just bought mia echo. how does S/PDIF work?

[wolfdogg]

Maybe I'm just totally confused...because my experience in this area is zilch...but I have a digital recorder (Roland VS-1680) and I'm wanting to throw my tracks into Cool Edit Pro. First, I need a signal. I'm hooking a RCA cables from the out to the S/PDIF in on my new Echo Mia card. Shouldn't I be getting a signal now? I know the card works...because I ran my guitar through the 1680 and used analog out to the analog in on the card...and the meters fired right up. My digital signal for the Mia doesn't do anything...acts like it's not getting a signal. Any ideas?
Thanks,
-jk

[dobro]

Well, you're not half as confused as me. If you've got a VS 1680, why are you routing stuff to Cool? Why do you need spdif? If you're gonna record guitar, why not go straight to Cool via the Mia? I don't understand.

[wolfdogg]

well..because the 1680 only has 8 tracks before bouncing, mastering..etc. Cool has many more. So...I would like to be able to record on either. Recording on the 1680 is about as quick a process as there is and I'm really familiar with it. I want to be able to get my tracks as I like them and just shoot them into Cool Edit...Then...I figure I have a lot more options... I also just bought a Roland Fantom. I figured that instead of all the unplugging/plugging into the Mia, I could just use it like a mixer...plugging all my instruments in the back of the 1680 and bounce them over when I get a take I like. Furthermore, I really like some of the effects on the 1680 over Cool Edit. Now...as I understand it, the 1680 is 24 bit and so is the MIA...so by going S/PDIF, I'm hoping to do this with no sound loss. I hope I'm making sense. I don't know anything about recording outside the 1680 because I've never done it...and I just got my new toys this week...so it's time to learn. What do ya' think?
jk

[dobro]

Yeah, that's sensible, but I don't think it's a Cool Edit question. I don't think I can help you much on this one, but I'll keep asking questions and maybe somebody else will notice it.

Are you just trying to transfer tracks you recorded on the Roland to you computer hard drive? Or are you trying to hook the Roland up the MIA so you can record through the Roland to the MIA? If the latter, then you need those RCA cables, yeah, and you have to make sure the sample rate matches exactly, and that you have either the roland or the mia clock slaved to the other one, if you understand me.

[jjtcorsair]

Wolfdogg- I have a similar setup as you although I'm not using a 1680. I have a Roland Fantom that I use to sequence drum parts and keys. When I'm happy with that sequence I record it into CEP via my Echo Layla. Fantom s/pdif out to Layla s/pdif in. I open my Layla mixer and click on the yellow light above the s/pdif in strip. In CEP (special edtion by the way) on the track I'm recording to I choose Layla s/pdif, stereo in the recording device window (which you access by clicking the little red number on the control strip of that track). If you've set up CEP correctly you should be able to choose from any of the analog inputs as well. Press F10 while playing from your 1680 to see meters. I'm assuming that your version of CEP and your Echo interface aren't that different than mine.