S/PDIF output - no signal

  • Yes. It is confusing. But you are using your Kemper wrong. 8o


    RCA cables on have a single center conductor with a grounding sheath around it. I suppose you can get a stereo signal by the center conductor carrying the Left and the grounding shield carries the Right channel but you loose any shielding. Maybe that is why you get degradation at longer lengths. I just can't finger out how a signal is being sent thru the shielding when it's suppose to be grounded-- like that signal would short out. This is a mystery.


    We need an expert on the subject to explain. :/

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • But you are using your Kemper wrong.

    Dude, I already told you that I've never used S/PDIF on my Kemper. The situation I described that worked flawlessly for years was with a professional mixing desk (Yamaha O2R).


    I'm no expert but as I've said here and many times elsewhere on the forum, it works. Others have used RCA with their Kempers and it worked for them too, the cable-length thing being the only caveat I take great pains to be sure to mention every time I suggest someone try it.


    The cool thing is that it'll either work 100%, or, if the length's too-long or there's severe interference due to the cable's location, obvious clicks and pops will be evident. If the spikes aren't there, one can expect things to continue that way.

  • RCA cables on have a single center conductor with a grounding sheath around it. I suppose you can get a stereo signal by the center conductor carrying the Left and the grounding shield carries the Right channel but you loose any shielding.

    SPDIF is digital protocol. Kemper is banging bits out to the wire. There is no left and right channel as in case of analog cables. Both channels are traveling on the same wire in a "frame" (frame is some defined structure of digital words) along with some other information, like clock. And it doesn't need to be left/right - can be wet/dry - Kemper is flexible here.

  • Dude, I already told you that I've never used S/PDIF on my Kemper. The situation I described that worked flawlessly for years was with a professional mixing desk (Yamaha O2R).


    I'm no expert but as I've said here and many times elsewhere on the forum, it works. Others have used RCA with their Kempers and it worked for them too, the cable-length thing being the only caveat I take great pains to be sure to mention every time I suggest someone try it.


    The cool thing is that it'll either work 100%, or, if the length's too-long or there's severe interference due to the cable's location, obvious clicks and pops will be evident. If the spikes aren't there, one can expect things to continue that way.

    OH! my bad. Blame my speed reading teacher.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • SPDIF is digital protocol. Kemper is banging bits out to the wire. There is no left and right channel as in case of analog cables. Both channels are traveling on the same wire in a "frame" (frame is some defined structure of digital words) along with some other information, like clock. And it doesn't need to be left/right - can be wet/dry - Kemper is flexible here.

    I used left/right just to distinguish the two channels. I understand the signal is just zeros and ones, and can represent any type of data.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • I used left/right just to distinguish the two channels. I understand the signal is just zeros and ones, and can represent any type of data.

    Well, if you understood that, why were you so adamant that RCA wouldn't work 'cause it only had a single core? I had to repeatedly assure you that it works in the face of your scepticism based on the assumption that you'd need 2 wires to convey a stereo S/PDIF signal. A small example:

    RCA cables on have a single center conductor with a grounding sheath around it. I suppose you can get a stereo signal by the center conductor carrying the Left and the grounding shield carries the Right channel but you loose any shielding. Maybe that is why you get degradation at longer lengths. I just can't finger out how a signal is being sent thru the shielding when it's suppose to be grounded-- like that signal would short out.

  • Well, if you understood that, why were you so adamant that RCA wouldn't work 'cause it only had a single core? I had to repeatedly assure you that it works in the face of your scepticism based on the assumption that you'd need 2 wires to convey a stereo S/PDIF signal. A small example:

    Chill out, I believe you. I am just skeptical as to how a single RCA is carrying two signals when it has only one conductor inside. If a SPDIF is only sending one signal then I guess an RCA can work.


    I'm am not being disrespectful to you at all, friend.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • Chill out, I believe you. I am just skeptical as to how a single RCA is carrying two signals when it has only one conductor inside.

    Hey bro', I'm sufficiently-chillaxed; no need to worry about that, mate. Thanks man. <3


    Perhaps you're missing the point of the question? You've just said yet again that you're "... skeptical as to how a single RCA is carrying two signals when it has only one conductor inside", something I simply pointed out that you've said all-along.


    Now that you know it's only a single stream of digital packets that requires only 1 wire, no need to be sceptical anymore, methinks.


    Anyway, if you're ever in a pinch and need to connect a coaxial S/PDIF source and destination but don't have a purpose-built lead, at least you know you can dive into that old box of home-stereo leads and maybe dig something up that'll work. 8)


    Thankfully Mabo1988 managed to sort his issue out too. :)

  • Just like you can send many analog signals over a single wire (look at cable TV in your house - it sends hundreds of channels simultaneously over the very same coax cable at the same time + internet) you can do exactly the same in digital domain and to be honest SPDIF is the crappiest protocol of them all - just 2 channels using short, quite expensive cable! For example Dante protocol (audio over ethernet) can transfer 1024 channels on a single CAT-5 cable, long distance. But I guess it is off-topic already by a few miles :)

  • Using any old RCA audio cable might work. But you also might be subject to interference from a number of devices, like cell phones. You might ruin a great take because some interference source showed up at the wrong time. I would (did) pony up the money for a decent cable. You don't need top of the line, just something better then leftovers audio.

  • Anyway, if you're ever in a pinch and need to connect a coaxial S/PDIF source and destination but don't have a purpose-built lead, at least you know you can dive into that old box of home-stereo leads and maybe dig something up that'll work. 8)

    I have a big box of that stuff. I remember my parents thinking I was going to blow up the house when I got my first stereo/turntable/8-track/cassette/cd/eq/mixer system and RCA cables going everywhere.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.