JazzSinger
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Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
I have several audio interfaces and they all have two digital S/PDIF channels. I have never seen any synthesizers, guitar amps or ANYTHING that has an S/PDIF input or output (except my DAT taperecorder, discarded long ago). The new(ish) Tascam US-2000 has no MIDI anymore - but it has S/PDIF! Weird. Does anyone know of a convertor or small mixer or SOMEthing portable (and affordable) that can convert an analog audio signal to S/PDIF?
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Middleman
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/16 11:17:41
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Yes, its called a soundcard with a SPDIF connection.
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CJaysMusic
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/16 11:23:09
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I have several audio interfaces and they all have two digital S/PDIF channels. SPDIF stands for Sony-Philips Digital Interconnect Format and its a digital audio format Its used for transerfering digital stereo files on sound cards and othe rsystems such as a CD player Cj
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johnnyV
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/16 11:54:16
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The main purpose of those inputs if for people like me who have a digital mixer ( Yamaha 01v) this allows me to by pass the pre amps that come with the interface. If your interface has better pre amps and converters then there is no point, but most low end interfaces come with sub standard pre amps and converters. I also have used them to transfer DAT tapes or Mini Disks. No point in a CD as you can do that internally. Before CD burners we used the SPDIF to mix down to DATS and Stand alone CD burners. This has nothing to do with MIDI. They cheaped out on the new Tascam and most prefer the old model because of this. They are assuming that you will have a USB input controller for MIDI. I'm not sure what the lowest price Digital mixer is these days but the 01V are still out there going strong for $400 used. I paid $3000 for mine 1994. AN interface is not technically a SPDIF converter- it a A/D -D/A interface. Using SPDIF requires syncing the word clock it is a different type of interface because of this. You need to match sample rates etc. But the beauty of it is once a signal is digital, it stays digital. Some very high end channel strips and compressors use SDPIF outputs. Even el cheapo sound cards sometimes have a mini jack marked as digital in, not sure if they are any good.
post edited by johnnyV - 2010/09/16 21:46:37
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msr
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/16 12:59:10
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I use the SPDIF in/out on my Motif ES keyboard as well as on my audio interfaces quite regularly for recording. It is quite helpful to be able to eliminate the inherent noise associated with going through multiple audio effects/preamps/and other devices. msr
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MarioD
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/16 13:28:27
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msr I use the SPDIF in/out on my Motif ES keyboard as well as on my audio interfaces quite regularly for recording. It is quite helpful to be able to eliminate the inherent noise associated with going through multiple audio effects/preamps/and other devices. msr I use SPDIF ins and outs for my J-Station and V-Amp Pro amp modelers for the same reasons.
The reason people say the vinyl sounds better is because the music was better. Sonar Platinum, Intel i7 –2600 CPU @ 3.2 GHz, 16 GB ram, 2x2TB internal drives and 1 1TB internal drive, Radeon HD 5570 video card, HP 25" monitor, Roland Octa Capture, MOTU Midi Express 128, Win 10 Pro www.soundcloud.com/Mario_Guitar
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ohhey
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/16 14:48:18
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JazzSinger I have several audio interfaces and they all have two digital S/PDIF channels. I have never seen any synthesizers, guitar amps or ANYTHING that has an S/PDIF input or output (except my DAT taperecorder, discarded long ago). The new(ish) Tascam US-2000 has no MIDI anymore - but it has S/PDIF! Weird. Does anyone know of a convertor or small mixer or SOMEthing portable (and affordable) that can convert an analog audio signal to S/PDIF? Many devices have S/PDIF but you have be check several things to make sure it's going to work. First make sure the device can do the sample rate of your project. When using a digital interface like S/PDIF you can't have them be different sample rates. I've seen guitar effects that can only do 48k so if your project is 44.1k you can't use the S/PDIF connection. If you use 96k for your project you have to verify the device can even do that rate. The second big issue with digital interfaces is sample rate clock source. You can only have one device or the other be the sample rate clock source and to make matters worse S/PDIF is only single direction so if you have only S/PDIF out on the device you want to use it has to be the clock for the sound card also. That can degrade the quality of all audio even on the analog in and out of your sound card. There's not even a good way to tell if it's worse or not until it's too late. So do your homework if you purchase a S/PDIF device. Make sure it can do the sample rate you work at and try to get one that will accept sample rate clock from your sound card, either by S/PDIF in or Word Clock (if your sound card has that). As for A/D converters it's hard to find just that. Most are either poor quality or so expensive it would be cheaper to get a sound card with more analog inputs. I don't know of one in the middle.
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stickman393
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/16 17:32:19
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My Roland Fantom FA-76 has SPDIF 24-bit digital audio out, and I connect it to the SPDIF input on my Echo Layla3G. Works a treat.
