Can Vinyl Studio use a digital input to record from?

[dtc]

I know someone who wants to turn a bunch of DAT tapes into computer audio files. His DAT player has S/PDIF output. Can he just connect that digital out to a S/PDIF input on a PC and then use VS to capture that digital stream? That would avoid a D/A and A/D conversion that would occur if he just recorded the analog out. If yes, are there any things to watch out for doing this process? So of the tapes may be 32 KHz, which was the long play format. Is that a problem?

Thanks.

[Paul Sanders (AlpineSoft)]

Hi,

It's hard to say.  If Windows presents the S/PDIF input as a recognised audio device, then VinylStudio should be able to record from it, but the only way to be sure is to plug it in and try it.  I would have a go with the free trial, see if you can get it to work.  Nothing to lose, after all.  You can conduct all the relevant experiments in VinylStudio's Check Level dialog:

http://www.alpinesoft.co.uk/VinylStudio/download.aspx

[dtc]

Thanks Paul. Wow you are fast. The other option is a S/PDIF to usb device, like the Eidrol UA-5. He will need to buy either the sound card or a usb device. Just checking to see if there was any issue with VS and it seems like that should be OK, as long as the device behaves correctly. Some of the S/PDIF inputs just do an A/D conversion, which he wants to avoid.

Thanks.

[Jens]

Dear Paul,
this post is a bit older but I have a similar question:

I want to record my Vinyl with following setup/chain:

Player Thorens 126 --> Cinch Cable --> Phone In Amp (Linn Majik DSM with Phono Pre and a A/D section converting analogue Phone signal to 24/96) -->Digital Out Amp (Toslink) --> Toslink to Mini Toslink Cable --> Optical In Macbook (2008) --> Recording with Vinylstudio

Recording seems to work in 24/96 mode.

Questions

1. Is VS recording the digital signal coming from the Linn amp or is the signal going through the A/D D/A section of the Macbook again.
2. I cannot adjust the record level within VS., why? Not a big problem since no clipping and with 24 bit I am not too concerend about optimum record level

P.S.: Vinylstudio is a fantastic piece of software. I have been using it now for years (but not for recording sofar which was done with external solid state recorder sofar)

Jens

[Paul Sanders (AlpineSoft)]

Hi Jens,

I think that the A2D step will be happening inside your amp, and not the Mac.  Hence item 2 - the signal is already digitised and it's too late to change the level, which has to be done in the analog domain to be of any value.

[Jens]

Dear Paul,

thanks for the quick reply.


Re question 2: You are right, ofcourse!

Jens

[Jens]

I want to record my Vinyl with following setup/chain:

Player Thorens 126 --> Cinch Cable --> Phone In Amp (Linn Majik DSM with Phono Pre and a A/D section converting analogue Phone signal to 24/96) -->Digital Out Amp (Toslink) --> Toslink to Mini Toslink Cable --> Optical In Macbook (2008) --> Recording with Vinylstudio

Recording seems to work in 24/96 mode.

Dear Paul,

Recording 24bit/96kHz really works fine!
Due to the "limitations" of my Linn amp I cannot send anything "lower" than 24/96 to the Mac but the file size once saved in ALAC is huge and I doubt that I would hear any difference if files would be reasonably downsampled upon saving.


What would be your recommendationin terms of workflow? Handling (declicking, normalisation etc.) within VS at 24/96  and downsampling done by VS upon saving let's say to ALAC 24/48 (probably the easiest) or 24/44 or 16/44?

Jens
I guess

[Paul Sanders (AlpineSoft)]

Yes, recording at 24/96 makes sense with your setup.  As for what you save your tracks at, I would do some listening tests, ideally 'blind' with the help of a friend.  I would try initially comparing a track saved at 24/96 with one saved at 16/44 to see if you can tell the difference and go from there.  As long as you keep your original recordings on line, you can always save your tracks again if you change your mind.

Finally, VinylStudio can record at other than 24/96 even with the limitations of your hardware.  Consider that if you are very short of disk space.

[dtc]

I have tried 16/44, 24/96 and 24/192. My wife, who hears everything, can hear a definite improvement at 24/96 compared to 16/44, but the difference going to 24/192 is hard to discern, if there is a difference at all. Of course it depends on your equipment and your ears, or your wife's ears. Disk space is cheap so I record at 24/192 just in case some day we have new equipment and the boss says she can hear the difference. It is nice to have a wife to likes to upgrade equipment So, as Paul said, give 24/96 and 16/44 a try and see what you thing.

[Jens]

Yes, recording at 24/96 makes sense with your setup. 
.....
Finally, VinylStudio can record at other than 24/96 even with the limitations of your hardware.  Consider that if you are very short of disk space.

Thanks Paul,

I am recording vinyl with  vinylstudio via toslink n my macbook at 24/48 at this very moment, recording the digital out 24/96 signal from my linn amp.

Unfortunately there the Linn doesn't give much options to control the recording level and the recording level meter om the recording tab of vinylstudio shows a quite low max level of abot 45-50 only ,  i.e. there is definitely no risk of clipping
But would you regard this as too low, or do the 24 bit give me enough "headroom" for normalising the files at he end?

Jens

[Paul Sanders (AlpineSoft)]

I'm sure that will be fine.  At 50% recording level, you are only wasting one of your 24 bits.

[dtc]

Very few DACs actually operate at more than about 20 bits. As Paul says, you should be fine.