Topic: What makes the stock UA5 a non-standalone?

[greenone]

Subject pretty much says it all...I know that the digimod turns the UA5 into a standalone, but exactly how is it dependent upon the USB port being connected in the first place? It's not powered via the USB obviously because there's a 9V connection as well...is there some sort of control panel that you'd need on your machine to operate the UA5?

Just curious and wondering if this might be able to be applied to other products when they become available (ESI QuataFire)...

--Dave

[Brian Skalinder]

The signal path for analog input resulting in digi-coax/optical output on an unmodded UA5 is roughly:

Analog in > gain > ADC > USB output > USB input > digi-coax/optical

The mod changes it to:

Analog in > gain > ADC > digi-coax/optical

[greenone]

Hmm. Ok, I guess I can understand that...but it seems weird to wire a USB in/out loop into your signal path instead of giving the option to branch off to it if desired. Wonder if there's a way to rig it so you can go out the USB and the digi at the same time...probably slightly less DIY that way.

Secondary, follow-up question - warning, possibly a stupid one - is there any way to go USB out>USB in without having a computer behind it? I'm envisioning some kind of dongle that just serves the purpose of completing the loop without, um, costing as much as a laptop does.

[Brian Skalinder]

Hmm. Ok, I guess I can understand that...but it seems weird to wire a USB in/out loop into your signal path instead of giving the option to branch off to it if desired.

Agreed.  Not sure WTF Edirol was thinking.

Wonder if there's a way to rig it so you can go out the USB and the digi at the same time...probably slightly less DIY that way.

The digi-mod offered by the Oade Bros allows simultaneous output of USB, coax, and optical:

"The first mod enables the digital coax and optical outputs for stand alone operation without a computer. It can also be used with a computer to output data simultaneously to a both coax and optical digital connectors, in addition to your computer ! The mod disables the digital output from a computer to the UA5 via the USB port, so you cannot send data from the computer to the UA5 on the USB buss. This does not affect your ability to record with it, only your ability to send data from your hard drive to the UA5 via USB."

I'm not sure if the DIY digi-mod posted in the archive section supports simultaneous outputs - I suspect it does.

I'm envisioning some kind of dongle that just serves the purpose of completing the loop without, um, costing as much as a laptop does.

Not a clue.  Would be slick if such a thing existed.

[greenone]

Wonder if there's a way to rig it so you can go out the USB and the digi at the same time...probably slightly less DIY that way.

The digi-mod offered by the Oade Bros allows simultaneous output of USB, coax, and optical:

Gack. I've been completely misreading that mod all this time. I always thought this completely disabled the USB connection.  

[Ed.]

the only way the optical out will work while it is not modded is to record with the usb onto a computer and then play it, only then will it go out the optical out.   i tried to use the monitor feature in a couple different programs but it still didn't work.

When you do the digimod, you can  do simaltaneous usb out and optical out.  24bit into the lappy and 16bit into the nomad is what i do.  If the 24bit is error free, than i usually just delete the 16bit one after i have a hard copy of it.

after you do the digimod, you can't use the ua5 as a playback device, just as a recording device.

if you're thinking about doing it yourself, its easy, i've never soldered anything up until last weekend and i did just fine.  it works like a champ.  Just do it while your sober and have a steady hand, you should be ok.

ed

[Brian Skalinder]

the only way the optical out will work while it is not modded is to record with the usb onto a computer and then play it, only then will it go out the optical out.   i tried to use the monitor feature in a couple different programs but it still didn't work.

When you do the digimod, you can  do simaltaneous usb out and optical out.  24bit into the lappy and 16bit into the nomad is what i do.  If the 24bit is error free, than i usually just delete the 16bit one after i have a hard copy of it.

after you do the digimod, you can't use the ua5 as a playback device, just as a recording device.

if you're thinking about doing it yourself, its easy, i've never soldered anything up until last weekend and i did just fine.  it works like a champ.  Just do it while your sober and have a steady hand, you should be ok.

ed

I believe the UA-5 operates only in 24-bit OR 16-bit mode.  If you're running 24-bit to laptop, it's still outputting 24-bit to your Nomad, which is then truncating to 16-bits.  That truncated backup source can be precious sometimes, though!  Good to have it in case the shit hits the fan on the full 24-bit recording.

[Ed.]

yes, i probably didn't make that clear, if you're going 24bit to the lappy you're going 24bit to the nomad, but nomad can only do 16/48 so it'll get truncated down to that.  I also only delete that source when i know my 24bit version is perfect and is safely stored on dvd media

ed

[Brian Skalinder]

yes, i probably didn't make that clear, if you're going 24bit to the lappy you're going 24bit to the nomad, but nomad can only do 16/48 so it'll get truncated down to that.  I also only delete that source when i know my 24bit version is perfect and is safely stored on dvd media

ed

Just wanted to make sure everyone understand that bit.  Sure wish it could do both simultaneously!  Even so, backups are a good thing, and I bet many of us wouldn't be able to tell the difference between 24-bit and 24-bit truncated to 16-bit, anyway.

[greenone]

Cool guys, thanks! Hopefully I'll be able to apply this to the QuataFire when it comes out. Love to be able to use it as a pre-A/D and a "sound card"...