Reference Guide

58
Introduction
Setup
Analog and digital Inputs
There are two basic types of audio inputs, analog and digital. Analog inputs allow you to connect a
guitar, mic or other instrument to your computer directly. The audio interface converts the analog
input to digital. Digital inputs allow other digital devices to connect directly to your computer.
Common digital inputs include external analog to digital converters, popular guitar processors like
the Line 6 POD, and other digital recording systems like the ADAT decks. Analog inputs are very
common, and are standard in virtually all consumer sound cards (the ones that come with your PC).
Digital inputs are becoming more popular and are very common on professional and mid-level,
“prosumer” interfaces. Analog inputs allow you to record a mono or stereo signal (assuming you
have a stereo input) while digital inputs allow you to record 1 to 8 signals depending on the type of
digital connection.
The following table describes the various analog inputs and outputs:
The following table describes the various digital inputs and outputs:
Read your hardware documentation carefully to determine what kind of digital connections, if any,
you have on your audio interface.
To connect an electric guitar or keyboard to your computer
• If your sound card has a 1/8 inch input jack (built-in sound cards that come with your PC usually
do), plug your 1/4 inch mono guitar or audio cable into a 1/8 inch stereo adapter, and then plug
the 1/8 inch adapter into the microphone input or line input jack on your computer sound card. If
you are connecting a keyboard, the audio cable must go from the keyboard’s audio out or line out
Type of analog input/output Description
Balanced (XLR, phono or RCA) A mono input/output
Unbalanced (TRS) A stereo or mono input/output
Table 1.
Type of digital input/output Description
S/PDIF Sony/Philips Digital Interface capable of carrying a stereo signal, S/
PDIF is transmitted via RCA, Toslink or more rarely BNC jacks (single-
pin cable-TV connections).
ADAT Lightpipe Up to 8 channels of simultaneous transfer. If you want to import your old
ADAT material without any signal degradation, this is the connection
you should use.
TDIF Tascam Digital Interface up to 8 channels of simultaneous transfer.
AES/EBU Often referred to as simply AES, this type of digital connection uses a
modified XLR cable to transfer a stereo signal.
Table 2.