54
SoundSystem DMX 6fire (English)
Stuff worth knowing.
Digital cables.
Even when transmitting audio data via optical fibers, a few, usually inaudible, errors may
occur. You should therefore be sure to use high-quality cables that are not too long: flexible
plastic cables should have a maximum length of 1.5 m, the less-flexible glass fiber cables may
be up to 5 m long.
Audio differences with digital cables seem improbable at first glance, but they can happen
nevertheless. This is due to the fact that error correction algorithms are obviously used more
frequently at some times than at others to compensate for quality differences between
individual cables. However, these audio changes are usually so minimal that you need to be
careful not to mix up the myth with the reality. If you're interested, there are a number of
somewhat entertaining militant newsgroups dealing with this subject on the Internet ;-).
AES/EBU.
Devices with AES/EBU interfaces cannot normally be used on S/PDIF interfaces—ambitious
tinkering with simple adapter plugs will not get you anywhere. As the AES/EBU protocol is
nearly identical to S/PDIF and the transmission essentially only differs in the signal strength,
you can make your own converter with a bit of soldering.