2 DIGI001 on same PC?

[IOP Drummer]

OK. With digital connections, you have to keep a couple things in mind. For one, you have a type of connection--a cable. (With regard to digital CABLES, the common ones are Toslink, XLR, D sub 24, and RCA.) Then, more importantly, you have a digital PROTOCOL over the cable. Common PROTOCOLS are AES/EBU (audio engineering society and European Broadcasting Union), S/P Dif (Sony Philips Digital interface format), T/Dif (Tascam digital interface format), and Lightpipe (ADAT digital interface format).
Now, each PROTOCOL has certain specs of what they do. Aes/EBU commonly uses XLR cable and connectors and is STEREO L/R, S/P dif commonly uses rca cables and connectors and is STEREO L/R, T/Dif uses D sub 24 cable and connectors and is 8 IN / 8 OUT plus clock, and Lightpipe uses Toslink (optical) cables and is also 8 IN and 8 OUT. There's some fundamental information for you. Cables and Protocols are like MIDI and AUDIO. NOT THE SAME THING!!!!! S/P Dif can be sent over an XLR cable, and AES/EBU can be sent over an RCA!!! Toslink can shoot S/P dif, lightpipe, and others.
Helpful tip--AES/EBU and S/P Dif do require special cables---still XLR and RCA, but they are 75 ohms. They are faster than standard XLR and RCA cables. Using standard cables may not be fast enough to transfer the info quickly enough and result in pops, and other distortion. Buy the right cables.

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Mike Blanchard
Engineer

[beets]

There's always the digimax from presonus.It has 8 anolgue ins, each with pre amp,eq and compression and 24 outs. 8 anolgue, 4 stereo spdif and an adat light pipe out.A good investment if you got the cash. www.presonus.com

[saxmanreed]

Is ther anything out there less expensive than the Digimax or ADAT, that will give me 8 extra digital imputs. I recently picked up the Levicon Core2 4 in 8 out analog and RCA S/PDIF and ADAT in and outs, to use with Pro Audio 9. Should I be able to use the ADAT out into the ADAT in on Digi001?
Thank, Will Reed

[StiffyMcP]

Hi All,

I just talked to a salesman / digi-user at MarsMusic and he said that he had tried putting 2 digi's in the same box. He told me that PTLE does not recognize the second digi. I am not sure if he was talking out his butt or what--salesmen generally have a hard time saying "I don't know", especially if they are motivated in some way or another. He was actually the third person that I talked to at the store because I kept getting "You can't do it" without an explaination--and from people who had never tried it. But he claims that he actually tried it and it didn't work.

I know someone at Digidesign has tried this somewhere along the line... It would be great to hear from them on this.

Thanks,

John Dells.

[Digi Engineering]

>>I know someone at Digidesign has tried this somewhere along
>>the line... It would be great to hear from them on this.

It won't work. PTLE was designed to use only a single Digi001.

Eric Day
Digidesign

[StiffyMcP]

Hi Eric,

Thanks for the response!

That's what I kinda figured anyway, as a software designer myself, things that I didn't program seldom work by themselves! ha ha ha.

Suggestion for next release...Multiple digi's recognized from PTLE--or a generic interface with Windows.

I can totally relate to the situation that Digidesign has created for the Digi though; the software and hardware are very proprietary and only work with each other (and a couple of other Digidesign products). I think that you guys (forgive me for stating what might have been in someone else's mind) did this in order to guarantee that 24 tracks could be recorded and played back with no errors. It was this assumption that drew me to Digidesign in the first place, having experienced two other systems (granted several years ago) that promised digital audio on my computer, but could not deliver the goods effectively. After all, I get tired of end-users of products that I have worked on calling up with system configurations that we never intended to support.

However, I would spend another $800 to get another digi001 if PTLE supported it. At present, my only upgrade path is the full PT system, which as a home recording enthusiast is out of my reach. Digidesign could probably cash in on the "more than $1000, less than $5000" market if it supported multiple Digi's.

And while I'm on a rant (wink wink), how about a system that has 8 mic pre's! I could spend my money elsewhere, but I have been so impressed with the digi's pre's that I would like 6 more of them in this unit and 8 more in an expansion box!

Anyway, thanks for the input!

John Dells.

[nakedsingularity]

I think Digidesign is definately going the wrong rout by simply saying "It won't work". They could make it work. But they want anyone who wants more tracks to step up to the more expensive versions they offer.

Stify's right in that most of us would rather buy another 001 than go with someone else. But most of us, I would think, are more likely to go with another manufacture entirely than buy a $10,000 Pro Tools system. The market for mid range DAWs is just too big now. For about $3000 I could get the Paris system which gives me 16 tracks (can go much higher) and a nifty controller/mixer. Then I could buy several nice pre-amps and still be WAY under the next Pro Tools system.

On the other hand...I could just buy a second 001 and give my money to Digidesign. And they would have to take the horribly complicated step of....writing a patch to get another $800 of my money. Hell...I'd buy 2 more if they'd let me. Why is it so hard to give away our money these days?

[StiffyMcP]

Yeah,

Digidesign better take my money while it lasts! ha ha ha.

I totally would rather stick with on manufacturer for a system as timing / resource critical as digital audio than play the "mix-n-match" game that I do on my other systems. Trying to divine which drivers from which company will work smoothly with another is a true pain in the buttocks.

There is definately a "corporate strategy" going on with EVERY manufacturer out there (IMHO). I don't say this in a bad way, just that Digidesign is the big boy on the block and doesn't have to release home studio products at all. The smaller companies make their bread and butter on the home enthusiast. Even with the sales pitch from Digi that "you can trade it back in on a full pro-tools system" seems to suggest that one primary function of the Digi001 is to be a hook. They even give away PTLEfree, which is as functional as some non-free software out there.

I don't blame them for this strategy at all--look at what Microsoft (and others) have done with free software. If you can get people using your free stuff, then they will be much more likely to want your expensive stuff. I just wish that they had a middle ground strategy; but it is possible that they view (here I go again trying to read other people's minds) a middle tier system not so much as a hook for entry level systems as a detractor from their high-end systems.

Digidesign: Please don't ever make the mistake that Apple computer made--thinking they were only a hardware company.

Just my 2$ worth.

John Dells.

[fatdaddy]

man, if you need more tracks, record in the 001 via LE and transfer the files to another program that supports more tracks. It is not that big o deal if you got to have a ton of tracks there are plenty of options that away or you could just bounce some mixes down and comp them together. Make some music don't gripe about the limitations. You know 8 tracks ,Sgt Peppers, Dark Side of The Moon, any old Quincy Jones stuff, just make it happen.

[nakedsingularity]

You're missing the point fatdaddy. This has nothing to do with track limitations. We all know we can export to other programs - that is...the few that support 001.

This is about additional audio inputs. 8 at once is nice. But within 1 month of having the 001 I am wishing for more. 16 simultanious ins would be perfect for what I'm doing with our band right now. To mic up our drummer I really need 8 just for him. He plays through a electric/acoustic hybrid kit and I need 2 inputs for his electric kit. Add basss and guitar and I'm way past 8.

So we make it work - drummer get less than ideal micing. Have to unless I want to go with a new system. And within a few years I probably will. My point is that I would prefer to just add more inputs with a second 001 - and not have to go with a different manufacture. If Pro Tools keeps their stance as is - I'll definately go with someone else. Hate companies who can't see the benefit in pleasing their customers. Why would I buy something from them again when they wouldn't addequately support the first thing I bought. The wizard behind the curtain has a great plan I'm sure.