SPIDF-Out sounds more digital like Line-Outs?

D

DirtyBanana

Member
hey ppl,

some time ago, i read somewhere that the SPIDF out sounds more "digital" and not as "organic" than the Line outs. Can somebody confirm this or is it bulls***?

cheers,
dan
 
This is 100% dependent on the DAC connected to the SPDIF.
What Cliff meant is that connecting the SPDIF to your average sound card will
make it sound more "digital" in comparison to the quality converters in the AXE-FX.

Of course if you have some high quality DA converters it will sound just as good as the analog output or even better.
In other words, unless you have those $1000-$2000 converters you are probably better off using the analog outputs.

;)
 
According to Cliff in that thread S/PDIF should not be used......I was unaware that S/PDIF had such a bad rap. I, like most of you, figured that staying digital was the way to go...less conversions and so forth. Guess I need to re-evaluate my set-up..!!
 
Just for the record:
I am now running SPDIF into my M-Audio soundcard and I am happy. :D
The Analog outputs sound a little different but in the end they are so close
that it doesn't really mater what I use (I have them both hooked up)

I like the convenience of SPDIF not needing to mess with levels.

;)
 
AndrewSimon said:
I am now running SPDIF into my M-Audio soundcard and I am happy. :D
Click to expand...
Me, too.

Let's not, the bunch of us, get silly with this "S/PDIF is crap" thing. It apparently can be really bad even with the sample rates nominally matched, but it's still bypassing a redundant D/A/D conversion and through both my consumer level sound cards (M-Audio Delta Audiophile and an older Terratec Phase 88) it sounds fine and I haven't noticed any artifacts. Certainly nothing "unnatural" or "digital" sounding to my ear. I haven't run any particular tests on this, though - because I've never detected anything wrong.

When recording "seriously" we've gone analog with the extreme quality converters at the studio I use. But that's only because the Axe doesn't play well with others in another way - it always wants to be the master!
 
DAC?
In a recording, mixing situation, if you playback from the DAW, that's the place where a DAC is involved on your sound card. Anyway, having a nice DAC chip does not mean it sounds good. The architecture and surrounding layout is far more important.
The single reason to use SPDIF is to avoid an extra AD-DA conversion, due it's pure digital.
In case of using analog outs the sound cards ADC can make quite a difference.
Anyway 80% player, 15% guitar+axe, 5% all the rest of the equipment you have.
Of course the rule applies, "the weakest parts best will be the bottleneck on the whole signal chain." Running the Axe to a cheap mixer will sound as good as that mixer can sound.
 
Bugger. I'm running the spdif into the digital in on my iMac until I can afford an Apogee Duet. Oh well. I don't record that much, I tend to just noodle through my monitors.
 
I use the SPDIF too. I'd rather not mess with setting levels. Every time i plugin to record everything is at the same exact level it was before, unless i changed the patch. And at least i know there is no degradation for D->A conversions and once again back for reamping. It might not be optimal, but it eliminates a lot of mistakes I'll probably make because I'm not that great at the audio engineering end of things and i'm sure my converters aren't so hot. Also, I haven't noticed any issues so far.
 
I tend to agree..with a good interface..a good S/DIF cable (Monster Datalink IDL 100) the shortest length possible. I think the sound is pristine....!!
 
For me the main reason to avoid the digital outs of the Axe Fx is that I prefer to record at 24 bit, 44.1 kHz,(digital's are 48k) the analog outs sound excellent in my opinion, I've compared them and didn't hear any reason to use the digital outputs, unless you really need to use the digital outs, the XLR analog is the way to go.
 
I must have bad ears because I have tried both and cannot really tell the difference. I use SPIDF for the ease of use. I am running it into a fireface 800 which is supposet to have good converters. I likey! :D
 
cloudsplitter said:
I tend to agree..with a good interface..a good S/DIF cable (Monster Datalink IDL 100) the shortest length possible. I think the sound is pristine....!!
Click to expand...

It's digital signal, it either works or it doesn't. So the cable isn't all that relevant...

I haven't noticed any real difference between running analog to my Echo AudioFire4 vs running to the coax SPDIF.
 
I use the SPDIF outs on my Ultras into a M-Audio 2496 and a pair of Edirols MA-15Ds. They both sound fine to me.
 
What on earth does "sounds more digital" mean anyway?

Sounds better because there's no noise?
Sounds better because it reproduces frequencies perfectly to the Nyquist limit?
Sounds worse because I can't make it louder without digital clipping?
Sounds bad because I'm using cheap converters? (not on the AxeFX, though ;) )
Sounds worse than analog because it doesn't have the same non-linearities as when I play through a Brand-X analog preamp?
Doesn't have analog "warmth" caused by poor analog high frequency response?

Toungue in cheek, but I never know whether this statement is meant to imply that digital is bad in some way. In many cases, including the AxeFX, the analog output is a converted digital signal, so by definition the analog cannot be better (more accurate) than its digital source. If you like analog better, it's because the convertor or your analog preamp distorts in some way you happen to like! :lol:
 
Tucking my question about how to hook up my Axe in here instead of starting a new thread. Thank you for indulging my newbie question. I ordered the Ultra over the weekend so I'm getting ready for it. It's going into a rack next to an Eleven Rack which will be the interface into the computer and Pro Tools. The connection between the Axe and the Eleven should be digital to avoid unnecessary A/D conversion, right? Page 11 of the Axe manual shows the back panel of the Axe but is lacking in information about the specifics of the digital I/O connectors. The Eleven rack describes it's digital I/O as:

"The AES/EBU In and Out ports are balanced
three-conductor XLR connectors that can run at
up to 24-bit, 96 kHz resolution."

It appears to be simple XLR connectors. All I need is a mic cable?

Or should I just use the S/PDIF described in the Eleven manual as:

The S/PDIF In and Out ports are unbalanced
two-conductor phono (RCA) connectors that
can run at up to 24-bit, 96 kHz resolution.
The Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format
(S/PDIF) is used in many professional and consumer
CD recorders and DAT recorders. To
avoid RF interference, use 75-ohm coaxial cable
for S/PDIF transfers and keep the cable length to
a maximum of 10 meters.

Something like this? http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ ... 1&format=2

If you could link to the specific cables I need that would help a ton.

Thanks in advance
 
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