TravelRec.

Yes, I2S runs very well, but since I have Audigy1 I cannot test 24/96 recording (only play!). What you said about it sounds logical, but it´s on you to try anyhow. MIDI is also working, since I wrote much earlier it´s the UART 2 and np. No, nothing like IR on my "Drive" - no documentation about it and finally no RemoteController , my card came as Audigy player with nothing special, but two game disks with EAX (quite fine for a musician ).
Finally yes, and for sure some layout mods, but the biggest problem is the price for such A/D and the possibility to get one, since this technology is quite new and no component dealer has some of them lying around.
I will check this next time but first I´ll update my site with all tests and some layouts for different usage (I´m not sure atm what´s the best solution, due to different user desires and card models...).
I reply here if there´s something new.

Greetings!

TravelRec.

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dj_stick

when you have mapped out all the pins - email a word file or html file to eugene at his kX email, and he will include this in the next helpfile

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jcdutton

When you have a final map of pins. Please post a url here, so that I can add it to the linux alsa documentation.

dj_stick

don't forget to give these guys some credit

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jcdutton

ALSA is GPL, so adding credits is the norm.

TravelRec.

Hi!

Updated electricstart - in electronics you ´ll find now "Analog to I2S Converter" PCB-layouts. Documentation is not finished, but maybe you wanna take a look !

Happy week-end!

TravelRec.

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Tiger M

Great updates on the site! Bravo.

You should open an electronics firm

One question: Are these ready-to-solder pcbs really good enough for audio work? I mean the thickness of the electr. paths that way becomes considerable. Is this really a problem and does it worsen the quality for analog audio circuits. Making PCBs has always been a problem for me, and has stopped me of doing some stomp boxes projects many times.

10x

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Miss you, Steve...

Samir

Well, pinout is PRESUMED complete, i'm waiting for feedback from imgoof02; only need to verify MIDI in/out pins, and possible IR functionality...

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MU3NKA 3A HAPO6!

TravelRec.

Yes, I think so (rmaa says "very good" and "excellent") - the most important thing in the audio path is the ground plane around op-amp and A/D converter and that you take shielded cable between the PCB and input sockets. Signal lines are > 0.4mm and digital lines > 0.3 mm - power lines are > 0.6 and > 0.8mm - all is as symmetrical as possible to minimize channel interferencing. The digital part is strictly decoupled from the analog part. All measurings are taken with the layouts I´ve posted. PCB material is nothing special - ordinary hard paper compound.
BTW: I have an electronics firm, if you want to call it so, since I make or create devices for everyone who want (mostly music related, also a repair service) - all of them in miniature and odd pieces. You should know that you can´t always buy what you need due to non-availability or high prices...

Greetings!

TravelRec.

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Quenotte

I'm sorry I can't test that I'm on holiday

Samir

Seems like everybody else! Happy hollidays everybody!

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Samir

Seems everybody are spending their vacations, i haven't received any feedback from users about AD_EXT testing... I have decided to specify pinouts here for good. If anybody finds any difficulties connecting anything to AD_EXT please post here...

To dj_stick:

Please include this in your guide & ask Eugene to include it in help file... If it's too 'colorfull' for your taste i'll make another picture...


Audigy2 AD_EXT PINOUT HERE!

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dj_stick

you should email eugune this link immdiately
kxproject atyandex dotru

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dj_stick

this is related to the original topic:
is it hard to use balanced audio with this converter project… instead of using unbalanced RCA connectors is it easy enough to use balanced TRS?

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Nappylady

(I'm assuming you have an understanding of balanced cabling and common mode noise rejection and all that...)

If you are in a pinch, you can use an el-cheapo adaptor to simply drop the cold side of the balanced cable and use the hot signal as the input to the converter... (Cost: probably less than $1 / channel)

if you've got some money, you can get a converter that actually has a balancing transformer in it, thus taking advantage of both legs of the signal, and getting yourself CMNR and (usually) another 6dB of signal strength. (Cost: probably $12 / channel, if I remember the prices correctly)

If you want to run your balanced (XLR I hope!) cable straight into the box, you will have to add another circuit to the box that converts the balanced signal into a single-ended signal. These can be built easily using an op-amp of your choosing; many op-amps will probably have just such a circuit described in their "typical application" section. This, of course, is the best solution, but more challenging, time consuming, and expensive.

Good luck, anyway.

dj_stick

i will most likely be using balanced TRS (Stereo 6.5 mm jacks used for mono signal)

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Nappylady

Balanced on minijacks.... that's sure going to be cute

The main outputs on your mixer are balanced, and all the others aren't... Really, I wouldn't worry about it too much, since you're going from a Behringer mixer (blech) into a Soundblaster card (double blech) so your SNR isn't going to be that great no matter what...

BTW, I'm using the MX2642a... they're nice... I used a UB802 for a couple hours at a wedding reception... tell me, did you have any problems with the plugs cutting out if you bumped them?

Also, if you use any messenger clients, talk to me, 'cos I notice you and I are both still awake :-)

ICQ 29072454
AIM NapalmLady
MSN nappynappylady@hotmail.com

Edit: Nevermind messaging me right now... can't seem to get Trillian to work right, and it's bedtime anyway...

dj_stick

the only problem with my mixer is the adaptors i uses - RCA - 6.5 mono jacks…

btw i was going to use full size TRS jacks for my front panel

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TravelRec.

Hi dj!

Don´t worry about balanced and unbalanced things - with good cables on this short distance this is not a problem - use the positive out (pin 2 of XLR, medium one) as signal path to your card. I have my active monitor boxes connected in that way and no problems with noise or anything else.
BTW: dosen´t has your mixer a recording output with RCA pair? If yes, then use this - noise of master section then will not be added, and it´s everytime on same level, no matter what the master faders say...

