Lyra 1 or 2?

    Hey everyone,


    I'm trying to decide if I should buy a Prism Sound Lyra 1 or Lyra 2 to use with my Kemper. The Lyra 1 only has one XLR input, and 1 TRS input, while the Lyra 2 has 2 of each of those. The Lyra 2 also has coaxial S/PDIF, which the Lyra 1 does not.


    I don't really need to record more than one thing simultaneoausly, and I always record guitar in mono, so it makes financial sense to go with the cheaper Lyra 1. However, now that I have a Kemper, I'd like to take advantage of its S/PDIF recording and reamping capabilities. However, I have no experience reamping or recording with S/PDIF, so I'm not sure if those features are worth the extra ~$500 the Lyra 2 would cost me.


    What do you all think? Is the convenience of reamping and the fidelity of S/PDIF worth the extra cost? Also, could I reamp a mono analogue recording and still end up with quality audio fidelity, or would that degrade the signal?


    Thanks for any advice anyone has!

    Hey Michael, thanks for the response! I only need an interface with 1-2 inputs since I only record guitar and vocals. Since I got a Kemper, I was hoping to find an interface with minimal I/O and coaxial S/PDIF, and the only option seems to be the Lyra 2. I know there are cheaper interfaces with way more I/O (from RME and Focuserite, for example) but they all seem a little lower in quality than what I'm shooting for.


    I don't necessarily need something as high end as the Lyra, but there doesn't really seem to be a happy medium between that and something like the Scarlett where I could have S/PDIF and not have to pay for a ton of I/O I won't use.

    Hi,


    I'm not sure I could tell the difference between a recording from the KPA's XLR outputs into a high quality interface vs. S/PDIF. I've done both but never in the same situation or with any intention of comparing the two. These days, 99% of the time I record from the XLR outs and haven't felt any need to go to S/PDIF.


    Some of Kemper's delays, modulations and (I think) reverb are stereo. If you record with them you may want to have a 2 channel interface even if you don't use S/PDIF.


    If you're using a Mac, another option for a high quality, low I/O count interface is the Metric Halo ULN-2. It's stereo , has S/PDIF, sounds quite good and costs less than the Prism interfaces.

    For me it makes absolutely no sense to buy such an expensive interface unless you're making enough money in audio work to pay for it through that income - but maybe that's the case?


    You may be paying for several inputs you won't use with a Scarlett, but it's a boatload less money in total - and if you're using spdif, then you don't have to worry about converter quality.

    Hi!


    I agree that the Lyra is too overpriced for what you get, but I also understand you not wanting more than what you need. In my opinion, an RME Babyface Pro fits your needs perfectly without conpromises and without breaking the bank. Both the Lyra and the Babyface have comparable converter quality (actually the Babyface is a hair better in terms of Dynamic Range and THD+N than the Lyra, at least on paper). Check it out:


    http://www.prismsound.com/musi…s_subs/lyra/lyra_spec.php


    http://www.rme-audio.de/en/products/babyface_pro.php#5


    I've been using RME for 10 years (FF400 and UCX) and I assure you they are well made, high quality converters. Their drivers offer among the best low latency in the industry, and they are always on top of things when it comes to driver releases (to support a new OS or to fix bugs). If you want a leap in converter quality you'll need to spend twice or more the cost of the Lyra (we're talking $3,000 to $6,000 USD range). Again, for what you need, not worth the money.


    Plus, as mentioned earlier, when recording the Kemper via SPDIF, the converters in the Kemper are what you'll be using since you have to set it up as the Master. It's only when recording via the analog I/O where the converters on your audio interface matter.


    Good luck!



    EDIT: Correction! I meant to say that the Lyra's converters are a hair better than the Babyface Pro.

    Edited once, last by Jose7822 ().

    Metric Halo is awesome. Their customer support is the best I've ever experienced and their drivers are super solid.
    I'm still using my almost 15 years old Metric Halo 2882 (with the kemper). The same interface with an updated processor (2D card) is still sold and fully supported. The 2D card can be installed in all older interface (by the user at a reasonable cost).
    It's the only company that doesn't want you throw away old, good working gear to buy the new line (...that you only need because of driver problems of discontinued products)
    You can often find an ULN-2 used at very good prices.
    The preamps are great, the converters are great, the output section is great (with analog volume control)...highly recommended!