Optical Audio & 10.3

Pengu

Pengu

Digital Music Pimp
Hiyas,

I want to use Optical Digital Surround (5.1) with a *Book. I've found several several USB-optical audio converters, but it seems most of them only do Stereo over optical.

Anywho, I found one, that does "TOSlink optical digital output allows AC-3 and DTS pass-through"

Under requirements it says this:

"OS 10.3 required for Dolby Digital and DTS pass-through with Apple DVD Player"

So my major question is this: Anyone know of software (either built-in to OSX/CoreAudio, or a seperate product) that will convert Stereo audio to Surround?

Midiman also do a 7.1 USB box that lists SRS Circle Surround II™, but no optical out, and a coax-digital -> optical digital converter box is an extra $SU80..

Anyone with a G5 using the optical audio have any experience with this?

Cheers

Pengu
 
You can go with the M-Audio Sonica Theatre (7.1 USB external) or M-Audio Transit (5.1 USB external). And if you're not running Panther (10.3), you can always go with the VLC program. It's absolutely EXCELLENT for freeware BSD.

www.videolanclient.org

Hope this helps.
 
Ok, thanks for the bothering to reply, but, next time actually read my post.
You can go with the M-Audio Sonica Theatre (7.1 USB external) or M-Audio Transit (5.1 USB external).
Click to expand...
I already said the Sonica theatre only does Coax digital, which isnt really what i want, and the Transit doesn't mention SRS Circle Surround (on-the-fly Stereo-Surround conversion), and the driver doesnt have it as an option. (The Sonica theatre control panel does, but i doubt they are interchangable)
 
My bad....I forgot that M-Audio used to be called Midiman. Ok, honestly, you're best option is to purchase the older version of the M-Audio Transit.

It was called the M-Audio Sonica and it had an optical (Toslink) digital out, and the driver program had SRS Circle Surround II for your stereo sources.

Then, assuming you're not upgrading to Panther, download VLC and you're good for go.

By the way, I used to use the M-Audio Sonica and it worked EXCELLENTLY with Jaguar and VLC.
 
I already have Panther, and 10.4 will probably be out by the time this all comes together. Any ideas where I'm likely to get an older Sonica?

Thanks, and sorry for chewin you out before..
 
No worries...I didn't take offense to it. I understand how it feels when you get all excited that someone replied to your topic, in hopes that they will have a good answer, and then all they did was restate what you had already said, simply because they did not read the post thoroughly.

I didn't read your post thoroughly, so I'm sorry.

I didn't infer that you have Panther from your post. So, since you do, you won't be needing to download VLC.

Unfortunately, I have bad news for you about the Sonica. There are tons out there on the net - brand new and used. Musician's Friend (www.musiciansfriend.com) even has them, and I know that eBay is loaded. But it's been awhile since I used it, and when I looked at the features again just now, I realized it comes with software for Tru Surround XT, which is like a lower end version of Circle Surround II (both software programs are made by Creative tho).

I know the M-Audio 7.1 card that you are looking at, because I run it with my G4. The M-Audio Revolution 7.1, correct? I need to tell you ahead of time that you will not be able to utilize Circle Surround II (regardless of whatever card you purchase) if you utilize a coax or Toslink (optical) digital output. Circle Surround II ONLY works if you are using analog outputs.

I'm using the Revolution 7.1 with the coax digital output to my home theater THX receiver and from there to my THX speakers. It works wonderfully, but I was really disappointed when I realized I would have to connect the Revolution 7.1 analog outputs to the analog inputs of my receiver in order to use Circle Surround II. The Circle Surround II technology sounds incredible - that's why I was so disappointed.

It's a lot of cables that I utilize now with having the Revolution 7.1 being constantly hooked up with coax digital, and also with it's analog outputs. If I desire to listen to a stereo source using Circle Surround II, I just have to change the sound output (under Sound in System Prefs) from digital to analog.
 
So basically, there is no way to get "virtual surround" from stereo content, and pipe it out via a digital output to a digital amp?

Anyone know anything regarding the built-in optical audio on a G5??
 
As far as I'm aware, even with Windows users, in order to utilize Circle Surround II, you have to be connected with your analog outputs to the receiver/amplifier. Circle Surround II was originally intended to take an analog stereo source and, using a matrix converter, separate it into 5.1 or more discrete channels.

When you are using your digital output, currently it is assumed that you are playing from a digital source which, with the exception of CD's, are encoded with 5.1 or more discrete channels. Keep in mind that digital outputs did not even gain in popularity (on DVD players or computer sound cards) until DVD's were invented (most of which have 5.1 or more discrete channels), even though CD's had been around long before that. Consumers have been playing digital CD sound through analog outputs/inputs for a LOOONNNGG time, even though you lose sound fidelity.
 
I dunno much about optical connections per-say (connections, etc.), but the SoundBlaster MP3+ usb device, will work with OS X 10.3.3. I know, I'm using it now.

It has optical in/out, but I don't use analog (there's a switch on the side for digital/analog). You can always try it...I got it for $53can....

It supports 5.1, and doesn't need a power adapter.
 
Really? I went to Soundblasters page and looked at the Soundblaster MP3+, and it doesn't even say that it supports any OS X products. Where did you find the necessary drivers?
 
Its not the optical connection thats the problem, it's getting the software driver to create "virtual surround" from a two-channel source (ie, mp3, aac, etc). This is what Circle Surround II is supposed to do. But it appears it only works with analogue.
 
Aerospike....You won't find anything mentioning OS X support on Sounblaster/s website. It's unofficial, it works. The thing is plug and play (adjust the settings in your system preferences).

I dunno about setting the surround sound....I'd imagine, it's just a setting in the software (the game, or what have you), and then just feeding the signal to your speakers.
 
Unfortunately Omega, it isnt as simple as that. There is no mention of virtual surround sound in apples info about core-audio, and i cant imagine they would throw in a feature that is worth hundreds of dollars aftermarket without saying anything.
 
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