AudioMedia - November 2008 - (Page 34)

iZ has taken something good and made it great. SIMON TILLBROOK finds that his expectations of the iZ ADA are exceeded. mongst the vast array of digital multi-tracks and workstations I have used over time, has been the iZ RADAR. This was always a popular recorder for a number of reasons, but one that was true for myself, and commented on by many, was the great sound of the converters employed on it. I wondered if iZ would ever join the growing list of manufacturers who have either taken components from their product line, or used their expertise to refine an already desirable unit. Well, it seems iZ finally has, with the introduction of the iZ ADA Converters. The iZ ADA Converters are housed in a -inch U rack mountable enclosure, weighing in at pounds ( . kg). The iZ ADA can be supplied in , , or channel configurations, and as the iZ ADA is of a modular design for input and output, you can expand as your requirements dictate. The iZ ADA uses the converter technology developed for RADAR. A MADI interface. It also has a USB connection for firmware updates as they become available. When fitted with this card, the iZ ADA appears as two I/O interfaces in your Pro Tools setup. One other digital I/O option is an ADAT Lightpipe card offering channels of I/O at kHz. The iZ ADA supplies two-channel digital I/O via S/ PDIF RCA or AES XLR connections. Word Clock and Video sync sit next to these connections on a couple of BNC connectors. For external control there are two PS/ and four USB . sockets, along with a serial port. The way most will be connecting their iZ ADA will be into their system network with the gigabit Ethernet socket. There are numerous system setup parameters that are all accessed through the front panel touch screen. There are four principal screen areas to address, beginning with the main screen. It is here we are able to set our IZ TECHNOLOGY ADA A/D & D/A Converter THE REVIEWER SIMON TILLBROOK is the Principal Music Tutor at Islington Music Workshop in London. The rest of his time is spent as a freelance engineer, mainly in the USA. A power switch and light indicator along with a -inch x pixel -bit colour touchscreen display, populate the front of the iZ ADA. Not much at all. This is in total contrast, however, to what we find when the iZ ADA is flipped around, and where we discover the variations in connectivity available. Analogue I/O is via -pin D-sub connectors. The number of channels depends on configuration, but inputs and outputs are in groups of eight, and utilise Tascam format connectors. When it comes to analogue I/O cards, there are three options, each offering different levels of resolution and sonic texture, that will be familiar to RADAR users and owners. The Classic card can handle sample rates of . , . , . , and kHz. The Nyquist card sample rate options are as the Classic, with the addition of . , . , . , and kHz. Finally the S-Nyquist card pushes the sample rate possibilities to include ., ., . , and kHz. The standard MADI digital I/O used for connection to most of the popular DAW systems, including Logic and Nuendo amongst others, is via a low latency low jitter MADI interface. There are up to channels of I/O up to kHz, or channels at kHz. For Pro Tools|HD users, there is an option card called the iZ Dual Pro Tools|HD Interface Card that allows for direct connection to the HD Core card. This card supports all the sample rate options, and follows the same I/O configurations as seen with the sync reference, sample rate, and display option for our meters. Options available will be linked to the board options you go for. The setup screen gives us comprehensive control for our system, sync sources, and I/O, including operating level selection and digital format options, general preferences, and system diagnostic tools. A routing screen displays the number of inputs and outputs we have on the iZ ADA, and either leaves them set one to one, or allows you to route any input to any output as your requirements dictate. Finally the meters screen displays the levels of signals in the way we determined on the original Main display. Given the comprehensive setup options that the iZ ADA makes available to you, both navigation and selection of the desired arrangement is extremely simple. This is due to the front panel touchscreen. Apart from giving the iZ ADA a very neat appearance, it presents the information in a logical and clear fashion. At no point did I feel a need to grab the manual to decipher things. If you are going to have the iZ ADA in sight, then you will find the metering clear enough for general operating purposes, but most, I suspect, will use them for calibration with the iZ ADA out of sight in a machine room type scenario. I am not able to comment on the Pro Tools option, or many of the other options available with the iZ ADA, simply due to availability. I was invited along to Ten I n Use 34 AUDIO MEDIA NOVEMBER 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AudioMedia - November 2008

AudioMedia - November 2008 Contents Recording News Post News Broadcast News Geofocus: Italy What's Up UK AES Review For the Record Studio Snapshot: Aquarium Abbey Road Plug-ins Brilliance Pack Neumann TLM67 Mercenary Audio KM-69 IZ Technology ADA Final Cut Special: Bond TC Powercore 6000 EP Productions Nagra VI Product Sampler: Location Tools Video Guide AMSR News Shure KSM9 Big Beach Boutique 4

AudioMedia - November 2008

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