Using ADAT optical out for monitor mixing

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Level 1

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Using ADAT optical out for monitor mixing

Hi - fairly new to all this so please bear with me...

I have a Tascam fw-1082 which is playing up and the monitor and headphone outs are no longer working (have been dealing with Tascam about the problem).

However, rather than getting the unit fixed (may cost a lot of money), I was going to carry on using it as a control surface (I like using the motorised faders) and for recording into Logic pro 9.

I am currently monitoring using the built in audio out to my active monitors (sound is pretty good - but I presume I could do a lot better!).

I would like to create monitor mixes for my band - particularly the 2 guitarists and wondered if I could use the optical out (I have a cable - no idea which one!) to a mixer and use Logic to create submixes and a main monitor mix through this.

So my questions are:
1. is creating separate mixes from Logic possible using the optical signal out?
2. is there an interface/mixer that would take the optical signal and give me multiple analogue out?
3. Should I forget all this and buy a new digital mixer with submixing functions and forget my fancy smancy motorised faders?

Any help much appreciated...

iMac 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7, Mac OS X (10.6.4), Logic Pro 9.1.1

Posted on Jul 29, 2010 12:59 AM

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Answer 1

upakrik

Level 2

170 points

Jul 29, 2010 2:56 AM in response to outofhouse

i was looking at the back panel of your Tascam fw-1082 and see no optical outs, only a coaxial I/O.

you can create multiple phone mixes by using the channel sends and creating different outputs for each send in the aux channel, but that requires an interface with multiple output options (motu, rme etc.that have their own apps for hp mixes) and a multi channel headphone distribution amplifier.

rick

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Answer 2

noeqplease

Level 4

3,589 points

Jul 31, 2010 9:17 AM in response to outofhouse

Your Tascam FW1082 only has one stereo output pair, plus headphones plus a stereo SPDIF output.

You mention that your headphone outputs and the monitor outouts no longer work.

This leaves you with ONE stereo output, the digital SPDIF.

In order to do what you want to do, you will need a completely different interface, which has multiple independent analog outputs.

Anything else, like a "workaround" using your current device, is poppycock (word of the day)...

Cheers

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Answer 3

outofhouse Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 12, 2010 12:48 AM in response to noeqplease

Hi - didn't explain myself properly. I was wondering if the IMac's optical out (using the correct lead inserted into the headphone out on the back) could be used to route multiple channels to another mixer while the tascam is simply used as sound into the mac and for midi control...

I have a feeling this probably isn't possible but ah well...

Hope this makes sense!

Message was edited by: outofhouse

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Answer 4

Pancenter

Level 6

14,788 points

Aug 12, 2010 12:55 AM in response to outofhouse

outofhouse wrote:
Hi - didn't explain myself properly. I was wondering if the IMac's optical out (using the correct lead inserted into the headphone out on the back) could be used to route multiple channels to another mixer while the tascam is simply used as sound into the mac and for midi control...

The optical out is stereo s/pdif format, you would also need a mixer with a digital input. This is not analog audio data until it goes through D/A conversion.

pancenter-

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Answer 5

outofhouse Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 13, 2010 1:31 AM in response to Pancenter

Thanks for all the responses - sounding to me like an expensive solution...

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Answer 6

spheric

Level 3

699 points

Aug 13, 2010 1:46 AM in response to outofhouse

Well yeah - primarily, though, because the first step in using an ADAT optical out is actually GETTING one… 🙂

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Answer 7

Aug 13, 2010 2:37 AM in response to outofhouse

No it's not nessesarily an expensive sollution, but it makes a lot more sense going for and audio interface with multiple outputs. Depending on how many you need, you could actually use NI Audio 2 DJ witch is quite inexpensive, is sounding good, and gives you two stereo outputs.

Lying sick in my bed, so I can't get my head around suggesting any other interfaces right now. 😀

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Answer 8

spheric

Level 3

699 points

Aug 13, 2010 3:00 AM in response to espenandre

The Presonus Firebox sounds okay for the price (certainly an order of magnitude better than the internal A/D-D/A), is fairly cheap at $200 street price, and has six inputs and 10 outputs (apparently 8 simultaneous outs, so you can create three stereo monitor mixes and one main out pair), and it does 24-bit 96 kHz, if that's your thing (at this price range, I'd stick with 24-bit/44.1 kHz).

Firewire with bus power.

Has its own mixer application, but in a pinch, it "just works" without driver installation.

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