I think I am going to pick up a digied UA5 again to go with some nak guns, but I want to use it for playback as well. First off can you go optical out of your computer and playback tunes with the normal digi mod? Or do you need to go USB out with it digi switched for playback?
I'm not sure about playback from an optical path... That might work. You already have some kind of optical out from your PC?
If you want to go through USB, you do need to "undo" the digi-mod connections somehow. The standard digi-mod doesn't work for USB playback. There is a digi-SWITCH mod, so you can go back and forth, described here:
http://album.he.fi/hessu/ua5-switch-modified/ Fairly straightforward with lots of detailed pictures if you (or someone you know) can do a little soldering.
If I need a digi switch mod whats best for me to get, a stock unit and have someone digi switch it or get a digied modded unit and then have someone switch it?
From stock is easier depending on who's doing it. It would take a bit of care to figure out the conversion from digied to digi-switch, but not much more actual soldering, if someone was familiar with both mods. I think there are a couple different versions of the digi-mod out there, so you'd need to figure out what exactly was changed originally to make it work... Starting from stock is most straight forward, for sure.
The stock UA-5 outputs work just fine, but Busman's BMP2+ mod improves the caps and opamps on the RCA outs (as well as greatly improving the mic pre's). If you ever want to upgrade the sound, his mods are absolutely worth the money, IMO.
Good luck!
- Dave