Audigy Record Sources?

[mark4man]

For any Cakewalk users out there with Creative SB Audigy Platinum ex:

w/ the Coax S/P DIF & Optical S/P DIF on the external drive; I just today noticed [after having purchased Toslink Optical cable w/ the intent of transferring digital tracks from my modular hard disc recorder (Fostex VF-16) to Cakewalk Pro Audio 9] that I do not have record sources listed in Cakewalk's Track Properties for those ports! They don't seem to be listed in my computer's Control Panel Multimedia Properties either [the only devices listed are Wave (Audigy 1460 Left, Right & Stereo.) With prior sound card installations, digital devices were also listed in Cakewalk as record sources.] Is this perhaps an installation problem (such as uninstalled drivers), or is there something I am missing in Creative's configuration? Thanks.

mark4man

 

[johnhoe]

Hi there. I have an Audigy Platignum running Sonar 1.31 with Windows Xp. As far as I know you cannot access the soundcard mixer thru the CW software (I also have CWPA 9). You have to switch the volume icon on the taskbar with start/control panel/sounds and audio devices/ volume. Click on enable volume icon on taskbar. In Win98 there is a similar way of doing it. Or else place the Audio HQ applet on taskbar and access the mixer thru that.

Cheers...

 

[mark4man]

johnhoe,

I have access to the Creative Surround Mixer (as well as the Windows Volume Control); & can select S/P DIF in as the record source. My question is: in Cakewalk Track Properties, how can I insure that I am recording from that source, if I only have Wave devices listed? (what I had wanted to do was try a direct digital transfer using Optical S/P DIF.) Thanks.

mark4man

 

[johnhoe]

As far as I can see:-
1) The s/pdif in is normally muted on mixer by default so it would need to be selected and unmuted in record properties.
2) I have a feeling that the optical in may share an input with another marked input on the mixer and a jumper may select between the 2 on the Audigy board .
3) The cakewalk record properties in cwpa 9 (and in sonar) only refer to "wave in" and "wave out" but in fact mean any audio input selected (mic/aux/etc) as current by the mixer. I sense this may have caused confusion.

Good luck!

 

[mark4man]

johnhoe,

I think you may be right, because I tried it anyway & it sorta' worked. I output Optical S/P DIF from my modular recorder to the external Audigy Drive (Optical S/P DIF In.) I panned the output signal hard left; & selected "Left SB Audigy Wave In [1460]" in Cakewalk Track Properties...& recorded a beautiful track! Thing is, I was not able to monitor the recording! After the track was recorded, it played back fine. I am really lost now. I intend to try this again with "What You Hear"; & then "Analog Mix" selected as record source in the Creative Surround Mixer, to see if I can record & also monitor. But, to my mind, wouldn't any process outside of selecting a digital record source in any Sequencing application defeat the purpose of a direct digital transfer of data? Wouldn't the data be converted to analog & back to digital once? Thanks.

MF

 

[johnhoe]

Markman,

Perhaps you should download the technical pdf (can't remember whatits called) that is on the Creative site that actually describes the digital/analogue processes inside the audigy. I use the optical out to my amplifier and have recorded minidisc on optical in. I have never used the sp/dif inputs. In practice I believe the biggest problem with the audigy is its insistence on recording at 48KHZ instead of the standard 44.1 and the conversion that always seems to be needed. In fact all the internal processing inside the audigy is done at 96Khz 24 bit and is converted back to 48KHz. You are right tho there is little point in using the analogue wave in part of the mixer if you have a digital output from the device you are using. Also the optical in/out is superior to sp/dif for SN ratio.