MZ-NH1 TOSlink question

[Classicalgas]

Marc's utility makes these seem feasible, so I thought I'd ask.......

My mate has a Fostex desk with a TOSlink out on it. I've checked on Fostex's web site and they say it's fully DAT compatible, but does this mean fully MD compatible?

I'm afraid I don't know much about the TOSlink specs, but this is what I want to do:

Go down to 150 year old church with great ambience

Open briefcase, extract desk, mics and MZ-NH1

Bang away on guitar, recording full digital via TOSlink into MD in PCM

Upload via SS onto PC over USB

Convert to PCM using HiMDRenderer

Sell resultant CD and make enough money to do it again and again

Could someone who knows about these things let me know if this is an accurate and viable soundchain I am proposing?

:grin: :grin:

[Christopher]

Sounds like it'll work, but do you have the model number of that Fostex?

[aeriyn]

I thought UselessStage prevented you from uploading any recording that was made via the S/PDIF optical input?

[mrsoul]

I think ( and I think I tested this once before) you can upload to SS but the WAV converter will not let you convert to WAV anything with a digital source. There is a wonderful alternative available for this purpose: Marcnet's HiMDRenderer program does the job very nicely.

[xispe]

yep, it works. HiMDRenderer can convert digitally recorded tracks via optical.

[Classicalgas]

Okay, that's clarified the upload issue - any takers on the original question - is DAT/TOSlink the same as HiMD/TOSlink?

You'd think so?......

[dex Otaku]

TOSLink and coax digital both follow SPDIF conventions [though the implementations are not identical].

In other words - yes. As long as the audio format being carried is standard, it will work.

Note that your Fostex desk is fairly likely to use 48kHz PCM [DAT "analogue" standard] rather than 44.1kHz PCM - in which case your HiMD will be resampling all audio coming into it from the Fostex.

[Classicalgas]

Thanks Dex

(Nice black cardigan, BTW)

So - opinion, please-

First generation losses from analogue are minimal. Would resampling on the MD introduce a greater degradation IYO?

Reason for asking - my friend lives in Brisbane, I'm in Melbourne. The Land of Oz is kinda big - he's 2000 K's away - I haven't got a TOSlink cable quite that long Wouldn't want to have to test and decide, or do two cuts of everything on recording day.

Appreciate your opinion.

[dex Otaku]

So - opinion, please-

First generation losses from analogue are minimal. Would resampling on the MD introduce a greater degradation IYO?

I've never used the digital in on any MD or HiMD, let alone had to rely on its resampling, so I'm not the person to ask.

A better solution might be to get an inexpensive digital I/O interface for eir computer, assuming e has one, and for em to send you a CDR with the audio on it. That way no resampling or AD-DA conversions would be involved.

[aeriyn]

First generation losses from analogue are minimal. Would resampling on the MD introduce a greater degradation IYO?

Yeah, minimal depending on the quality of the A/D converter in the recorder. In a portable recorder, I doubt the A/D converter would be around the same as the optical input in terms of signal fidelity.

48kHz PCM [DAT "analogue" standard] rather than 44.1kHz PCM - in which case your HiMD will be resampling all audio coming into it from the Fostex.

As I've heard elsewhere, there are some folks on this forum that believe MD recorders always resample, even if the source samplerate is the same. It makes sense as to explain why the Hi-MD optical input is not exactly "bit-perfect," and is a lot better explanation than "1411kbps ATRAC3+."

*roflmao*