How does CR-Rom audio works?

[mysticaldodo]

I apologise for sounding ignorant but I was told that my DAC on my 1212m is useless unless I use digital input. I play Audio cds exclusively from my CD-ROM. I always thought the analog signal is converted to digital then (resampling or effects if applied) then converted back to analog and send out my amp (analog inputs too).

CD-ROM -> Analog -> Digital -> Processing (if applied) -> Analog ->Analog output

If its true, that the 1212m was an overboard purchase for cd listening. I'm really confuse.

Please enlightened me

 

[Talonz]

CD-ROM (Digital) -> Processing (if applied) -> Analog (using your soundcard's DAC) -> Analog output

That's a quick and dirty explanation

Edit: Any signal going through your computer must be converted to digital first. CD audio is digital by nature, so as long as your system is configured right, it will read each bit perfectly. If you are using digital out on your soundcard and it supports bit perfect output, then you are running a nearly perfect transport aside from jitter issues. Since you are using the analog out of the 1212m, the soundcard converts the digital signal provided by the system (which has read the CD) to analog, which you can access through the line-out of the soundcard.

 

[kin0kin]

so if I were to play a normal audio cd via my pc cdrom, it would be:

cdrom -> analog out

??

what about MP3 and lossless files? they are digital formats....so do that actually go through DAC before its being sent to analog out?

 

[aeriyn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kin0kin what about MP3 and lossless files? they are digital formats....so do that actually go through DAC before its being sent to analog out?

When it comes to encoded tracks (lossy or lossless) it works in much the same method. DACs don't understand MP3, so it has to be decoded first.

Encoded Track -> Decoder (from encoded to PCM) -> DAC -> Analog output

 

[kin0kin]

regardless of the format, while playing back a CD.....the audio signal would have to go through the DAC....correct?

As far as ADC is concerned, its only effective if we are recording stuff...correct?

just read this page btw:
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com...g-digital3.htm

 

[mysticaldodo]

In control panel, in cd/dvd properties theres an option to enable digital audio cd playback. Should I enable this? I'm using ASIO with Foobar. 32 bit fixed point and no resampling. In my DSP patch I enable the 44.1 clock.

 

[Rempert]

OK. Your CD-rom drive is kind of like a portable CD player. It even has it's own DAC. The signal can go through that DAC and out the analog output on the back of the drive (basically a line-out). The signal can go through that DAC and out the headphone jack in the front. Or you can skip that DAC and send the signal through the digital output on the back. However, CD-rom has one last output which makes it different from a regular CD player: it can send digital data (audio or not audio) through an IDE cable to your computer's motherboard.

The IDE cable is what you want to use. You don't want to use your drive like a cheap CD player, you want it to do what it was made for. So, don't use the drive's headphone jack. And don't connect any little wires directly from the drive to your sound card. Avoid doing those two things, and you should be fine.

 

[Talonz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysticaldodo In control panel, in cd/dvd properties theres an option to enable digital audio cd playback. Should I enable this? I'm using ASIO with Foobar. 32 bit fixed point and no resampling. In my DSP patch I enable the 44.1 clock.

Yep, that should be enabled.

For the best quality though, you should rip your CDs onto your hard drive using a decent ripper such as EAC. This way, your system reads the files off of your hard drive instead of your CD, which has perfect accuracy for all intensive purposes..

 

[AdamWill]

'All intents and purposes'. It sounds like 'all intensive purposes', but it actually means what you meant to say.

 

[Talonz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamWill 'All intents and purposes'. It sounds like 'all intensive purposes', but it actually means what you meant to say.

Hmm.. that makes more sense

 

[mysticaldodo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talonz Yep, that should be enabled. For the best quality though, you should rip your CDs onto your hard drive using a decent ripper such as EAC. This way, your system reads the files off of your hard drive instead of your CD, which has perfect accuracy for all intensive purposes..

I don't have the energy to do that. I like switching cds....old fashion?

Glad I didn't waste money with my EMU 1212M