s/pdif help please

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nathan1984
  • Start date Start date
N

Nathan1984

New member
So I have been doing some research on s/pdif in/outs. I was wanting to see if you guys may be able to help me figure something out. I have a tascam us800, that has 2 digital ins via s/pdif and I have a line6 ux2 that has 2 pre's and s/pdif out. The dilemma is that both are usb, so when I plug them both in, the only interface that wants to be recognized is my ux2. I hooked up the s/pdif out on the line6 to the s/pdif in on my us800 hoping that it would add two more pre's to my setup that way I could record 8 mics at once. If you guys know what my problem is and have some solutions, please feel free to fire away.
 
What you describe is exactly how you'd do it as far as I know.

I see what you mean about the USB problem though. It needs power from there right?
You should be able to select which interface you use in whatever DAW you're using, or in windows device manager/mac system preferences.
 
I don't use either of your devices, so the following advice may be worth what it cost you....

Download the advanced user guide for the ux2, go to the section on Standalone operation.

If you operate the ux2 in standalone mode, you might be able to do what you want using the s/pdif connections. Configure the ux2 to send output to the digital outs.

You will need to run both devices at the same sampling rate.

Otherwise, please post more info: operating system, what software you are using, etc.

Paul
 
Seems there's some details missing.
Is the problem that you can get the tascam to see the external spdif input pair but not those and the tascam's (normal channels) in the daw at the same time?
 
PRHunt said:
I don't use either of your devices, so the following advice may be worth what it cost you....

Download the advanced user guide for the ux2, go to the section on Standalone operation.

If you operate the ux2 in standalone mode, you might be able to do what you want using the s/pdif connections. Configure the ux2 to send output to the digital outs.

You will need to run both devices at the same sampling rate.

Otherwise, please post more info: operating system, what software you are using, etc.

Paul
Click to expand...
Yes. And the issue of how/who gets to do master clock may come up as well.
 
I doubt the SPIDF connections will act as some sort of "device interface" connection...they are basically for passing digital audio info, so hooking the two boxes in series via SPDIF will not be seen as two devices by the DAW.

AFA why your DAW app is not seeing them both when hooked via USB....mmmmmm...that's curious.
I would think it might be how you are setting up the devices in the DAW app.
The computer itself should recognize multiple USB devices without problems....maybe just needs all the drivers installed for each device...but after that, the answer IMO is at your DAW app and how it's configured.
 
miroslav said:
I doubt the SPIDF connections will act as some sort of "device interface" connection...they are basically for passing digital audio info, so hooking the two boxes in series via SPDIF will not be seen as two devices by the DAW.
Click to expand...

I don't think that's what the OP is trying to do though. I took it that he just wants to line6 digi outs to feed the digi ins on the tascam.

Problem is when he plugs the line6 in over usb (to power it i guess?) the computer sees it as the main interface.
 
Steenamaroo said:
Problem is when he plugs the line6 in over usb (to power it i guess?) the computer sees it as the main interface.
Click to expand...

Almost certainly, both audio devices will show up on the usb bus. And presumably, the standalone line6 software will recognize the presences of the ux2. This is why I suggested that using the ux2 in "standalone" mode might do the trick. Surely the DAW can be configured to use one audio device or the other?

(Some devices can be configured to operate independently of the computer, but seemingly not the ux2. I think my Echo AF8 can do that, but I have had no need to try.)

However, until the OP provides information about his computer platform, operating system, and DAW, there's not much more that can be said.

Paul
 
Nathan1984 said:
I hooked up the s/pdif out on the line6 to the s/pdif in on my us800 hoping that it would add two more pre's to my setup that way I could record 8 mics at once.
Click to expand...

This is the sentence that I was referring to.
It sounds like he is expecting the two devices to be recognized via SPDIF...ain't gonna happen.

AFA using multiple devices...while I don't use USB audio interfaces, I do have multiple interfaces, and I have to configure the order of the devices in my DAW. Each one gets a name and then its channels are assigned 1,2,3,4,5,6, etc, etc...so that's why I think he can do it via USB too. IOW...I don't see why one device would be automatically chosen as the primary, and at the same time "block" the other one from being seen....????
But like I said...I've not screwed around with USB-based audio interfaces, so maybe there is something quirky with some models.
 
Ah i see.
Do you run a mac?

I wasn't aware you could have run more than one interface under windows, apart from the exceptions where they have drivers for it. (delta 1010 etc)
 
Nope...not a Mac, just a boring PC. ;)

I run (3) Layla24 boxes.
When I asked Echo, they said yeah, it should work, but it apparently wasn't something a lot of folks were doing a lot back then in the home-rec/project studio.
I guess everyone usually looks at how many channels they need for *recording*, and in the home-rec/project studio, 8 channels is usually more than enough.

