AES/EBU, S/PDIF, Lightpipe...

Henrik

Henrik

Member
AES/EBU, S/PDIF, ADAT Lightpipe - is there a quality difference between these formats, and which do you guys like the best?

Thanks
/Henrik
 
There all just digital transfer mediums and can all sound very good or not so good. AES/EBU and S/PDIF are very simaler even though S/PDIF used to be thought of as pro-sumer digital, because it carried SCMS code, but that line's a little blurred now. AES/EBU is carried on a 110 ohm cable with XLR type connectors, though this shouldn't be confussed with a mic cable and they're not interchangable. S/PDIF transports througha 75 ohm video type coax cable usually on RCA type connectors, some times BNC.
Lightpipe is ADAT optical digital format and carries 8 channels of 16 to 24 bit, 44.1 to 48KHz audio at a time, AES/EBU and S/PDIF only two at a time but can handle higher resolution, 16 to 24 bit and at least 96KHz (I'm not sure off the top of my head what the max is).
I have no fav and I use whatever is appropriate for whatever the equipment I'm using at the time has. My multi tracks are ADAT, my DAT and mini disc are S/PDIF and I have some mic pre's that have AES/EBU.
 
Isn't it so that you can actually connect most s/pdif equipment to most AES/EBU equipment if you just make the proper cables? (I haven't tried, I've just heard it whispered a few times.)
 
To add to the confusion a bit:

Lightpipe can transport 96kHz when using SMUX. You lose half your channels when using this as 2 channels at 48kHz are used to send 1 channel at 96kHz. I'm not sure if this is really a standard.

There is also a SPDIF version running on optical. It is the same protocol as SPDIF on coax, but using the same optical cables as ADAT (but not compatible with ADAT). Found on a lot of consumer gear.

There is a rare version of AES on coax.

Rolands Rbus is very similar to ADAT but not compatible.

A very important spec is usable distance. SPDIF on coax can go up to a few meters. The optical conncetions are also limited to a few meters. AES can run up to 1000m on good cable.
 
Great, thanks!

So to sum it up:

1. There is no audible difference between any of these formats.
2. S/PDIF and AES/EBU only carry two channels, while ADAT lightpipe can carry eight channels at 48 khz, and four at 96 khz.
3. S/PDIF and ADAT lightpipe cables shouldn't be run longer that a few metres, whereas AES/EBU can run a lot longer than that.

Am I right, or am I right?

/Henrik
 
That's pretty much it. To amplify on the subject a bit more, what Havoc eluded to about S/PDIF on an optical cable, it's called TOSLINK and is jsu the same data just transported on the same optical cable as ADAT.
 
Hi everyone, I am knew to this stuff and from what I am reading here, it sounds like AES/EBU is not the same as S/PDIF. I wanted to connect the AES/EBU output from a DAT to the S/PDIF input of my sound card.

Can I do this? If not...

How can i get AES/EBU digital info into my computer? Ihave not seen audio cards that have this as a connection but see tons that have S/PDIF. And most DATs have AES....ggrrrr...lol

thanks...

jam
 
Most times there is no problem. The way the data are transported is the same, only the control blocks are different, so there can be a problem but it is very unlikely as most of the control block info is never used on sound cards.

Best solution is a convertor. Midiman (M-audio) makes one. This converts not only electrical but also the data format.
 
You can get 96K ADAT with a RME ADI-8 AE digital to analog converter. It combines two channels of 48K ADAT to form one 96K channel. The eight channels of ADI-8 AE become four at 96K.
The logic here is to get the best preamp you can afford(RNP is recommended) go through the converter and straight to the recorder - shortest possible route. The best price I found on ADI-8 AE is $1130.
 
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