Cranborne Audio 500ADAT - Analogue/Digital Hybrid ADAT Expander, Summing Mixer, and 500 Series Rack

All specifications are typical performance unless otherwise noted. All specifications are subject to change at any time. Tested with Audio Precision APx555 at 192 kHz internal sample rate and internal clock. HF response of digital measurements will vary depending on sample rate selected during recording. 

Digital Performance 

A/D Conversion 

Test Signal Path XLR Input - 500 Series A/D Converter - APx555 (ASIO) 

Frequency Response -1dB, 2.2Hz to >80kHz   -0.05dB, 20Hz to 20kHz 

THD+N <0.00032% (-110dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted   <0.00065% (-104dB) @ -1dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted 

THD <0.00014% (-117.5dB) @ -8dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted   <0.00023% (-113dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted   <0.0006% (-105dB) @ -1dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted 

Dynamic Range 121dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz 

Max Input Level +24dBu 

D/A Conversion 

Test Signal Path 500 Series D/A Converter - Insert Send - APx555 (ASIO) 

Frequency Response -1dB, <1Hz to >61kHz   -0.05dB, 20Hz to 20kHz 

THD+N <0.0003% (-110.5dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted   <0.0004% (-108dB) @ -1dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted 

THD <0.00014% (-117.5dB) @ -8dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted   <0.00018% (-115dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted   <0.00036% (-109dB) @ -1dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted 

Dynamic Range 121dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz 

Max Output Level +24dBu 

Clocking Jitter <0.5ps 

Analogue Performance 

Line Outputs (Aux 1+2, Mix) 

Test Signal Path Aux Input - Line Outputs - APx555 (Line In) 

Connection Type 1/4" Jack, Impedance Balanced 

Output Impedance 150ohm balanced, 75ohm unbalanced 

Max Output Level <+22dBu 

Freq Response -1dB, 1.4Hz to >80kHz 

THD+N <0.003% @ +18dBu, 1kHz 

Dynamic Range 105dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz 

Noise Floor <-93dBu A-weighted, 20Hz - 20kHz, (Unity Gain) 

Summing Mixer 

Test Signal Path XLR Input - Summing Mixer Bus (Unity) - Mix Output - APx555 (Line In) 

Freq Response -1dB, 2.25Hz to >80kHz   -3dB, 1.2Hz   -0.5dB, 3Hz 

THD+N <0.0007% @ +23dBu, 1kHz 

THD <0.0003% @ +14dBu, 1kHz   <0.0004% @ +20dBu, 1kHz   <0.00055% @ +23dBu, 1kHz 

Dynamic Range 108dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz 

Max Contribution Level +28dBu 

Pan Law -4dB 

Noise Floor (Mix Output) -90dBu, A-weighted, No channels routed   -89.5dBu, A-weighted, 1 channel routed (Unity)   -84dBu, A-weighted, 8 channels routed (Unity) 

Headphone Amp 

Test Signal Path Aux Input - Headphone Output - APx555 (Line In) 

Frequency Response -1dB, <1Hz to >70kHz 

THD <0.0006% (-104.4dB) @ 20dBu, 1kHz, A-weighted, 300ohm load 

THD+N <0.00085% (-101.4dB) @ 20dBu, 1kHz, A-weighted, 300ohm load 

Output Impedance 0.33 Ohms 

Output Wattage 250mW x 2 @ 600 ohms, 1kHz   650mW x 2 @ 220 ohms, 1kHz   1.21W x 2 @ 100 ohms, 1kHz   500mW x 2 @ 32 ohms, 1kHz 

Dynamic Range 114.5dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz, 300ohm load 

Noise Floor -93.5dBu A-weighted, 20Hz - 20kHz, 300ohm load 

System Performance 

Analogue Path Phase Performance 

Test Signal Path XLR Input - Empty 500 Series Slot - Summing Mixer Bus (unity) - Mix Output - APx555 (Line In) 

Phase <1.5° @ 20Hz, <11° @ 20kHz 

Test Signal Path XLR Input - Camden 500 Preamp (Mic Mode, 6dB Gain) - Summing Mixer Bus (unity) - Speaker A Output - APx555 (Line In) 

Phase <3° @ 20Hz, <13.5° @ 20kHz (Preamp mic mode, 6dB Gain) 

Digital Round-trip Performance 

Test Condition 500 Series D/A Converter - 500 Series A/D Converter - APx555 (ASIO) 

Dynamic Range 118dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz 

THD+N <0.0004% (-108dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz - 40kHz, 1kHz, A-weighted 

Power 

AC Requirements 100V – 240V AC, 50 – 60 Hz 

Total Power Consumption 24v, 5A DC, 120w 

500 Series Slot Current 250mA per rail 

Total Available 500 Series Slot Current 2A

Environmental Operating Temperature +1 to 30 degrees Celsius 

Storage Conditions -20 to 50 degrees Celsius 

Dims/Weights 

Unit 

Width 481mm(19"), Rackmount 

Height 185mm(7"), 4u 

Depth 219m(8.6") 

Unit Weight 7kg 

Shipping Carton 

Width 550mm(21.7") 

Height 280mm(11") 

Depth 335m(13.2") 

Weight 7.5kg

500ADAT is the perfect tool to increase the I/O count of any ADAT-equipped audio interface.

It's an 8-in/8-out ADAT expander that combines a 500 series rack with high-performance AD/DA conversion and ADAT I/O that allows any engineer to integrate the 500 series format into their studio using free ADAT I/O on the back of many popular audio interfaces.

