Sound On Sound reviews the German pro audio manufacturer’s popular AD/DA converter (ADAT <> MADI <> Dante)
Read the full review here
Ferrofish AD/DA converters are a cost-effective solution for anyone looking to add multiple analogue inputs and outputs to their live, studio or broadcast setup. With multiple options for 16 and 32 analogue I/O, digital connectivity is covered by ADAT, MADI and/or Dante.
A user-friendly front panel control section provides everything you need for channel routing, plus control over all gains and output levels. At the same time, Ferrofish converters are a classic example of devices that can essentially be left to quietly do their thing in the background.
This option to ‘set and forget’ is one of several reasons we regularly spec Ferrofish converters alongside RME interfaces to our professional customers, as the two companies share many similarities in their design philosophy – audio transparency and exceptional reliability.
“very well-engineered products providing highly cost-effective
and capable multichannel ADAT/analogue converters”
Having previously reviewed the Ferrofish A32, Sound On Sound were keen to take one of its 16-channel siblings for a test drive. We supplied them with the Pulse 16 DX version, which features ADAT, MADI and redundant Dante I/O alongside the balanced analogue TRS inputs and outputs. An ADAT-only variant (Ferrofish Pulse 16) and an ADAT / MADI option (Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX) are also available.
For the review in SOS, reviewer Hugh Robjohns describes Ferrofish as having “acquired an enviable reputation for their cost-effective range of analogue-digital and format converters,” and notes that both the A32 and Pulse ranges have become “very popular as analogue I/O expanders for DAW interfaces hooked up via ADAT, but also serve as excellent integrators of MADI and, more recently, Dante interfacing in more complex systems”.
The Ferrofish Pulse 16 comes in three flavours – ADAT only, ADAT / MADI, and ADAT / MADI / Dante.
Daisy-chaining multiple Ferrofish Pulse 16s
Multiple Ferrofish units can also be daisy-chained to form a larger system, with automatic delay compensation ensuring all devices are sample-aligned during recording and playback. When paired with a suitable ADAT, MADI or Dante-capable interface such as those offered by RME Audio, multiple Ferrofish converters can be used to add a huge number of analogue channels (e.g. 64) in only 2U or 4U of rack-space.
“A worthy replacement for the popular [Ferrofish] A16 MKII, with improved
specifications and more flexibility in model choices”
In reference to the sound quality, reviewer Hugh Robjohns notes that the Ferrofish Pulse 16 DX’s frequency response is “ruler flat from below 5Hz to 23kHz,” concluding that “the Pulse 16/MX/DX converters should do extremely well as they are not only very well-engineered products providing highly cost-effective and capable multichannel ADAT/analogue converters, but they also offer access to the MADI and Dante formats at a price which is significantly below that of the competition.
“A worthy replacement for the popular A16 Ultra, with improved specifications and more flexibility in model choices. The MADI and Dante variants provide enormous versatility without impacting on the cost of the simple analogue/ADAT base model.”
Find out more about Ferrofish AD/DA Converters
If you’d like to know more about Ferrofish AD/DA and format converters, give us a call on 01727 821 870 to speak to one of our team or to arrange a demo. You can also contact us.