Charles Fleche wrote: > I was randomly looking at current hardware synths, noticing than most of > them offer only analogue outputs. It looks odd to me to generate a sound > in the digital world, then convert it to analogue, just to convert it > back to digital at recording time... Newer, high-end synths and samplers have mLAN16E2 outputs ( http://www.yamahasynth.com/products/tone_generators_samplers/motif_rack_xs/ ). Obviously running over 100/1000M ethernet is the way to go, so it's just a matter of sorting out all the patents and sony/betamaxisms: http://lalists.stanford.edu/lau/2010/07/0403.html The older versions of this class of synth had ADAT outputs ( http://www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com/Product.php?id=88 ) and there's prosumer level ones, as well as external modules like the "SoundCanvas" with digital outs as well. But with ADAT topping out at 48K, and S/MUX not being that widely adopted, it probably doesn't make sense unless it's being used with a synth that has <48K internal sampling rate. However, if you have an older synth and a soldering iron and the will to experiment, one could also use a WM8804 "evaluation board" to create an SPDIF output from the I2S inputs to an older synth's DAC: http://lalists.stanford.edu/lau/2010/06/0801.html . Thanks to the work of Dimitris Papastamos at Wolfson, the WM8804 appears to be getting some direct ALSA support as well: http://opensource.wolfsonmicro.com/content/wm8804-linux-support-released . I'm still not clear if these drivers would be able to control a WM8804 evaluation board from Linux, or if there would be any direct need to use these controls -- one might want to just "set jumpers" on the WM8804 into a particular configuration such as http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/digital/wm8804.aspx Niels http://nielsmayer.com PS: I could actually be more sure of the above statements if I had a WM8804 to work with -- is there a way for Linux developers to get this WM8804 evaluation board for less than $200.00 (which is probably more than the used cost of the synths and soundcards we might want to retrofit this way): http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Wolfson-Microelectronics/WM8804-6152-DS20-EV1/?qs=Xqu1B/s4UobSmDPf34PglA%3d%3d _______________________________________________ Linux-audio-user mailing list Linux-audio-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user
