Ferrofish Pulse 16 DX

ON TEST

Ferrofish Pulse 16 DX A-D/D-A & Digital Format Converter inherent propagation delay through this With ADAT, MADI and Dante connectivity on daisy-chain configuration is compensated board, this affordable converter can add 16 for automatically by informing each unit of its position in the chain (through its setup channels of analogue I/O to almost any setup. menu), thus ensuring that all 64 audio streams remain accurately synchronised. HUGH ROBJOHNS ADAT at sample rates up to 96kHz (using The new flagship Pulse variant is the S/MUX2). Two colour TFT screens display Pulse 16 DX, which supplements the 16 he German manufacturers Ferrofish input and output metering for all channels, MX feature set with dual Ethernet ports to have, in less than a decade, acquired as well as the various configuration and provide Audio-over-IP capability using the T an enviable reputation for their operating menus — it’s all controlled from increasingly ubiquitous Audinate Dante cost-effective range of analogue-digital and the front panel via a couple of buttons and format converters, several of which have an encoder knob, very much like the A32, been featured in the pages of SOS over actually. The unit can also be controlled Ferrofish Pulse 16 DX the years, including my own reviews of the remotely via MIDI. £1729 (discontinued) A16 Ultra MkII (SOS October Next up is the Pulse 16 MX, which adds 2012) and the A32 (SOS March 2017). optical MADI interfacing. The base model p r o s These devices have become very popular as can be user-upgraded to the MX version if • 16 channels in 1U of rack space, with analogue I/O expanders for DAW interfaces desired, simply by installing a plug-in optical analogue, ADAT, MADI and Dante hooked up via ADAT, but also serve as interface module and a firmware upgrade. interfacing options. • Clear TFT screens and simple excellent integrators of MADI and, more In addition to the MADI connectivity, the configuration menus. recently, Dante interfacing in more complex MX model can also operate at sample rates • Four Pulse 16 MXs can be daisy-chained systems. The company also manufacture the up to 192kHz, although only eight channels to convert 64 MADI channels to/from Verto range, which omits the analogue I/O can be passed over the ADAT connections analogue. • Remote controllable via MIDI. and converts directly between Dante and at this rate (using S/MUX4). The MADI ADAT, or between Dante, ADAT, and MADI. interface also supports MIDI-over-MADI, c o n s First shown at the Prolight + Sound both for remote control of the Pulse 16 MX • Channel routing only in blocks of eight. (‘Messe’) exhibition in 2017, the Pulse itself, and to pass control information to • Line-lump power supply. 16 range is effectively the replacement other connected devices. s u m m a r y for the old A16 series, but it has recently Audio channels can be routed between The Pulse 16 is a worthy replacement for gained a new sibling in the form of the the MADI, ADAT, and analogue I/O ports as the popular A16 Ultra, with improved Dante-equipped Pulse 16 DX model. The desired, but always in eight‑channel blocks. specifications and more flexibility in range line-up starts with the basic Pulse 16 Since MADI can carry up to 64 channels, model choices. The MADI and Dante version, which accommodates 16 channels a MADI signal can be daisy-chained through variants provide enormous versatility without impacting on the cost of the simple in and out, converting in both directions four Pulse 16 MX units to create a complete analogue/ADAT base model. between line-level balanced analogue and A-D/D-A MADI solution. Cleverly, the

56 September 2019 / www.soundonsound.com left-most set carries all 16 channels in and out at base sample rates, or channels 1-8 at double rates, with the right-hand group providing channels 9-16 in and out when using the S/MUX2 format. At quad sample rates (which are only available on the MX and DX models), the full gamut of sockets carry up to eight channels in and out using S/MUX4. Sat between these two groups of ADAT ports is a dual-port optical MADI-SFP module. In case you were wondering, SFP is an abbreviation of ‘Small Form-factor Pluggable’ and refers to a plug-in optical transceiver module which, in this case, uses the half-size ‘Lucent’ or LC type of dual-fibre format. However, whereas the base connection. A two-metre ‘multimode’ model is user-upgradeable to become LC-SC dual fibre cable is shipped with the MX variant, this new Dante feature is the MX and DX units for interfacing not a user-upgradable option and is only with MADI devices using the larger available in the dedicated Pulse 16 DX and more common ‘Subscriber’ or model — as provided for this review. SC optical ports. Mounted in a row above the Open The Box ADAT and MADI sockets is a pair of Upon unpacking the Pulse 16 DX, BNC connectors for word-clock in it is clear that its outward design and out (with menu-switchable 75Ω intentionally mirrors that of the input termination), and — exclusively A32 range, featuring an elegant to the DX model — a pair of RJ45 brushed-silver front panel with recessed Ethernet sockets labelled Pri(mary) dark-blue panels and a pair of TFT and Sec(ondary) to cater for main and displays. A quarter-inch headphone redundant Dante network connections. socket is provided on the extreme A screw-locking coaxial socket receives left-hand side, while a pair of buttons 12V DC from the supplied line-lump (labelled Power and Menu) sits on the power supply, which is a Class-2, right, along with the encoder knob double-insulated or ground-free type (to which — unusually, these days — avoid ground loops). doesn’t double up as a button. The encoder serves as the headphone Operation volume control as well as for menu The default displays show bar-graph navigation and parameter selection. meters with the 16 analogue inputs The rear panel is dominated from just on the left and outputs on the right. left of the centre out to the right-hand The word-clock source and sample edge by two long rows of quarter-inch rate are indicated at the bottom of the TRS sockets for the 16 analogue left-hand display, while the right has an balanced line-level inputs and outputs. array of icons to show activity on the Although the previous A16 Ultra models MADI, ADAT (x4), Dante, word-clock, also featured individual TRS sockets, MIDI, and MIDI-over‑MADI ports. If most products employ AES59 (Tascam) the current configuration is a stored D-sub connectors these days (as the preset, the preset number (1-6) is also A32 does, in fact), but apparently shown here. Grey icons mean there’s customer feedback persuaded Ferrofish no activity, whereas yellow indicates to retain individual TRS sockets for the signal present, and green is a locked or Pulse range, which I suppose has the synchronous clock source. advantage of not requiring expensive When the display is in this default breakout looms. condition, rotating the encoder adjusts To the left of these analogue I/O the headphone volume and causes the sockets is a pair of 5-pin DINs for MIDI right-hand TFT to show the current input and output, and then two sets of headphone level and source settings. four ADAT lightpipe connectors. The Pressing the Menu button highlights ON TEST FERROFISH PULSE 16 DX