Greetings!

TravelRec.

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Panther30

TravelRec, I looked at the diagram for the midi interface on your website.

I have an audigy card (SB0095) which has a firewire port in place of the joystick/midi port, and the pins to connect the joystick bracket are missing.

The card does have the 40 pin AUD_EXT header though.

II have no experience making PCB boards. and I just bought a soldering iron last week.

I guess my question to you is: can i directly cable a 15 pin female d sub connector to the AUD_EXT header on my audigy card?


Thanks for all the great work you have done so far for us live/audigy users.

---Jesse

TravelRec.

Hi Panther30!

I would suggest, you send a scanned picture of your card to verify the missed gameport header. I can´t believe it wouldn´t exist anyway. Maybe we find some pins where the header should be or similar. It´s not possible to attach a subD simply on AUD_EXT - unless you will use the second UART instead of the first. I think, you will finally have both of them active .

Greetings!

TravelRec.

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Panther30

Its not possible for me to send a scanned pic of the card right now. I do know where the joystick header should be though, because there are only holes filled with solder where it should be. (I've seen something similar on the missing CD input connectors with a live! card (SB0220)). Alos, I forgot to mention, the missing game port doesn't show up in windows (the kx gameport doesn't show up in windows device manager) so I am thinking that maybe the port isn't active at all. All i need the port for is to connect it to a midi keyboard. but from what you are telling me I can't just solder four wires to a 15 pin dsub and then connect the other end of the wires to the pins that control midi on the AUD_EXT header.... the solution is just not that simple?

Here is a link to a picture of my card that I found.

y[color=#0000ff]http://home.earthlink.net/~j_moore11/SB0090.jpg[/color] notice the two neat horizontal rows of solder points on the card where the header for the joystick extension bracket should be. This is just like my card.

oh I made a mistake in my previous message. the card is an SB0090 but KX reports it as an SB0095.

thanks,

---Panther30

TravelRec.

Oooh nooo...

How many card models of the "same" product do exist ??! I also have the 0090 but with the gameport. Strange that it dosen´t work it all. But anyway - sure you could use a 4-pole cable, connected to subD and AUD_EXT, so you have to use UART 2 in your application. Check whether this is shown up and working. I would recommend you connect the MIDI-interface, that I posted on my side, directly with AUD_EXT and place a MIDI-DIN-jack pair anywhere on your computer, so you can safely connect some instruments directly and without another box between computer and keyboard...

Greetings and good luck!

TravelRec.

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Panther30

Oh if this helps, UART number2 does show up!!!!! :-) so here is the parts list I think i need to build the simplified connector. please tell me if I have it right.

1x female 15 pin D-sub port
2x digital cdrom cables

my planned procedure

cut the connectors off one end of the cdrom cables. solder the four wires to the requred pins on the female dsub (using the gameport specifications as a guide: midi in, midi out, and the two required grounds) then I connect the other end of the cdrom cables ( the end with the two pin connectors still attached) to pins 25-28 on the AUD_EXT header on my audigy. then all that's left is to hook up my gameport to midi cable to the female dsub, select UART2 in my music app, and test with my casio keyboard

did i miss anything? I hope it will be this simple.

thanks for the help, Once I confirm this, I will order the parts,


---Panther30

TravelRec.

Hmm,



I don´t know whether this really works, so it´s on you to check it out. You have a Gameport-To-Midi adaptor cable. If this is an active solution you also need a 5V+ line from AUD_EXT pin 1 or 2 to SubD to feed the drivers in the cable. See gameport specifications or my suggestion for the right pinning. If all will not work, then the levels e.g. the loop-currents of card and cable do not match. Then you should try the midi-interface circuity to decouple the card´s levels.

Good luck!

TravelRec.

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Panther30

TravelRec,

okay so I add another digital cable to my parts list and run a wire from pin 1 or pin 2 of the aud_ext header on the card to pin 1, pin 8, or pin 9 on the subD (do I use two of the +5 volt lines or just one of them?).

This is getting real interesting. My first real hardware mod.

thanks yet again,



---Panther30

p.s. your game port specs on your midi conversion and the gameport specs I found do not match. pins 9-15 on your specs are reversed.

http://www2.unixuk.co.uk/sparc/eprm-.../eprma/929.htm

TravelRec.

Hi!

I think, it´s okay if you wire all specified 5V+ pins on GamePort SubD to AUD_EXT pin 1 [color=red]OR [/color][color=white]2 . The difference of "my" GamePort pinout compared to others may be, that´s why I made a little diagram below the circuity.[/color]
[color=#ffffff][/color]
[color=#ffffff]Greetings![/color]
[color=#ffffff][/color]
[color=#ffffff]TravelRec. [/color]

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Panther30

TravelRec,

Awesome. Then the only signal grounds i need to do are for the midi in and midi out? perfect.

My assistant wants me to use a modified ide cable, but there are going to be a ton of unused wires. I'd rather just cut up two digital cdrom cables for it. I mean since I'm just going to be using just five or six pins for now(until the next project). I only hope the digital cdrom cable conectors will fit over the AUD_EXT header.
In two weeks or so I will have the help and parts to put this together. I will let you know how it turns out.
Thanks a lot.

--Panther30

TravelRec.

Yes, they will work if you break off the fixing clip, I used very old computer´s LED and Turbo-switch cables (twisted pair´s with 2pole jumper jack) for the first digital projects with AUD_EXT and they worked fine.

Good luck!

TravelRec.

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Panther30

TravelRec,

Really awesome. I ordered the parts locally today. When my assistant gets back here in two weeks, I'll start putting it all together.

Here goes nothing,


---Panther30