Can someone please explain how SPDIF works?

  • Thread starter Thread starter enemyofthesun
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enemyofthesun

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I have several pieces of gear with this feature but am not using it..


SPDIF is one little plug?
How does this work?
How does it compare to optical?
how should I hook it up?
Can I go SPDIF to analog input?


Thanks in advance for your help folks!
 
S/PDIF= Sony Phillips Digital Interface Format.
It's a single cable (75 ohm video cable with RCA type connectors). All the stereo information is in the one cable. The optical couterpart (TOSlink) is actually the same digital information as well. You CAN"T hook it to an analog source even though they share the same connector type (RCA). To hook it up obviously you have to have two devices that can communicate through S/PDIF. Use a 75 ohm Video grade coax cable and keep 'em as short as possible. No more than 15' or you'll have problems.
 
On top of it as usual TR -

A single ADAT optical cable has the capability to transmit 8 channels of in/out information.
 
does this mean my ISIS breakout box which has S/PDIF can be hooked up to an adat?? and transmit blocks of eight tracks back and forth?? this is something ive never used , it comes with optical (?) and coaxial (?) ... and honestly i wouldnt know where i could start using them ... Well from what ive heard i can hook it up to anything else which has S/PDIF , a bit like the setup of midi?? Well im glad someone brought this up cos i dont have any other equipment with it , its good to know though ... What about a DAT recorder ?? could i mixdown onto this if it had S/PDIF?? mmmm , sounds interesting..........
 
S/PDIF comes in optical or coaxial and transmits a stereo pair. ADAT (4 pairs) requires a different interface on BOTH sides; the similarilty is in the optical transmission.
And I'd say yeah to the DAT if it has S/PDIF I/O.
Same with minidisc or CD-ROM.
 
With S/PDIF to Dat, CD, and/or minidisc one cable transmits the left and right of the input while the other would transmit the left and right of the out, methinks.

I connect optical cables between my mixer and soundcard, and by using them this way, only 2 channels of stereo information can be exchanged. When (and if) I bring an adat into the picture - well, that is a another can of worms.
 
Spider:

I have an ISIS card too... as far as I can see (I haven't used them either so don't quote me on this) the SPDIF connections can be used to either mix down to or mix down from using other equipment thats compatible. I dont think you could shift 8 tracks across in a block like you describe but you could record each track down to the ISIS. My understanding of it is that as it is the digital information itself that is being copied there is less loss of quality due to less digital-analog (and vice versa) converting going on.

I could be wrong.
 
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