Subject:Can't seem to record using digital inputs

Posted by: dpvollmer

Date:2/3/2010 9:14:57 PM

I have a Sound Blaster card in my HP PC that has optical digital ins and outs. I have a DAT recorder that has a SPDIF out. I have 2 optical/SPDIF converters but no matter what I try I can't get SF or Vegas to receive the digital signal. They both receive the analog signal sent from the line out of the DAT. The converters are receiving the digital signal from the DAT.

There is probably some setting I need to make either in SF or Vegas or with my computer but I can't figure it out. I have someone coming over tomorrow to have me create a CD from a DAT recording and I don't want to use analog if I can help it.

Please help.

Thank you,
David

Subject:RE: Can't seem to record using digital inputs

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:2/4/2010 11:31:05 AM

Does the Sound Blaster have a setting that lets you set it as the master clock source (for the other devices to slave to) as well as the sample rate? All the devices in the chain should be set to the same sample rate (e.g., 44.1 kHz).

Iacobus

Subject:RE: Can't seem to record using digital inputs

Reply by: jbolley

Date:2/5/2010 7:50:47 AM

In addition to clock settings I have seen a check box for "enable digital inputs/outputs" in sound blaster settings. Perhaps they aren't active by default?

Jesse

Subject:RE: Can't seem to record using digital inputs

Reply by: shc

Date:2/5/2010 9:25:09 AM

I am having somewhat of a similar problem but with a different twist. Sound Forge registers a signal with most of the DATs that I play into the computer, but there are a few that will not generate a signal in Sound Forge. The sound card in the computer (SB Audigy) "hears" all the DATs but with a few of the DATs I have tried recently Sound Forge cannot "hear" them. All DATs were recorded with a sampling rate of 44.1K

Subject:RE: Can't seem to record using digital inputs

Reply by: ChristoC

Date:2/5/2010 1:50:25 PM

> I am having somewhat of a similar problem but with a different twist. Sound Forge registers a signal with most of the DATs that I play into the computer, but there are a few that will not generate a signal in Sound Forge.

From memory DATs can be encoded either 'Consumer' or 'Pro' - it's SCMS flag bits in the data stream to prevent digital copying, unless you have Pro equipment. SCMS bits are the Serial Copy Management System that determines whether or not you will be allowed to make a copy of your DAT tape. (Werid days indeed - Pros were trusted to protect copyright, but consumers weren't.... how times have changed!)

It may be that your soundcard only accepts 'Consumer' signals.

Unless you find the right equipment to make a copy digitally, your only way may be to copy using analog outputs of DAT machine.

Subject:RE: Can't seem to record using digital inputs

Reply by: shc

Date:2/11/2010 3:59:35 PM

Thanks ChristoC. Your answer to my dilemna led me to the solution. In my company we have about 8 Panasonic SV-3800 DAT machines. Only recently did I encounter the problem I decribed. We have 100s of recorded DATs in our archives and I never encountered this problem. I tracked down the particular machine that the problem DATs were recorded on and with the help of the instruction manual found the way to access the settings to turn the copy protection on and off. I checked the suspect machine and sure enough the copy protection had been set to be on. It is now turned off.