Panasonic WZ-AD96M Manual Guide

8-CHANNEL A/D CONVERTER AND MIC PREAMP Now that high-resolution digital audio workstations and modular digital multitrack recorders have arrived, issues of adequate wordlength and sampling frequency are largely being resolved, at least from a data storage perspective. But the front ends of these devices, which contain analog circuitry, A/D converters and word clock read/write systems, often fail to deliver the full potential of high-resolution recording. As a result, several manufacturers have developed 8-channel A/D converters that serve as an alternative to the stock circuitry found on MDMs/DAWs. Although the cost of these outboard converter sets have historically exceeded that of the recorders they serve, prices are finally coming down.

At a list price of $2,495, the Panasonic WZ-AD96M 8-channel A/D converter and mic preamp offers a high-quality yet cost-effective front end for high-resolution digital recording systems. The 1U, rackmountable unit's eight wide-ranging inputs accept mic or line level signals, and its 24-bit, 128-times oversampling converters output 24-, 20- or 16-bit digital audio at 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96 kHz sampling frequencies.