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Help with digital audio out from PC

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bluecrab

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This is MD-related because it affects my audio out from Sonicstage, into which I have begun loading music files either from CD of from iTunes, with the goal of both creating MDs and playing music. SS for whatever reason won't always transfer a track to MD, so I either have to forget that track or copy it manually in realtime.

I have a Dell Latitude E5400 running Win7. I was given this machine and have had pretty good luck getting things going, with the exception of digital audio out.

The system's sound settings show digital output available and ready. If I set the sound output to digital, it is obvious that the signal gets routed that way, as I get a visual, graphic display showing output. However, the machine does not have any apparent port to send the digital signal to. I tried, a la Mac, to use the headphone out with a mini-optical cable, but although the cable fits in there, no sound gets routed that way. Tried with two portable MDs (DN430, S1) and neither worked. They do work when transferring with SS via USB.

So, where the heck is that digital signal going? How do I get it? Any ideas? I saw a suggestion that it is somehow related to the S-video port, but that doesn't add up for me.

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You won't find a two-way port (optical/analog), that's for sure.

Best bet is a PCLK-MN10, or failing that a Xitel DG2 MDPort (I think that's what it's called although you'll need to get it second hand), or failing that an el cheapo sound card that runs on USB and costs $10 or so on eBay. They all have optical out, and even Windows 7/8/(?)10 will simply recognize them with no added drivers. The first two output 44.1Khz optical, the el-cheapo doesn't. This only really matters when playing back MDLP or Hi-LP (Hi-SP should be fine) files. There's not enough data to do a proper resample.

I'm guessing there's a jack (may be 3.5mm, or an RCA jack, but probably you should use a MONO 3.5 plug/wire in it) which sends the non-optical S/PDIF signal to. To use that with your various machines you may need a coax->opt converter.

OK, let's see the specs.... oh yeah, looks like Dell did something weird here. You have to buy the Video adapter (for your TV) and it happens to have S/PDIF (not sure if optical or coax) as a side product.

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&cs=cadhs1&sku=310-8274

Oh well, no wonder you had trouble.

BTW you often get trouble with MP3 files in SS. Many MP3 player software packages "touch" or otherwise modify the file even though Sonic Stage has already imported it. When the SS database finds that its details don't match the current file (even if all the data is the same, maybe only the date changed!?) it rejects it as being unsafe because tampered with.

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Yes, thanks, it does look like somehow, some way Dell incorporated S/PDIF into an S-Video connector. It looks to me like the S/PDIF part is coax (doesn't matter to me). So I am guessing that: 1) it'll fit on the E5400, 2) It'll output 44.1, and 3) it'll actually work. Be really nice if it does. Thanks for the response.

Now on to the SS problems with MP3 files. For one thing, I first tried it with just importing a few iTunes .wav files over my n/w from an iMac. No issues there. These are files I imported into iiTunes from a regular ol' commercial CD. Tracks went right into SS and then onto an MD. Most of the iTunes files, though, are apple lossless (ALAC) and have to be converted to .wav. Easily done, although I don't know if that affects SS perception of such files. Mixed results. What also happens is that SS fusses about CD-Rs I made. Does SS follow SCMS restrictions? How does SS determine what is OK to x-fer and what is not? Anyway, I will probably get enough usable tracks in SS that missing a few won't be too big of a deal.

 

 

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If it's for TV, it will be DVD standard surely, namely 48 kHz. My PC's can all output much higher rates, in W7 there's a nice little tester to see what's what. Since the Dell is from about 2009, you probably had Vista on it, and I don't know how that stacks up.

The corruption of the MP3 files happens only when you PLAY them (not by SS), that would lead to confusing and inconsistent results IMO.

Dunno about CDRs, you need to use a program that doesn't generate SCMS non-original bits. Try Nero.

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That is no doubt correct (48kHz). Just to be on the safe side, I just did a test outputting a 48kHs signal from Mac to MXD-D40. Fine. (96 kHs failed, of course.)

The Dell is W7. Where's the tester?

I guess my best option is to buy one of those S-Video cables as in the link and see if it works.

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That is no doubt correct (48kHz). Just to be on the safe side, I just did a test outputting a 48kHs signal from Mac to MXD-D40. Fine. (96 kHs failed, of course.)

​Yeah, will be resampled down to 44.1 by the MD. Still less than optimal, you are better (with ATRAC files which are all 44.1 sample rate) to get a dongle that doesn't force the MD to resample.

Apparently the Xitel is available currently:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Free-shipping-Xitel-MD-Port-DG2-USB-TO-optical-fibre-sound-blaster-NE-/161792670062

Who knows whether "real" or not. It looks like the one I have and I am sure it will do the job.

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I did get the S-Video cable that includes S/PDIF coax; it  works fine and is sending that digital audio stream to an outboard DAC, cleverly designed as a Kenwood MD-2070 deck. There's also a newly acquired MZ-N510 sitting in a USB port, so on one  side of the PC, there's coax audio out, while on the other side, Sonicstage.

That odd-looking cable/connector on the left of the PC is the S-vid that also contains composite vid and S/PDIF coax.

N510.jpg

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