Santa Monica, Calif., December 7, 2011 —
Antelope Audio announces the launch of Eclipse 384 - the first of its kind multifunctional audio device that provides 384 kHz A/D and D/A conversion clocked by Antelope's renowned 64-bit technology and a powerful and flexible monitoring control.
Eclipse 384 was unveiled during the Audio Engineering Society (AES) convention in New York last October, where it received the accolade “Best of Show” and subsequently “Gear of the Year” from two highly regarded industry publications.
"The philosophy behind Eclipse 384 is Aristotle's dictum: ‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts‘,” commented Igor Levin, CEO and founder of Antelope Audio. “The device is a technological fusion of our best and most prominent innovations, such as the 64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking (AFC) and the Oven-controlled oscillator, high resolution USB streaming, and next generation conversion and power supply circuits.”
Inside the Eclipse 384
The Eclipse comprises 384 kHz A/D & D/A converters clocked by two independent 64-bit DSP Trinity-level clocks. The fully integrated monitor controller employs 0.05 dB accurate gold-plated relay attenuators and provides speaker switching, bass management and cue mix functions with integrated talkback. The Eclipse also includes two dedicated headphone amplifiers and a custom USB interface, as well as two large peak meters on the front panel. The advanced software control panel compatible with both Mac & PC, allows five nameable presets for easy recall of favorite setups.
The unique dual-domain clocking system enables analog-based, more natural sounding sample rate conversion. The integrated patching/routing capabilities make monitoring of either analog or digital sources extremely simple, avoiding jitter, distortion and cabling noise. By eliminating the many input and output stages and the various power supplies, that would be present in separate devices, the noise floor can be substantially reduced and the audio quality significantly improved.
“The 2U-box easily substitutes and outperforms an equivalent combination of five separate high-end products. It is targeted towards audio engineers who crave superb sound quality and maximum efficiency,” Levin added. “ By simply pushing a preset button, a user is able to completely reconfigure dozens of settings. This beats running around the studio and turning a gazillion knobs on multiple devices.”
The Eclipse is also well-suited to live environments. Master clocks are becoming more and more popular for use with digital consoles and recording equipment at concerts and live events. By using the Eclipse 384, a live sound engineer is able to provide sync reference for up to four different devices, while using the main D/A for backing material, the A/D with multiple digital outs feeding redundant recording systems, and monitor DAC to check the recording post A/D conversion.
Currently Antelope Audio is accepting pre-orders for Eclipse 384, which is expected to ship during the first quarter of 2012; however the first pre-ordered units will arrive in studios before the end of 2011.
Eclipse 384 features
Clocking
- 64-bit DSP Trinity-level clocking
- Oven-controlled oscillator
- Factory calibrated to better than +/- 0.001 ppm stability
- Two independent sample rates
- Varispeed capability of +/- 200 cents
- 10M atomic clock input
Conversion
- 384 kHz A/D & D/A converters
- A/D with Dynamic Range of 124dB
- D/A with Dynamic Range of 129dB
- Burr-Brown D/A conversion chip
- Two bypassable A/D inserts
- Custom USB 2.0 chip streaming up to 480 Mbits
Monitoring
- Three sets of switchable monitor outs
- Second dedicated monitor D/A
- Bass management with LFE output
- Precise input and output peak meters
- Talkback and cue mix functions
- Relay volume attenuator matched to 0.05 dB