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miroslav 12 April 2001

Trying to get a very clear, straight answer.

I tried Tascam Tech Support...no go...

If I feed the CD-RW-2000 (or 700) an analog source...while using the Monitor function that allows me to use it like a stand-alone 24 bit A/D converter...(I'm NOT burning a CD, I'm not even puting one in the machine)...what is at the digital output...24 bit or 16 bit?

Tascam Tech Support was saying something like, "first 24, then 16, then it goes back to 24"...HUH?

I guess if someone with a 24 bit DAW could just get a feed off the CD-RW-2000 digital output...we would all know for Shure.

But IF it REALLY was going from 24 to 16 then BACK to 24 again inside the CD-RW-2000, well that 24 on the digital output is...ka ka then.

This didn't make any sense.

Just to be clear...I am not talking about burning an actual CD and then playing it back...there OK...it is going 24 to 16 and then at the D/A..24(?) bit again.

NO CD...just as a stand-alone converter.

A similar thread is running on the Tascam forum, so check there for the entire story.
(Dead Link Removed)

Thanks!

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anonymous Fri, 04/13/2001 - 22:01

Miroslav: I'm glad to see you here! :D

I read your post on the Tascam board...

You've got a great question.

As crazy as the guy from tech support sounds he may be right. Even with the DIGITAL input the CDR probably truncates the input first. I doubt the designers were thinking like you are. The whole point of the unit is to record a CD... so it would not be unreasonable if the first thing it did was to change the input to CD format 16bit.
On the other side at the D/A it probably does put out 24 bits again so that the ANALOG outputs get some help... the digital out is probably set the same so the unit is only thinking in one bit resolution. Make sense?

The final answer on this one has to come from Tascam. I can only speculate. The only other way to know is to use a bit scope to check the I/O. If you're up to it you can build one: http://www.digido.com/
(See the sidebar with the story on how to build a bit scope.)

Best of luck... let us know what you find!

Sherri Stacy "Valky" Hendrickson

miroslav Mon, 04/16/2001 - 04:28

Hey Ms Valky!

Looks like we're all "cross-threaders" and "cross-posters"!

So, since you are the TASCAM Forum Moderator here, do you have any "ins" with their Tech Support"?
Could you talk to their "top dog" and get a very clear, definitive answer on this one...inquiring minds want to know.

The main question is:

How many bits are coming out of the Digital Outputs at the SAME TIME while you input an analog source to the 24 bit A/D converter?
NOT FROM THE PLAYBACK OF A CD...that will obviously be 16 bits/ 44.1 kHz.

I hope I am clearly posing my question...if you have a better way of wording it..great!

If I follow the TASCAM Tech Support explanation that I originally got, your suggestion to use a bit scope would not(?) be of help since he told me that the audio will go 24-16-24 at the Digital Output(???) and the bit scope would read it as 24, but it would be 16 "in the middle".
This still makes no sense to me...but if he is right...what would be the value of "bumping up" from 16 to 24 at the Digital Output...nothing(?).

Hope to get an answer soon.

See Ya, Ms Valky

anonymous Tue, 04/17/2001 - 14:52

This is one I'm going to have to contact our cats overseas with.

A couple of clarifications though: the input would never be "truncated"...if there was a need to make 24 bits into 16 they would be dithered. If the analog inputs are used, then the signal is created initially at 24 bits (the resolution of the converter).

There are two paths here: one that goes into the CD burner and one that goes out to the digi out. The question is whether the dither is applied before the fork in the road, so to speak, or whether it's only applied before the CD burner.

I am checking, but it's gonna be awhile....

Sean

Yo VALK! :)

miroslav Mon, 04/23/2001 - 03:26

Originally posted by Sean Halley:
...There are two paths here: one that goes into the CD burner and one that goes out to the digi out. The question is whether the dither is applied before the fork in the road, so to speak, or whether it's only applied before the CD burner...

Yes, that's it!

What happens at that "fork in the road"?

Though it might seem like a "small issue", if the signal IS at 24bits on the Digital Output...well, that could come in handy!!!

Don't know why TASCAM makes this information so hard to come by???

Thanks Sean, will be checking back with you.

(Hey, just curious...are you somehow affiliated with TASCAM?)

Miroslav

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