Benchmark ADC16 Silver

The ADC16 by Benchmark Media is a full featured 16-channel A/D (analog to digital) converter with a flexible I/O (in/out) routing solution, UltraLock DDS clock system, optional firewire capabilities, and a 9-segment meter for each channel on the front end. The ADC16 has 16 transformerless analog inputs with 20 dB gain controls, and with the optional firewire card, it can be the sole interface to your modern-day DAW. If using the ADAT mode of the optical outputs, the ADC16 can interface with older Pro Tools LE interfaces, or any other interface supporting ADAT or coaxial inputs. The 8 optical outputs on the ADC16 also support SPDIF and can handle sample-rates up to 192kHz. Either way, the ADC16 is flexible enough to interface with any DAW setup necessary.

The Ultralock DDS clock system is based on low jitter technology originally intended for high-frequency RF communications systems. The system features a fixed frequency, low phase noise oscillator with temperature compensation capable of +/-2 PPM frequency accuracy. The oscillator is mated with a 500MHz Direct Digital Synthesis system capable of generating a 3072 x WC system clock. The 8 converters feature their own matched-impedance transmission line and jitter distortion is always a comfortable 135 dB below the level of music. Avoiding an asynchronous sample rate conversion system allows the ADC16 to reduce latency and provide the most direct path from the A/D to the digital interface. Finally, the Ultralock DDS system can lock to any sample rate between 28 and 200 kHz almost instantly and is designed with pull-up/pull-down sample rates to handle film or video transfers flawlessly. \r\n

The front end of the ADC16 rounds out an elegant A/D solution from Benchmark and features 9-segment meters per channel, each of which can be displayed in 6 dB or 1 dB increments. Each meter also features a peak-hold mode and is sample accurate to guarantee that each peak is registered. Overall, the ADC16 stays true to Benchmark's philosophy: digital converters should preserve all of the glorious nuances of the source so that the listener can simply engage with the music.