Buying a new soundcard, looking for SPDIF?

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11-24-2009, 11:50 AM
autonic

Buying a new soundcard, looking for SPDIF?

I'm looking into buying a new soundcard(s) for my gigs.
Currently I've got a Edirol UA-101 which is great... but I'm planning to create a dual computer setup for external mixer use, which means that I'll need two dual channel soundcards, one per computer.

I've been looking at the Audio 4 aswell as the ECHO Indigo DJX, both of which seems nice. However, I would really want to have as many SPDIF digital ouputs as RCA outputs, since a lot of the clubs has DJM-800 mixers installed - which have digital SPDIF inputs.

The Audio 4 has no SPDIF output, right?
Is there a card that has two digital SPDIF outputs aswell as two analouge RCA channels or will I have to buy two sound cards for each computer?

(Remember I want to be able to mix externally, that's why I need two channels per computer - and in case of emergency I could switch to internal mixing and headphone cueing with a simple RCA->TRS adaptor)
11-24-2009, 12:07 PM
pier

I'm not sure if you know SPDIF is a stereo digital protocol... one output in spdif = 2 channels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spdif
11-24-2009, 12:16 PM
autonic

Yes, that I'm aware of, but it still means that I'll need two per sound card, since I want to be able to output two traktor channels per computer setup (4 mono channels per computer)
11-24-2009, 01:32 PM
Karlos Santos

I dont know of any card that has 2 SPDIF outputs but the Presonus Firebox has SPDIF output.
11-24-2009, 01:50 PM
pier

I have never seen a card with more than 1 spdif. That's because usually it's used like the "2 track" output you see in studio consoles.

Usually in digital when you need more than one channel you use ADAT, but you won't see those in any dj setup.

Go the analog route. Nowadays the difference in noise/quality is so small you would never notice it in a club environment. Maybe in a good studio with good ears and good monitors... but that's another story. Considering you have a decent audio card of course... not a s***** integrated card.
11-24-2009, 03:09 PM
MistakenTourist

The Echo audiofire 2 has 1 SPDIF output but again never seen one with 2?!
11-25-2009, 05:03 PM
Ola

A card with 4 spdif out would def. be handy when the club has a djm-800, the spdif are almost always free, and easier to access than the rca jacks. Less risk of messing things up in a changeover. Haven't seen one, but considering it wouldn't need D/A, it should be possible to keep the price down on one.
11-25-2009, 07:48 PM
pier

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ola

A card with 4 spdif out would def. be handy when the club has a djm-800, the spdif are almost always free, and easier to access than the rca jacks. Less risk of messing things up in a changeover. Haven't seen one, but considering it wouldn't need D/A, it should be possible to keep the price down on one.

I don't know, the market for such a device would be so small it wouldn't be cheap to produce. Plus, what happens if you get to a club and there's no pioneer mixer?... you will also need some analog outputs with DA. Unless you always bring your digital mixer.