Different sample rate in a project

[Bacek_NJ]

Hello,

I am just started working with Pro Tools (12.1) and using ER as an audio interface.
I'd like to keep my recording projects with 96/24 resolution or at least 48/24 and wanted to record my synths using digital outs (S/PDIF) to minimize noise level cause my power source is not good.
Unfortunately my Yamaha XS6 only suports 44/24 while my other synth Roland XV-5080 supports both 48 and 44 sample rates.
Is there any workaround or trick to record a track with 44/24 but keep the project with higher resolution besides using analog outs?
Thank you.

[albee1952]

Hmm, what exactly is "ER"? Personally, I see little need of 96K and work almost always at 48K(24 bit). If the XS6 really can't do 48K, then I would take it in via analog. If there is a quality problem, I would look at the interface, the cables, etc. I run my Motif es8 with 3' analog quarter-inch cables into a pair of active DI boxes and it sounds perfectly fine here(no noise and no unwanted distortion)

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Bacek_NJ

Hello,

I am just started working with Pro Tools (12.1) and using ER as an audio interface.
I'd like to keep my recording projects with 96/24 resolution or at least 48/24 and wanted to record my synths using digital outs (S/PDIF) to minimize noise level cause my power source is not good.
Unfortunately my Yamaha XS6 only suports 44/24 while my other synth Roland XV-5080 supports both 48 and 44 sample rates.
Is there any workaround or trick to record a track with 44/24 but keep the project with higher resolution besides using analog outs?
Thank you.

What do you mean when you say your power source is not that good? Noise on the incoming line? Dropouts? You may not have noise coming in from the line itself but also radiated from somewheres. Do you have any flourescent lights whether traditional or those cfl's? Those are prodigious noise generators. How about refrigerators or air conditioners? Noise from those is always an issue. I'd suggest getting a good ups with power filtering abilities to run your system on. I'm a big fan of APC ups's.

Originally Posted by albee1952

Hmm, what exactly is "ER"? Personally, I see little need of 96K and work almost always at 48K(24 bit). If the XS6 really can't do 48K, then I would take it in via analog. If there is a quality problem, I would look at the interface, the cables, etc. I run my Motif es8 with 3' analog quarter-inch cables into a pair of active DI boxes and it sounds perfectly fine here(no noise and no unwanted distortion)

I'm guessing ER means the Avid Eleven Rack.
Like you say there's no need for 96/24 and if the op is willing to work at 48/24 there's precious little difference between 48/24 and 44/24 unless he's working with video.
Side question to you Dave:
Who's di's are you running? I'm partial to the Radial boxes and they have dual channel active boxes.

[albee1952]

Currently running a pair of BBE active boxes from a Sweetwater sale. The MAGNUM D.I. Love Radial, but these were $39 each and work dandy(about 60' of snake between the DI's and inputs on a DBX 386 in my rack)

[Bacek_NJ]

Well, I thought it might be a good idea to record sound digitally if it was born digitally, but looks like my plan will not work as I see from your replies.
Though I heard some people prefer to use analog outs of XV-5080 rather than digital because it sounds better through its converters.

Regarding power - I have low frequency noise which is low level and only can be heard if I use maximum volume and use headphones connected directly to XS6. Of course I can't play with this level because it's very loud and only can hear noise in pause.
I live in townhouse and it was built cheap, so power is the issue in regards of noise from everything around and I wanted to eliminate them as much as I could at least with devices which have digital outs.

I have experimented with cheap Backup UPS (APC) before and figured out it does not help in normal condition but that noise is gone if I disconnect from the outlet and run on batteries. Some Smart APCs always do double conversion and have very low noise level but they are expensive.
Later I found a better solution - tried a power cable without a ground line and had a mirracle again - no that low freq. noise. Maybe that's why some my Roland rack synth only have power cords without ground line.

Well, the other reason I wanted to use higher sample rates because I was told some plugins work better at high resolution.

[Bacek_NJ]

And yes, ER is Eleven Rack - not sure if there is a best sample rate to record guitar using its DSP or it does not matter. Please advise.
PS I may not hear the difference because do not have a good control (monitors) right now.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Bacek_NJ

Well, I thought it might be a good idea to record sound digitally if it was born digitally, but looks like my plan will not work as I see from your replies.
Though I heard some people prefer to use analog outs of XV-5080 rather than digital because it sounds better through its converters.

Regarding power - I have low frequency noise which is low level and only can be heard if I use maximum volume and use headphones connected directly to XS6. Of course I can't play with this level because it's very loud and only can hear noise in pause.
I live in townhouse and it was built cheap, so power is the issue in regards of noise from everything around and I wanted to eliminate them as much as I could at least with devices which have digital outs.

I have experimented with cheap Backup UPS (APC) before and figured out it does not help in normal condition but that noise is gone if I disconnect from the outlet and run on batteries. Some Smart APCs always do double conversion and have very low noise level but they are expensive.
Later I found a better solution - tried a power cable without a ground line and had a mirracle again - no that low freq. noise. Maybe that's why some my Roland rack synth only have power cords without ground line.

Well, the other reason I wanted to use higher sample rates because I was told some plugins work better at high resolution.

If you're running a system that is supposed to have a 3 wire grounded power cord with a cord that doesn't have the ground that is dangerous. Some pieces of electronics are designed to run with just a two wire cord but if it has 3 wire then that's what you should run. Google for why you want to have 3 wire (2 + ground) connections. Mainly it's for safety. Graphic example of what can happen when grounds go awry is what happened to the Grateful Dead at the original Woodstock Festival. Yes they did play there but had issues. Due to grounding issues the mics were hot and Bob Weir got knocked on his butt when he went to sing into the mic and a long blue spark jumped from the hot mic to him.

From the description of your noise it's 60 cycle hum. You may have a ground loop situation going on - Google is your friend for finding a description. One of the better things for combating ground loops is to have everything plugged into just one wall outlet. That way everything is on one circuit and one ground connection. An ups won't help with that.

Like I said earlier I like APC ups's and they aren't cheap but then again replacing an ups is a lot cheaper than replacing your equipment. I've had a couple of them that have sacrificed themselves and saved the equipment. Replacing a $300 ups versus replacing $3000+ in equipment? I'll take the ups route any day. The APC I've got on my system now is one that completely regenerates the incoming AC and has a true sine wave output - not all ups's have that and use a square wave approximation of a sine wave. Transformers tend to not like square waves. 750VA at $450 for what I've got.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Bacek_NJ

And yes, ER is Eleven Rack - not sure if there is a best sample rate to record guitar using its DSP or it does not matter. Please advise.
PS I may not hear the difference because do not have a good control (monitors) right now.

44.1 KHz is more than adequate for guitar as well as most keyboards. Sample rate has nothing to do with the internal dsp in the 11R (btw most people use that as shorthand for the 11 Rack).