Topic: sound card for recording via s/pdif

[marklar]

I want to use the line out from my pcm-d50 to record on my PC, thus gaining multitracking capability.
What sound cards are best suited for this purpose?  Preferrably USB.

I'm new to recording on the PC, so I don't know what the ins and outs or limitations are. 
However, in theory it seems simple enough: only two features are required to do high quality accoustic recordings.
A sound card that supports s/pdif or toslink line in at the same frequency and bit rates as the pcm-d50 in should result in the following:
1. it takes in the digital signal with minimal latency (to enable laying down a new track simultaneously with the playback of existing tracks)
2. due to the digitized signal, the recorded track should be effectively identical what would have been recorded by the pcm-d50

Are these assumptions in the ballpark?

[page]

I want to use the line out from my pcm-d50 to record on my PC, thus gaining multitracking capability.
What sound cards are best suited for this purpose?  Preferrably USB.

I'm new to recording on the PC, so I don't know what the ins and outs or limitations are. 
However, in theory it seems simple enough: only two features are required to do high quality accoustic recordings.
A sound card that supports s/pdif or toslink line in at the same frequency and bit rates as the pcm-d50 in should result in the following:
1. it takes in the digital signal with minimal latency (to enable laying down a new track simultaneously with the playback of existing tracks)
2. due to the digitized signal, the recorded track should be effectively identical what would have been recorded by the pcm-d50

Are these assumptions in the ballpark?

without going back to analog, the D50 only puts out an optical signal, so you would have to find one (such as the usbpre2) that takes an optical signal. There are probably a couple others from either presonus (in their 2ch usb lineup) or m-audio.

I guess I'm having trouble understanding why you'd send a signal from the D50 instead of just getting an additional 2ch on the interface.

[marklar]

without going back to analog, the D50 only puts out an optical signal, so you would have to find one (such as the usbpre2) that takes an optical signal. There are probably a couple others from either presonus (in their 2ch usb lineup) or m-audio.

I guess I'm having trouble understanding why you'd send a signal from the D50 instead of just getting an additional 2ch on the interface.

Is optical necessary?  I can get a toslink to s/pdif converter.
I want to send a signal from the D50 because this is where the microphones and the preamps are.

[page]

without going back to analog, the D50 only puts out an optical signal, so you would have to find one (such as the usbpre2) that takes an optical signal. There are probably a couple others from either presonus (in their 2ch usb lineup) or m-audio.

I guess I'm having trouble understanding why you'd send a signal from the D50 instead of just getting an additional 2ch on the interface.

Is optical necessary?  I can get a toslink to s/pdif converter.

while true, it's more junk to carry around/buy.

I want to send a signal from the D50 because this is where the microphones and the preamps are.

So are you trying to get 4ch then? 2 on the D50 and 2 more (from some other source) on the PC while using the clock signal from the D50?

[marklar]

So are you trying to get 4ch then? 2 on the D50 and 2 more (from some other source) on the PC while using the clock signal from the D50?

All the reading I've been doing suggests that the PCM-D50 doesn't support clocksynch.  Am I mistaken?

My immediate idea was to find a card that would simply give me a very low latency digital input and very low latency output that would make my home made multitrack recordings nearly synchrinized by virtue of playback and recording input happening at the same time.  Is this realizable?

The most interesting device I've found so far is the Tascam US-144, since it has S/PDIF in and out.

[page]

So are you trying to get 4ch then? 2 on the D50 and 2 more (from some other source) on the PC while using the clock signal from the D50?

All the reading I've been doing suggests that the PCM-D50 doesn't support clocksynch.  Am I mistaken?

not in the strictest sense, your other device would have to read a valid optical spdif signal and sync it's clock signal to that. Alternatively you can take an analog out of the D50 but then your doing A>D>A>D.

My immediate idea was to find a card that would simply give me a very low latency digital input and very low latency output that would make my home made multitrack recordings nearly synchrinized by virtue of playback and recording input happening at the same time.  Is this realizable?

I'd look for a device that will accept the number of inputs that you need as you will either have to do one of two things by introducing the D50 (or any other device) in the mix:

1) Get the other device to sync off of the D50's clock signal (via it's optical output).
2) Resample/stretch any resulting recordings to match the clock signal of the other. Doesn't matter which one you stretch, but you'll have to.

[runonce]

So are you trying to get 4ch then? 2 on the D50 and 2 more (from some other source) on the PC while using the clock signal from the D50?

All the reading I've been doing suggests that the PCM-D50 doesn't support clocksynch.  Am I mistaken?

Not really a feature or something to "support" - just how it works

...its the downstream device that has to sync. The D50 would be the master clock.

[runonce]

So are you trying to get 4ch then? 2 on the D50 and 2 more (from some other source) on the PC while using the clock signal from the D50?

All the reading I've been doing suggests that the PCM-D50 doesn't support clocksynch.  Am I mistaken?

My immediate idea was to find a card that would simply give me a very low latency digital input and very low latency output that would make my home made multitrack recordings nearly synchrinized by virtue of playback and recording input happening at the same time.  Is this realizable?

The most interesting device I've found so far is the Tascam US-144, since it has S/PDIF in and out.

That is probably on ok device for what you are trying to achieve - although - I would be trying to leave the D50 out of it...once you have computer interface, seems like that should do it all.

Are you using the D50 just because its the only microphones you have?

[goodcooker]

I would be trying to leave the D50 out of it...once you have computer interface, seems like that should do it all.
Are you using the D50 just because its the only microphones you have?

I second this. Just save up a little and get an interface and a couple of microphones. For demo type stuff at home you would probably be better off with a couple of dynamic or inexpensive condenser mics into an interface than using the internals on the D50.