How do you monitor S/PDIF audio outputs from Decklink

[Bob Zelin]

SPDIF (Sony Phillips Digital Interface Protocol – I think) is an industry standard digital audio protocol. There are many companies that offer SPDIF monitoring. One of the original solutions from Blackmagic was to use the Edirol speakers (under $200) that offer a SPDIF input. If you just want to buy a monitoring converter, M-Audio (used to be Midiman) makes several boxes between $200 – $300 (like the Flying Cow) that will convert SPDIF to analog audio, so you can plug right into your analog amplifier.

If you say “but I want to spend less than 50 bucks – how can I do this” – I have only one word for you – EBAY.

Bob Zelin

[Kristian Lam]

Hi George,

Another lower cost option will be the Behringer ULTRAMATCH PRO Sample Rate and Format Converter. It’s a rack mount unit.

regards

Kristian Lam
Blackmagic Design

[Alejandro Maldonado]

Would AES/EBU (on a Decklink HD Extreme) be the same as S/PDIF? I have a Sony amplifier that has S/PDIF but googling I found that AES/EBU and S/PDIF even when they are similar aren

[Francisco Rubiales]

Hi.

Here’s another solution.

https://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/new_read_post.cgi?forumid=124&postid=579447&archive=T

[George Evatt]

Hi,

Thanks for all the suggestions. I ended up buying some Edirol MA-10 amp/speakers. They are very styish and except analogue and digital inputs. They cost $275 Australian Dollars.

Regards

George

[Mel Matsuoka]

I second the recommendation for the Extigy.

If you have simple monitoring needs, it’s the perfect, most inexpensive solution I could find. I bought 3 of them on eBay for around $150 total.

[Aaron Neitz]

From what I understand, SPDIF is basically an unbalanced AES signal. So if you have something to turn that RCA into an XLR or BNC, you can typically connect it to an AES plug and it works.

[Kristian Lam]

Hi Charlie,

Unbalanced AES or SPDIF is 75 ohms. You must convert the connection with a impedance converter as balanced AES is 110 ohms.

regards

Kristian Lam
Blackmagic Design

[Trevor Kinsey]

For anybody else out there still looking for a solution; we have one system using a Flying Cow, but on the other we simply split the XLR outputs with Y cables. Of course you need a monitoring system that handles balanced audio, in our case an input on the mixer that controls the input, with its output set to only go to an auxilliary output which feeds some powered monitor speakers.

Trevor Kinsey,
Technical Producer,
CVP Film and Television,
Melbourne,
Australia

[Felix Dames]

Hi,

you shopuld have bought the speakers Behringer MS-40 they are much cheeper (129