SPDIF Copy Protected

[pasanta]

I formerly had an 002R. I used the spdif out to go to an old Tascam DAT machine, which I kept in input just to use the meters. While I have no problem with the metering in PT 11, they were nice to glance at for reference.
However, now with a Mbox pro my DAT shows that the spdif signal is copy protected. Is there a way to turn this off? Short of going analog, there's nothing on the DAT to change this.

[Eric Seaberg]

Copy protection is a 'flag' set in the bit-stream and can't be changed by the user. I'm surprised the MBox is sending that. Some early DAT machines were set to NOT record digitally at 44.1kHz so people couldn't make digital copies of CDs. They would only record digital at 48k. Try that first...

[pasanta]

I've tried 44.1 and 48k both with the same results. I also tried another DAT machine; Panasonic 3700.

I can use an analog out/in. The spdif was just handy. I suppose there are things you might want to do with the spdif connections on the Mbox these days other than use a DAT machine. Does this copy protection flag not mess with those?

[Eric Seaberg]

I've got a 3 Pro and will take it into our facility to test it's output. If the flag is set by Avid, it needs to be OFF for obvious reasons.

Here's a list of the word bits and how they can be set:
http://whitefiles.org/b1_s/1_free_gu...t/pgs/h13f.htm

Bit 2 is for copy protection.

[Craig F]

SPDIF (AES3i) to AES transformer would be an easy work around
like this http://www.pacrad.com/canare-connect...cj-xp-trc.html

[pasanta]

Thanks guys. I powered off/on my DAT and the meters work now from the spdif signal. And I was playing a session that still had some I/O settings from my previous 002R so I needed to reset that to get the spdif working. However....... the copy protect indicator on the DAT is still on.

So since this Mbox Pro is touted as an 8X8 interface, is the copy protect bit turned on just for the purpose of not allowing it to be a recording connection ....but work for just passing audio in and out?

I'm not sure why anyone these days needs to use anything like a DAT or digital recorder on a spdif connection. But the fact that the copy protect bit is on still seems like a bad deal. I do have a shelf full of old DATs that I intend to archive someday. I suppose this doesn't stop play from the dat INTO the Mbox.....

[Eric Seaberg]

Originally Posted by Craig F

SPDIF (AES3i) to AES transformer would be an easy work around
like this http://www.pacrad.com/canare-connect...cj-xp-trc.html

I don't that would change the digital type or the bit settings, it's only making an impedance change. AES input would still read it as SPDIF or, at least, an 'unprofessional' format... not the same as a true AES signal.

[Craig F]

As I remember SCUMS (it has been some time scene I dealt with it) only the SPDIF port responded to it and the AES port ignored that bit flag
I could be wrong

[Eric Seaberg]

Craig, you're totally right. My error... I had forgotten that an AES input would totally ignore those flags.

[Craig F]

No problem
I did ask about this but no response yet