• eobet
  • ADAT user
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2023-07-27
  • Posts: 25

Topic: Unable to choose main output source with USB & SPDIF connected

I have a ADI-2 Pro AE and recently switched to using it with SPDIF.

However, now I want to temporarily plug in the USB to enable the Remote to configure the PEQ.

When I do that, the device begins to spontaneously switch between USB and AD/DA mode.

Going into the Phones Out I am able to switch their source to SPDIF, but that is not what I use.

I use the Main Output and that setting seems to be forced to "auto" and I don't understand why that is.

Is this device not made to be able to use the remote to configure it, while still having the main out be SPDIF?

2 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-10-12 10:06:53)

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 13,182

Re: Unable to choose main output source with USB & SPDIF connected

Manual ch. 17.1: Auto mode:
[...] AD/DA: Converter Mode, analog in to all digital outs, digital in to all analog outs.
      This mode becomes active as soon as a digital signal is attached.
[...] USB has preference over converter mode (AD/DA)

Solution

Use a more specific routing mode than "Auto", then you can keep USB connected for remote control.

You could use e.g. the Basic Mode "AD/DA Converter".
This I also use in my setup where I get audio from the optical input.

  /----USB2-------------------------------------------------------+ in AD/DA converter mode USB is only used for ADI-2 Remote
PC                                                                                  |
    \---USB3---UFX III---ADAT1---[opt SPDIF]---ADAT---ADI-2 Pro---1/2---monitors
                                                                                                \---3/4---phones

Options

In case you want to switch between USB and SPDIF as source there are two solutions possible:
1. store the config to a 2nd user preset with a different Basic Mode like "USB" and switch between presets,
    this you can even bind to one key to toggle between the two.
2. or use "DAC" as basic routing mode.
    according to the manual (ch 17.6) you can switch then between USB and SPDIF as audio source.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14

3 Reply by eobet (edited by eobet 2024-10-12 10:29:32)

  • eobet
  • ADAT user
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2023-07-27
  • Posts: 25

Re: Unable to choose main output source with USB & SPDIF connected

Thank you, you posted just as I figured it out myself.

Yes, I was trying to change the big flashing visible source option in line out through the remote but that's not the correct one (not sure why it's there at all).

The correct option to change is indeed the "basic mode" (and set it to AD/DA mode).

So, even the remote, which is supposed to have better UX than the device itself, wasn't to easy in this instance.

4 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2024-10-12 11:23:34)

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,523

Re: Unable to choose main output source with USB & SPDIF connected

In DAC-Mode you can even use the IR-Remote to switch inputs, including the analog input like in AD-DA Mode.

DAC-Mode is the most simplistic to use and recommended for most home applications.

The block-diagrams in the manual pages 37-43 give a good overview what each mode’s possibilities are.

KaiS's Website