Which interfaces actually work with the Axe-fx II full Spdif?

Speculum Speculorum

Speculum Speculorum

Power User
Folks,

I have a Focusrite Saffire Pro 14. The Spdif works great for going out from the Axe-fx II and into the interface. I can record great sounding dry or wet tracks. For the life of me (and believe me - I tried) I cannot send a dry track out to the Axe-fx II via Spdif. No matter what I do, it displays the "No Input Clock" message on the axe-fx II. My understanding of the problem is that in order to receive spdif signal, the Axe-fx II has to be master. I cannot slave the Pro 14 to another device to send Spdif out. It is not possible. So...

What interfaces are actually known to function with the Axe-fx II in this fashion? I'm talking a purely Spdif connections for reamping here folks. I'm not looking for answers with part analog part digi. I'm not looking for people to tell me that I can make the Pro 14 work, because I know I can't. What interfaces work full Spdif. It's that simple. Anybody?
 
Bakerman - in order for the Axe-fx II to receive a Spdif signal (to say, reamp a dry signal via spdif) the Axe-fx II has to be the master. Saffire Pro 14 cannot slave to the Axe-fx II when running Spdif. We've been down this road before. It simply doesn't work. As stated earlier, I'm not interested in people telling me I'm doing it wrong with the Pro 14, because I've tried every freaking method under the sun. You simply cannot go full Spdif with the Focusrite Saffire Pro 14.

So, I ask again: Anybody who's been able to go full spdif with their interface, please let me know. Thanks!
 
You're mistaken about the Axe needing to be the master in this scenario; it can't be. When using a digital input it can only slave to the signal you're sending it.

Could you try something? Set the Saffire to internal clock, 48 kHz. Connect a cable from Saffire SPDIF out to Axe SPDIF in. Don't connect any other cables to the Axe except the power cable. Turn the Axe on & set it to use SPDIF input. If everything seems good so far, connect a cable from Axe SPDIf out to Saffire SPDIF in.

The Liquid Saffire 56 works fine in an Axe II all-SPDIF I/O setup when those steps are followed.
 
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I have a Saffire Pro DSP 24 which is the same as 14, except some dsp effects and a few more i/o:s... I have recorded dry with spdif and after that I sent the dry signal back to the axe via spdif and recorded the wet signal after the roundabout to the axe...
It can be done. I don't remember now excactly what I did but I just changed one parameter somewhere when doing the reamp.
I'll check when I have time....
 
Tried it. Set Saffire clock to internal, 48 kHz. Unplugged all cables from axe except power cord. Attached Spdif cable (I know the cable is good, because I can send signal to the interface just fine from the Axe-fx II). Turned on Axe-fx II and selected Spdif as main input source - NO INPUT CLOCK displayed.

I don't think this is a problem with the Saffire. If let's say I just loop my cable from saffire spdif in -> saffire spdif out and select spdif as my clock source, it locks. So I know that the Saffire out is sending signal. The Axe-fx II is not receiving that signal though. I'm going out on a limb here and saying that I think the spdif in on mu axe-fx II is non-functional. I can reamp sending the dry track analog to the Axe, but I'd really prefer to preserve the signal in it's purest digital form because I know that the analog out is probably coloring my signal. This is frustrating.
 
RME FF400 works fine. I've used spdif io for reamping without an issue. In fact I use the ff400 pre out through spdif exclusively - no analog cables are attached to the axe. Try another interface before concluding it's the axe.
 
grape said:
RME FF400 works fine. I've used spdif io for reamping without an issue. In fact I use the ff400 pre out through spdif exclusively - no analog cables are attached to the axe. Try another interface before concluding it's the axe.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was planning on eventually going with the RME Multiface anyway, but it sounds like others have been able to make the saffire line work, so I'm curious as to what is different about my setup. I also would like to avoid pummeling myself with a $1,000 investment into a new interface if it really is just my Axe.
 
Speculum Speculorum said:
Yeah, I was planning on eventually going with the RME Multiface anyway, but it sounds like others have been able to make the saffire line work, so I'm curious as to what is different about my setup. I also would like to avoid pummeling myself with a $1,000 investment into a new interface if it really is just my Axe.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I wasn't trying to imply that you should buy another interface. Can you take your axe to a friend who has another interface with spdif?

Also, I'm not sure you meant "Multiface" since that's a pci+io box combo rather than the usb or firewire solution provided by the fireface 400, 800, UC, UCX, and UFX. I'm sure the multiface would work fine but spring for the UCX if you can... if the Saffire doesn't work out.
 
grape said:
Sorry, I wasn't trying to imply that you should buy another interface. Can you take your axe to a friend who has another interface with spdif?

Also, I'm not sure you meant "Multiface" since that's a pci+io box combo rather than the usb or firewire solution provided by the fireface 400, 800, UC, UCX, and UFX. I'm sure the multiface would work fine but spring for the UCX if you can... if the Saffire doesn't work out.
Click to expand...

Oh man - so it would be more like $1,500. Yikes. I just can't imagine ever needing 36 analog channels - at least for a long, long time. Maybe if I started integrating more analog gear into my studio (compressors, limiters, outboard effects, a lunchbox of preamps and EQs, etc.) but that's a whole other ball game with about $20,000+ in mind... argh!

As I was saying, my current method is "functional", but I'd love to be able to use spdif the whole way through for consistency reasons. Keep 'em coming guys!

E: Anybody have any luck with the Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56?
 
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I've gotten this config to work with my M-Audio Profire 2626. It was a real bitch, though. Turned out that some of my issues stemmed from the fact that my Mac OS needed to be upgraded from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion in order to function properly with the Axe2. Can't remember offhand exactly everything else that I was doing wrong at first, but that was the main issue I had.
 
Interesting, although I really do believe there is an issue at the Axe-II level at this point. Spdif sends and receives messages on the Saffire Pro 14 - the Axe itself produces the "No input clock" message when I try to send out to it. I don't currently know anybody in the Boise area with a Spdif input on their interface, so I can't test it for now. The one dude I do know has MS, so it's a real tough up/down kind of thing. I might go down to the guitar center and see if it will clock to anything they've got set up.
 
Do you have a DVD/Blu-ray player with coax SPDIF out? You could try that out to the Axe. There might be a menu where you have to set it to output PCM/48k before this would work.
 
I will give this a shot. Or I will just haul my axe to GC and try to see if it works there. It's not like it's a huge endeavor for me to get there.
 
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