EK-DZ ILDA to ADAT Converter

[james]

It might be worth noting that in order to display waves made with this device, you need a modified sound card DAC, aka The LaserBoy DAC.

"everyone should own one" of them too!

I have kits for the correction amp and also completed DACs ready to use.

You can also display the waves on a computer screen in real time and even open the waves as vector art and save them in your favorite flavor of ILDA in the LaserBoy application.

James.

[swamidog]

or a modified adat/hd24/echo layla, etc..

It might be worth noting that in order to display waves made with this device, you need a modified sound card DAC, aka The LaserBoy DAC.

"everyone should own one" of them too!

I have kits for the correction amp and also completed DACs ready to use.

You can also display the waves on a computer screen in real time and even open the waves as vector art and save them in your favorite flavor of ILDA in the LaserBoy application.

James.

[james]

Yep. I have a modified black face ADAT and an echo Layla too.

A small USB device is much more portable and plugs into any laptop running any OS.

James.

[swamidog]

that's true. however, dz and i watched a show being played side by side on a layla and a usb sound card dac at selem. the output quality of the layla was considerably superior.

Yep. I have a modified black face ADAT and an echo Layla too.

A small USB device is much more portable and plugs into any laptop running any OS.

James.

[Bradfo69]

David...

Mine arrived today. Thanks!

~B

[james]

that's true. however, dz and i watched a show being played side by side on a layla and a usb sound card dac at selem. the output quality of the layla was considerably superior.

In what way?

I'll have to try that myself.

When you use USB signal and power for the device there are a lot of extra variables; not to mention OS and drivers, quality of the sound device and correction amp, etc...

James.

[DZ]

In what way?

I'll have to try that myself.

When you use USB signal and power for the device there are a lot of extra variables; not to mention OS and drivers, quality of the sound device and correction amp, etc...

James.

Hi James, I remember when Swami and I did the test last year at SELEM and remember a couple things being significantly different. For one, the color gamut seemed a good bit different. I absolutely love the Layla though, except for the fact that I can't record analog to the layla, but that's why the EK-DZ Converter was created! So, problem solved! And, at some point there may be a way to run shows out of a Layla, Motu or ADAT without any modification at all...

[james]

Problem solved in a way.... Your device converts analog input signals to ADAT LightPipe. You still need to convert that LightPipe to wave with another device that supports direct LightPipe in.... and the appropriate software.

The echo Layla can do that from an old black face ADAT machine.

My ADAT is modified to accept DC coupled inputs as well as provide DC coupled outs.

As you know, the LightPipe in and out is pure digital, so it doesn't matter about DC coupling.

But then there is still the questions as to what to do with those waves you have on a hard drive.

I guess you could drag around an AC powered echo Layla 1U 19" rack-mount.

There are people out there doing professional shows and installations with DACs I built and sent to them.

Full length pro shows can be bought as wave files.

LaserBoy has been all about bridging the gaps between ILDA and waves..... from the very beginning.

$20 for a sound device and $40 for the correction amp seems like a no-brainer to me.

You know it works. You've seen it.

It's also future proof. There will always be waves and there will always be cheap audio DACs.

The Layla is a legacy device. They are no longer made. Sure there are replacements, but you can't do a laser show with a device that is DC decoupled. .... well, not a good one, anyway. And who cares? It's not like it's hard to modify a sound device; ADAT, Layla or otherwise.

James.

[james]

... dz and i watched a show being played side by side on a layla and a usb sound card dac at selem. the output quality of the layla was considerably superior.

Hi James, I remember when Swami and I did the test last year at SELEM and remember a couple things being significantly different. For one, the color gamut seemed a good bit different. ... [snip]

Before making statements like the echo Layla is "considerably superior" or even "different" than a USB sound device, [you] should consider some things.

The SELEM test system was a white-light gas laser with a PCAOM.

What modified USB sound device were you using?

Was it tested to verify that full-on color signals were set to peak at +5.00V ?

Did you try the same test with an RGB solid-state system?

Did you verify there was no ground-loop hum on the audio channels of the USB DAC?

One test example does not lead to a definitive judgment.

I'm not arguing the possibility that the echo Layla might have slightly better audio fidelity, but does that truly translate to a visually better laser display?

And is the difference in cost, availability and convenience worth it?

James.

[DZ]

Problem solved in a way.... Your device converts analog input signals to ADAT LightPipe. You still need to convert that LightPipe to wave with another device that supports direct LightPipe in.... and the appropriate software.

Or just an ADAT. Or, even better, just an E-MU card that has ADAT in/out. Then you don't even need a Layla. There are many options and the software required to record the data is free and the software required to playback the data is free.

The echo Layla can do that from an old black face ADAT machine.

My ADAT is modified to accept DC coupled inputs as well as provide DC coupled outs.

Absolutely, the blackface adat was very easy to modify for playback and recording. How many projectors use RCA or 1/4" these days?!

As you know, the LightPipe in and out is pure digital, so it doesn't matter about DC coupling.

Yep, which is why the ILDA to ADAT Converter was developed. ILDA in, light pipe out. It can't get much easier.

But then there is still the questions as to what to do with those waves you have on a hard drive.

I guess you could drag around an AC powered echo Layla 1U 19" rack-mount.

There are people out there doing professional shows and installations with DACs I built and sent to them.

Full length pro shows can be bought as wave files.

LaserBoy has been all about bridging the gaps between ILDA and waves..... from the very beginning.

$20 for a sound device and $40 for the correction amp seems like a no-brainer to me.

You know it works. You've seen it.

It's also future proof. There will always be waves and there will always be cheap audio DACs.

The Layla is a legacy device. They are no longer made. Sure there are replacements, but you can't do a laser show with a device that is DC decoupled. .... well, not a good one, anyway. And who cares? It's not like it's hard to modify a sound device; ADAT, Layla or otherwise.

James.

James, you cannot modify a Layla or modern adat to record, which is the purpose of this product...

Before making statements like the echo Layla is "considerably superior" or even "different" than a USB sound device, [you] should consider some things.

The SELEM test system was a white-light gas laser with a PCAOM.

What modified USB sound device were you using?

Was it tested to verify that full-on color signals were set to peak at +5.00V ?

Did you try the same test with an RGB solid-state system?

Did you verify there was no ground-loop hum on the audio channels of the USB DAC?

One test example does not lead to a definitive judgment.

I'm not arguing the possibility that the echo Layla might have slightly better audio fidelity, but does that truly translate to a visually better laser display?

I don't recall who's sound card dac we used, and since this was at SELEM, the time we had to compare was very limited. Since we actually did this test, Swami and I are in a position to say "considerably superior" or "different", in regards to the device we tested. Since then, I've even tested an additional sound card dac here in my office and again, I see issues.

I'm not arguing the possibility that the echo Layla might have slightly better audio fidelity, but does that truly translate to a visually better laser display?

Slightly better? Consider this, the Layla was designed to be a pro audio device. The usb sound card was designed to be as cheap as possible and to be easily mass produced...

And is the difference in cost and convenience worth it?

ABSO-FREAKIN-LOUTELY...........