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dr.hash
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/16 20:09:49
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I have spidif connectors and to increase my outs so I can use outboard stuff, I have on order a behringer ultra patch pro. This will allow me to use my spidif connector on my Lexicon IONIX as spare outs and allow me to hook in my outboard compressor. In Search Of The Lost Digital Chord” Down with the false Gods. (Audio Schools) Viva la Revolution Sonar Forever, Pro Tools Never Ben B.C.T (Bachelor of Creative Technology) http://www.myspace.com/audiomystics
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lfm
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/17 01:56:51
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I have among some other stuff a MindPrint DI-Port preamp that has both analogue in's and out's and digital spdif(coax and optical) in's and out's. But it only runs 44/48 khz, not 96 khz, but 24bits. And the internal soundcards from RME I have in some machines as based on digital in/out too. I use the MindPrint as DAC for monitoring everything. But there are numerous soundcards with line or microphone level inputs and many options on digital out's(often selectable ADAT or SPDIF).
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Shambler
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/17 04:17:25
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I use the spdif out on my Motif XS which means I am locked to 44kHz 16bit, am I missing a trick?
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msr
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/17 12:23:54
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I have a Motif ES with an AIEB2 expansion board and it allows me to output at 44.1 kHz either 20 bit or 24 bit. I'm not sure about the XS but my guess is that it offers similar features. msr
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Bonzos Ghost
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/17 14:27:11
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There’s loads of gear out there that have S/PDIF connections. Most audio interfaces for one thing. I have more than one hardware synth with S/PDIF, as well as one of my mixing consoles.
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auto_da_fe
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/17 14:48:58
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KRK Ergo has a SPDIF, that is how I run it all the time. It is not exactly cheap (500) but it does work very well. JR
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mlockett
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/17 14:49:32
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I've got a Mytek A/D converter (semi-high end) with an s/pdif out thaqt I'll be putting on eBay once I get the time to list it. Also, some of the PODs (a lot of guitar processors) have spdif outs (though I personally just use the analog because it's simpler and the difference in quality is negligible to my ears.
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Peter J
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/17 20:57:14
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I have a primary DAW w/ Echo card and S/PDIF and a second DAW equipped likewise. I run GigaStudio on the second and control it with MIDI from the first. I run digital sound back to the first through the S/PDIF connectors. Works like a charm! A note: I do record in 24 / 48 so GigaStudio is set to play 48 K samples.
-Phoen1x the artist formerly known as Peter J new music soon from Tightrope Fortune! The *brand new* Phoen1xDAW: Core i5 3.3 GHz on Asus P8B75-M 32 GB Mushkin Blackline RAM (2) Seagate 1 TB HD's 1 GB nVidia Vid Win 7 Pro SP1 SONAR X3! My DAW is not cutting edge. It is middle-of-the-blade super bang for the buck! The BAM is in the RAM. ;-|
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Peter J
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/17 20:59:11
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A BTW on above: when I am ready to record audio from the GigaDAW I just set the input in SONAR to Echo digital in and it's there.
-Phoen1x the artist formerly known as Peter J new music soon from Tightrope Fortune! The *brand new* Phoen1xDAW: Core i5 3.3 GHz on Asus P8B75-M 32 GB Mushkin Blackline RAM (2) Seagate 1 TB HD's 1 GB nVidia Vid Win 7 Pro SP1 SONAR X3! My DAW is not cutting edge. It is middle-of-the-blade super bang for the buck! The BAM is in the RAM. ;-|
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DonaldDuck
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/17 22:37:52
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SPDIF is one of the most common connections. Almost every digital device I've every used, consumer or pro, has had them. My interface has two of them in and out. I use my digital reverb connected to mine. It smokes CPU hungry convolution reverbs, and Sonar's "hardware insert" makes it a breeze to use. It can also be used to carry word clock signals if you have multiple interfaces, converters, hardware units, digital monitors, etc. Digital emulation guitar pedals made by Boss have SPDIF outputs as does some digital preamps.
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Clik
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/19 02:39:08
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JazzSinger Does anyone know of a convertor or small mixer or SOMEthing portable (and affordable) that can convert an analog audio signal to S/PDIF? I've seen various rackmount boxes (like reverbs) that have SPDIF output; I've often wondered if you couldn't use the analog input, turn the effects off, and get SPDIF out. Essentially, using the box as an A/D converter. I've used SPDIF and I like it a lot, when I can get it to work. My Korg synth, for instance, has optical SPDIF output, and my receiver has optical SPDIF input -- it works, but it glitches up a LOT. The same Korg, however, can plug into the computer SPDIF, and it works FINE. Similarly, I can plug the SPDIF from OTHER devices into the receiver, and they work fine! So it's not that I have "broken SPDIF," on any of these devices. I just have compatibility issues... many more than I have mentioned here.
post edited by Clik - 2010/09/19 02:40:32
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cubic13
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Re:Do you use S/PDIF? Are there any affordable Audio-to-S/PDIF converters?
2010/09/19 03:09:01
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Still wondering about the usefulness of SP/DIF on professional gear. I understand it on a general consumer card (i.e., recording a CD player output...), but otherwise, why is it there for ? I'm not sure that using SP/DIF to bypass the D/A converters of an external device is a good choice : to a certein extent, the D/A converter is a part of the chain that delivers the sound : I'm thinking of synths, here, a DX7 as an example, even if I admit that this example is outdated. ADAT does the same thing but with 8 channels at a full 24 bits resolution. I use it for connecting my external instruments to my E-Mu 1820m via an ADA-8000. I never had the need to use the SP/DIF sockets on it...
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