Burl Audio B16-BDA16 — a 16-channel DAC daughter card from the BURL BLACK line for B80 and B16 Mothership systems, delivering higher channel density at a lower cost per channel than the BURL GREEN cards. The card requires installation in a Mothership chassis slot.
The signal path is fully discrete, class-A, built around the BOPA14 NextGen Analog op-amp, with no output transformers. A smaller-footprint DAC chip made it possible to fit sixteen conversion channels onto a single card while keeping the BURL Audio sonic signature intact.
More channels without a higher cost per channel
Engineers working in project studios often face a tradeoff: a smaller, pricier reference-grade system, or a cheaper converter with a weaker analog side. The BDA16 resolves that by packing sixteen full class-A DAC channels onto one card instead of two 8-channel cards. Two BDA16 cards in a B16 chassis yield thirty-two output channels, and eight cards in a B80 reach a hundred and twenty-eight DAC channels at 44.1kHz or 48kHz with a BMB2 or BMB3 motherboard.
Signal monitoring and Pro Tools compliance
With high channel counts it's easy to lose track of which output is actually carrying signal, and Pro Tools HD systems add the risk of phase offsets between cards. The BDA16 addresses both: a front-panel signal indicator gives an at-a-glance view of channel activity, while automatic detection of a BMB1 Digilink motherboard triggers Avid delay compensation without manual setup. The card is fully compatible with MOTHERSHIP 3 architecture.
KEY FEATURES
- 16-channel digital-to-analog conversion (DAC)
- Discrete class-A signal path, no output transformers
- BOPA14 NextGen Analog op-amp
- Front-panel signal status indicator
- Automatic Avid delay compensation with a BMB1 motherboard
- Up to 32 DAC channels in a B16 chassis (2 cards)
- Up to 128 DAC channels in a B80 chassis (8 cards, 44.1/48kHz with BMB2 or BMB3)
- MOTHERSHIP 3 compatible
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Channel count: 16 (DAC)
- Connector: DB25 (DSUB, Tascam pinout)
- Signal path: discrete, class-A, no capacitors or output transformers
- Op-amp: BOPA14 (NextGen Analog)
- Maximum channels in B16: 32 (2x BDA16)
- Maximum channels in B80: 128 (8x BDA16 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
