Audio Precision ATS-1DD Analyzer

[laatsch55]

My super duper deluxe model 2000 AA , ac powered wind em up adapter cable arrived today. I had contacted AP about the inability of the analyzer to run a printer. They answered back in less than an hour with a linked suggestion of a cable and where to get it and why, along with supporting documents of actual tests they had reun to confirm it would work.
Some background. This analyzer has a DB 25 out socket to drive the printer. It has software to run PCL or IBM grap based printers. My cobbled up DB 25 to USB-a to USB-b did not work. Seems you have to download software to convert a DB 25 output to USB input. Didn't want the hassle of that every time I changed printers. It appears i was not the only one. The suggested cable is an AC powered , self contained converter. We will know in a few minutes if it will work, then finally I can print hardcopies of test results.

AP customer service is exemplary. It did not matter I was not the original owner, the bent over backwards to make things work.

 

[laatsch55]

Needless to say that cable did not make a modern Workforce 520 ten years old. So I bought a 9 year old HP 2300 Laserjet. AND THEY TALK!! The analyzer and printer that is. Photographic proof.

 

[Gepetto]

Yes, USB is a whole different animal Lee from a software stack and hardware signal integrity perspective. The only thing that RS-232 and USB have in common is they are both serial.

 

[mlucitt]

Lee, you are so not a nerd. Did ya use a wrench to attach the cables? Seriously, it is excellent that you can now print out the results of your testing. Makes me want to jump in the truck and head to your place with all my amps, I think I have eight that could use some testing.

 

[laatsch55]

The Bryston 4B has been tortured on the bench half the night. I have found my test cables prone to interference if run by the high voltage output section. And they are shielded cables also. Could be the way they are terminated. The Bryston also has balanced XLR inputs, so I just returned from the Radio Shack with a bagful of XLR conectors. Gotta make some XLR to XLR cables.

 

[laatsch55]

Yes, USB is a whole different animal Lee from a software stack and hardware signal integrity perspective. The only thing that RS-232 and USB have in common is they are both serial.

The AP was designed to feed a more stand alone printer as opposed to a more slave driven one, as I understand it.

 

[laatsch55]

Sir Joe----This is my current test cable setup. There has got to be room for improvement. Comments??

 

[laatsch55]

Lee, you are so not a nerd. Did ya use a wrench to attach the cables? Seriously, it is excellent that you can now print out the results of your testing. Makes me want to jump in the truck and head to your place with all my amps, I think I have eight that could use some testing.

Nope, just a pair of Vise-Grips.

 

[mlucitt]

I like the helicopter-looking clip attachment on the ground side of your smart load (kind of like a dummy load).

 

[jbeckva]

Looks like ya went "bananas" with that setup, Lee..

(hehe.. I made a "punny"... )

 

[Gepetto]

Doesn't look too bad Lee. Only possible concern is banana jacks for high power. You would be better served to put spade connections on the wire ends and use the compression connection to the binding posts instead.

 

[laatsch55]

I like the helicopter-looking clip attachment on the ground side of your smart load (kind of like a dummy load).

Ya never know if you'll need another ground.

 

[laatsch55]

Looks like ya went "bananas" with that setup, Lee..

(hehe.. I made a "punny"... )

Ah yes , Jer the Punner, Has a ring to it.

 

[laatsch55]

After a few e-mails to Audio Precision about cabling the subject of the Intermodulation Distortion Card option came up. Thisa unit was manufactured in 2000, March 30th to be exact, and that makes it 15 years old. They still manufacture the IMD cards, said it was something I could install right here, self cald and for just 600.00 I believe we will be testing for IMD next month.


Once again, their replies were almost immediate, professional and ever so helpful, can't say enough good things about their customer service.

 

[NavLinear]

Damn - when I first started reading this thread I thought you bought a newer AP but while reading this I glanced at the dates and realized this is the one you've been using for some time now. I did get excited though but thought - "Shit why would Lee be getting another audio analyzer?"

As I've mentioned before it is so cool that you are getting such good support for being a second owner of this unit and this analyzer is almost a decade and a half old now. Simply amazing the support you're getting. Intermodulation distortation tests - nice!!!