JonathanRay
New member
What is SPDIF? What are the advantages of SPDIF? The Soundcraft M12 has SPDIF, how could this assist me in the future if I purchased a Digi 002R? Thanks for putting up with my questions. 
CoolCat
Well-known member
Spdif
its the fiber optic.
Sony/Phillips Digital Interface...F something.
Usually helps skip a D/A conversion step.,,in a HR setup.
its the fiber optic.
Sony/Phillips Digital Interface...F something.
Usually helps skip a D/A conversion step.,,in a HR setup.
JonathanRay
New member
I had an MBox, which had SPDIF. It was a single RCA jack. Is that digital?
Clit Torres
New member
Yup it's digital. It's a coaxial SPDIF port. Just make sure you use the proper cable. And in case you were unaware, the SPDIF protocol carries two channels.
JonathanRay
New member
Ah, thanks. Are the two channels left and right? How or why would I use SPDIF with an M12 and 002R?
MrBoogie
Member
Clit Torres said:
In a pinch, I've used the video cable from an a/v cable because I was short one cable when i hooked it up. Any idea if this is asking for trouble or if I shouldn't worry? It seems to be working ok...
BTW, SPDIF is not fiber optic. It is standard cable. The fiber optic cable is called toslink.
JonathanRay
New member
Does an RCA video cable contain 2 channels?
M
mikedaul
New member
An RCA video cable will work fine for spdif. Basiclaly the thing you need to worry about is the resistance of the cable, and the video cable is the proper resistance for spdif data (75 ohms).
Typically a device will have two spdif ports, one for input and one for output. Both carry a stereo (L + R) signal. One thing you will need to worry about is making sure the clocks of your two devices are working together correctly. In general you will slave the device with the lesser clock to the device with the better clock. I would guess that the 002r would have a better clock than the spirit, but that's just a guess...
Typically a device will have two spdif ports, one for input and one for output. Both carry a stereo (L + R) signal. One thing you will need to worry about is making sure the clocks of your two devices are working together correctly. In general you will slave the device with the lesser clock to the device with the better clock. I would guess that the 002r would have a better clock than the spirit, but that's just a guess...
JonathanRay
New member
What is a clock? What is the purpose of using SPDIF between the M12 and 002R?
SonicAlbert
Super-Sonic "Herb" Albert
I think the M12 has a SPDIF digital output doesn't it? If you wanted to use the converters in the M12 you would go out of it digitally. I fyou want to use the converters in the 002R, you would go out the mixer main outputs and into a pair of line inputs on the 002R.
When you have two digital devices, one sending and one receiving digital data, they have to be synchronized to work properly. The "clock" is how they do that. The receiving devices locks to the sending device. One is the master and the other the slave device.
When you have two digital devices, one sending and one receiving digital data, they have to be synchronized to work properly. The "clock" is how they do that. The receiving devices locks to the sending device. One is the master and the other the slave device.
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mikedaul
New member
The purpose would be that you could send a submix of all of the inputs in your m12 as a stereo pair digitally into your 002r, enabling you to record more sources at the same time (like a drumset). *I don't think in a recording situation you would get much from going out of the 002r into the m12. You could use the m12 to mixdown your songs in PT and send that mix back through the spdif to the 002r. As was mentioned, the benefits really depend on which device has the better-sounding set of a/d converters.
*One small edit - I assumed the m12 had spdif in as well as out. It doesn't, so ignore this line
reshp1
New member
SPDIF is the digital format, not the specification for the cable. SPDIF can be transmitted both on RCA cables (75Ohm) AND/OR TOSlink optical cables.
Farview
Well-known member
Spdif is a digital protocol. It can be sent via a fiber optic cable or a 75 ohm cable with rca or bnc ends. spdif is just the protocol, don't confuse the type of cable with the type of signal it is carrying.
M
mikedaul
New member
Absolutely true, but fwiw the overwhelming majority of spdif devices in the proaudio world use a coaxial interface. The only time I've ever encountered optical spdif is with minidisc and home stereo equipment. If you go to banjomart and ask for an spdif cable, my hunch is 99/100 times they will hand you a 75ohm coaxial cable with rca ends.
Farview
Well-known member
Pro audio and banjomart are mutually exclusive termsmikedaul said:
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Not only that, but TOSLINK is used almost as much as Coax for S/PDIF connections on gear............Farview said:
fraserhutch
Flypaper for freaks
mikedaul said:
Absoutely not true. The vast majority I have seen use EITHER.
CoolCat
Well-known member
Spdif
found this definition.
S/PDIF
S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) is a standard audio transfer file format. It is usually found on digital audio equipment such as a DAT (Digital Audio Tape) machine or audio processing device. It allows the transfer of audio from one file to another without the conversion to and from an analog format, which could degrade the signal quality.
The most common connector used with an S/PDIF interface is the RCA connector, the same one used for consumer audio products. An optical connector is also sometimes used.
yeah TOSLINK...i forgot that term. thats the more common name for optical?
I've got fiber optic on my 2488...and noticed a big + difference using it compared to rca (d/a) on my consumer Pioneer 555 CDR.
found this definition.
S/PDIF
S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) is a standard audio transfer file format. It is usually found on digital audio equipment such as a DAT (Digital Audio Tape) machine or audio processing device. It allows the transfer of audio from one file to another without the conversion to and from an analog format, which could degrade the signal quality.
The most common connector used with an S/PDIF interface is the RCA connector, the same one used for consumer audio products. An optical connector is also sometimes used.
yeah TOSLINK...i forgot that term. thats the more common name for optical?
I've got fiber optic on my 2488...and noticed a big + difference using it compared to rca (d/a) on my consumer Pioneer 555 CDR.
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mikedaul
New member
Lol
True that, I'm just figuring that's where new-to-recording folks typically go to buy cables.Wow, guess I'm mistaken then. But the stuff I use on a regular basis is all coaxial. Everything (at least that I've seen) by echo, m-audio, rme (although they normally allow for the adat optical to pass spdif as well), digi (the non-tdm stuff) etc is all coaxial as well. But I know you have a badass studio and probably see much more gear in a week than I've seen in a year, so I trust you. And I'll go away and keep my ignorant ass quiet now
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MrBoogie
Member
COOLCAT said:
I stand corrected. The website I got my information from about spdif specifically said it is a standard for digital audio transfer over a 75 ohm cable. (I really need to be more careful which websites I get my information from.)