There's not much you can plug in other than a digital mixer. 
Whats the point of a CD when you can copy the wave files directly off the disk drive. 
I use mine for the Yamaha 01V. 
One small problem is that your device needs to support the clock rate of your DAW. I am stuck with 44.1 because the 25 year old Yamaha has only that clock rate supported. 


You could daisy chain any brand of interface using the SPDIF as the second one would only be functioning as a A/D converter. Basically any device with SPDIF output that has analog inputs can be used as a A/D converter. I know some guys would use there old DAT recorders this way. Had to be in record standby which is probably hard on the machine. 

And yes they always seem to count the SPDIF as a in/out in the features. 

Example my Tascam is called a 16 channel interface but only has 14 analog inputs. So they count the SPDIF as 2 more. Hey why not count the MIDI port too. I certainly do when recording my bands keyboard player that way. 

An interesting note to this topic was the Fast Track Pro has 4 analog outputs plus the SPDIF out, but you had to swap 3/4 over to the SPDIF. You couldn't use both, so only ever 4 outs.  The Tascam is not like that , you can use both 3/4 and the SPDIF so all 6 outs. 

Another quirk is most interfaces won't have the SPDIF in the headphones or input monitoring. The reason is an additional D/A would be involved to listen. 

I've just had a further reply from Roland directly addressing the question of tying two Quads together.

"Unfortunately the Quad capture will not work as it does have a standalone mode and needs to be plugged into your computer running off of the driver in order to function."

Well, what's the point? I can only use 1/2 or 3/4 with a suitable input. Not both together. As we say in this part of the world, "it's like having tits on a bull".

So it looks like the only way to get additional inputs that record simultaneously is to buy a unit that clearly states that it is capable of doing so.

I'll never understand why/how a company will emphasize features that turn in to gotchas without anticipating how the practice will be regarded as a turn off to customers.

You may be able to find a cheap mini mixer console with a SPDIF output for less than $100.

That could give you a nice little "expansion bay".


Good luck.

best regards,
mike

Cactus Music


There's not much you can plug in other than a digital mixer. 
 

I've used my Audient Mico for a long time sending coax S/PDIF into my old Focusrite (I'm now using it TOSlinked into my Babyface). Works great, but is possibly more money than the OP's looking to spend.

I ran a simple test.

Correction : The Alesis multimix only has SPDIF out, no in.

I connect the coaxial / RCA cable from the Alesis SPDIF out to my Quad Capture SPDIF in. I feed the Alesis with 2 tracks audio (left/right).

The Quad Capture line out is removed for the test - and I monitor via the headphones. At first I did not get any signal from the Quad's SPDIF in.

I have to start Sonar->Preference->Device and check the Quad Capture's input/output 3 and 4.

After that the Quad works fine, picking up the audio signal via it's SPDIF in. One thing to note is that input volume depends on the Alesis main mix level.

I've also reboot my system and the Quad's SPDIF continues to pickup the signal without having to do further setting on it's driver.

Also, I've been running all my audio at 44100 sampling rate, 24 bit. And the Alesis is running stand alone (not connected via firewire).

So, the Quad is now operating with all 4 ins.

I would return the unit, if you can. 

They do this all the time, even the Focusrite Saffir Pro 40 i had listed more inputs than the 8 (analog) inputs that it had. 

I have an Octa-Capture and it does have 8 analog inputs.

EDIT: Never mind, wrong thread

Well I have purchased a cheap AD converter I found on Ebay and did as Tomixornot has done. I have taken the output of a small mixing desk to the analogue input of the AD converter and then plugged the SPDIF output into the input SPDIF of the Quad Capture, and it works.

I had to change the settings of the Quad Capture interface software to 3/4 and the same in The SONAR preferences. The only problem now is I've picked up some noise.

I'm not sure whether the noise is coming from the mixer or the AD converter. The mixer is a Behringer, but I suspect the AD converter is the main culprit as it only cost $14 from Hong Kong.

I know now that I can record four simultaneous tracks if need.

You might as well used the 1/8" input jack on your on board sound card as to think that a $14 A/D converter would be a piece of real studio kit. 
You just wasted $14.