D to A converter question

My sound is coming out of FCP and the Mac via the Mac stereo output right now.

My Blackmagic Decklink HD Pro card carries the video to the monitors.

With remarkable perception I note that my Blackmagic card also has an output cheerfully named "SPDIF/AES out". I suspect that this is a digital sound output. Don't you?

I imagine that in order to listen to this output, I would need a D-A converter. Assuming that this is the case, what could I or should I buy?. I'd like to be able to construct (say) 7 channel audio tracks in FCP and monitor them. I also want to spend approximately $0.00.

Many thanks for reading this drivel.

Off to the dentist now.

Best

Harry.

Harry Bromley-Davenport.

<<<I suspect that this is a digital sound output. >>>

Two channels of it, yes.

We have an Audio Alchemy "DAC In The Box " that accepts either optical or coax wire and produces decoded two-track audio. That's all it does. It's not connected to anything else.

I do wonder how "normal" people manage to get 5.1 out of a Mac. Our Kona2 supports four AES channels each of which is stereo.

Koz

By the way, Sony Philips Digital Interface and Audio Engineering Society / European Broadcast Union (SPDIF and AES/EBU) are cousins of each other. There are very slight differences in the code structure, but if you haven't offended any gods in the last month or so, a lot of decoders will handle both.

Koz

Thanks, Koz.

This box of yours seems to sell for about $150 which is my kinda price. But it only does two channels, as you know.

How do people decode multiple channels, indeed?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I think I'll ask that guy at Blackmagic.

Best

Harry

Harry Bromley-Davenport.

Quote

How do people decode multiple channels, indeed?

With multi-channel audio interfaces. Such as the RME Multiface (8 Analog, 8 Adat, 2 S/PDIF).
I don't mess around with multi-outs in FCP all that much but I do it in Logic all the time. I have to give FCP5.x a go with the RME as 4.x was a little squoinky in this respect. A fine weekend project.

[www.rme-audio.de]

As far as hardware goes the RME stuff is bulletproof. Never had a problem in 5 years. Gone from OS9 to OSX, with solid drivers and never had to reseat a card or reflash firmware for anything other than upgrades.

Won't be cheap enough for you though Harry.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

Andrew,

Thanks so much for your response. I will check out your suggestion tomorrow when I am sober.

I am, however, getting the feeling that my suggested price of $0.00 may be a trifle unrealistic.

In any case, you are most kind to respond to my hopelessly ignorant question.

Best

Harry

Harry Bromley-Davenport.