The Pulse 16 DX boasts extensive digital In practice, +20dBu is adequate for the Nyquist requirements, is better than many connectivity, including ADAT, MADI and majority of practical applications. converters which provide only -6dB! The Dante, and can convert between these formats, as practical impact of this filter response is well as to and from analogue. Technology a modest potential for aliasing distortions the source box, allowing the monitored Not only does the Pulse 16 look very similar if recording very loud signals with very source to be selected from any of the inputs to the A32, it also shares much of the strong harmonics... which isn’t that common or outputs. A second press of the Menu same internal technology. The converter a requirement. button switches attention to the source’s chips are the same as those used in the channel number, with the encoder scrolling A32, with Cirrus Logic CS5368 A-Ds and Impressions through channels singly first, and then in the complementary CS4385 D-As — both The Pulse 16 is an elegant update on linked adjacent (stereo) pairs. being eight-channel devices, and both the previous A16 Ultra converter, with Pressing the Menu button from the specified with a 114dB dynamic range. slightly improved technical performance. default meter display calls up the menu Also, the supporting analogue circuitry is The model range provide useful variants carousel, with sub-menus for the clock very similar, based upon Texas Instruments for those that want MADI and/or Dante source settings, input gains, output RC4580 dual op-amps. The Dante interface interfacing, while keeping the price as low levels, routing, MADI SFP module data, in the DX model uses Audinate’s familiar as possible for those that just want a simple setup configuration options, and the Brooklyn-II module (as do all of Ferrofish’s cost-effective ADAT expander for line-level six user presets. It’s all very logical and Dante products), ensuring reliable analogue equipment. Its physical styling straightforward, and very similar to the compatibility with other manufacturers’ also sits well with the A32, giving a more A32’s menu system. Dante equipment. A Sharc micro-controller homogenous look to the entire Ferrofish A brief press of the Power button takes care of all the signal routing, levels, product portfolio. serves as a menu Home or Back function, and configuration settings. Adding Dante capability is a smart move while a long press of more than 3 seconds Running my standard AES17 dynamic since this is rapidly becoming the de facto switches the unit off — accompanied range test using an Audio Precision test audio-over-IP format in studio, broadcast, by a bright yellow count-down screen, set, I obtained a measurement of 112.2dB and live-sound applications. However, until so there’s no risk of accidentally turning (A-weighted) for the A-D, which is roughly Dante completely replaces MADI as the the unit off when navigating the menus. 6dB better than the figure I achieved with preferred multichannel audio distribution A white LED next to the button indicates the A32, and 3dB better than the old A16 network, being able to exchange audio when the device is powered... but then the Ultra. For the D-A the AES17 figure came between the two formats via the Pulse 16 TFT screens will also be illuminated so it’s out as 111.5dB (A), which is about the same DX is a very useful facility. quite obvious! If the unit is switched off, as both the A32 and A16 Ultra results. The Pulse 16/MX/DX converters should pressing the Power button boots it up very Although the state of the art achieves do extremely well as they are not only very quickly, the unit being fully functional within dynamic range figures in the low 120s, well-engineered products providing highly a couple of seconds. these are quite reasonable and acceptable cost-effective and capable multichannel I mentioned the input gain and output results for a device of this type and cost, ADAT/analogue converters, but they also level menus above, which allow the and very unlikely to have any negative offer access to the MADI and Dante formats analogue input sensitivity and output level practical impact in typical applications. at a price which is significantly below that to be adjusted in 1dB increments such All of my other bench tests came out of the competition. And while the converter that the peak digital level (0dBFS) can be very well, with IMD measuring 0.004 performance may be a few decibels below aligned anywhere between +20 and -8 dBu. percent (D-A) and 0.003 percent (A-D), that of the leading high-end products, The low end of the scale allows interfacing THD+N measured 0.003 percent (both D-A I doubt anyone would notice or care in most with semi-pro equipment operating and A-D), crosstalk at both 1 and 10 kHz real-world applications. at the -10dBV standard and, while the was -107dB (D-A) and -109dB (A-D), and +20dBu end doesn’t allow direct use with the frequency response is ruler flat from ££ £1729 including VAT. SMPTE-aligned equipment topping out at below 5Hz to 23kHz when operating with TT Synthax Audio +44 (0)1727 821 870 +24dBu, it works perfectly with EBU-aligned a 48kHz sample rate. Attenuation at the EE [email protected] WW www.synthax.co.uk devices at +18dBu — which obviously Nyquist frequency measured around -15dB, WW https://ferrofish.com/en makes sense for a German manufacturer. which, although not strictly adhering to the

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This article was originally published in Sound On Sound magazine, September 2019 edition

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