Optical or S/PDIF on Finalizer + Connections?

[promesis]

a few questions for whomever can help:
anticipating the arrival of a Finalizer. any opinions about digital connections between that and a Tascam CD-RW 700?

the tascam has only optic and s/pdif connectivity. tc electronics outputs all 24bits through each.

ok.. now a dumb - dumb question.. i have a new package of the gold monster DVD connection cables .. isn't the 'video" coax cable bundled with the left / right audio cables a s/pdif cable?

and finally.. is this the best way of pushing signal around at mixdown:
from mackie 32/8 master balanced xlr outs to -->
xlr balanced ins to finalizer -->
digital outs (optic or s/pdif) to -->
digital ins of tascam CDRW 700 --x end digital signal --x
xlr analog outs from finalizer to -->
powered sub balanced xlr ins -->
xlr balanced throughs on sub to -->
xlr balanced ins of JBL LSR4328 --x end analog signal --x

i usually went TS unbalanced out from the mackie "control room output" to the sub and throughout giving me control of the sound levels in the mix down room without messing with the master fader levels... with the set-up envisioned above, i guess i could use the analog out level control of the Finalizer as a substitute for the "control room" out put - i believe it is independent of the digital out levels going to the mixdown tascam cdrw 700.. am i in the ball park here?

thankee thankee.. cheers.

[KineticSound]

Originally Posted by promesis

...The tascam has only optic and s/pdif connectivity. tc electronics outputs all 24bits through each.

Yes, and the TASCAM will read the first 16 bits.

Originally Posted by promesis

...have a new package of the gold monster DVD connection cables .. isn't the 'video" coax cable bundled with the left / right audio cables a s/pdif cable?

Yep. It's just a simple RCA cable. There are different weights (cable thickness), but unless you're making runs between rooms, just about any RCA cable will do.

The rest of your wiring schematic sounds correct. Essentially, you're indicating that you want the signal that's going to the CD burner to be the same signal you're hearing through the monitors. The wiring system you've proposed will do exactly that.

[promesis]

Originally Posted by KineticSound

Yes, and the TASCAM will read the first 16 bits.

ok .. with regard to this statement am i right to infer this then:
despite the 24bits available at either digital outputs [my OP] ..it is a non sequitur given that the digital outputs need to be dithered down to 16bits for recording properly unto the Tascam CDRW 700 anyway?

thanks again.

[KineticSound]

Correct. Since the final medium (CD) is only capable of 16 bits, the TASCAM will dither whatever signal it is fed (whether S/PDIF or Toslink Optical) down to 16 bits.