# New audio interface... what's the difference?



## JohnCaza (Dec 24, 2012)

Hello! This is my first post  

I was sent here because of the REW which I wish to use in my little home studio. I bought a dbx RTA-M omni directional mic for this purpose, still need to invest in the SPL meter. In any case, this wasn't the reason for the post. 

I'm an EDM producer and for the past year or so I've been using a MOTU 828mk3... because I have no need for inputs (almost at all), I wanted to spend my money on something I use every day, and that's a proper DA converter. I purchased an Antelope Zodiac+ because I read everywhere of the great sound that it produces. I use a decent pair of studio monitors, Dynaudio BM12a. I am however unable to notice the sound difference between the two which leads me to believe that I'm doing something wrong (because the former was a $700 AD/DA audio interface, while the latter is a $2300 DA converter). 

What is the standard procedure of testing this? 

Right now my chain is as follows: PC -> MOTU 828mk3 Toslink -> Antelope Zodiac+ -> Monitors

It would seem that the Zodiac+ isn't made for ASIO and uses WASAPI (window's integrated version of ASIO) and I'm having compatibility problems with PC->Zodiac+-> Monitors. So I figured with the above stated chain, I'm using the computing power of PC + MOTU and the DA converter of the Zodiac+ correct?

Thank you 

John


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## AudiocRaver (Jun 6, 2012)

Without doing a detailed analysis of your configuration or hardware features, here's a quick answer to part of your questions. While the difference between a cheap, low-end DAC and a high-end DAC like the Antelope would probably be easy to spot on a good system, your MOTU and Antelope units are both first-rate products, and you might be hard-pressed to hear a difference between them.


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## audiodruid (Dec 15, 2012)

Ravers right, both units are of equal performance as far as a/d convertion and son on.
The only real way to spot the difference is to remove one of them from the chain and not just with a bypass or a soft control switch.. take it away , switch it off.

I had to re learn this last week with a killer drum recording that lost it's soul , all the dynamics were in bypass but it in now way compared to the monitor mix recording we did whilst tracking it.
I un plugged them from the desk and .. yea there ya go back to what we had ..

Good luck
Simon


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