Crane Song has announced the first showing (at the upcoming AES convention, booth 231) of the new HEDD Quantum, the next generation of its HEDD analog to digital/digital to analog converter, utilizing the same sub pico second jitter clock found in the Avocet IIA DAC.
The clocking is applied to both the DA and AD converters. Additionally, the new HEDD Quantum provides six word clock outputs allowing it to function as the master clock for all digital gear in a system and a digital converter simultaneously.
“The addition of multiple word clock outputs greatly expands the functionality of the original HEDD,” explains Crane Song founder and developer Dave Hill. “The unit now provides unparalleled AD and DA conversion, but also serves as a master clock for an entire digital system. This allows users to have all of their digital gear take advantage of our recent advances in clocking technology without having to purchase a stand alone master clock.”
Crane Song has added Optical inputs and outputs in the new design. In addition to the new AD, DA, clocking, I/O and WC outputs, HEDD Quantum maintains Hill’s DSP emulation of Triode and Pentode tubes as well as the tape emulation of the original HEDD designs. The operational modes allow the DA and the AD to be used simultaneously, at different sample rates.
In the DIGI setting the unit will accept digital input from one of three sources, and output on all three digital outputs and the analog output at the same time. In the ANA mode the input is analog and it outputs to all three digital outputs and the analog output at the same time.
Dither, which is analog generated, is selectable for either 16 or 20 bit. The AD, DA and ASRC use high-end AKM 32 parts, coupled with proprietary analog filtering and clocking.
