are great for expanding on existing systems with ease, both in setup and on the pocketbook.
Click to expand...

That is correct. Zoofie, the didgidesign interfaces (digi 002, 003 console and rack) all use an ADAT port. Using an ADAT lightpipe optical cable, running from your ultragain device into the ADAT "in" Port from an 002, you can now use the 8 A/D converters to link with the 002's interface, effectively increasing your track capability from 8 tracks to 16 tracks, which can be recorded simultaneously on pro-tools LE systems if your computer is set up for that.

As far as state of the art, i dunno, Behringer is Ok i guess if you're on a shoestring budget, but i'd step up to a focusrite OCTOPRE if i were you.
 
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