Burl Audio B16-BDA12 — a BURL BLACK DAC card combining twelve line-level output channels with a class-A, two-channel monitor section for B16 and B80 Mothership systems. The card requires a MOTHERSHIP 3 chassis, since the BURL BLACK line does not run on earlier Mothership hardware.
The signal path is fully discrete, class-A, transformerless, built around the BOPA14 NextGen Analog op-amp. Twelve line channels are brought out through a DB25 connector in Tascam wiring, and two additional channels handle stereo monitoring with switching between Speaker A, Speaker B and headphones.
Monitor control without an extra box
Building a compact tracking or mix rig in a B16 chassis usually means adding a separate monitor controller just to switch between speakers and headphones. The BDA12 removes that step by integrating a switchable Speaker A, Speaker B and Headphones section right on the DAC card, running through the same class-A path as the line outputs. In a B16 chassis, pairing a BDA12 with a BAD16 gives a complete sixteen-in, twelve-out system with full monitor control, all in two rack units.
Higher channel density at a lower cost
Earlier BURL GREEN cards offered fewer DAC channels and needed a separate ORCA monitor module, which pushed up the total system cost. The BDA12 addresses this with a new multichannel DAC design that fits twelve line channels and a monitor section onto one card, lowering the cost per channel compared with the previous generation of DAC and ORCA monitor cards. Automatic detection of a BMB1 Digilink motherboard triggers Avid delay compensation, and a front-panel signal indicator makes it easy to track channel activity.
KEY FEATURES
- Twelve line-level DAC channels
- Two-channel stereo monitor section (Speaker A, Speaker B, Headphones)
- 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
- Compatible exclusively with MOTHERSHIP 3 chassis
- Lower cost per channel than the BURL GREEN DAC and ORCA monitor cards
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Line channel count: 12 (DAC)
- Monitor channel count: 2 (stereo, Speaker A/B, headphones)
- Connector: DB25 (DSUB, Tascam pinout)
- Signal path: discrete, class-A, no output transformers
- Op-amp: BOPA14 (NextGen Analog)
- Signal indicator: front-panel LED
- Delay compensation: automatic with BMB1 Digilink motherboard
- Power: via B16/B80 backplane
- Compatibility: MOTHERSHIP 3 only
- Example B16 configuration: BAD16 + BDA12 = 16 inputs, 12 line outputs, monitor section
