High Resolution Recording
Telarc's Proprietary A to D Converter
Long before it was an industry standard, Telarc jumped into the future by committing to true 20-bit recording, and invested in the development of its own proprietary 20-bit analog to digital converter (ADC). "This has been one of the most variable areas in all of digital recording," says Renner, "along with the digital to analog converter (DAC). If you don't get the signal properly converted from analog to digital to begin with, then the best DAC in the world isn't going to make it sound better."
To accomplish this task, Telarc called upon Tom Stockham for his expertise in digital technology. Stockham, along with Kenneth Hamann of Suma Recording in Cleveland and Gary Gomes of UltraAnalog (manufacturers of the ADC chip used in the converter), designed and built the Telarc/UltraAnalog proprietary 128x oversampling 20-bit ADC. The proprietary converter gave Telarc the advantage of recording with 20-bit technology at a time when other ADCs were barely capable of delivering true 16-bit performance.
Although Telarc's engineers have used alternative converters from time to time, they believe the Telarc proprietary ADC to be one of the finest sounding PCM converters ever developed.
20/24-Bit Recording Techniques
Since 1988, Telarc has been recording in the 20-bit format. "We found that 20-bit made a substantial difference to the end result," says Renner. "Our 20-bit recordings enabled more detail to be captured, and provided us better control of dynamic range, with a far lower noise floor and increased resolution. It's been a flexible and successful medium."
"Telarc began making recordings in various 24-bit formats starting in 1996, sampling the signal at higher rates than much of the rest of the industry," says Bishop. "This has allowed us to make recordings that can exceed the dynamics found in the performance venue."
An extensive network of designers, builders, and manufacturers use Telarc to test prototypes of cutting-edge audio equipment at Telarc's recording sessions, giving the company the unique experience of working with future products and technology, as well as having a hand in their development.
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