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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: crunchy on July 10, 2017, 09:34:01 AM

Title: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: crunchy on July 10, 2017, 09:34:01 AM
Looking to transfer some of my old DATs and MDs to my iMac. Anyone have a recommendation for a USB interface with Coax and Optical inputs compatible with macOS for under $100.
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: rippleish20 on July 10, 2017, 10:42:28 AM
Looking to transfer some of my old DATs and MDs to my iMac. Anyone have a recommendation for a USB interface with Coax and Optical inputs compatible with macOS for under $100.


How recent an IMac? Older ones have a headset & S/PDIF connector.
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: crunchy on July 10, 2017, 10:49:48 AM
It's a new 5k iMac which I don't think has anything like that.  I forgot some macs had those combo Optical/headphone ports. I'll check out my wife's old MacBook Pro. Thanks for the suggestion.
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: rippleish20 on July 10, 2017, 12:11:34 PM
I have an older mac mini that has the port and is very convenient. I moved to using a Zoom U-44 so I could use a more contemporary Mac but its more than $100
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: dogmusic on July 10, 2017, 01:19:42 PM
How about this:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/USBPhonoPPS
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: crunchy on July 10, 2017, 01:31:16 PM
How about this:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/USBPhonoPPS

Ohh. That looks nice. I am checking the laptop I have later today. If that doesn't work out this thing looks perfect. Thanks for the link.
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: avmonkey on July 11, 2017, 11:30:54 PM
https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-x-fi-surround-5-1-pro
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: Targetrint on June 12, 2019, 07:42:19 AM
Hello! If you are using new Mac, you better upload data on the cloud and then work with it. Don't think that new Mac is good enough that I should buy it. On my old one, the sound card has crashed and I was told that it is necessary to pay too much (for me) for that kind of stuff or buy a new one, and I didn't know what to do. I had a difficult choice, what would replace my old sound card? This site helped me in choosing my sound card https://technogeekknows.com/reviews/best-external-sound-card/ (https://technogeekknows.com/reviews/best-external-sound-card/) and it will enough for most people, especially for everyday use.
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: jerryfreak on June 12, 2019, 06:20:45 PM
last i checked mac digital input resampled everything
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: mnm207 on June 12, 2019, 10:54:32 PM
Would a Behringer UCA222 do what you need?

I have one that I used to cobble together a mix-minus for a podcast interview via Skype a while back. It's just gathering dust since. Happy to drop it in the mail if it'll do what you need.
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: H₂O on June 13, 2019, 10:43:43 AM
Do you have a recorder with a digital input?  If so I'd use that instead
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: ts on June 13, 2019, 10:52:57 AM
Do you have a recorder with a digital input?  If so I'd use that instead

This /\ and isn’t this what everyone does today?
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: RyanJ on June 17, 2019, 05:30:06 PM
I have one of the new mac minis and I would really like a USB interface with the same parameters as OP. Any of these that run USB in really don't matter with altering quality? I would just like to run some DAT/MD onto there with less conversion.

Granted, I know I could get a 722 or something. But seems a bit excessive as I'd rather just have something for the computer.
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: gormenghast on June 18, 2019, 10:56:44 AM
last i checked mac digital input resampled everything


Is this documented?  Is there a way to test for this?

I use a MacBook unibody that has an optical input and a Hosa converter box to play back DATs on a Sony D10Pro II.  So far I can't figure out the sample rate on the deck so I would know it was playing 48 or 44.1--nothing marked on the DATs.
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: jerryfreak on June 18, 2019, 11:56:53 AM
last i checked mac digital input resampled everything

Is this documented?  Is there a way to test for this?


you kind of need a known good transfer setup to compare it to. do you have any other soundcards? i think the marantz mkiii resamples as well unfortunately. time to bust out the vx pocket :)




Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: audBall on June 18, 2019, 01:02:04 PM
How about an old used Marantz PMD-670 or something similar?  They’re 16-bit recorders with digital inputs and there are a couple in your price range on eBay right now.
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: gormenghast on June 19, 2019, 02:28:46 PM
last i checked mac digital input resampled everything

Is this documented?  Is there a way to test for this?

you kind of need a known good transfer setup to compare it to. do you have any other soundcards? i think the marantz mkiii resamples as well unfortunately. time to bust out the vx pocket :)

I won't use the Marantz for transfers.  From what I read it has gain and attenuation in the digital input.

I think I have my old Vx Pocket but no Sony Vaio laptop anymore.  I wouldn't even know where to start with that kinda setup.
Title: Re: Sub $100 USB interface with Digital Coax and Optical Inputs.
Post by: dallman on June 19, 2019, 03:30:50 PM


I won't use the Marantz for transfers.  From what I read it has gain and attenuation in the digital input.

I think I have my old Vx Pocket but no Sony Vaio laptop anymore.  I wouldn't even know where to start with that kinda setup.

That is only true for one model, the Marantz PMD661MKIII.