• Registered: 2023-12-26
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Topic: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

Hello,

I am a guitarist/vocalist who currently owns a BabyFace FS Pro, and I am considering getting a FractalAudio FM9 amp modeler. I would like to run the guitar straight into the BabyFace and connect both the optical in and out to the FM9 to send and receive signal from the FM9.

The reason for this setup would be that when I record my playing I want to record two tracks simultaneously. I would like to record the clean untouched guitar signal from the instrument input as one track, and send the same signal via the optical out through the FM9, and record the FM9 via optical input into a second track with the modeling applied. This would allow me to reamp my recordings, so if I decide to tweak my sound on the FM9 after recording a track, I do not need to play it again, I can simply output my clean track back through the FM9 with altered parameters, and press record.

Now that I have my intended use for this setup out of the way I will ask my questions. The FM9 does not feature optical input/output. It features coaxial s/pdif input/output.

I have read in the specs that the optical port on the Babyface FS Pro is compatible with s/pdif. What do I need to do/buy to set this up? Also, when set up, what should be done regarding clock?

Thanks.

  • waedi
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Re: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

Get one of these : https://www.thomann.de/de/lindy_audioko … igital.htm

In the Babyface Fireface settings make clock-mode external optical

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Registered: 2023-12-26
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Re: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

waedi wrote:

Get one of these : https://www.thomann.de/de/lindy_audioko … igital.htm

In the Babyface Fireface settings make clock-mode external optical


Does that output one input to both the outputs, meaning I would need a seperate one for each direction, or will it send both ways simultaneously?

4 Reply by ZenDragon (edited by ZenDragon 2023-12-26 17:27:24)

  • Registered: 2023-12-26
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Re: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

waedi wrote:

both way simultan, one unit is enough.

Are you sure? These quotes from the Lindy website seem to suggest otherwise...

"Manual switching between input ports"

"This converter allows you to input digital audio through a Coaxial or optical port and output digital audio simultaneously through Coaxial and optical ports."

https://www.lindy.com.au/spdif-digital- … -converter

  • waedi
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Re: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

Apologize, I was wrong, at a closer look it seems to work only one direction and you will have to get two of them, unfortunately.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

6 Reply by ZenDragon (edited by ZenDragon 2023-12-26 17:25:37)

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Re: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

waedi wrote:

Apologize, I was wrong, at a closer look it seems to work only one direction and you will have to get two of them, unfortunately.

The way they have named these converters makes it an easy mistake to make. They call them bi-directional when really it's a one-way converter/splitter with two input options. This a shame since they are powered. I am going to have cables everywhere lol. I just had a search for a unit that can handle multiple seperate channels of input/output, but it seems like all the converters I am seeing function the same way.

Thanks for the help.


edit: If anyone reading this knows of a one unit solution please let me know.

  • waedi
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Re: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

you could use one toslink to coax converter to send the guitar signal to the FM9 and from there analog back to the Babyface.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Registered: 2023-12-26
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Re: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

waedi wrote:

you could use one toslink to coax converter to send the guitar signal to the FM9 and from there analog back to the Babyface.

I have considered this option. I feel like having the FM9 convert the signal back to analog and the BabyFace convert back to digital again may be adding complexity to the loop that might effect quality or maybe even introduce a small amount of latency? I know a lot of people are pretty confident in modern converters, but I am not so sure. I am still pretty knew to the technical side of things.

  • waedi
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Re: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

Technically you are right and I also would connect digital if possible.
But with this Babyface PRO FS, no one will hear a difference.
The FM9 is a good device, it's analog output will be transferred into the computer perfectly fine.
Latency will be almost the same. The most latency comes from the software in the FM9.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

10 Reply by ZenDragon (edited by ZenDragon 2023-12-29 10:29:36)

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Re: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

waedi wrote:

Technically you are right and I also would connect digital if possible.
But with this Babyface PRO FS, no one will hear a difference.
The FM9 is a good device, it's analog output will be transferred into the computer perfectly fine.
Latency will be almost the same. The most latency comes from the software in the FM9.

With the limited amount of ports and the anolog connections I'm already using, I really would like to go digital with my two way FM9 connection. I was about to pull the trigger on two converters with some quality cables, but then I came accross this thread on another board...

https://gearspace.com/board/music-compu … rsion.html

It seems people experience clicking and pops with these types of converters. It was noted in the thread that connecting these converters to there own power outlet greatly reduces this, but they are still getting some clicks. This does not seem worth the risk. The exact converter we discussed was mentioned and apparently there are reviews out there claiming they do get noise, but nobody in the thread tried one to clarify, so I became hesitant to spend the money, although those reviews could be people using coax cables with lower ohms.

The only thing I saw someone say they were actually using for the conversion that was working well for them was the M-Audio Co2. After taking a look at this device it seems to be the answer for going both ways with one unit as it offers a bidirectional mode that does convert both directions simultaneously.

https://www.sonology.shop/image/20141-2-l/M-Audio+Co2-2.jpg


I will try to get a hold of one with some short quality cables and I will leave my results in this thread. They are discontinued though sadly. If not I will keep searching for something similar.


Edit: I keep seeing converters with "bidirectional" in the title only to find on further inspection they are not actually bi-directional like the Co-2.

11 Reply by ZenDragon (edited by ZenDragon 2023-12-29 10:52:36)

  • Registered: 2023-12-26
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Re: (Need Help) Babyface FS Pro Optical in/out With FM9 s/pdif

Since the conversation is purely digital there should be no loss of quality from the conversion alone. All of the clicks, pops, and noise people report are I/O related assuming proper cables. The cleaner signal from a dedicated wall socket makes sense since computer USB power is nearly always dirty I/O due to PSU manufacturers not grounding sufficiently enough, but there are still reportedly clicks and pops with a dedicated outlet. It seems most of these converters are not doing the best job grounding or shielding or whatever they should be doing. The only truely bi-directional one that I could find someone vouching for it's cleanness is that long discontinued co-2. There must be another one someone is producing.

Perhaps this is a product RME should consider releasing since they are selling products using optical toslink for spdif, and the challenge consumers face trying to cleanly implement it with many other devices only using coaxial spdif.