# Can REW use a digital out ?



## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

I searched the forums honest....

I seem to be able to run REW just fine under Vista 64 bit however I can't get any sound via the digital output to the receiver. My PC is about 40 feet from my receiver and I've run a digital output to the receiver (SPDIF) but no analog. Choosing the digital output or setting Vista to use the digital output and selecting the System Default output results in no signal from REQ at the amp (though Vista sounds play fine). I may have some extra RCA cables of the needed length but before I go to the trouble of hooking them up I thought I'd just stop and make sure I wasn't missing something obvious?


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> Can REW use a digital out ?


Well, it can, but you don't want to do that since you won't have a soundcard calibration file working to keep the results of your measure accurate.

REW has the option of using the left channel as a soundcard calibrator or you can create a soundcard calibration file on the right channel and store it.

Either way, it assumes you're using the analog line-in and analog line-out - not digital.


brucek


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## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

Ok, fair enough, but that doesn't explain why I wasn't able to hear anythign via the digital out. Any ideas anyone?


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> that doesn't explain why I wasn't able to hear anythign via the digital out


Correct... It's not really a function of REW, but rather of Vista and the soundcard application. REW certainly will output from the SPDIF when it's enabled. Lots of members have tried it successfully (it just isn't calibrated).

brucek


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Welcome to the Forum, Scientest!


> *My PC is about 40 feet from my receiver and I've run a digital output to the receiver (SPDIF) but no analog.* Choosing the digital output or setting Vista to use the digital output and selecting the System Default output results in no signal from REQ at the amp (though Vista sounds play fine). *I may have some extra RCA cables of the needed length but before I go to the trouble of hooking them up* I thought I'd just stop and make sure I wasn't missing something obvious?


What trouble? Just move the SPDIF cable over to the receiver’s and soundcard’s analog connections. One connection is all you need... :innocent:

Regards,
Wayne


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## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

Wayne A. Pflughaupt said:


> Welcome to the Forum, Scientest!
> What trouble? Just move the SPDIF cable over to the receiver’s and soundcard’s analog connections. One connection is all you need... :innocent:
> 
> Regards,
> Wayne


Thanks for the welcome, I've been lurking even before I created a userid.... 

Guess I should have mentioned it's an optical connection... (for 45 feet of cable running along side mucho other electrical interference it seemed the way to go).


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

Sometimes with a run that length and considering it's temporary for REW, perhaps consider some simple RG59 or RG6 with F to whatever adapters. It's cheap and effective.

brucek


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## mswlogo (May 8, 2007)

scientest said:


> Thanks for the welcome, I've been lurking even before I created a userid....
> 
> Guess I should have mentioned it's an optical connection... (for 45 feet of cable running along side mucho other electrical interference it seemed the way to go).


I'm amazed you got toslink to run that far and work at all.


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## DrWho (Sep 27, 2006)

If your cable works for other audio on your computer, then your cable is not at question...so don't even bother thinking about replacing the cable.

REW works with digital output, but then the calibration file becomes a bit more interesting, but that's a non-issue until you get your audio running.

In your REW setup, have you tried manually setting the audio inputs and outputs?


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## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

mswlogo said:


> I'm amazed you got toslink to run that far and work at all.


Hah, coming from the phone industry I find the audio industries disdain for Toslink somewhat bizarre. Even 15 years ago glass fiber had no appreciable attenuation until you started to get into distances approaching miles and more. You'd almost have to really _try_ to screw things up to make a plastic fiber that couldn't do 50 feet. I suspect the Toslink recommendations to stay under 15 meters have more to do with worrying about people kinking fibers or something strange, they certainly can't have much to do with signal attenuation.


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## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

DrWho said:


> In your REW setup, have you tried manually setting the audio inputs and outputs?


Yup, every single possible way. 

I recently did the Vista SP1 upgrade; reading a bit I've found people having to reinstall the audio drivers to get some apps. to work properly so I'm giving that a try as I type. Won't get to test until tomorrow though, every one else is in bed...


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

Not that I can actually help here, but just for the record, I had no problem getting vista to output over toslink to my avr... I was using a Soundblast Live! 24bit External card...


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## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

glaufman said:


> Not that I can actually help here, but just for the record, I had no problem getting vista to output over toslink to my avr... I was using a Soundblast Live! 24bit External card...


I'm not having any problems with Vista either, just REW, but I assume that's what you meant? Just for the record have you applied Vista SP1 and are you running 32 or 64 bit Vista?

Got the Audio driver swapped back in but haven't had a chance to play with REW again; too much Easter craziness yesterday, friends over for dinner, late night, blah, blah, blah. Hopefully know more after tonight...


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

To be honest, I don't even know... I'll try to remember to check tonight and get back to you...


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## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

Well replacing the Vista audio drivers did not help. Pretty sure this is a Vista issue; I can see the volume indicator in the Vista control panel start to respond when I launch REW so Vista apparently thinks it's processing an audio signal. The test signals from the same control panel are audible, the signal from REW is not. I'm using the onboard Realtek support and I've tried both the drivers that came with the MB and the newer versions for Vista 64 on the Realtek site. Anyone else here had success with REW running on Vista 64 bit and if so with what audio support?


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## Canadian_Dude (Jan 24, 2008)

I have run REW a few times on Vista 64-bit. What brand is your soundcard/motherboard?


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

Well, it's the 32-bit, and I'm not sure, but hazarding a guess it's not SP1...


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## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

Canadian_Dude said:


> I have run REW a few times on Vista 64-bit. What brand is your soundcard/motherboard?


The MB itself is a Gigabyte GA-M61P-S3 with the sound onboard via the Realtek chip set. I can get REW to work with this setup, just not through the digital (optical SPDIF) output.


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## Canadian_Dude (Jan 24, 2008)

Are you making sure that in you playback device properties that digital I/O is enabled? I know on mine I need to have it checked, but I have a soundblaster x-fi xtrememusic.


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## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

Canadian_Dude said:


> Are you making sure that in you playback device properties that digital I/O is enabled? I know on mine I need to have it checked, but I have a soundblaster x-fi xtrememusic.


Hmm, I've been attempting to use the "Digital output Device" similar to your last option in the primary sound control panel (setting it to default or selecting as the output in REW). I don't want to run the speakers attached to the computer, they're across the room from the main speakers but would still be audible so I haven't checked if there is a digital output associated with the control panel attached to them. Guess that will be on my short list of things to try tonight when I get home.

Thanks.


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## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

OK, double checked. No digital output options associated with the speaker properties when using the Realtek. Have to stick to purely to the Digital out. Canadian_dude, if you see this can you tell me if you use the digital output can you get a signal at the receiver? :scratch:

(BTW, I'm originally from Canada myself; southern Ont.)


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## Canadian_Dude (Jan 24, 2008)

Yes I use digital all the time on my computer into my Denon receiver. I can use either the optical cable on my motherboard or the 3.5mm jack on my soundblaster.


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## scientest (Feb 22, 2008)

Some more exploring reveals that my install of Vista does not recognize that I have the SPDIF output on the machine, the driver properties show it's using the ATAPI mini jack. Given the fact I can get Vista to play sound via the SPDIF output I'm not totally convinced that the issue, but I'd be more comfortable if someone could confirm that? Alternately, can someone suggest how I might get a SPDIF output added to my Windows Sound control panel options?


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