Burl Audio BAD8

Burl Audio BAD8 – eight-channel analog-to-digital conversion card for the B80/B16 Mothership chassis, with a BX1 transformer-coupled input. The card converts signal at 24-bit resolution across sample rates from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz, running a fully discrete transistor analog path with zero feedback and no capacitors in the signal chain. The input is built around Burl's proprietary BX1 transformer in a new, compact housing, which made it possible to fit eight conversion channels on a single card without losing the characteristic tone known from earlier, less dense Burl designs. DB25 connectors in the Tascam standard simplify cabling when hooking up many channels at once.

Higher channel density without losing the transformer character

The new, miniaturized BX1 transformer format doubled the number of conversion channels on a single card compared to earlier four-channel designs, while keeping the same tone and harmonic depth in the signal. As a result, a single B80 chassis filled with BAD8 cards yields up to 64 analog-to-digital input channels, which matters for large multitrack sessions where both channel density and tonal consistency across channels count.

Zero feedback and no capacitors in the signal path

Signal travels from the BX1 transformer straight into the converter, with no op-amps or coupling capacitors in the analog path, limiting the number of components that could add their own coloration or phase distortion to the signal. That design matters for multitrack recording, analog summing, and stem-based work, where conversion transparency directly affects the quality of the downstream mix.

KEY FEATURES

• Eight-channel analog-to-digital converter, 24-bit, up to 192 kHz
• BX1 input transformer in a compact, higher-density housing
• Fully discrete transistor path, zero feedback, no capacitors in the signal chain
• DB25 connectors in the Tascam standard
• Avid delay matching and a switchable ADC filter
• Low conversion latency

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Card type: 8-channel analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
• Resolution: 24-bit
• Sample rate: 44.1 kHz - 192 kHz
• Frequency response (48 kHz): 10 Hz - 22 kHz, ±0.1 dB
• Frequency response (96 kHz): 10 Hz - 30 kHz, ±0.1 dB, -0.3 dB at 40 kHz
• Frequency response (192 kHz): 10 Hz - 30 kHz, ±0.1 dB, -1.5 dB at 90 kHz
• Dynamic range: 115 dB
• THD+N: -96 dB, full scale output +22 dBu
• Connectivity: 8-channel DB25 (Tascam style)