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1931 Views 24 Replies Latest reply: Jun 1, 2011 4:35 PM by Line6Tony RSS
mango1981 Just Startin'
mango1981
14 posts since
Mar 8, 2008
Currently Being Moderated

May 9, 2011 8:45 PM

Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

Hey guys, i wanted to connect Variax digitally but i've failed in my attemp to do it, i need some enlightening, some advice, any help please!!

 

So far i have this connections and gives no sound!  ( SEE PICTURE )

 

Thnx in advance!!

 

ps: i've followed the scheme presented in this post  http://line6.com/community/thread/14238

Attachments:
Tags: s/pdif, variax, vdi, xps, cable, digital, rj-45
  • JellyWheat Gear Head
    JellyWheat
    1,220 posts since
    Aug 18, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    May 10, 2011 6:04 AM (in response to mango1981)
    Re: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

    Exactly what is the purpose of this - if I may be impudent - Rube Goldberg setup? Why do this if your objective is simply to connect to a computer or sound card, when there are cheap, safe interfaces available? I just want to understand the goal of the exercise here...

     

    Regards,

    JellyWheat

     

     

     

     

    [BTW: If you can't get it to work, you can still sell the drawing! Title it "Where's My Doobie?"

    ...I apologize in advance: the devil makes me do this!]

    • mango1981 Just Startin'
      mango1981
      14 posts since
      Mar 8, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      May 10, 2011 5:39 AM (in response to JellyWheat)
      Re: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

      The solely purpose of this is to record my variax digitally (i cant afford a podxt3live), and get cleanest possible signal....

      • JellyWheat Gear Head
        JellyWheat
        1,220 posts since
        Aug 18, 2008
        Currently Being Moderated
        May 10, 2011 2:25 PM (in response to mango1981)
        Re: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

        OK, I thought that was the case, but why go this route? Wouldn't it be better to get a USB port (Line 6 offers several, low-cost devices), and be sure you are not going to fry your Variax with a Jerry-rigged connection? I hear what you are saying about the cost of an HD500 (they don't make X3Live any more, I don't think...). I prefer to use the effects provided by my digital work surface over the XTLive (which I used to own) anyway, BUT, it seems to be a risky thing that you are trying to do. IMO...

         

        Bear in mind, however, that I am NOT an electronics whiz. I know lutherie much better than I know this. I would wait for one of the REAL electronic whiz guys who frequent this Forum to weigh in on your problem. Maybe what you are trying to accomplish is dead easy... maybe it is not.

         

        I'm just not sure that your proposed rig is the route to clean sound, since the Variax output is analog anyway... So you are inevitably at the mercy of whatever the weakest A/D converter in you signal path happens to be.

         

        Good luck.

        JellyWheat

        • amx05462 Power User
          amx05462
          3,495 posts since
          Sep 1, 2008
          Currently Being Moderated
          May 10, 2011 1:55 PM (in response to JellyWheat)
          Re: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

          i  have to agree  with jelly wheat. one  false  move   and  your   guitar could  be  toast.

           

            just  curious  and  i dont  knoq  but   since  the  workbench  hardware  can connect  your  computer  to your  guitar....    then why cant  it  be  used  to connect   your  guitar to your  computer?  again  ivbe  never  done  this    but     i dont  see  whay its   unidirectional.

          • JellyWheat Gear Head
            JellyWheat
            1,220 posts since
            Aug 18, 2008
            Currently Being Moderated
            May 10, 2011 2:15 PM (in response to amx05462)
            ₡8>*}... "knoq", for those who don't know any better...

            ... is a chivalrous/heraldic term employed by the Knoughts of the Trapazoidal Table, of which amx05462 and myself are both illustrated and highly dreculated members.

             

            Ex.: "Don't knoq it if you haven't tryed it.", or "Knoq, knoq... Whose their?", or "I'm going to knoq a couple back after work with the buoys."... etc., etc..

             

            FYI

            JellyKnought

            • amx05462 Power User
              amx05462
              3,495 posts since
              Sep 1, 2008
              Currently Being Moderated
              May 10, 2011 2:17 PM (in response to JellyWheat)
              Re: ₡8>*}... "knoq", for those who don't know any better...

              good  evening  my fellow  knought .  how  are  you    this  fine  day?

              • JellyWheat Gear Head
                JellyWheat
                1,220 posts since
                Aug 18, 2008
                Currently Being Moderated
                May 10, 2011 2:20 PM (in response to amx05462)
                Re: ₡8>D}}}... Excellency!!!

                ... nothing major happening. I've just been "knoqing about" most of the afternoon.

                 

                J/W

                • amx05462 Power User
                  amx05462
                  3,495 posts since
                  Sep 1, 2008
                  Currently Being Moderated
                  May 10, 2011 2:25 PM (in response to JellyWheat)
                  Re: ₡8>D}}}... Excellency!!!

                  well  things  are   changing  here  on the  mountain ttop.

                   

                  for the   good.    in the  mean time     ill render  this  song

                   

                   

                    a knought  is  a knought  of  course  of course    and  no  one can  talk to a  knought  of course  un less of  course  the  name  of the  knought  is the  famous  mr wheat.

