ES-4 with macbook pro

Drinky Crow · Post by **Drinky Crow** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:01 pm

sorry for a silly question..

can I use ES-4 by using the sPDIF on my macbook pro even though I dont have an audio interface with sPDIF in/out? Or do I still need an audio interface with SPDIF in/out? I'm not understanding how to connect.

Currently I use Logic and set the audio tracks to the relevant outs on my audio interface when I need to record stuff. Will this change with the ES-4 if I can use SPDIF from my mac?

I do also have an edirol UA-20 but its old and would rather not use this. It has "Digital output (Optical Type , conforms to S/P DIF)" would this be better to use? Or do I need new audio interface?

thanks

os · Post by os » Tue Sep 13, 2011 2:27 pm

You can use the Mac's S/PDIF output. You would use the Audio/MIDI Setup utility to create an Aggregate Device Driver, combining your current audio interface with the Mac's built-in output. Logic would then see this as a new driver with a larger output count - you then direct the ES-4 plug-in to the outputs that correspond to the built-in audio.

Drinky Crow · Post by **Drinky Crow** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:03 am

I was sure that I would need an audio interface with SPDIF to make this work, so that is great news.

Is it simple to set this Aggregate Device Driver up? I have not heard of this. I will search online

anyway, thanks Os!

os · Post by os » Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:09 am

You will also most likely need a TOSlink adaptor and an optical to coaxial converter, both of which are dirt cheap.

os · Post by os » Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:13 am

And here are the aggregate device instructions (for Snow Leopard - slightly different for older Mac OS X):

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3956

Drinky Crow · Post by **Drinky Crow** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 4:29 am

fantastic, thanks for the your help!

tompty · Post by **tompty** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 10:49 am

So for controlling with a Mac Pro - built in optical outputs, I would need to buy that convertor box? Is it not possible to use ( I'm not sure if these exist? ) a optical to coaxial cable?

Its not an issue of price, just running out of power sockets

Thanks

os · Post by os » Wed Sep 14, 2011 10:53 am

You need the converter.

tompty · Post by **tompty** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 10:56 am

thanks.

fate · Post by **fate** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:47 pm

Is there latency when doing this

dualmono · Post by **dualmono** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 3:09 pm

If I remember correctly you get only one stereo pair of channels out when using the on board toslinks on a Mac. At least that was the case on a late 09 Macbook Pro I once had.

I might be wrong about this though. Also I don't know if you get so called professional toslink out (more than 2 channels) from a Mac Pro.

fate · Post by **fate** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 4:20 pm

My imac has a 'mini' toslink, not s/pdif, couldn't I get the ES-3 And purchase a Mini Toslink to Optical toslink??

http://www.powermax.com/parts/show/serv-922-6540

dualmono · Post by **dualmono** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 4:50 pm

Sure!
But still you end up with 2 channels only ( iirc). Dont know whether thats enough for the ES and your application.

fate · Post by **fate** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:15 pm

Damn imac and damn apogee !

os · Post by os » Wed Sep 28, 2011 3:23 am

fate wrote:Is there latency when doing this

Latency between what and what?

fate wrote:My imac has a 'mini' toslink, not s/pdif, couldn't I get the ES-3 And purchase a Mini Toslink to Optical toslink??

Macs output S/PDIF on the mini toslink connector. The ES-3 takes an ADAT signal. Entirely different.

fate · Post by **fate** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 6:02 am

So what would having only 1 pair of stereo outputs from my imac's s/pdif limit me to with the Es-4?

os · Post by os » Wed Sep 28, 2011 6:11 am

Nothing. The ES-4 is designed to accept a stereo S/PDIF connection. You can access all its features that way.

dualmono · Post by **dualmono** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:24 am

Haha, tis a ballup.

SPDIF
is a standard of digital audio connection that transmits 2 channels of PCM or a multi channel compressed sound like DTS or Dolby Digital.

Toslink and Coaxial
are two methods of connecting two SPDIF equiped devices.
Additionally a Toslink cable is used to transmit:

ADAT Lightpipe
uses a Toslink cable, but is a protocol totally different and incompatible to SPDIF.

The ES-4 might be using the compressed multichannels of SPDIF to get more than 2 channels out of the SPDIF interface.
It isn't possible to buy the ES-3 and just hook up your on board Mac optical outs to it, for it isn't working with the SPDIF protocol, but with ADAT lightpipe standard.

So if you have an ES-4 and a Mac with mini Toslink output jacks you need 1 Toslink cable to connect the Mac to the a converter (make sure the converter supports the compressed multichannel signal from SPDIF) and an coaxial cable to connect the converter to the ES-4.

If you have more questions about this, you could hit Expert Sleepers with an email, I guess.

Good luck!

os · Post by os » Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:56 am

dualmono wrote:The ES-4 might be using the compressed multichannels of SPDIF to get more than 2 channels out of the SPDIF interface.

It's not.

dualmono wrote:make sure the converter supports the compressed multichannel signal from SPDIF

No need - see above.

dualmono · Post by **dualmono** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:06 am

os wrote:It's not.

Cool!
Is that because of it using the OSC protocol?

os · Post by os » Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:09 am

No.

Um.

Sorry, I don't know what else to say there.

What?

fate · Post by **fate** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 4:53 pm

where in the U.S. can this be purchased?? analog haven is tbd

fate · Post by **fate** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:12 pm

os · Post by os » Thu Sep 29, 2011 3:16 am

fate wrote:where in the U.S. can this be purchased?? analog haven is tbd

They've had them for a couple of weeks, just not updated their website. I'm told it should show as in stock today - if not, email them.

os · Post by os » Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:42 am

In stock now:
http://www.analoguehaven.com/expertsleepers/es-4/

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ES-4 with macbook pro

ES-4 with macbook pro