"JCF has produced a product that makes the sound of Digital, go away to my ears.

Surely, after 7+ years of development with the best mastering engineer ears in the business, you would think the Latte would become a special device that was thought out for the application of mastering. My experience using this device is that it does have tremendous, "extension" and reach, but it has the RIGHT reach and response. I mean, exactly the right response for the applications of mastering to 2-track. Its just a large bonus that there are high gain preamps that have IRON in the path, [CUSTOM Cinemag IRON!!!!] along with a virtually latency free AD. It's not built to be flat and "not there", its built to sound a certain way.

Whether or not the sound is "right" for any one application is up the end user. Simply, the sound of these transformer I/O boxes, really just fits my aesthetic for what I like to hear with my music, and I have a hard time labeling equipment as transparent or "colored" or whatever, since it all has something to it, be it negative or positive in the eyes of the final arbiter. I think that because the Latte offers a response that is so non-fatiguing and musical, when listening to audio pass from its output circuit, it is transparent to the music and its relationship with my ear. Perhaps what I am saying is the annoying things about the equipment and format that GET IN THE WAY OF ME HEARING GREAT AUDIO, ARE COMPLETELY GONE with the Latte's DAC. That's how I honestly define transparent; MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE MUSIC!! Labeling gear ONE WAY or the other is just not productive to me. I think it's really only about the topology that is implemented, but deciding if you like these topologies is another thing entirely, right?

Despite face value; there are no tape emulations with this, or any JCF device. There is no illusion that it will give you the affects of actual tape. NO, it will give you the sound of the machine. There is a difference. Josh builds converters based on the machines electronics, at least some of his devices. Josh is one of the most incredibly smart designers I've met. He thinks outside the realm of convention, which is something I get. The Latte is an extremely radical design that's different from anything out there. It's a highly configurable product, and most of us won't even dig further into its design. It's a mastering switchblade for people that demand a certain flexibility and sound quality for their applications. The Latte, [and other JCF converters] Sound unlike ANYTHING I HAVE EVER USED previously.

This converter is really not comparable to the Burl B2 Bomber, although, I must admit, it's in the same realm of possibility to my ear. They are massively different products, and you will find more flexibility [depending on what you are doing] with the Latte, thus it's a more expensive product. The Burl is a smoking AD converter with its very good sounding class A, discrete transistor signal path with zero feedback, zero caps and custom Burl BX1 input transformers. Its sounds awesome, and there is nothing about the Burl to dislike at all, so I suggest trying it out. I hear the B2 DAC is in production, so you'll have to look for that box on the Mercenary Site in the coming weeks.

Getting back to the Latte, the power supply, the configurable analog circuitry, is more than likely, NOT comparable to any other digital device on the planet. There is certain filtering that is normally done with DSP, [digital signal processing] which is done in the analog stage of the Latte, and the result of this design is that he has virtually eliminated latency in the AD stage at 192K. The AD is about as close to straight wire as you can get, and I think the point of this box becomes clear when you experience the AD converter in use. Bottom line, the Latte's ADC sounded the most like our console when compared to almost all others. At the end of the day, the Latte concept and other JCF converter concepts are about the SUM of their design, and not about one thing or another inside the box.

To answer many people asking this question, The AD stage is NOT where the AMPEX 440 amplifier block is. It's in the DA stage, which is switchable to some pretty pure sounding microphone amplifiers that can either feed the analog outputs for inserting your favorite compressors etc, and then back to the Line Inputs [which feed the AD], or they can be fed DIRECTLY to the AD, with a flick of a switch [insert preview switch] This fact, ensures that the AMPEX 440 is used in your recording. Trust me, it comes through unscathed. We thanked, praised, and just about got down on our knees to pray to mecca [Josh] for the low end extension on his machines, and he replied; "Don't thank me: thank AMPEX."

"So how exactly do you use this thing?"

This device is not easily explained. It's a multi-configurable AMPEX line block along with some unconventional type AD/DA technology. To clear up some misconceptions, about "tape" and this device; I will tell you that to get the sound of tape, well - you just record to tape. There are no "saturation" features, no illusion that this device adds the effect of the actual magnetic format known as "tape", no, it simply gives you the sound of the machine's repro electronics.

The Latte is a mastering device, with some bonus features for tracking and capturing the output of a 2-track head stack directly to digital if you choose to bypass your machines electronics. You can certainly use the mic amps to track to tape! Plainly, the Latte is not meant to sound like "tape", unless you connect it to a head stack! Certainly, it is meant to sound like the machine, and since the AMPEX machines of yesteryear were built to have pristine analog electronics, the Latte employs these pristine electronics for a purity of audio that cannot be matched by any other digital converter on the planet in my experience.

You might use the Latte for a Mastering loop, where pre-recorded material might be sent out of the 440 line block, into a analog box, only to be re-recorded though the transparent path stereo ADC. It is absolutely perfect for this since the DAC is righteously flattering to the audio. Again, there are no AMPEX electronics in the AD converter portion of the unit. The AD offers a Line Input, where you can patch ANY line input source, like a console, or an external mic pre, etc....These inputs are not affected by the 440 line block, and are autonomous to the 440/DAC or Mic amps, unless you are sending them directly to the AD of course. That means that only when using the mic amps feeding the AD, will the 440 line block be involved on the way to the computer. So, the Latte's functions can be used in several ways, athough only one way at a time:

Either:

A Stereo Microphone preamplifier - using a 440 Block [using 4 step PAD, and volume trim/adjustment] Either - Direct to the AD converter, or available from analog outputs for analog outboard insert patch when returned to the Line inputs to the ADC. This is using the 440-amplifier block on the recording. The DAC will not be functional while in this mode because it is the same exact electronics.

OR

A Stereo Repro Amp [Play Head Electronics of a tape recorder] using the 440 Line Block with configurable EQ curves for direct insertion of a 2 track Head Stack - Direct to AD converter, as well as the analog outputs. You can of course, use an analog outboard patch to the ADC here as well.

OR

A Stereo Line Level AD/DA with the 440 Line Block for the DAC amplifier, [using the volume trim] which will give you the sound of the AMPEX repro card for the stereo output of your digital source."

-A/B

Features

•Two AES compatible transformer coupled outputs (mono configurable)
•Two AES compatible transformer coupled inputs for synchronization reference and data input for both sections
•Line level +4 dBu analog outputs, Cinemag Transformer coupled (+27.5dBu max output level into 600ohms)
•Concurrent jumper configurable auxiliary output (+22.5 dBu max output level - line amp, +6.7 dBu max output level - preamp)
•Completely user-configurable line input block (Actively balanced, unbalanced)
•Multi-turn trimmers for precise control of A/D input level
•Multi-turn trimmers for precise control of A/D offset calibration
•Stylish blue D/A receiver unlocked indicator
•Power supply configurable for 120vac / 60Hz or 240vac / 50Hz operation
•Very low leakage, caged flat pack power transformers for high isolation and low field
•Unique power supply isolation used throughout
•<.01 ms total latency A/D section @ 192k
•Cascade function allows easy digital capture of D/A, Mic pre, or Tape playback
•Four position selectable pad to optimize drive of carefully crafted Cinemag mic input transformer
•Independently selectable phantom power
•2 ch. optical inputs and outputs
•Flexible and independent clocking arrangement

MANUALS & PDFs

JCF Latte Manual (Adobe PDF)