At the Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt, we took a quick look at the new Pulse 16, a new AD/DA ADAT converter from German pro-audio company Ferrofish. With this new model, Ferrofish are aiming to continue their successful tradition of designing high-quality and affordable AD/DA converters, expanding the existing range that consists of the A16 MK-II, A32 and A32 Dante. The new Pulse16 offers 16 x 16 balanced analogue inputs and outputs (with all sockets built into the unit rather than on DB25 connectors) and can handle pro studio levels up to +20dBu. On the digital side, four ADAT I/O ports provide a full 16 x 16 channel operation even in 96 kHz SMUX mode.
The headphones output on the front panel of the Pulse16 allows you to monitor every mono or stereo signal on the fly, and two TFT displays provide detailed level information for all 32 signals at a glance. The innovative on-board contextual help, much loved by A32 users, is also visible when navigating through menus, meaning that using the Pulse16 should be simple.
Using the most recent converter generation from Cirrus Logic (the 5368 on the AD, and the 4385 on the DA) combined with an active digital jitter reduction circuit results in an exceptionally detailed resolution and great overall sound, claim Ferrofish.
The Ferrofish Pulse 16 will cost €900, and an optional MADI expansion card — allowing conversion to and from any of the supported protocols can be added for an additional €100.
