S/pdif?

[SteveCPerrino]

I understand ADAT, but then I realized that my interface doesn't have a digital out.

So I came across the "S/PDIF" output, and I was wondering what exactly that does? Does it do relatively the same thing or something completely different?

 

[KineticSound]

Steve,
S/PDIF (Sony/Phillips Digital Interface) carries a similar signal, but only two tracks at a time, whereas ADAT interfaces can carry eight tracks at once.

I assume by your comment that you're working with a lightpipe S/PDIF port?

 

[SteveCPerrino]

ohhhh okay.

and I'm not sure, I'm running currently through a Presonus Firepod 10x10, and I wanted to connect it to some pro tools interface eventually. I saw that the only interface with an ADAT input was the (very expensive) digirack. But then I saw the M-box had an S/PDIF input and I saw that my firepod also did and I was just wondering if it had similar functionality as an ADAT, but I think i'd rather save up a few hundred more dollars to get the digirack.

 

[KineticSound]

I'm running currently through a Presonus Firepod 10x10, and I wanted to connect it to some pro tools interface eventually.

Let me track that through... You want to use the preamps on the Firepod as a front end to the Digi? Since the Firepod is an interface in itself, I don't quite get what you're trying to do.

The S/PDIF ports on the Firepod are on RCA/Coax plugs, so one could not connect between the Firepod's S/PDIF and an ADAT port without the use of a converter. Even so, you'd only be able to exchange data on tracks 1/2, making the process rather worthless.

The S/PDIF inputs and outputs on the Firepod would be for, say, connecting an external CDR to and from the Computer system. You could send the stereo mix from your computer recording out via S/PDIF to the corresponding input on a high-end CD burner. In similar fashion, one could take the digital audio output from said CD deck and port it into a software recording program by utilizing the S/PDIF inputs on the Firepod.

You could also (as I used to do) use an external mic preamp equipped with S/PDIF out and run it into the Firepod's S/PDIF input, allowing you to use outboard converters instead of the Presonus'. I used to have this setup with a Focusrite preamp... I had a Focusrite ADC card that converted the signal within the mic preamp, then ran the signal via S/PDIF into my interface and on to the computer. The advantage in such a setup is that it liberates you from the converters in your interface, since the digital signal is already converted, and you can use whatever outboard converters that you like. That's the intent of the S/PDIF jacks on the Firepod.