Ferrofish A16 MK-II AD/DA Converter with MADI and ADAT capabilities
Today we’re featuring the A16 MK-II, a powerful and versatile 19” 1U AD/DA converter from the German company Ferrofish. Alongside its 32 channels of analogue I/O, the A16 MK-II features both ADAT and optical MADI conversion, flexible internal routing options, two high-resolution TFT displays and the ability to control the unit with software via Windows or Mac OS (via MIDI or MIDI over MADI). This makes the A16 MK-II a powerful professional audio solution.
Based on the superb A16 Ultra, an affordable and innovative converter created by the now defunct manufacturer Creamware, the Ferrofish A16 MK-II has been designed by ex-Creamware hardware engineer Juergen Kindermann. He founded Ferrofish with the intention of building on the hardware created by Creamware, continuing to provide quality audio equipment whilst incorporating modern technological advances.
In an interview with Hitfoundry.com, Juergen explains “I was a hardware engineer at Creamware, and after that working as a freelancer, but I was still in contact with many of the Creamware engineers. In 2008, Holger [Drenkelfort] and I took the chance to buy the technology from the closed Creamware company, and that’s how Sonic Core was born. After three years I left the company as managing director, and founded Ferrofish to have the ability to realize my own ideas. I like the Creamware products very much, and plan to develop new products based on this technology, like the A16 MK-II, and more.”
Modern recording techniques have created a high demand for quality AD/DA converters with convenient and streamlined connections. The A16 MK-II features both ADAT and MADI, which provides a variety of potential options for use in recording. For example, for the home studio user looking to increase the amount of inputs in their recording setup, the A16 MK-II is a simple and cost-effective way to add an additional 16 analogue inputs, providing that their audio interface has ADAT functionality of course. This makes it ideal for someone recording a lot of hardware keyboards for example, or for DI’ing multiple guitar amps simultaneously. At the same time, by connecting to the ADAT inputs of the A16 MK-II, the user can also benefit from an additional 16 analogue outputs – great for routing back out into hardware effects, re-amping, or for making use of synths which have analogue inputs, allowing further processing.
Taking this example further, the A16 MK-II could be used as a means of transferring audio from an analogue mixing console to a DAW. Many commercial studios continue to have a preference for recording and mixing with an analogue desk, but also want the convenience of recording to a hard disk. By plugging the mixer’s analogue outputs into the Ferrofish A16 MK-II, the flexibility of mixing and editing with software can easily be incorporated into the workflow. One studio that is currently making use of this setup is The Record Label, located in London. Head engineer Paul Visser told us, “We chose the Ferrofish A16 MK-II converters for their ease of installation, high channel count and rock-solid stability, as well as their top-notch sound.”
Ferrofish A16 Mk-II front and back panels
With the A16 MK-II, audio can be recorded via the desk then routed to the Ferrofish, where it is converted to digital, and outputted via ADAT or MADI. In fact, up to four A16 MK-II’s can be connected together via each unit’s MADI connection, providing a full 64 channels of analogue inputs. For a studio equipped with a MADI interface, such as the RME MADIface USB, this kind of set up provides the perfect way to convert multiple analogue signals to digital.
Paul Visser was also keen to point out the sound quality of the Ferrofish A16 MK-II. “Since upgrading to a MADI-based system with an A16 MK-II and Madiface USB, we’ve noticed greater detail, increased top end, much more control in the low frequency extension and a punchier mid-range. It’s as if our monitors have been allowed to come into their own, like pairing a great mic with the right preamp. We’re very happy with our choice.”
Due to the stability of the unit, the A16 MK-II is also a popular choice for live use. We’ve previously written about how the A16 MK-II was used as part of the playback rig for both Olly Murs and One Direction, particularly as a means of routing stems to the various systems in a venue, such as monitoring and FOH. Since then, we’ve also spoken to engineers working with Disclosure, who are not only using MADI to output their main audio stream, but also as a means of feeding sounds to one another whilst performing live.
In each instance, the feedback regarding the Ferrofish A16 MK-II has been extremely positive, and the unit has consistently proved to be a reliable, flexible and sonically excellent solution.
Thanks to Paul Visser for providing us with information for this article. If you’d like to know more about The Record Label recording studio, click here.
To read more about the Ferrofish A16 MK-II, click here.
To find out more about using MADI, click here.