[linux-audio-user] SPDIF questions

[Anahata]

On Mon, Apr 28, 2003 at 09:30:27PM +0100, Tim wrote:
> 1.  How does a linux system normally access an SPDIF connection?

As an input to the spund card in my case (M-Audio DiO 2448) it's just
like the line in, except it doesn't have a volume control on it, because
you presumably want the digital samples input unchanged.

> 2.  I fear my SPDIF connection won't allow _INPUT_ of signals?

That's very common. Lots of cheap soundcards have SPDIF out but not in.

>  My motherboard manual says 'these
> connectors supply an SPDIF audio cable that outputs digital audio'.

Quite so....

> Doesn't look good does it?  Is this one of the reasons people end up
> buying sound cards with oodles of connections?

In theory it should be easy - the CMI8370 chip on the M-Audio card is
used on motherboards and many other sound cards, but getting the digital
inputs to actually work is another matter. The DiO 2448 doesn't have
oodles of connections, in fact it's rather spartan and has no analogue
in at all, just SPDIF I/O (both optical and coax) and analog out for
monitoring. I have a cheap MD deck permanently connected to it and if I
really want to record analog audio I use that as an A/D converter!

-- 
Anahata
anahata at treewind.co.uk -+- http://www.treewind.co.uk
Home: 01638 720444         Mob: 07976 263827