[Matthew[_2_]]

What's the preferred way of mixing synths that have a digital out? Is it
possible to truly mix in the digital domain, or is it just more practical to
use the analog outs of the synths?

[Laurence Payne[_2_]]

On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 05:26:00 GMT, "Matthew" wrote:

What's the preferred way of mixing synths that have a digital out? Is it
possible to truly mix in the digital domain, or is it just more practical to
use the analog outs of the synths?

If the mixer has digital inputs, sure, use them. Or the analogue ones.
It really makes little difference. If your ears manage to detect a
difference, probably one of the inputs is set up badly!

[Mike Rivers]

Matthew wrote:
What's the preferred way of mixing synths that have a digital out? Is it
possible to truly mix in the digital domain, or is it just more practical to
use the analog outs of the synths?

If you have a mixer with digital inputs and you can deal with clock
synchronization, then you can do it that way, but it doesn't make sense
to buy a new mixer just to accommodate the digital outputs of your
synths. I really see no benefit to mixing things digitally that produce
sound artificially other than that you can get lazy about setting levels
and making noise-free connections, but you might introduce other problems.

--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me he
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[Scott Dorsey]

Matthew wrote:
What's the preferred way of mixing synths that have a digital out? Is it
possible to truly mix in the digital domain, or is it just more practical to
use the analog outs of the synths?

Sure, you can mix in the digital domain. You can plug the output of the
synth directly into the digital input of a recorder or into a Tascam or
Yamaha digital mixer.

What is preferred depends on the sound you want to get and how you like to
work. For all I know, the sound you want might require miking a Leslie.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Mike Rivers]

Scott Dorsey wrote:

Sure, you can mix in the digital domain. You can plug the output of the
synth directly into the digital input of a recorder or into a Tascam or
Yamaha digital mixer.

Maybe. Most synths that have digital output have S/PDIF optical and most
digital mixers, if they have a TOSLink input at all, have it in the ADAT
configuration. I think Kurzweil had a polyphonic synth with an ADAT
optical output which allowed you to assign different voices to different
digital channels, but that's getting a little too fancy for the simple
question, I think.

What is preferred depends on the sound you want to get and how you like to
work. For all I know, the sound you want might require miking a Leslie.

Mostly what's preferred is whatever connection will work at all. Square
pegs (TOSLink) don't fit round holes (S/PDIF Coax, AES/EBU, or AES3id)
very well. And then there's the issue of word clock synchronization. If
it's the only digtal input to the mixer, chances are the mixer can se
set to pick up the clock from that input. But if you have a bunch of
synths, all with digital outputs, all connected to a digital mixer,
either all the mixer inputs must be self-clocking (reclocking) or the
word clocks have to be synchronized somehow.

Simple questions have a way of yielding complicated answers.


--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me he
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[Scott Dorsey]

Mike Rivers wrote:
Scott Dorsey wrote:

Sure, you can mix in the digital domain. You can plug the output of the
synth directly into the digital input of a recorder or into a Tascam or
Yamaha digital mixer.

Maybe. Most synths that have digital output have S/PDIF optical and most
digital mixers, if they have a TOSLink input at all, have it in the ADAT
configuration. I think Kurzweil had a polyphonic synth with an ADAT
optical output which allowed you to assign different voices to different
digital channels, but that's getting a little too fancy for the simple
question, I think.

So you spend a little money for the box from HOSA that converts Toslink
to AES/EBU, or you use an old DAT machine. But yes.

What is preferred depends on the sound you want to get and how you like to
work. For all I know, the sound you want might require miking a Leslie.

Mostly what's preferred is whatever connection will work at all. Square
pegs (TOSLink) don't fit round holes (S/PDIF Coax, AES/EBU, or AES3id)
very well. And then there's the issue of word clock synchronization. If
it's the only digtal input to the mixer, chances are the mixer can se
set to pick up the clock from that input. But if you have a bunch of
synths, all with digital outputs, all connected to a digital mixer,
either all the mixer inputs must be self-clocking (reclocking) or the
word clocks have to be synchronized somehow.

Don't do it, hold out for the Leslie with the SM-57. It's still cool.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."