MIDIMAN SAM S/PDIF-ADAT 24 BIT CONVERTER Blue

Midiman SAM Unit 24 Bit S/PDIF Mixer & Format Convertor Suggested Retail Price: $399.95

SAM™ is a S/PDIF-to-ADAT* and ADAT-to-S/PDIF converter and digital mixer. SAM provides the long-needed bridge between the worlds of Adat and S/PDIF digital audio at an affordable price. It flawlessly converts Adat to S/PDIF and S/PDIF to Adat.

More than just conversion.

When you convert Adat to S/PDIF, each of the Adat's eight channels can be mixed down to stereo with independent pan and gain controls using the onboard digital mixer. Conversions from S/PDIF to ADAT output left and right to every other channel are possible.

FEATURES:

 

ADAT to S/PDIF Conversion:

• Supports five Adat to S/PDIF conversion modes reserved for no loss one-to-one transfers: Adat channels 1/2 to S/PDIF Left/Right, Adat channels 3/ 4 to S/PDIF Left/Right, Adat channels 5/ 6 to S/PDIF Left/Right, Adat channels 7/ 8 to S/PDIF Left/Right, and special Adat to Mixer to S/PDIF Left/Right mode.

• In special Adat to Mix to S/PDIF mode, 8 individual gain and pan pots control overall mix of Adat tracks and convert them to a stereo S/PDIF signal.In Mix Mode 128 step resolution for each gain and pan pot.

S/PDIF to ADAT Conversion:

• Converts S/PDIF to Adat as follows: left channel to all Adat odd channels and right channel to all Adat even channels.

SPECIFICATIONS:

 

• Compact size: 7" x 4.5" x 1".

• No-Loss 24 bit transfers in all stereo modes where pots are disabled.

• Left and right channel signal and clipping level indicators.

• 56 bit internal processing.

• Supports any sample rate from 39 kHz to 51 kHz.

• Rugged, all-steel construction.

Transferring ADAT audio to S/PDIF is painless enough for anyone who knows their left from their right. Moreover, SAM may well prove to be the must-have accessory for those using older hard disk recording systems. With cards such as Lucid Technology's NB24, a NuBus 24-bit co-axial digital interface, many old Macs could gain a new lease on life when married to SAM, and new computers with cards like the DSP Factory can also take advantage of SAM's 24-bit support. Samplists, too, can enjoy recording digitally into ADAT-equipped systems or playing their sampler's S/PDIF out directly into a digital mixer fitted with ADAT interfacing. Obviously, there are many variations on this very basic theme.

What makes SAM a lot cheaper than most is that much of the fancy stuff is absent. It has ADAT optical in and out and S/PDIF co-axial I/O, hence transfers between these two formats are all that is supported. In short, via SAM, you can either send S/PDIF stereo audio to an ADAT, or a selection of ADAT channels to S/PDIF (more on the ADAT options later). Unfortunately, there's no sample-rate convertor, which is a real shame, as most folk use ADATs at 48kHz and typically have sample libraries and CDs at 44.1kHz. Whether SAM's sample rate is 48kHz or 44.1kHz is governed by the input signal (either ADAT or S/PDIF). However, the resolution of the SAM data throughput is said to be 24-bit, which is certainly a plus point. As S/PDIF interfacing officially only goes up to 20-bit, it has to be assumed that the unused bits available in the S/PDIF data structure are being used to fill the gaps to take it up to the quoted 24-bit resolution.

 The unit itself is about the size of an average paperback book, its compactness due mainly to the use of an external 9V DC power supply. On the front are two rows of eight knobs for panning and gain respectively. These are used in Mix mode, which enables all eight ADAT channels to be mixed to a stereo pair and sent to the S/PDIF output. A pair of 6-segment LED meters displays output status, and a further six LEDs below them light individually to reveal the current input-mode selection. A button on the side allows you to toggle through these selections: Mix, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 and S/PDIF. The numbered channel pairings enable you to select a pair of incoming ADAT tracks to be sent to the S/PDIF output. The S/PDIF selection offers the reverse: S/PDIF input signals can be sent to ADAT channels.

 This unit is virtually unused. I bought it new and used it for a few ADAT transfers a few years back and its been back in the box ever since.