500ADAT features analogue essentials that unite digital and analogue production workflows such as an 8-into-2 analogue summing mixer, Zero-latency artist mixer with 2 reference-quality headphone outputs, and true ADAT & SMUXII/IV transmission to enable operation at sample rates up to 192kHz

The Best Of Analogue Character - Thanks To 500 Series

By capitalising on the vast and ever growing 500 series market, you can configure your 500ADAT to suit your tastes of analogue flavour. By installing your favourite 500 series modules into the 8 available 500 series slots, you can create your ultimate analogue front-end/preamp stage that can be multi-track recorded directly into your DAW.

Fill 500ADAT full of vintage preamps for recording drums. Fill 500ADAT full of clean and pristine preamps for recording strings. Fill 500ADAT full of Preamp, EQ, and Compressor modules to create your own custom, analogue channel strips. The possibilities are endless and every 500ADAT is unique to your sound.

Integrating 500 series modules into your workflow doesn't stop after the recording. Dedicated module source switches for each 500 series slot allow you to send ADAT outputs from your audio interface, into 500ADAT, through the 8 installed 500 series modules, and back into your audio interface for recording (with that analogue ‘mojo’ applied). Think of 500ADAT as a bank of 8 external Analogue Plug-ins.

For a more hands-on, all-analogue approach to mixing, 500ADAT also features an 8-into-2 high-headroom analogue summing mixer with dedicated level and pan controls that you can use to create your own high-headroom analogue mix before recording it back into your DAW using the dedicated 1/4” mix output jacks on the rear panel.

Digital Precision

In order to capture every subtle nuance of your analogue signal, 500ADAT features reference-class AD/DA conversion with 121dB (A-wtd) dynamic range and THD+N of <0.00032% (@ -4dBFS, 1kHz, A-wtd), all governed by 500ADAT’s master-reference grade internal clock with <0.5 picoseconds of jitter. You can also slave your audio interface’s clock from 500ADAT’s internal clock to benefit from 500ADAT’s low-jitter design.

The combination of highly-accurate, low-jitter clocking and high-performance digital conversion ensures that every ounce of analogue character is captured with the utmost detail - free of unwanted digital artefacts from the conversion process and with a wide dynamic range thanks to 500ADAT's high-headroom analogue design and low noise floor.

8-in/8-out ADAT Interface

ADAT is tried, tested, and still one of the most widely available interfacing protocols in the audio industry, however it often remains unused and underutilised by many audio engineers and producers. Almost all major audio interfaces on the market feature a pair of ADAT lightpipe ports - simply connect 500ADAT to those ports and you can enhance and expand the possibilities of your studio.

By containing its own converters and using ADAT to transport audio to and from the 500 series format, 500ADAT removes analogue cabling spaghetti between your rack and interface whilst eliminating the worry of mismatched analogue operating levels between interface inputs and 500 series module outputs. 500ADAT is compatible with any session running from 44.1kHz to 192kHz and can achieve 8 channels of I/O expansion at 44.1kHz to 96kHz or 4 channels of I/O expansion at 176.4/192kHz.

Summing Mixer

Analogue summing can give your mix the final bit of analogue character required to achieve professional and polished sonic results. What makes 500ADAT's 8-into-2 channel summing mixer so special is that it is positioned after the 8 500 series slots - allowing you to insert saturation or subtle 'bus-compression' modules and create a stereo mix using 500ADAT’s dedicated analogue level and pan controls beneath each module. 500ADAT's summing mixer also has a dedicated line output which can be used to send your stereo mix into your audio interface for recording.

Zero-Latency Artist Mixer

500ADAT moves away from clunky "virtual" software mixers and gets your hands back onto the mix. By using 500R8’s high-headroom analogue summing mixer, you can create zero-latency, all-analogue mixes of live sources that can be blended with the Aux Input and sent directly to the recording musicians via C.A.S.T. or the local headphone outputs.

CAST Equipped

C.A.S.T. stands for Cat 5 Analogue Snake Transport and enables cost effective and organised cable management around your studio. C.A.S.T. repurposes off-the-shelf, shielded Cat5 networking cables to transport 4 channels of balanced analogue audio over a single cable.

500ADAT has 4 C.A.S.T. IN ports that allow you to connect C.A.S.T. enabled breakout boxes (such as the Cranborne Audio N22 and N22H) to 500ADAT and relocate analogue I/O wherever it is needed around the studio.

Connect mic/line sources into the C.A.S.T. breakout box and that signal travels through the Cat 5 cable and directly into the modules installed into 500ADAT. At the same time, the analogue mix created on 500ADAT is sent through the same cable and into the connected breakout box. This allows for seamless analogue audio connectivity between the control room, live room, vocal booth, or the bedroom next door!

C.A.S.T. is 100% analogue and requires no setup in order to operate. It can easily work at distances up to 100m when Cat 6e or Cat 7 cable is used and a complete cat 5 studio cabling infrastructure costs a fraction of what analogue multi core would cost. No setup. No latency. No fuss. And it sounds great.

Manufactured In The UK

To ensure that every product bearing the Cranborne Audio name is worthy of studio environments big or small, all 500ADAT's are manufactured in the UK under the company's watchful eye. 500ADAT is carefully assembled by a skilled workforce with immense attention to detail and every product is tested thoroughly by a skilled engineer before shipping to destinations around the world.