Mixing through spdif output help

Lunatic · Post by **Lunatic** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:05 pm

Hi all,
could some of you guys help me out please?
What it is that i want to do is mix through spdif because i think it sounds alot cleaner and mixing is a dream. The thing is i need something to capture the mix, i've thought about running the spdif from the luna into a laptop and then mastering it but this is not an option because i would need an external soundcard with spdif on for the laptop. The other thing i thought about was using my minidisk player and going spdif into that and recording it then sending it back to the computer but there is no spdif out on the MD player and i dont trust MD anyway.

So how can i work through spdif as an output but record the mix back into the computer? or do i need an external device?

Thanks for you're help

moxi · Post by **moxi** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:30 pm

first , don't use MD, there is some kind of data compression that won't help you in mastering.

maybe you can simply redirect the output of your creamware mixer to a wave driver, then record your mix into soundforge or wavelab...or send it back into a free asio input (just turn off the monitoring button for the track that record the master, so you will avoid feedback loop

goin thru the spdif output won't change anything compared to the raw datas that your creamware mixer output

use the spdif output only if you own an external gear that hold such input, but if you final purpose is to burn a CD with your computer, you will get the same result if you just save the output in a file

devo · Post by **devo** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:33 pm

Maybe I am not understanding your problem completely, but why not record directly in computer (with the LUNA card) using the ASIO destination module in SFP? This won't give you any lesser quality than sending it through a SPDIF loop.

EDIT: oops, a bit late...

Post by **hubird** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:35 pm

what's actually your studio system?
you wanne record external gear?
you use an external mixer with spdif?
I'd say record the output of your Scope mixer on your harddisk, I use the spdif to feed and get back the Lexicon reverb, which has spdif I/O

Lunatic · Post by **Lunatic** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:07 pm

A big thanks guys for thinking about this, it has been on my mind for a long time.

My setup is:
Computer
Luna
Roland DA 400 Digital Converter
Monitors

I go from the luna SPDIF out into the Roland DA 400 then from the Roland DA 400 analogue outputs to my monitors.

Why do i do this?

Well, when i go from the luna analogue outs straight to my monitors the sound can sound a bit harsh and digital and takes me longer to get the mix sounding right. When i use SPDIF output to the Roland DA 400 Digital Converter and then to my monitors, it sounds very warm sounding great low end and great top end and very clean sounding, things just gel together. No word of a lie it sounds like Pro Tools.

The thing is i need to capture this exactly as i hear it . If i just bounce the track down from cubase to a wav and then listen to the track from the analogue outs to the monitors again it sound a bit harsh and digital.

I hope i made sense in what i'm trying to say?

Thanks again

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:26 pm

Lunatic wrote:
The thing is i need to capture this exactly as i hear it . If i just bounce the track down from cubase to a wav and then listen to the track from the analogue outs to the monitors again it sound a bit harsh and digital.

In that case why not bounce to Cubase and then monitor that mix via the SPDIF like you do when mixing? If it sounds different now then there's something odd in your set-up.

Post by **hubird** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:44 pm

Lunatic · Post by **Lunatic** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 3:29 am

Thanks guys,
i think the Roland DA 400 is making it sound this way, i dont know what DA converters are in this box. I just needed to capture it and the easy solution is to run back into the luna through analogue 'in' i think.

Thanks again.

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:55 am

18 bit Burr Brown Converters and 5532 Opamps

alfonso · Post by **alfonso** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:07 am

Lunatic wrote:....I just needed to capture it and the easy solution is to run back into the luna through analogue 'in' i think.

Thanks again.

Sorry, that's nonsense....if you have problems with the sound of the Luna D/A converters and prefer some others that's fine, but thinking to capture that different sound with a double conversion through Luna converters again......please reconsider it!

If you want a warm and friendly advice, the less you convert the better. Once you are in the digital domain there isn't a single good reason to leave it, especially with your current equipment. Monitor through the best converters you have, but re-record back through the ASIO if you don't trust bouncing (I mix everything in Scope and record back to daw). The principal source of "digital harshness" is the conversion, more or less it depends on the quality, but always there.

Lunatic · Post by **Lunatic** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 8:31 am

astroman wrote:18 bit Burr Brown Converters and 5532 Opamps

WOW thanks for the info

alfonso,
thanks i have taken your advice onboard

I must add that the luna card has been one of the best buys i've ever made

but when i use the SPDIF output things sound alot cleaner and there is alot more depth there and that's what i'm going to do just use it as a way of monitoring because my mixes do sound fine on hi-fi's anyway.

I just thought i was onto something

i'm always seeking perfection.

Sorry guys

alfonso · Post by **alfonso** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:48 pm

Lunatic wrote:
I just thought i was onto something i'm always seeking perfection.

That's a good thing, it will keep you moving... forever! That's the fun...