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[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

It would be a 10 foot cable, not sure if that makes any difference. However since you mentioned 120-ohm cable. I noticed i have only 75-ohm cable (this one http://zaolla.com/products/zae-100 ) Of course i ask this question to see what people would recommend most for when using such a large PA.

Also again not sure if it matters to much but the DJ Mixer would be set to 96kHz

I'm incorrect - Sp/Dif is 75Ω, AES is 120Ω.  You're fine.  96Khz makes ZERO difference compared to 44.1Khz (it's arguably worse due to passing ultrasonic noise that speakers can't reproduce and ears can't hear anyway), and if it were me and I was actually spinning audio CDs, I'd leave the system at 44.1K to avoid one more unnecessary SRC.

Live audio is very different than being in a studio.  With playback, important factors are:
1.  Having enough rig for the gig
2.  Having quality speakers
3.  Room acoustics
4.  Having source material that isn't re-ripped three times to effectively 32kbps
5. ...
6. ...
...
8,791: interconnection settings between devices.

Not even the largest and/or most pro PA changes this; and in many cases, the larger the system, the poorer the fidelity.  The more elements in a system to get the output you need interfere with each other, not to mention severe loss of hearing fidelity due to threshold shift of your listeners at loud concert levels.

Enjoy your gear.

[Tony Rivieras]

I'm incorrect - Sp/Dif is 75Ω, AES is 120Ω.  You're fine.  96Khz makes ZERO difference compared to 44.1Khz (it's arguably worse due to passing ultrasonic noise that speakers can't reproduce and ears can't hear anyway), and if it were me and I was actually spinning audio CDs, I'd leave the system at 44.1K to avoid one more unnecessary SRC.

Live audio is very different than being in a studio.  With playback, important factors are:
1.  Having enough rig for the gig
2.  Having quality speakers
3.  Room acoustics
4.  Having source material that isn't re-ripped three times to effectively 32kbps
5. ...
6. ...
...
8,791: interconnection settings between devices.

Not even the largest and/or most pro PA changes this; and in many cases, the larger the system, the poorer the fidelity.  The more elements in a system to get the output you need interfere with each other, not to mention severe loss of hearing fidelity due to threshold shift of your listeners at loud concert levels.

Enjoy your gear.

Interesting you mentioned the AES's 120ohm Because i was planing on using a Spidif to AES cable on the digital out of the DJ mixer to go into the sound console. (this cable http://www.fullcompass.com/product/354649.html) is that something that would be an issue?

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

Interesting you mentioned the AES's 120ohm Because i was planing on using a Spidif to AES cable on the digital out of the DJ mixer to go into the sound console. (this cable http://www.fullcompass.com/product/354649.html) is that something that would be an issue?

For 10' it's going to be fine.  For 100', not so fine (though the bigger issue is that Sp/Dif is single-ended and not intended for long-distance transmission; AES is balanced and can go a couple hundred feet).

I would not plan on the system provider allowing you to connect digitally, however.  You will likely be handed a DI box and expected to provide a pair of analog RCAs or 1/4" plugs.

Digital interconnects are one of those things that seem great at first glance, but in practice it's almost always more work, more money, more compromises, and no benefit compared to plain-old analog cabling.

[Tony Rivieras]

For 10' it's going to be fine.  For 100', not so fine (though the bigger issue is that Sp/Dif is single-ended and not intended for long-distance transmission; AES is balanced and can go a couple hundred feet).

Yes i understand what Spidif is not made for long runs. What i had in mind was just using that 6 foot spidif to AES cable out of the mixer and then using a longer AES cable for the rest of the way to the sound desk

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

Yes i understand what Spidif is not made for long runs. What i had in mind was just using that 6 foot spidif to AES cable out of the mixer and then using a longer AES cable for the rest of the way to the sound desk

It doesn't work that way - Sp/Dif and AES are not the same thing.  To convert a Sp/Dif signal to a true AES signal requires an active box to re-transmit the signal in a balanced format.  Just changing the cable doesn't fix it.

This is moot anyway, as I will bet you any amount of money you like that you will not end up connecting to the system that way.  Not all desks have SRCs on the digital input, so the house system may have to clock to your mixer - something not likely to be popular with the system tech, and an analog connection via DI box provides material isolation benefits.

Once again, digital is not better than analog.

[Tony Rivieras]

It doesn't work that way - Sp/Dif and AES are not the same thing.  To convert a Sp/Dif signal to a true AES signal requires an active box to re-transmit the signal in a balanced format.  Just changing the cable doesn't fix it.

This is moot anyway, as I will bet you any amount of money you like that you will not end up connecting to the system that way.  Not all desks have SRCs on the digital input, so the house system may have to clock to your mixer - something not likely to be popular with the system tech, and an analog connection via DI box provides material isolation benefits.

Once again, digital is not better than analog.

Oh yes i have seen those boxes before when i searched for the cable.....was wondering what that was. As for the sound desk it would most likely be an Avid Venue profile from pictures i have seen it has AES inputs. Just to clarify and be 100% sure, if i used a Spidif to AES cable like the one i linked and plugged into one of those AES inputs on the profile  it would not work at all no matter the cable distance?

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

Oh yes i have seen those boxes before when i searched for the cable.....was wondering what that was. As for the sound desk it would most likely be an Avid Venue profile from pictures i have seen it has AES inputs. Just to clarify and be 100% sure, if i used a Spidif to AES cable like the one i linked and plugged into one of those AES inputs on the profile  it would not work at all no matter the cable distance?

It would likely work at less than 15' or so. 

Have you heard me say that digital is not better than analog?   Looking again at the mixer, it has balanced XLRs out.  If you are trying to be pro, use those.

[Tony Rivieras]

It would likely work at less than 15' or so. 

Have you heard me say that digital is not better than analog?   Looking again at the mixer, it has balanced XLRs out.  If you are trying to be pro, use those.

That is good to hear. I forgot to mention that I was also planing on using one of those cables to connect a CDJ directly to the sound console inside of FOH to play walk in music.

Thank you for your help
I am sure the sound engineers will look at me like im some kind of deranged lunatic when i tell them how i want to use SPIDIF out on the dj mixer.

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

I am sure the sound engineers will look at me like im some kind of deranged lunatic when i tell them how i want to use SPIDIF out on the dj mixer.

At best, they're going to ask you why (and you don't have any good reason); at worst you're going to seem either difficult to work with or a noobie.  This isn't a battle that I would choose to fight.

[Tony Rivieras]

At best, they're going to ask you why (and you don't have any good reason); at worst you're going to seem either difficult to work with or a noobie.  This isn't a battle that I would choose to fight.

My reason would be........."Digital less cables and sounds better" also forgot to mention that the audio is going to be recorded so that is another reason as to why i want the very highest sound quality possible

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