User manual M-AUDIO SUPER DAC 2496

[. . . ] This LED lights whenever the Super DAC recognizes and is locked to that data. Format Button: This pushbutton selects which digital input (TOSLINK optical, S/PDIF or AES/EBU) is the input source to the D/A. Format LEDs: These LEDs indicate which digital input has been selected by the Format button: TOSLINK optical, S/PDIF or AES/EBU. Power Switch: When this button is pressed in (and the power adapter is properly plugged in), power is applied to the unit. [. . . ] For more information or suggestions for use, see the next section, "Typical Setup. " NOTE: For best results, use good quality digital cable. Digital AES/EBU cable should be purchased in a professional audio store and has 110-ohm characteristic impedance. Start with your sound source, then the Super DAC, and then your audio target or sound system. TYPICAL SETUP Typical Setup Fig. 1 shows any of these devices monitored through a sound system. Your SUPER DAC 2496 is capable of receiving digital audio in three different formats, AES/EBU on an XLR connector, S/PDIF on coaxial (RCA), and TOSLINK on an optical connector. The source of this digital audio could be a professional DAT deck, a computer digital I/O card, digital mixer, hard disk recorder, consumer DATs, Mini Disc, DVD or CD player. Typical Setup Fig. Let's say you have a pro DAT machine with AES/EBU digital out, a computer sound card with S/PDIF. Your CD Player actually has a TOSLINK optical out, and you think you could improve its sound quality by replacing its built-in D/A converters with something more "high end. " The solution is to hook all three to the Super DAC's inputs, and use the front panel Format button as a convenient source selector. Typical Setup Fig. Both the balanced and unbalanced outs are always active, so let's use them. Perhaps you have a power amp with balanced inputs, and then a cassette recorder that you'd rather send a signal to directly. 6 Typical Setup Fig. or an analog mixdown deck with balanced ins, and a sound system that accepts _ inch or RCA jacks. You could use this setup to "A/B" the mix deck with the source. Typical Setup Fig. 4 7 OPERATION The SUPER DAC 2496 is compatible with 24-bit, 20-bit, 18-bit, and 16-bit data. Better dynamic range translates into higher audio quality. The term "sampling rate" means the number of times that digital audio takes a "picture" of the analog signal. The more times per second you take a picture of the analog signal, the more accurate the digital representation is. Whichever sampling rate you send to the Super DAC, from 22 kHz to 100 kHz, the Super DAC automatically detects the sample rate and synchronizes to it. Once locked to the sample rate, the front panel "Data Valid" LED will light. Utilizing a three-conductor balanced "XLR" type cable, this transmission method is considered the most stable and runs the longest distances. S/PDIF and TOSLINK are essentially the same transmission protocol, one using a two-conductor "coaxial" cable with RCA connectors as the standard and the other a special "TOSLINK" type optical cable. [. . . ] Symptom: When the digital audio source changes sample rates, or I select a different digital input using the Format button, the audio is muted for a short period of time. Solution: This is normal as it takes a small amount of time for a digital audio receiver to lock onto a digital audio source. In order to prevent spurious noise, the Super DAC mutes its analog outputs until it sees a valid digital signal for 200 milliseconds. Symptom: When applying a digital signal to the Super DAC, the DAC's "Data Valid" LED lights erratically or not at all. [. . . ]