                   

                  go ricgt  to  the  source  and  ask  the  knought   hell  give  you  the  answer  in his  rhetort   hes  always  on a  steady course   talk to   mr  wheat

                   

                  people  yackety  yack the  web  and  waste     the  time  of  day   but  mr  wheat  will never  speak  unless hes    got  something  to say.   and  so on.

                   

                   

                  • JellyWheat Gear Head
                    JellyWheat
                    1,220 posts since
                    Aug 18, 2008
                    Currently Being Moderated
                    May 10, 2011 2:35 PM (in response to amx05462)
                    Re: ₡8>D}}}... Excellency!!!

                    What an attractive ditty, Excellency! An excellent lyric, I must say! Perhaps it will bring me good luck!

                     

                    J/W

                    • amx05462 Power User
                      amx05462
                      3,495 posts since
                      Sep 1, 2008
                      Currently Being Moderated
                      May 10, 2011 2:33 PM (in response to JellyWheat)
                      Re: ₡8>D}}}... Excellency!!!

                      fear  not  my fellow  knought.   i once  was  there  myself.  but  now  im having  to fend off  points from time  to time.

                       

                      could  be  worse you  know.   btw .  ya dont  want to start  sounding  like  your  asking  for  pernts.

                       

                         now i  know  its  tempting   to come back with  pernt  well  taken . but      let that  and all  pernt     problems  leave  this place  .

                       

                       

                        they got  enough  trouble  here  .

                       

                      seems  like  some  of the   firecrackers   are  duds.

  • mango1981 Just Startin'
    mango1981
    14 posts since
    Mar 8, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    May 10, 2011 2:59 PM (in response to mango1981)
    Re: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

    Hhahhahah im glad that you liked my impressionistic art drawings...  well back to the subject, i dunno how can i get the sound from workbench and if its even possible, well i think that it would need programming knowledge or something...  Anyway there are 2 guys that achieved the same thing im doing,  the one from the link on my first post and this http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34907  

    They havent reported killed guitars yet as far as i know... I sended a pm to the forum user and the one from motunation seems uncontactable...  Well i hope someone else will help me to figure out and get this thing to work!!

    • amx05462 Power User
      amx05462
      3,495 posts since
      Sep 1, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      May 10, 2011 3:09 PM (in response to mango1981)
      Re: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

      well  my drawings  look  just  like  yours   . its  meant  complimentary  incase  theres  any  doubt. 

       

      what  i mean is   to use  the  workbench  hardware  as  a connector  from your  guitar  to the  computer.

    • JellyWheat Gear Head
      JellyWheat
      1,220 posts since
      Aug 18, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      May 10, 2011 4:23 PM (in response to mango1981)
      Re: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

      mango, there are some REALLY talented and knowledgeable experts who occasionally post to this Forum. One is a medical doctor, and another couple sound like electrical or software engineers. They do all sorts of things to their gear that is highly sophisticated, and which seems to work. I suggest you continue to browse some of the other threads in the archives and try to identify members who may have the credentials to help you out and answer the (good) question raised by our friend amx05462...[ chrisblackwell is a member that comes to mind].

       

      I hope I'm not out of line here, but perhaps he and others would not mind if you approached them by PM and directed them to this thread for some expert advice.

       

       

      Hope this helps.

      JellyWheat

  • mango1981 Just Startin'
    mango1981
    14 posts since
    Mar 8, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    May 11, 2011 2:39 PM (in response to mango1981)
    Re: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

    Good news fellas... i got SOUND!!!

     

     

    Bad news, the sound is very noisy... i'm using motherboard crappy onboard s/pdif input, maybe that is the reason, (crappy world clock or something is producing jitter.. right?)....  I have focurite saffire pro, but i'm not using it because my motherboard is gone crazy and burning all fireware/usb ports, and im afraid to use it right now... i'll wait to buy a new mobo in the next month...

  • Line6Don Line 6 Support
    Line6Don
    5,275 posts since
    Mar 14, 2011
    Currently Being Moderated
    May 13, 2011 10:22 AM (in response to mango1981)
    RE: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

    Hey mango1981,

       

      We do not recommend or support using this type of connection and modification.

       

      As you mentioned you own a Focusrite Saffire, I recommend connecting the guitar straight into the instrument inputs on the front of the device.

  • mango1981 Just Startin'
    mango1981
    14 posts since
    Mar 8, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    May 29, 2011 8:42 PM (in response to mango1981)
    Re: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

    Finally i bought a new pc....  i connected stuff with my focusrite  card... now i dont get that horrible sound, but still theres a high  pitched noise whenever i play the strings....

    Can it be the lenght  of VDI cable ( 25mts) (its the original cable from the variax)... or  maybe its the etherned portion of the cable?.... im sure its not the  SPDIF cable, because i've tested it with other stuff and it works  fine...., the TRS cable also works fine.... so my only guess right now  is VDI cable, or ethernet...

     

    HElp Pls!

     

    Thnx!

  • Line6Tony Line 6 Support
    Line6Tony
    1,917 posts since
    Jan 16, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 1, 2011 4:35 PM (in response to mango1981)
    RE: Variax s/pdif custom connection problem!

    The VDI cable won't get you clean audio unless connected to a Line 6 device that accepts the connection. Using anything else, even a Line 6 Workbench device, to get audio out of the VDI is unsupported. You'd likely get just as good a result from the analog out, especially once your song is mixed.

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