• Nik0
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Topic: Connecting Virus TI2 SPDIF to Babyface Pro FS SPDIF

Apologies in advance if this question is ridiculously naive.

I have a Virus TI2 that I am connecting to the Babyface Pro FS via the analogue inputs. But I would like to try connecting it to the SPDIF input to see if the sound is better and to free up the analogue inputs for something else.

The SPDIF input on the Babyface Pro FS has a kind of square look, which I think corresponds to what is called a TOSLINK cable. But the SPDIF output on the Virus TI2 is different and looks like a normal phono cable.

So what do I need to connect the two? Or is this not possible for some reason I cannot fathom?

I don't see any cables that have the two appropriate connectors at each end. The only thing resembling this I see seems to incorporate some D/A converter in the middle of the cable. But why should this be necessary for a digital out to a digital in?

Is there something fundamental I'm not grasping here?

2 Reply by breun (edited by breun 2020-10-11 19:16:06)

  • breun
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Re: Connecting Virus TI2 SPDIF to Babyface Pro FS SPDIF

If you take a look at the Wikipedia page for S/PDIF you'll see that the digital signal can either be transmitted via a coaxial cable with RCA connectors or a fiber optic cable with TOSLINK connectors. Some devices with S/PDIF support both kinds of connectors, but others only one of the two. The Babyface Pro FS only supports S/PDIF via TOSLINK and the Virus TI2 only supports S/PDIF via RCA connectors. There are no S/PDIF cables that have an RCA connector on one end and a TOSLINK connector on the other, because TOSLINK only works with fiber optic cable and the RCA connector only works with coaxial cable.

If you want a totally digital connection from the Virus TI2 to the Babyface Pro FS, you'd need a device in between that has a S/PDIF RCA input and a TOSLINK output and then you'd need both kinds of cables. Ideally that device wouldn't convert to analog and back to digital, because that would be kind of pointless. It seems format converters like these exist. Amazon for instance sells these and several similar devices: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Coaxial- … B00695MXXC

Virus TI2 → coaxial cable with RCA connectors → RCA to TOSLINK convertor → fiber optic cable with TOSLINK connectors → Babyface Pro FS

You could also use a more advanced device like the Behringer SRC2496 Ultramatch Pro, which can be found second-hand pretty cheaply sometimes. That device can act as a A/D or D/A convertor, but it can also do digital to digital (optionally with sample rate conversion), which is what you could use in this case. I guess you could also use an RME device like the ADI-2 FS if you happen to have one.

  • Nik0
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Re: Connecting Virus TI2 SPDIF to Babyface Pro FS SPDIF

Thank you. That's very helpful.