Burl Audio B16-BDA4 — a 4-channel DAC card for the B16 Mothership chassis, transformer-coupled through a fixed BX5 output transformer, the same one used in the B32 Vancouver Mix Bus. The same card also fits a B80 chassis.
The signal path is fully discrete, class-A, with no capacitors, built around the BOPA14 NextGen Analog op-amp. Four balanced XLR outputs carry the signal through a large nickel-core BX5 transformer, which adds analog saturation and widens the stereo image before it reaches a console, monitors, or outboard gear.
Density and depth instead of plain neutrality
When summing multiple channels or sending a mix out of the DAW, engineers sometimes miss the analog density that a console or tape once provided. The BDA4 addresses this with a fixed BX5 transformer coupling that adds natural saturation and widens the stereo field, similar to engaging the transformers in a B32 Vancouver. Unlike the transparent BDA8, the BDA4 intentionally adds character, which makes it a good fit as a main mix output or in an analog summing path.
Precise hardware inserts
Patching an outboard processor into an insert loop usually introduces a small phase offset between the dry and processed signal, especially in Avid-based systems. The BDA4 addresses this with Avid delay compensation, precisely matching the output delay to the return time from an Avid I/O device. A switchable DAC filter also lets you shift tone from the classic BURL sound to something more direct, with a more forward midrange, with no repatching required.
KEY FEATURES
- 4-channel digital-to-analog conversion (DAC)
- XLR connectors for four channels
- Discrete class-A signal path, no capacitors
- BOPA14 NextGen Analog op-amp
- Fixed BX5 nickel-core output transformer
- Switchable DAC filter (classic / more direct)
- Avid delay compensation for hardware inserts
- Compatible with B80 and B16 Mothership chassis
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Channel count: 4 (DAC)
- Connectors: 4x XLR
- Op-amp: BOPA14 (NextGen Analog)
- Output transformer: BX5 nickel-core (fixed)
- Frequency response at 48kHz: 10Hz to 22kHz, +/- 0.1dB
- Frequency response at 96kHz: 10Hz to 30kHz, +/- 0.1dB, -0.3dB at 40kHz
- Frequency response at 192kHz: 10Hz to 30kHz, +/- 0.1dB, -1.5dB at 90kHz
- Dynamic range: 115dB
- THD+N: -96dB at full scale +22dBU
- Build: Made in USA
- Compatibility: B80 and B16 Mothership chassis
