Burl Audio B16-BAD16 — a 16-channel ADC card from the BURL BLACK line for B16 and B80 Mothership systems, transformer-coupled and built around a discrete class-A signal path. The card runs exclusively in MOTHERSHIP 3 chassis.
Inputs pass through the new BX8 transformer, designed specifically for a smaller footprint and higher channel density without giving up the BURL Audio sonic signature. Sixteen channels are brought out through a single DB25 connector in Tascam wiring, and the signal path stays fully discrete, with no integrated circuits or coupling capacitors.
Musical character from a transformer input stage
Many tracking engineers want a converter that does more than register the signal flat and neutral. The BAD16 addresses this through BX8 transformer coupling, which adds natural harmonic saturation as input level increases, similar to how analog tape behaves. The result is an ADC that responds musically to signal level instead of simply capturing it impartially.
More inputs without a higher cost per channel
Building a large tracking system card by card usually forces a choice between input count and analog conversion quality. The BAD16 removes that tradeoff by packing sixteen full class-A ADC channels onto one card instead of two 8-channel cards, lowering the cost per channel compared with the earlier BURL GREEN line. Two cards in a B16 chassis give thirty-two inputs, and eight cards in a B80 reach a hundred and twenty-eight inputs at 44.1kHz or 48kHz with a BMB2 or BMB3 motherboard. A front-panel signal indicator and automatic Avid delay compensation with a BMB1 motherboard make it easier to manage large card counts.
KEY FEATURES
- 16-channel analog-to-digital conversion (ADC)
- New-generation BX8 transformer coupling
- Discrete class-A signal path
- Front-panel signal status indicator
- Automatic Avid delay compensation with a BMB1 motherboard
- Up to 32 ADC channels in a B16 chassis (2 cards)
- Up to 128 ADC channels in a B80 chassis (8 cards, 44.1/48kHz with BMB2 or BMB3)
- Compatible exclusively with MOTHERSHIP 3 chassis
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Channel count: 16 (ADC)
- Connector: DB25 (DSUB, Tascam pinout)
- Signal path: discrete, class-A, transformer-coupled
- Input transformer: BX8 (NextGen Analog)
- Maximum channels in B16: 32 (2x BAD16)
- Maximum channels in B80: 128 (8x BAD16 at 44.1/48kHz with BMB2/BMB3)
- Signal indicator: front-panel LED
- Delay compensation: automatic with BMB1 Digilink motherboard
- Power: via B16/B80 backplane
- Compatibility: MOTHERSHIP 3 only
