I need Help with S/PDIF on a Delta 1010LT .

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ApolloSpeed

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Ok, I'm currently running on my delta 1010LT on a drumset with 8 inputs recorded simutaneously.

But I need a couple more inputs for my hihats and ride cymbal.....and I noticed that my card has a S/PDIF i/o that should give me 2 more mic inputs.

How do i set this up the cheapest way?

And will the S/PDIF latency be right with the rest of the inputs ?


thanks,
Drew
 
Good question! I'm sure I've asked this a couple times, but I don't remember if I ever got a cost effective answer!
Some preamps have SPDIF outs. It's the higher end ones that do.

If you do find something to use, yes, all 10 inputs should record simultaneously, but you will need to setup the time clock for the SPDIF devices.
 
Well, I seen like some ART DPS preamps for like 150 on ebay......but kinda near the price of another 1010LT.


really wordclock huh ?....so I would be better off (money wise atleast) just getting another 1010LT for $200 then ?
 
If the Delta is running on internal clock, hopefully it would apply to all the ins and outs right?
Wayne
 
The cheapest external A-D that can feed your s/pdif input are found in hardware boxes like FX units. If the box is 24bit/96Khz capable, then the converter is probably at least as good as the ones in your soundcard. For some peculiar reason, this kind of solution is usually far more cost effective than buying an external ADC unit.

With a digital FX box, the method would be to set up a dry effect mix, although you might want to take advantage of any dynamics processing it has, but remember it's next to impossible to remove all the effects of compression from a recording if you later decide you don't like it's sound in the mix. You get extra bang for your buck if the FX has a better reverb than your DAW, which you can include in your mix from an aux send bus.

A down side to FX units is that they normally, probably always, only run at one sample-rate. The Delta card has to be set to External Clock in its control panel Hardware Settings tab to use the s/pdif input, that it, is has to slave and lock to the external s/pdif inputs rate, so your project must be at the rate determined by the external box.

Turning to units designed mainly as external converters, the cheapest also have output DACs that can run off a cards s/pdif output. That I know of, there is...
ART Dio
Behringer Ultramatch SCR2496
M-audio Flying Cow.


Of these, I own the Behringer. It's very good value for money, uses AKM converters, 24bit 96Khz capable, selectable sample-rate and can do a few more tricks like stripping SCMS protection out and converting between optical or coax s/pdif and AES/EBU on XLR. However, it has no mic preamps being balanced line level over XLR connectors.
 
I have a 1010, not the LE but I've used the S/PDIF along with the 8 analog inputs. You need to set the card to external in the control pannel and set the sample rate on the pre. I use an M-Audio Tampa and everything will sync up nicely. That's a lot of mics for a kit
 
yeah....but my only options in my control panel are

Internal XTAl
s/pdif IN
Word Clock


I don't see an External.
 
the internal clock on the 1010 sounds better than most external spdif units. noticeably tighter bottom end.

and the wordclock did not even work on my 1010.
 
CyanJaguar said:
the internal clock on the 1010 sounds better than most external spdif units. noticeably tighter bottom end.
Click to expand...
I was wondering about that. If external clock does happen take it down a step, then you could be sacrificing a bit on the existing eight inputs to get a pair more. But then if the Delta can't send and the external pre can't receive word clock it's no go anywho..
Don't know, just adding to the mix. :)
Wayne
 
Ah, the 1010 panel doesn't actually say External then because it has the choice of s/pdif or wordclock inputs - either of those are External clocks.

The proper 1010 with the external rack does have a reputation for a very good clock. The 1010LT though, has the usual pair of oscillator crystals strapped on the controller chip arrangement that all basic soundcards have.

We've seen a few that can't get the 1010 wordclock working, I don't know if it needs a 75ohm terminator on the cable? Some boxes need you to fit one, some have it already always in circuit inside the box and some have a switch. And it is 75ohm cable and not the 50ohm stuff used on old style computer ethernet?

I don't notice the sound get any worse with my Audiophile cards when they are synced to the Behringer SRC2496, but that has pretty much the same kind of clock generator as the M-audio cards, so there's less to lose. You can of course switch back to Internal clock once recordings done.

It's probably even cheaper or less hassle to fit another card. You can fit another of the Delta cards if you want and have them running together under the same driver. The cheapest, the Audiophile2496 will get you another 2 unbalanced i/o really cheap. A Delta66 will give you another 4 balanced i/o.

It can get very convoluted with external boxes, especially if you also want to use their s/pdif inputs and you find the box has to be on external sync too. Now the box and the soundcard can't both be on external!
 
Jim Y said:
We've seen a few that can't get the 1010 wordclock working, I don't know if it needs a 75ohm terminator on the cable?
Click to expand...

Nope, The 75 ohm termination does not work. If you have a box that does not sync prperly to wordclock, (I had 2 that did not) you need to return them to M-Audio for a free upgrade,(actually a "fix"). Mine took about 4 weeks but worked fine when they got back.
 
what kind of drum are you trying to record? you can have best results with 6mics... you will only get confused with more mics.. even if you are micing all the toms in the drumset, (i presume you have at most 4 of them) then, one for the kick, another for the snare, and two overheads for all the cymbals.. then off you go..
but my choice is usually; tuning the drumset very well, and playing very smooth. then all you need is kick, snare, 2 for the toms and 2 for the cymbals.. if you play it fine, the results are better than anything. i even heard some pros recording with 3 or 4 mics. so instead of going shopping; go studying on your mixing and drumming skills. that pays so much more in the future
 
I use my TC Electronic M300 as an A/D converter, to use the SPDIF inputs on my Delta 66. If anything, i think it sounds Better going through that than the normal inputs on the soundcard, but yeah, i'm talking about the 66, not 1010.

If you go that way, you get a pretty nice reverb/effects box too :p.

Andy
 
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