Burl Audio B80-BAD16 — a 16-channel ADC card from the BURL BLACK line, transformer-coupled and built for large modular B80 Mothership systems. The card is also compatible with the smaller B16 chassis, but runs exclusively in MOTHERSHIP 3 chassis.
Inputs pass through the new BX8 transformer, designed 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, class-A, with no integrated circuits or coupling capacitors.
Musical character at large scale
When building a tracking system with dozens of inputs or more, engineers often accept the sterility of cheaper converters just to reach the required channel count. The BAD16 removes that tradeoff through BX8 transformer coupling, which adds natural harmonic saturation as input level increases, similar to how analog tape behaves, regardless of how many cards are running at once in a B80 chassis.
Hundreds of inputs without a higher cost per channel
Building a large input 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. Eight cards in a B80 chassis reach a hundred and twenty-eight inputs at 44.1kHz or 48kHz with a BMB2 or BMB3 motherboard, while the same card in a B16 chassis yields thirty-two inputs in a compact format. A front-panel signal indicator and automatic Avid delay compensation with a BMB1 motherboard make it easier to manage a fully loaded ten-slot chassis.
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 128 ADC channels in a B80 chassis (8 cards, 44.1/48kHz with BMB2 or BMB3)
- Up to 32 ADC channels in a B16 chassis (2 cards)
- 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 B80: 128 (8x BAD16 at 44.1/48kHz with BMB2/BMB3)
- Maximum channels in B16: 32 (2x BAD16)
- Card slots in B80: 10
- Signal indicator: front-panel LED
- Delay compensation: automatic with BMB1 Digilink motherboard
- Compatibility: MOTHERSHIP 3 only