However, I was looking at how many channels I could have for *mixing*, as I wanted to come out of my DAW and mix OTB, with the DAW as my playback "deck"....so I wanted at least 24 channels. I almost went for 32 channels and a 4th box, but haven't had the need to up to now.
They work together like a charm. The first box is locked to internal clock, then I daisy Word clock from the first to the second and from the second to the third.
Rock solid.
In the DAW I see all 24 A/D/A channels...so yeah, I could also record 24 simultaneous channels if ever needed.
Since I actually track to tape, I dump as many as a 15 tracks at a time into the DAW...so yeah, I'm using two boxes at the same time to do that...and during mixdowns all three boxes simultaneously.
 
I run this setup on a mac with a profire 2626.

The problem that you have that I don't is all interfaces are recognized by OSX (I used to have a firepod, mbox 2, and toneport hooked up to my computer all at the same time without issue).

This is essential to be able to do what you need because you need to be able to set the clock on the US1800 from internal to S/Pdif making the line 6 UX2 the clock source.

With the setup your using, unless there is a DSP mixer you still have to run podfarm/gearbox in order to monitor those inputs on the UX2 and you will have to monitor from the UX2 hardware instead of the US1800 unless your computer can run with lower latency settings (definitely not out of the question). If there is a DSP mixer then all is well, but since it's a cheaper interface I'm gonna go ahead and doubt it.


First issue you have to solve is getting both interfaces to show up on your system.
 
I run Sonar 8, pc Win7 64bit of course, yeah my problem was that the line6 does take over as the main soundcard on my pc when both are hooked up. I am not sure if it recognizes both in the daw, but I know that sound isn't going into my us800. Also, no digital in are recognized either, when I try hooking them up via s/pdif, the tascam has a digital mixer, and there was no levels for anything, leading me to believe that the line6 completely takes over as soundcard or interface whatever you wanna call it.
 
Nathan1984 said:
... I am not sure if it recognizes both in the daw, but I know that sound isn't going into my us800. Also, no digital in are recognized either, when I try hooking them up via s/pdif, the tascam has a digital mixer, and there was no levels for anything, leading me to believe that the line6 completely takes over as soundcard or interface whatever you wanna call it.
Click to expand...
There's two routing methods being talked about here in this thread.
The first like I was thinking is wanting the Line6 to pass it's audio through the Tascam and show up in the recoreder as all those inputs under the tascam's house.

The other is the spdif is just a clock source to align the two's converters, and each USB carries it's own audio.

My guess job one (for 1st routing) is tascam needs to see the spdif signal, and line6 would need to see a spdif in from the tascam for clock- in addition to the out' cable feeding audio to the tascam.
 
miroslav said:
Nope...not a Mac, just a boring PC. ;)

I run (3) Layla24 boxes.
When I asked Echo, they said yeah, it should work, but it apparently wasn't something a lot of folks were doing a lot back then in the home-rec/project studio.
Click to expand...

Ah I see. That's one of the exceptions. Their drivers allow for multiple interfaces on pc, but usually this isn't the case.
I'm not even sure there's any way to mix and match hardware like with aggregate device on OSX, but things change so fast. I might have blinked an missed it,lol.
 
Steenamaroo said:
Ah I see. That's one of the exceptions. Their drivers allow for multiple interfaces on pc, but usually this isn't the case.
Click to expand...

Are you saying that having 2-3 boxes isn't usually possible/common....?
I dunno...I've seen other guys doing it, the ones that still need a lot of simultaneous recording channels (or mixing OTB channels, like me).
I've never asked how others were doing it, but it's not that uncommon.

Are you talking specifically about USB interfaces...?

I know there have to be ways to do 16/24/32 track recordings, and there aren't a lot of single boxes that have large A/D/A channel counts. There are a few 16-channel boxes, but 8 seems to be the most common, so there has to be a way people are using 2-3 boxes to get the channels.
 
sortof.
What I mean is using two or more interfaces relies on them being the same type and/or from the same manufacturer.
As I say, I might be a bit out of the loop. Maybe windows just does aggregate devices now, but if not then you can't add a firepod to your setup, for example, or even a delta 1010 (keeping it pci).

I doubt the OP can use both of his interfaces as interfaces, but he certainly should be able to use the line6 as a standalone preamp feeding the tascam over spdif,
 
miroslav said:
I know there have to be ways to do 16/24/32 track recordings, and there aren't a lot of single boxes that have large A/D/A channel counts. There are a few 16-channel boxes, but 8 seems to be the most common, so there has to be a way people are using 2-3 boxes to get the channels.
Click to expand...

This can be achieved by daisy-chaining firewire devices, but the devices need to be identical, or at least from the same "family" - for example, the Echo Audiofire. Daisy-chaining 2 x AF12 devices gives you 24 channels.

You will run into bandwidth limitations, higher sample rates leading to lower ultimate channel count.

PCI/PCIe based hardware can also provide expandability via "break-out boxes". Some of the RME products do this?

From the point of view of the driver, essentially one multichannel devices is addressed. OSX offers some sort of "aggregate" device function, but I don't know much about this.

Paul
 
Mmmmm...yeah, that would make sense, if you use the same brand, then it's doable (which is what I have with my rig).
I would never consider mixing different brands intentionally...I mean, if you were building a multi-channel rig, you would obviously go for the same brands/model.

I guess then the OP is SOL....?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top