Cannot get my digital output from the XS to “sound” or move the meters in ProTools. Someone on the digi forum wrote me this -"Does your Yamaha Motif output SPDIF at the same time as the analog outs? Have you set the sample rates correctly? Have you set one as master and the other as slave to synchronize to the clock?”
I did not think this level of setup was available in the XS. I looked, could not find anything in the XS to do any such settings.
The XS does output when I hook it up to my lowly MBox 1st generation. ANYWAY - do i have to do more on the XS than just plug in the RCA S/PDIF (Digital Out) cable?

It is not at all complicated.

Does your Yamaha Motif output SPDIF at the same time as the analog outs?
Yes, the S/PDIF output is always output and is the same data that is routed to the main L/R output

Have you set the sample rates correctly?
That would have to be in Pro Tools. The Motif XS is 44.1kHz/24-bit

Have you set one as master and the other as slave to synchronize to the clock?”
With S/PDIF you don’t have to, it figures it out (negotiation of clock is typically automatic) especially since the S/PDIF is only output from the Motif XS, the receiving device should be able to adjust or make adjustments.

The XS does output when I hook it up to my lowly MBox 1st generation. ANYWAY - do i have to do more on the XS than just plug in the RCA S/PDIF (Digital Out) cable?
No, you don’t. Check your Pro Tools setup… it’s supposed to be “pro” lol.

let us know.

ProTools is “pro” once you buy the “HD” modules - not that the interface or options change that much but because you are now spending the “big” money.
anyway, Phil, thanks for the info - it is what I suspected because the MBox does work. It is a mechanical problem with the Digi002. I do not want to go analog anymore because I do not think the A/D converters in the hardware is that great, although the converters in the old MBox are supposed to be better than the 002. they are better in the 003 but a $14.00 SPDIF cable is a lot more economical than a new interface. My next purchase probably need to be the Firewire module for the XS.

kevland1 my fellow systhesist, I just solved that problem this weekend and it works well! If I had knew it worked that well I would have never used the mixer. It seems we have the same system but you never say what computer or software you have, I use mac G4. Also you need to know what version protools you have. Avid is very picky about computer, software, and interface. One wrong and it won’t work. The problem is in the interface. let me show you how solve the problem.

1. Make sure the output of the motif is connected to the red input of the mbox sp/dif. Forget any mixer because it is not necessary the motif outputs a very clean signal direct to the mbox. You might want a amplification system just to hear it.

2. start the mbox, start the computer, start the motif in that order

3. make the motif play by itself non stop so you know that there is a signal

4. If you go to the apple menu > system preferences> sound > input. Make sure the mbox is receiving the signal
(the input vu meter should be jumping but you won’t hear it) if so close out

5. turn on the mbox setup application set all the digital outputs from adat sync to sp/dif, make a note on what channels the output is on. close out

6. start protools make a new stereo audio channel, set the input to the mbox digital output channel. Now you should hear and see the signal.

7. The one addtional problem I had was that in protools I couldn’t set the number that the mbox sp/dif outputs on. (number too high) shut protools down and go to step 5 and change the digital output channel to the lowest number you can. Once done go back to protools and see if you reach the number now. a very good book on protools is “protools for musicians and songwriters by Gina Fant-Saez” she explains protools like a clear and easy like a cook book. Jam on my friend!

I’ve encountered a different problem in running the digital out into the digital in of my Cakewalk Vs-700. I get the input to sound in my track (input set to VS_Digital, output to Master) but when I hit a note, the initial sound is clean and clear but about half a second to a second later (about 70% of the time,) there is an after sound that spikes and clips only the left channel of the stereo pair. If I play softly I can avoid the delayed left channel spike more often (but not always) then if I play at moderate to heavy (as Louis Armstrong said when he disregarded the PP on a chart, stands for “Pound Plenty")Thing is the initial hit doesn’t clip and is not to load, it’s the weird delayed hit on the left side that clips. I tried this with only the digital in, no other hook up to the computer (like USB, firewire or the analog audio in and outs.) When I use the regular non digital ins and outs I don’t have this issue and it sounds good so I don’t mind too much, but if anyone has any ideas, I would like to compare the sound of both input methods.

Sincerely,
Marek