Digital to Digital on Computer?

Fred Layman · Post by **Fred Layman** » 21 May 2002 8:31 pm

I have a Phillips recorder that records and plays back digital tapes and plays back analog tapes (but doesn't record analog). I am able to play analog tapes and records on other machines and record them digitally on the Phillips. Can I play a digital tape from it directly to the inputs of my computer for recording on my computer or are there different digital formats that are incompatible with each other?

I also have MusicMatchJukeBox 4. Do I understand correctly from another thread that I can record playing an analog tape or a record player through the MMJB program to the computer and get a digital recording and make CDs? Is anything else needed along the line?

Dave Boothroyd · Post by **Dave Boothroyd** » 21 May 2002 11:59 pm

The digital out of your Philips is almost certainly S/PDIF (Sony/Philips digital interface.
It has one Phono socket for stereo out and one for stereo in. You might have an optical connection, which uses the same sort of numbers as S/PDIF but uses light instead of electricity.
The only other digital Audio formats you are likely to meet are TDIF and ADAT, but they are both Eight-channel formats for multi track recorders, so it won't be one of those.
To connect it to your PC you will need a soundcard which has digital inputs, such as the Live drive bay that some of the Soundblaster Live cards have on the front panel of the PC.
Unless you bought your PC as an Audio PC from somebody who knows what an Audio PC is, or you have upgraded to a specialist soundcard, you can probably not do it.
If on the other hand you are intending to get into digital audio, getting a good, pro spec sound card should be the next job.
Digidesign 001 is good, but no sounds. I'd recommend the Midiman range, though MOTU is better and for the price they ought to be!
Cheers
Dave

Fred Murphy · Post by **Fred Murphy** » 22 May 2002 5:01 am

Yes, you can record an analog tape, or phono into MMJB. All you have to do is select the (recording source) from the menu at the top.It is (line in). You may have to adjust the level of the line in. Select your (speaker), it should be at the bottom of your screen, and then setting. It will probably be set about the middle. If it is too high you will get distortion. A lot of tapes have different levels, and you may have to change this value from time to time. All of your songs in MMJB should be at the same volume level. Sometimes it is easier to just use (Goldwave) to change the volume if it is only one song or two from singles. [This message was edited by Fred Murphy on 22 May 2002 at 06:01 AM.]

Joel Glassman · Post by **Joel Glassman** » 22 May 2002 1:06 pm

My minidisc player has an "optical out".
If send the that signal to the SPDF
input on my soundcard, am I making a digital transfer? Also, I'm curious about why there is one phono jack for stereo. I'll buy an adapter, but isn't that a quirky kind of audio setup? thanks, Joel[This message was edited by Joel Glassman on 22 May 2002 at 02:07 PM.]

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 23 May 2002 4:07 am

Fred,

Is that a DCC machine you have? Digital Compact Cassette and MiniDisc both use compression methods. In order to record digital to digital the sample rate and compression scheme must match. You can, of course, take your analog out to the input of your sound card.

And Joel, that one phono jack on your card is a digital co-ax input for a S/PDIF connector. The single digital co-ax cable carries both sides of the stereo signal and connectors look just like a regular RCA plug. Musician's Friend has a HOSA digital co-ax cable (10 feet) for about ten bucks.[This message was edited by Michael Holland on 23 May 2002 at 05:08 AM.]

Fred Layman · Post by **Fred Layman** » 23 May 2002 7:10 pm

Thanks, fellows. Yes, Michael, the Phillips is a DCC machine. So from what I'm hearing from you fellows and from an earlier thread, my best bet is to go through the Music Match Juke Box.