• Registered: 2017-12-11
  • Posts: 17

Topic: ADC Difficulties

I'm trying to convert analog audio from reel to reel tapes to digital using Audacity.

I have a 'regular' (non-FS) RME ADI-2 Pro.

USB Firmware: 213
DSP Firmware: 98

MacOS version: 10.15.8

Digital I/O:

USB to iMac

Analog Inputs:

Revox PR-99 Mk II into R/L channel via XLR->TRS cable

Analog Outputs:

XLR -> Dynaudio LYD 5
TRS -> Revox PR 99 Mk II


Situation:

In Auto or USB mode:

Digital audio from the computer using any source (YouTube, Roon, whatever) plays fine, with sound coming out of the monitors.

In ADDA or Preamp mode:

Analog audio plays fine, with sound coming out of the monitors.

What is Not Fine:

Using Audacity, I'm trying to make digital copies of my reel to reel tapes.

The ADI-2 Pro shows up in Audacity as expected as both a Recording and Playback device.

However, regardless of which mode (Auto, USB, ADDA, Preamp ,etc)  I put the ADI-2 Pro in, Audacity does not see the analog signal coming from the tape deck.

Thus, I can't capture any of my tapes.

Is what I'm trying to do unsupported?

Or is there some misconfiguration or driver issue likely at play?

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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Re: ADC Difficulties

Is the unit set to Stereo mode? Are you checking record with standard sample rates (DSD disabled)?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • KaiS
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Re: ADC Difficulties

Is your analog input signal showing up in ADI-2's "Analog Input" window?
Press Encoder 1 or 2 multiple times to go there.

KaiS's Website

  • Registered: 2017-12-11
  • Posts: 17

Re: ADC Difficulties

MC wrote:

Is the unit set to Stereo mode? Are you checking record with standard sample rates (DSD disabled)?

In the Device Mode / DSD Menu:

CC-Mode says Multichannel, but when I try to turn the #2 knob, nothing changes.

DSD Direct 1/2: OFF

DSD Filter: 50 kHz

DSD Detection: Off

5 Reply by watchnerd (edited by watchnerd 2020-09-07 17:48:31)

  • Registered: 2017-12-11
  • Posts: 17

Re: ADC Difficulties

KaiS wrote:

Is your analog input signal showing up in ADI-2's "Analog Input" window?
Press Encoder 1 or 2 multiple times to go there.

Yes, the analog signal shows up on Analog Input.

If I have it in ADDA or Preamp mode, the Analog Input shows up with signal and sounds comes out the monitors and nothing shows up in Audacity.

If I have it in Auto or USB mode, the Analog Input shows up with signal but no sound comes out the monitors and nothing shows up in Audacity.

6 Reply by watchnerd (edited by watchnerd 2020-09-07 18:20:09)

  • Registered: 2017-12-11
  • Posts: 17

Re: ADC Difficulties

watchnerd wrote:
MC wrote:

Is the unit set to Stereo mode? Are you checking record with standard sample rates (DSD disabled)?

In the Device Mode / DSD Menu:

CC-Mode says Multichannel, but when I try to turn the #2 knob, nothing changes.

DSD Direct 1/2: OFF

DSD Filter: 50 kHz

DSD Detection: Off


Update:

By turning the computer completely off, I was able to adjust CC Mode to Stereo, and then reboot.

But nothing improved in Audacity.

Same situation:

Analog input shows up in all modes.

Sound comes out of the monitors in only in ADDA or Preamp mode.

Audacity sees no signal regardless of mode.

  • Registered: 2017-12-11
  • Posts: 17

Re: ADC Difficulties

I just tried swapping to a different USB cable.

No change.

8 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: ADC Difficulties

Try something different than Audacity - download DIGICheck from the RME website. As DAW Reaper is a good test.

BTW, the manual clearly states that you can not change the mode while USB is active.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

9 Reply by watchnerd (edited by watchnerd 2020-09-09 00:45:19)

  • Registered: 2017-12-11
  • Posts: 17

Re: ADC Difficulties

MC wrote:

Try something different than Audacity - download DIGICheck from the RME website. As DAW Reaper is a good test.

BTW, the manual clearly states that you can not change the mode while USB is active.

Thank you for reminding me about mode changing limits while USB is active being in the docs.

DIGICheck posts an error under MacOS Catalina, saying the developer "needs to update it to work with this version of MacOS."

DAW Reaper works if I get the Catalina-signed version.

But there is still no success with capturing audio.

10 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: ADC Difficulties

DigiCheck:

https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=30796

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

11 Reply by watchnerd (edited by watchnerd 2020-09-09 19:39:42)

  • Registered: 2017-12-11
  • Posts: 17

Re: ADC Difficulties

MC wrote:

DigiCheck:

https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=30796


Thank you for that link.

Version 0.85 of Digicheck runs fine.

The analog input signal shows up in the display in DigiCheck.

If I am in preamp mode, the analog signal comes out the monitor speakers.

If I am in any other mode, the analog signal does not come out the monitor speakers.

This is a change -- before I did a factory default reset last night, the analog input could also be heard in ADDA mode, as well.

In all modes, Audacity still sees nothing.

This is puzzling, because if Digicheck sees the signal, it must be getting input into the computer somehow, right??

12 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: ADC Difficulties

Right.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

13 Reply by watchnerd (edited by watchnerd 2020-09-10 20:16:09)

  • Registered: 2017-12-11
  • Posts: 17

Re: ADC Difficulties

MC wrote:

Right.

So here is an interesting outcome, using a different machine:

MacBook

MacOS: 10.14.6 Mojave

Plugging the ADI-2 Pro into the MacBook (using USB-B to USB-C cable), Audacity is able to capture the analog output just fine.


So whatever is going on with the iMac (the first system) is a Catalina specific issue.

This gives me a work-around for now (I can use my Mojave-based MacBook + ADI-2 Pro for ADC).

In the long run, it would be nice to get the Catalina issue resolved so I can use my desktop.