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what route does the audio take ? For example: a MIDI controller triggers sounds in MainStage via MIDI connection through an UltraLite; the sound travels from the laptop back through the USB or FireWire connection into the MOTU where it is routed out the analogue jacks OR the SPDIF/TOSlink. From there it is inserted into the sound system/PA speakers. So my question is: why do you need a digital out if the sound is going directly into an amplifier?

Drumthumb wrote:So my question is: why do you need a digital out if the sound is going directly into an amplifier?

In case you want to route the signal to the digital inputs of another device.

Bingo!

bayswater wrote:

Drumthumb wrote:So my question is: why do you need a digital out if the sound is going directly into an amplifier?

In case you want to route the signal to the digital inputs of another device.

bear with me - another device like a DAW, or SSD? Ultimately, though, the sound will need to be routed through an A/D converter to get it to an amplifier, right?

Drumthumb wrote:Ultimately, though, the sound will need to be routed through an A/D converter to get it to an amplifier, right?

Yes but the goal for most these days is to keep everything in the digital domain up to that point.

Drumthumb wrote:

bayswater wrote:

Drumthumb wrote:So my question is: why do you need a digital out if the sound is going directly into an amplifier?

In case you want to route the signal to the digital inputs of another device.

bear with me - another device like a DAW, or SSD? Ultimately, though, the sound will need to be routed through an A/D converter to get it to an amplifier, right?

No. If you wanted to send it to a digital tape, for example, you could do it without conversion. You might send it to another audio interface that has a connection to effects you want to use. E.g., I have a second Mac with a PCI UAD card. To use it, I use digital outs on my main Mac to get to it, setting up an effects loop to and from the UAD.

Generally, you should keep your signal in digital format once it has been converted from analog until it has to be converted back to analog for monitors, vinyl, etc. So all your equipment needs to have digital inputs and outputs so you can do that.

Vinyl? What's that?

Phil O wrote:Vinyl? What's that?

The Beatles used it for storage or something.

Kind of a not-so-floppy disk, huh?

bayswater wrote:

Drumthumb wrote:Ultimately, though, the sound will need to be routed through an A/D converter to get it to an amplifier, right?

No. If you wanted to send it to a digital tape, for example, you could do it without conversion. You might send it to another audio interface that has a connection to effects you want to use. E.g., I have a second Mac with a PCI UAD card. To use it, I use digital outs on my main Mac to get to it, setting up an effects loop to and from the UAD.

Also, some amps now have built in converters (i.e., digital ins). I don't think I'd use one, but they exist.

Phil

Phil O wrote:

bayswater wrote:

Drumthumb wrote:Ultimately, though, the sound will need to be routed through an A/D converter to get it to an amplifier, right?

No. If you wanted to send it to a digital tape, for example, you could do it without conversion. You might send it to another audio interface that has a connection to effects you want to use. E.g., I have a second Mac with a PCI UAD card. To use it, I use digital outs on my main Mac to get to it, setting up an effects loop to and from the UAD.

Also, some amps now have built in converters (i.e., digital ins). I don't think I'd use one, but they exist.

Phil

Can you recommend a good keyboard amp with digital inputs?

Drumthumb wrote:Can you recommend a good keyboard amp with digital inputs?

I wouldn't go there. Use the digital outputs to drive external digital devices (i.e. external digital reverb or delay or whatever box) or to transfer audio to another device that will be manipulating the audio in the digital domain. This way, you avoid multiple conversion cycles.

Connect amps to the analog outs of your interface.

HCMarkus wrote:

Drumthumb wrote:Can you recommend a good keyboard amp with digital inputs?

Connect amps to the analog outs of your interface.

ahhhh....thank you for helping to make my point; there are no keyboard amplifiers with digital inputs.

So the bottom line of this thread is... if you don’t need the digital output - don’t use it.

Drumthumb wrote:ahhhh....thank you for helping to make my point; there are no keyboard amplifiers with digital inputs.

There may not be any sold as keyboard amplifiers, but there are amps with digital inputs. The point being made, and the answer to your original question, is that there are a lot of audio units that have digital I/O so that once the analog/digital conversion is done, the signal path can remain digital as long as some sort of processing is to be applied.