Company: Lynx Studio Technology

Founders: Bob Bauman & David A. Hoatson
Headquarters: Costa Mesa, California
Year Established: 1998

Why Choose Lynx? Over 16 years ago a seasoned hardware engineer (Bob Bauman) and software engineer (David A. Hoatson) decided to form a company that combined each of their respective strengths. The result of this union produced a series of products such as mastering, recording and broadcast quality PCI-Express interface cards not to mention the 2-Channel Reference AD/DA system called Hilo. Most recently, Lynx introduced the new Aurora(n) series AD/DA converters which feature a user-configurable platform from 8-32 channels with optional 4-channel microphone preamps modules and a 32-channel microSD card slot for direct recording and playback.

When choosing an AD/DA converter, naturally sound quality is always of great importance. Your goal here is the faithful reproduction of the source with as little coloration or distortion as possible. The best word to describe this would be “transparency”. Other considerations should also include how well it interfaces with computer platforms (Mac & PC) along with connectivity options (Thunderbolt, Pro Tools|HD, AES/EBU, USB, Dante). Often times, the criteria used to choose a converter is based solely on what chip set a manufacturer uses. In fact it is in the analog section where the magic happens. Cleanliness of design and PCB layout, filtering, power and grounding all make for a great signal entering the A/D converter chip and ultimately to your recording.