Digidesign 96 i/o Signature Modification

Digi 96 i/o Signature Mod

Allowing users the functionality and sonic quality of Pro Tools HD, the 96 I/O is the entry level into the world of Digidesign's HD recording platform. No doubt about it, Pro Tools HD is one of the best sounding software systems in pro audio today, and there's a reason why it continues to dominate the industry. Over the last few years, Black Lion Audio has often been asked to develop modifications for Digidesign's HD hardware, and they've finally done so. BLA has essentially become the go-to 'secret weapon' for quite a lot of folks these days - everything from Nashville major-label project studios on a budget to multi-platinum artists, songwriters, and Grammy-winning engineers. You've probably already heard their work whether you know it or not, and if their modified LE hardware is good enough to impress the pickiest of clients, just imagine what they can do for your 96 I/O. They'll turn it into a system that will rival or exceed the most expensive multi-channel interfaces available today, and they'll do it at an incredible price. Period.

When your mastering engineer calls you to ask what your project was tracked on, you'll know you made the right choice!

Technical Overview
The 96 I/O bears a few similarities to its LE cousin, the 002, as well as a few similarities to the 192. It utilizes AKM's AK5393 converters for its A/D section. The AK5393 is a pin-compatible upgrade to the AK5383 found in the 002, and features an improved dynamic range performance. A/D converter power in the 96 I/O is provided by a shunt-regulated converter power supply borrowed from its bigger brother, the 192 I/O. D/A conversion is handled by Cirrus Logic's CS4396, the same converter found in the aforementioned 192 as well as the Genex GXD-8. Master clocking is handled by a pair of HC-49 crystals configured in a Pierce-Gate fashion, similar to the master clock used in Digidesign's 001, 002, 003 Mbox 2 Pro, and 192 I/O.

How BLA Makes A Good Product GREAT!

Conversion
There are standard practices within delta sigma converter design that are pretty much common place within pro audio. Examine any high-end converter, and you'll find similar practices across the board. They approach things a little differently here at BLA, and they like to think outside the box. As a result, they've developed converter design methods that dramatically reduce unwanted noise and harmonic behavior over traditional approaches. It's an improvement you can easily hear during both tracking and mixing, as instruments sound much fuller, have greater harmonic extension, and suffer less from phase issues and harmonic distortions in the higher frequencies. They're also able to provide reductions to on-substrate converter EMF, giving you lush sounding tracks that stack easily and sound incredible.

Analog Circuitry
The stock analog stages of the 96 I/O are based around Philips' version of the popular NE5532 op-amp, and Burr Brown's DRV134 to handle output stages. While these offer excellent frequency to distortion performance characteristics, BLA tends to prefer something with greater bandwidth and speed. They utilize a unique op-amp combination that keeps THD+N low, while improving the low-level resolution and micro-dynamic capability of the analog section of the 96 I/O circuitry.

Master Clock
They utilize their patented 220/270SP master clock as the heart of the 96 I/O's new clock. This is an improved version of the already phenomenal clock found in their 002 and 003 modifications. Their 220/270SP clock is completely unique in the world of digital audio in that it implements methods to reduce unwanted harmonic spectra within the clock while at the same time increasing desirable harmonic spectra. This architecture gives an enormous soundstage with rich body. It has excellent image placement, incredibly euphonic mid-band response, and an amazingly smooth high end.