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Topic: Recording Toslink S/PDIF audio (Read 4736 times) previous topic - next topic
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Recording Toslink S/PDIF audio

Hi. There is one laserdisc release of concert I really love and it has never been released to CD or DVD. Only VHS and laserdisc.
I would love to record exact digital audio data from that laserdisc, which is stored in same way as on normal audio CD (16 bit 44100 HZ PCM) and make my own soundtrack CD. I could also scan laserdisc covers and print them to CD case size.
So when I get laserdisc player with optical out my question is:
How can I capture digital signal from Toslink optical out to get wav files from it?

Re: Recording Toslink S/PDIF audio

Reply #1
The "data" on a laserdisc is actually analog, so there is no equivalent to reading the digital data from a CD. The best you can do is get a high quality analog signal and digitize it yourself.

Re: Recording Toslink S/PDIF audio

Reply #2
Yes it is on older releases. If that was the case why would laserdisc player have Toslink optical out? On newer releases it is digital though video is always analog on every laserdisc but I'm interested in audio only.


Re: Recording Toslink S/PDIF audio

Reply #4
Is there any optical to USB audio converter preferably not expensive? I know there are Toslink to Coax and Coax to Toslink converters that are not expensive simple as this: https://www.chipoteka.hr/artikl/106154/pretvarac-digitalnog-audio-signala-goobay-coax-toslink-1https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php?action=post;topic=115242.0;last_msg=9506501918-4050060310

Re: Recording Toslink S/PDIF audio

Reply #5
Ensure your sound card has the ability to synchronize its clock to the clock of the LD player. Otherwise, after 15-20 minutes, the audio will get garbled.

My EMU 0404 USB and also my Mac mini (in OSX) can sync to the external signal.

 

Re: Recording Toslink S/PDIF audio

Reply #6
If I'm using USB audio interface I think that it doesn't matter what soundcard I have because computer is getting data from USB. Correct me if I'm wrong but that is my understanding. I was searching the internet for USB interface with S/PDIF input and I only found this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Roland-EDIROL-UA-1A-USB-AudioCapture-Audio-Interface-/222712969607?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10
Are there any other products like that?

Re: Recording Toslink S/PDIF audio

Reply #7
If I'm using USB audio interface I think that it doesn't matter what soundcard I have because computer is getting data from USB. Correct me if I'm wrong but that is my understanding. I was searching the internet for USB interface with S/PDIF input and I only found this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Roland-EDIROL-UA-1A-USB-AudioCapture-Audio-Interface-/222712969607?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10
Are there any other products like that?
When you're only using the S/PDIF input, you can technically use whatever sound card, that's correct. The data arriving at the sound card is already in digital, after all. However, you get what you pay for.

Cheap USB sound cards skimp on components. The S/PDIF interface can be of sub par quality, sometimes the soldering is just crap. You end up having technically a loose connection, etc. Go for reasonably mid-range, but don't go for the scrape of the barrel.

I used this before: https://www.conrad.com/ce/en/product/872990/71-Sound-card-external-USB-Soundbox-71-Digital-output-External-headphone-jacks-External-volume-control
It cointains S/PDIF via Toslink input and outputs. You can also find these 7.1 USB sound cards used on Ebay, you might wanna have a look there, too.