AES to S/PDIF on the cheap.

[original_min]

Ciao All.

I need to run a digital out from a transformer balanced Rosetta AES line out, to an Akai MPC S/PDIF input.
The normal Rosetta S/PDIF is taken up.
Does anyone know if it's ok (and good enough) to do the converter lead thing or do I have to get all hardcore about it?

I found a diagram on the Rane site, it converts from 100 to 75 ohms and attenuates the level to 0.5v for S/PDIF.
It's a few resistors so I like it very much.

Cheers
m

[gigpiglet]

i bought some little "barrel" converter things.
i think they were around 50 bucks
from someone like.... i cat remember.... but rapco? or art, or some similar standard cheap brand like that.
worked just fine for me!

[Alastair Reynolds]

Whilst you can use transformers etc to make a passive converter,this will only work properly if the Rosetta outputs balanced s/pdif or the akai accepts unbalanced AES. These are different protocols with different information in the headers. Passively converting will work most of the time,but you will get glitches.
Spend a little more and do it properly and avoid the pain later .

[a.beck]

Maybe I'm just super ghetto about things like this, but I've always just used an XLR to RCA short lead with pins 1 and 3 tied together on the RCA end.

I've done this a lot and never had it not work.

[original_min]

And here was I thinking no-one had replied.
Didn't think to check the thread on the site itself.
Thanks all for the info.