Digital I/O ?

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Casio

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I was wondering what the deal is with this thing...

I am in the process of finding a sound card and while browsing Soundcard Comparison Chart I noticed the Digital I/O chart. There are three categories in it the "S/PDIF coaxial", "TOSlink optical" and "ADAT optical", what is this stuff?
 
They are 3 different digital prototcols...

S/PDIF is a 2-channel digital protocol and uses an RCA-style connector (but you need digital cable.)

TOSLink is the same 2-channel protocol as S/PDIF but uses an optical connector.

ADAT optical is a completely separate 8-channel digital protocol that uses the same type of optical connector as TOSLink (but is completely incompatible with TOSLink or S/PDIF data streams.)
 
Casio said:
There are three categories in it the "S/PDIF coaxial", "TOSlink optical" and "ADAT optical", what is this stuff?
Click to expand...

These are 3 different types of digital input/output(I/O) connectors. Purchase a soundcard that is compatible with the gear you already own, or are about to purchase.

.
 
what's with the thumbs down??

they are just that: digital connections...

say, for example, that you go out and pick yourself up an M-audio octane, 8 channel preamp. Well insted of running a cord from each direct out of the preamp into an analog in, you could run 1 ADAT wire from the octane's ADAT out into the sound cards ADAT in. The A/D converstion happens in the octane insted of the usual sound card.

I think ( i definately could be wrong) that the standard for ADAT connections are 8 channels at 41.4 khz or 48 khz at 24 bit. very reasonable.
 
sorry, didn't see the other posts.

hey blue bear, is S/PDIF the same thing as "coaxial digital"? I am just wondering how my logitech speakers get a 5.1 surround signal from one coaxial cable if they can only carry 2 channels.
 
minofifa said:
sorry, didn't see the other posts.

hey blue bear, is S/PDIF the same thing as "coaxial digital"? I am just wondering how my logitech speakers get a 5.1 surround signal from one coaxial cable if they can only carry 2 channels.
Click to expand...

S/PDIF itself is a protocol, not dictated by the cable necessarily. The logitech may not be using S/PDIF for that data stream, OR it is but maybe multiplexing the addtional channels in a proprietary manner. This would mean it doesn't use the S/PDIF protocol though.
 
oh ok, i see.
I think before i just assumed that S/PDIF and digital were the same thing, just different names. Is there a limit as to how many channels of audio could be transfered via a digital wire?
 
I can't believe I'm actually doing this, but I have to disagree with something Bruce said (flame away, Bruce....). The S/PDIF protocol is actually not limited to just 2 channels. For instance, most consumer DVD players use an S/PDIF interface for their surround sound output, which is multi-channel.

A 2 channel protocol is normally what is used in recording gear, however, so in that he is correct. The S/PDIF protocol is more directed at the electrical characteristics of the digital signal and is not so much intended to determine how many channels of digital audio can be transferred. If you go to www.rane.com and look up technical note 149 you can get a feel for how the protocol reads.

Darryl.....
 
I stand corrected -- I was always under the impression that # of channels was part of the spec... obviously, that is not the case!

Thanks for the re-education!!! :)
 
minofifa said:
what's with the thumbs down??

they are just that: digital connections...

say, for example, that you go out and pick yourself up an M-audio octane, 8 channel preamp. Well insted of running a cord from each direct out of the preamp into an analog in, you could run 1 ADAT wire from the octane's ADAT out into the sound cards ADAT in. The A/D converstion happens in the octane insted of the usual sound card.

I think ( i definately could be wrong) that the standard for ADAT connections are 8 channels at 41.4 khz or 48 khz at 24 bit. very reasonable.
Click to expand...

Hehehe... I thought the thumbs down was a question mark :o

I Am looking for a card to record guitar, voice and use midi... maybe i will be recording drums in the near distant future... I have Yamaha mixer, Will I have any use for these connectors, what are they used for?
 
The spdif standard also specifies a "non-audio" transmission. This is used for the multichannel spdif. In this case, the extra channels are send in a compressed (lossy) format.

Adat can transmit higher samplerates by taking channels together. With S-mux you can have 4 96/24 channels instead of 8 channels of 44.1/24 or 48/24.
 
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