A/D Converter
The analogue-to-digital converter or named conversion system used to turn an analogue recording input into digital audio.
An analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) turns a continuously varying audio signal into digital samples. This specification identifies the converter or conversion system inside the recorder. Its name alone does not establish the quality or final resolution of a recording.
A/D Converter — MiniDisc
In a MiniDisc recorder, the ADC handles sound arriving through analogue inputs before it is encoded for storage. It matters when recording an analogue source; a digital input already supplies digital audio and normally bypasses this conversion.
Compare the recorder’s analogue input performance and supported recording modes alongside the converter name. A converter described as 24-bit does not mean the resulting MiniDisc recording is stored as uncompressed 24-bit audio. ATRAC processing and recording format are separate specifications, while a DAC converts audio in the opposite direction for playback.
A/D Converter — Digital Tape Recorder
In a digital tape recorder, the ADC makes digital samples from an analogue line or microphone signal for recording. Its useful performance depends on the input circuitry and recording level as well as the converter itself; overloading the input can spoil a recording regardless of the chip fitted.
Compare noise, distortion and supported recording resolution under equivalent conditions. The converter’s internal word length need not equal the tape format’s stored word length. A digital recording input and a sampling-rate converter perform different jobs and do not identify the analogue ADC.