john_grieco

Here's what I'm aiming to do:

I'm using several audio squeezebox devices (www.slimdevices.com) in my home with structured cabling to have a flexible multi-room music setup. The digital coax (contains 2 channel music) out of each device is wired into multiple Audigy 2ZS sound cards to leverage it's d/a conversion. Each two channel line level signal will then get amplified and power speakers in the room.

Here are my two problems:
1) I cannot get the 2ZS card recognize the coax signal - The squeezebox tells me this about the coax signal:

• Coax connector: RCA, 500mVpp into 75 ohms
• Sample rates: 44.1Khz, 48Khz

2) If I can resolve the first issue which I believe is possible, I'm wondering if I can have more than one audigy 2zs card in one server and use them for their d/a conversion.

I'm open to suggestions on different approaches (soundcards, etc.) but I do need to use coax and, ultimately figure out a low cost solution to converting multiple digital coax signals to line level analog directly..

dj_stick

make sure you bridge pins 25&35 to activate the AD_EXT header

also if all you're doing is conversion, use the kX drivers, low footprint and natively support multiple cards (i have 2 cards working right not, linked via SPDIF)

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john_grieco

I updated to the KX drivers (5.10.00.3537) and Wired to the SPDIF0 port and jumped pin 25 to 35 on the AD_EXT - It's working! My big real test will be to have two or three 2ZS cards playing nicely in the same box.

Any thoughts on my strategy in centralizing the digital audio signals and using multiple 2ZS cards in a single music server box for their d/a conversion. My thoughts are:
1) running rg6 cable is the least expensive digital cable,
2) running digital minimizes signal loss,
3)centralizing all the digital signals allows me to run structured cabling (2 rg6 - one audio, one catv, 2 cat6 - one slimdevice, one for general purpose computer networking, 12/4 or 14/4 - speaker cables, 16/2-shielded for the external squeezebox powersupply ),
4) centralize the bulky parts - multichannel ammplifier, powersupply, etc.
5) easily expand/add another the multi-room node (run a structured wire pak to the new location), connect a squeezebox to a cat6, coax, powersupply, install speakers, use the 14/4 speaker wire, add another 2ZS card and voila, I have a another independant music node.

If you have any suggestions on cutting costs (adding a node is not cheap!) would be welcomed.

Thanks again,

john_grieco

my test analog input was still in and i thought I had the nut cracked - Any thoguths as to why I'm still not getting the coax signal being processed. What setting should I look at?

dj_stick

do you simply want the digital inputs to be routed directly to the outputs?

if so you'll need some dsp re-wiring (it's not as hard as it looks) - there's info on how to do this here

what you need to do is check which digital input is in use, by connecting the peak meter in the DSP to the various spdif inputs on the PROLOG in the bottom left corner.
Once you've found which one is active, connect it directly to the analogue output you wish to use on the epilog (the "rear" codec is the highest quality one, but the default kX setting reverses the front and rear options, so front audio comes out the rear, and rear comes out the front -> you can disable this option in the main kX window to make working with the DSP easier)

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john_grieco

Yes I do want to get at the d/a conversion that the board can do - I assume that it contains only one converter and has two spdif inputs that it must allow you to switch to via software, but if it can handle procesing two spdif inputs converted to independant line level output signals (2-channel), that would be twice as nice. Would like to hear your comment on the capabilities of the 2zs card in this respect..

I am working through the kx reading and started from scratch again (uninstalled everything and re-installed kx). I'm hoping to look at it this evening...

Thanks for giving me some directrion on these issues.

Rgds,

john_grieco

Here is my current setup:
audigy 2zs card, installed kx driver
I'm connecting the coax digital input to pin 5 and pin 6 and jumping pin 25 to pin 35
Is this right for a 2zs card? Should I be using the pins 19/20 for the IS2 input?? I just want to get the high quality d/a conversion for 2-channel stereo...
There is an AD_EXT pinout and and AUD_EXT pinout diagram and I may be using the wrong one??
I tried creating a simple router flow (wired IS2 inputs to outputs)
I may have done this wrong - any help or sample file with a spdif signal from the aud_ext pin inputs would be AWESOME
I setup the mixer to use coaxial spdif - tried setting ac-3 on and off - no luck
Any newbie setup for this application is much appreciated
I can hear my cd input (strange thing is I do not have the 4 pin or 2 pin cable connected from the cd drive to the auduigy cd_in, digital cd ports, so the signal must be getting to the card via the sound card bus??)

- one question/thought - Is there a codec that I may be missing preventing me from enabling the dac part (conversion of coax digital input to use 2 channel line out from 3.5MM jack on the sound card) ???: how can I be sure that I have the codec that performs the is2 16v conversion?

Thanks for all of your help so far...

itsme

hi there!
i own an audigy 2 (no ZS!!) and i also want to use the spdif-in. by now, i have not been able to enable it (i have bridged pin 25 and 35 already). i do not own any front panel, instead i soldered a cable (RCA->2pin-connector) and put it on pins 5 and 6.
and of course, mixer levels are at maximum

some questions:
1. is the pin layout of the no-zs different from the zs variant (the connector is also labelled AD_EXT)?
2. what are the correct input settings on other devices, 48khz or 96khz?
3. is there any conversion of voltage levels required?

any suggestions *very* appreciated.

dj_stick

the inputs on the AD_EXT are TTL levels (0-5v), standard spdif is +/-0.5vm you will need to convert this somehow (unless yuo use the CD_SPDIF input which does work with both TTL and Coaxial outputs

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john_grieco

Ok, So instead of pushing the digital coax signal into the AD_EXT pins, I can wire it to 2 of the 4 pins CD_SPDIF port (the spdif signal and ground)? I'll try this, but I thought a digital spdif signal from an external source (ie. coax) was different than the cd input spdif.

Assuming this port will accept the signal, then what kind of devices can go into the AD_EXT SPDIF IN port?

I assume I set the mixer input to look for a CD_SPDIF input - How do I set the AC-3 setting?

Thanks in advance for all of your help!!!

itsme

hey guys
you helped me out so much - i have my digital in fully working now. however, someone should clearly point out that you have to use the "74 HCU 04" instead of the "74 HC 04"

thank you VEEEERY much
itsme