[LAU] decoding into a multiple channel converter (was:surround sound with stereo usb DACs?)

Bearcat M. Şandor hometheater at feline-soul.com
Sat Jan 10 02:25:55 EST 2009


On Saturday 10 January 2009 00:16:04 Justin Smith wrote:

> I am under the impression that with multiple sound cards you have the
> issue of clock drift, the audio channels would eventually go out of
> sync, and this would get worse and worse over time. When only one
> sound card is being used, the application can sync the video playback
> to the audio device, since video speed is not as evident a distortion.
> With multiple audio devices with separate clocks, you would most
> likely get annoying phasing and comb filter artifacts, if not a
> distinct echo. There are firewire cards that can share a clock in
> order to eliminate this problem, but I have not heard of USB cards
> that share a clock pulse.

Ah, i had not thought of that and it makes sense. Thank you. Would it be 
possible to have the Linux box do the decoding and send it to a hdmi D/A (if 
such a thing existed, i only know of HT processors) or a RME multi-channel 
converter?   

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Bearcat M. Şandor
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