A Converter From Crane Song

Mastering quality A/D/A converters with more! The HEDD is not only one of the best converters on the market, it also has Tube and Tape saturation right at your fingertips!

What We Think

This is unquestionably the most versatile and powerful digital audio converter available on the market today. Its conversion capability is truly incredible, but its analog emulation is unequalled. When using it in our studio, there was NEVER an instance where the HEDD's analog emulation wasn't useful. That included everything from tracking vocals to mastering symphony orchestra recording. This is a must have for truly any studio that interfaces the analog and digital worlds. The HEDD's analog emulation (tape and tube) is useful in just about every possible situation. It is subtle, yet effective, and we still haven't found a situation where ours doesn't work!

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Manufacturer's Description from Crane Song

HEDD, short for Harmonically Enhanced Digital Device, is a technological breakthrough in signal processing. It is engineered to provide musically pleasing sound with the capability of generating tube/analog sounds in the digital domain. HEDD gives any user who works with digital the ability to sound less digital and more analog.
Features include:

High-quality 24-bit A/D and D/A Convertors
24-bit Processing
Adjustable Triode, Pentode and Tape sounds
Digital I/O, AES and S/PDIF
External WC Sync Input and Output
22 Element VU Metering
Analog Tape Compression

The front panel controls allow the user to select input source, sample rate, and continuously variable triode and pentode sounds. The HEDD can operate as an effects device or as a separate A/D and D/A convertor with the harmonic generation process applied to either the A/D or the D/A convertor.
The signal processor performs 24 Bit processing on a digital or analog source.

HEDD has transformerless balanced analog inputs and outputs, transformer isolated digital inputs and outputs, and uses separate power transformers and supplies for the analog and digital sections. The HEDD-192 will operate at sample rates from 44.1K to 192K.

Applications include: CD preparation, work station input and output, DAT machine A/D and D/A convertor replacement and effects generation (warming or changing sounds in the digital domain). HEDD can be used in tracking, mixing, and mastering.

About Manufacturer

Designer Dave Hill has always had an interest in electronics, and started designing and building devices at an early age. He was building synthesizers from scratch and started doing professional level sound recording and equipment maintenance at a local music store while still in school. After high school Dave decided to pursue a career in electronics and enrolled in a course at a local community college. After his first semester he was asked by the college to take over teaching the course. He taught for 8 years and continued his involvement in pro audio. To date Dave has been doing studio and film sound recording since 1972. He has also been involved in film post production. Early in the 1980's Dave was asked by a used equipment dealer if he could design a tube compressor that would have the sound of the older tube type devices and still be clean enough to compete with modern devices. The result of this request was the Summit Audio TLA-100. Due to the success of that design Dave Hill went on to design and set up the manufacture of all Summit Audio products until September of 1994 at which time Summit Audio was relocated the manufacturing to California. From 1984 to 1994 Summit Audio grew from a single product and one employee working out of the basement of Dave's home to a full product line and over a dozen fulltime employees. Beginning in August of 1995, several of those key members of the Summit production crew began working for Dave again in his new company called Crane Song. After the move of Summit Audio, Dave wanted to keep the production crew together and start a new company. First he designed a tube playback pre-amp for the ATR-102 tape machine called the HDV-2. This is now being manufactured for the ATR Service Company by Crane Song. Next Dave designed a two channel discrete class A compressor-limiter, called the STC-8. The Today the Crane Song family of products has grown to five; *HEDD (Harmonically Enhanced Digital Device), FLAMINGO stereo mic preamp, TRAKKER, single channel compressor, and the new SPIDER 8 channel mic preamp, mixer, A/D convertor which has recently joined the family. Crane Song Ltd. is able to provide the highest level of quality due to the many years of experience of both Dave and the people who have stayed with him. Some of these employees have worked with Dave since 1988 and continue to have an intense interest in developing the best audio devices possible. Crane Song's combination of innovative design and uncompromising attention have helped the company make its mark in the professional audio world.

Specifications

Analog Output: Transformer-less balanced floating stereo output with XLR connectors. Digital zero is +16dBm. This allows 12 db of headroom above a +4dBm 0 VU. Gain adjust trims are on the back panel

Analog Input: Transformer-less balanced floating stereo with XLR connectors. Digital zero is +16dBm. This allows 12 db of headroom above a +4dBm 0 VU. Gain adjust trims are on the back panel

Word Clock Input: BNC connector takes a TTL level signal at the sample rate to sync the A\D to the external sample rate. HEDD will sync from 20 kHz to 192K kHz. The input impedance is 75 ohms.

Word Clock Output: BNC connector this is a TTL level square wave that can be used to provide sync to other equipment. The WC output will be the selected sample rate or the rate of the WC input.

Internal Sample Rate: 44.1kHz TO 96kHz determined by front panel switch.

S/PDIF Input: Unbalanced digital input 75 ohms RCA connector

S/PDIF Output: Unbalanced digital output 75 ohms RCA connector

AES Input: Balanced digital input 110 ohms XLR connector

AES Output: Balanced digital output 110 ohms XLR connector

Power: 25 watts at 115 or 230 volts, 50 or 60 Hz. Fuse size is MDL .3A for 115 volts; MDL .25A for 230 volts

Pilot Lamp: # 7335

Shipping Weight: 15 lbs (6.7kg)

Depth Behind Panel: 10 inches (25.4cm) plus user input/output connectors

The Convertors: HEDD uses high Quality 24 Bit A/D and D/A Convertors made by crystal semiconductor with an upgrade path to 192K sample rate converters

Crane Song Faders - AES '09

The brilliant Dave Hill of Crane Song describes his simple new high-end Faders which will work with any device or situation requiring 8-channels of fader-based volume control. Boasting extreme quality, this simple device simply has 8 channels of analog ins and outs, wonderful headroom, and virtually non-existent crosstalk and noise. A simple solution for a variety of purposes, with Crane Song quality. Call Sound Pure toll free at 888-528-9703 to discuss ordering one, or any questions you might have, or try sales@soundpure.com. Members of the Sound Pure Sales team are also experienced professional recording engineers that are glad to lend their sales experience with any of their prospective customers. Please give us a call, we are here to help!