multiple channels of S/PDIF or ADAT etc

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I want to send 4 distinct channels of 24bit 96mhz digital audio coming out of my EZBUS to my PC. EZBus has ADAT optical in/out and S/PDIF Coax (not TOSLINK optical).

Currently get audio and midi to SONAR via USB and have soundblaster live to handle sound output for monitoring.

I'm trying to understand more about the S/PDIF works. Does a card with S/PDIF handle four separate audio channels?

How much difference in audio quality between S/PDIF Coax and S/PDIF optical?

Is there a card that gives me 4 96mhz audio without having to buy an entire setup i.e. Layla 24 includes break out box which is overlap with the EZBus.

Event EZBus EZ8 actually would work for me but have been unable to get their Windows XP drivers for this card to work since summer.
 
ADAT optical will only support 24/48. It won't pass 96K. No quality difference between TOSLINK and coax S/PDIF.
 
I personally have no experience recording with spdif, but I would think multiple tracks are possible just becuse of how Dolby Digital 5.1 works using spdif connectors - there are 6 discrete channels of audio being sent from a DVD player to a Dolby Digital receiver/decoder.

I don't think there is any real difference between coax and optical other than the reliability and wear and tear issues of the connection itelf. Data is being sent digitally with both.
 
Spdif is indeed 2-channel. But it has another non-audio mode that is used to pipe 5.1, but this is a compressed audio format, so it can send it through the available bandwith. The info contained in optical or coax is the same, so is the performance. Optical has the advantage of electrical isolation.

You probably want 96 kHz, not Mhz as no pc will be able to follow that.

Now ADAT can do 96kHz by using 2 24/48 channels to transport the data of one 24/96. But you loose 4 tracks. As you only need 4 tracks it can be a solution. So you have to check if your EZBus supports something called S/MUX. I did a quick search, but could not find something about it, but you could check your documentation or ask Event.
 
I should have said ADAT lightpipe will only support 8 24/48k tracks. You're correct in that it will pass 96K by sacrificing the number of simultainious tracks.
 
yes, Event EZ8 does SMUX to get 96khz so I loose 4 of 8 live feed channels from the EZBUS mixer. But I still can get as many other channels for soft synths (and do mix downs anyway) inside SONAR.

My EZBUS is essentially a big break out box, much like Delta 66's and Ardvaarks but uses ADAT optical as the bus into the PCI card in the PC. There are also 2 S/PDIF outs, (and 1 in for monitoring) but that obviously makes for only 2 stereo channels going into the PC. With 8 ADAT in, 8 ADAT or (4/4 at 96khz) I can do multiple channels in while monitoring multiple channels simultaneously.

Just can't get the EZ8 cause of no XP drivers available as of right now.

Meanwhile, I will consider alternatives.
 
see new thread re: Hammerfall HDSP9652
 
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