Forum: Hardware Technical Support - Topic: SPDIF digital Question NUMARK PPD9000

I've just purchased a Numark DMC2 & PPD9000 for My mobile DJ Rig ..... Very Pleased as they match nicely.
However Im not making the most of this mixers Audio Quality using the AC97 soundcards analog outputs.
The Question is can I get Digital CD like quality using a couple of budget soundcards connecting them to the mixer using SPDIF,
as im bypassing the soundcards Cheap DACs using the better quality DACS in the PPD9000 mixer.

Hi mate

Sounds like a great idea and could also give you some benifit regarding latencey to, as your mixers dac's will not be using your pc's processor.

Wether you can tel the difference will depend on the source quality of your music obviously but I think it should be very noticable when using higher bit rate MP3 and so on.

Nice idea

Daz

Ok Daz good thought didnt think of it in terms of reducing CPU usage.
Just is there still any point in buying expensive sound cards as im keeping it all digital and not using Cheap DACs.
Can I still do this and maintain quaulity ?

Hi mate.

I dont think it will be a cost thing, more a feature requirement. I dont know if the cards you are looking at enable you to turn the dac's off. I think the best way is to look for a card which allows you lots of control over what it is doing.

As you are looking at only using SPDIF outs there may even be some cards or USB convertors which are not sound cards as such but just provide an SPDIF output and allow you to get at the digital stream.

I will see what I can find.

It would be great if Numark or one of the other manufacturers had this kind of thing as an accesory to use with their digital desks.

Daz

Hi mate.

How about something like this. http://www.elecsky.net/usb-to-spdif-converteruse-cm102/. You would need two buy they look like they, or something like them would do the job nicely.

Daz

Just an update on this older thread ...

I've installed 2x M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 sound cards, they have software that supports multiple spdif outputs.

So I now have asound path which is digital through to the amp

really makes the old PPD9000s sing :)