TOSLINK/SPDIF optical digital out problem

Dunno what the problem is here. I've used a mini-Toslink adapter and cable to successfully send a digital signal to my amplifier with my Macbook Pro and a previous iMac G5 iSight, but recently failed to do the same with my new 24" iMac. The red light and the Sound preferences suggest that the digital output is working, but no sound comes out. The same setup works fine with my MBP's digital output, so I can't explain the problem on the iMac.
Does anyone know of any other ways to test or verify that the digital output is working? Perhaps there is another way to turn the digital output on/off? I'm hoping this is a software issue ...
Thanks.

I'm having a similar problem / issue with the digital outs...
I'm sending a digital signal via a mini-TOSlink adaptor to my MOTU 828mkII ADAT IN... first problem is that unless I set the MOTU's clock to ADAT IN... (and not use it's only internal clock) then I get digital noise when I playback anything on my iMac... since there is no way to set the iMac clock in Audio Midi Setup to External... it's greyed out.
The larger issue is that playback works fine as long as the Audio driver is being used... i.e. iTunes playiing something back. When I stop any audio playback... about 30 seconds later, the MOTU sync light starts flashing as it's NOT receiving a sync signal from the iMac anylonger. Then if I start playback again it takes about 2-3 seconds for the playback to sound. Totally unacceptable...
I noticed a few things... first off... I also send a signal from my MOTU BACK to my iMac through the iMac's digital IN. With the Digital Output on the iMac, plugging in the TOSLINK cable will automatically change the OUTPUT in Audio Midi Setup to Digital Out... when plugging in the 2nd cable to Digital In, Audio Midi Setup DOES NOT change to Digital In unless you start audio playback, and that's where the 2-3 seconds lag comes in. When you actually hear the playback, if Audio Midi Setup is open... you can see the INPUT switch from Line In to Digital In... and if you stop playback, you can see the Digital In go BACK to Line In about 30 secs later... which should NOT be happening... although technically the Digital in should have NO effect on the Digital Out here anyway... and in truth it doesn't... taking the Digital In out of the equation totally - I still see the same issues... just find it interesting that this is happening.
Anyhow, I have no advice to help you out rwcoch... I wish I did... this is ridiculous! I'm going to search a bit more and see if anyone else has anything remotely similar...
Can anyone else try to replicate my issue? Try sending a digital signal to another sound card... ?
Thanks

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Audio (optical Digital Out) Problems

I can't seem to get audio out of my optical out port for some system sounds anymore. I can play iTunes songs but system-alert sounds (iChat open close, trash) don't seem work. I've also noticed that the opening music when I open WoW won't play but then the audio works fine once I log into the game (after I pick a player). Quicktime movies also seem to play fine. If I go into the preferences pane and try the alert sounds, some will work but not all the time. It's not acting as if the file is corrupt since Basso will play one minute but not the next. When it tries to play the sound file all I hear is a slight 'thud' from the speakers.
Any ideas?

In System preferences you have a sound panel option for output there you'll get 2 choices: digital or Built-in, sometimes but rarely this can make a difference. ATH [Apple hardware test on the install disk].
The only other thing that could be separately an issue is the optical port has to be the top one for output [no doubt you've got the one with the glow coming out of it plugged in].
But the digital ports are wired to the logic board, you might try resetting the firmware.
[Restart holding AppleOption+OF: at prompt type: reset-nvram: Mac returns O.k. then type: reset-all.]

M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 monitors with imac optical digital out

I'm looking to purchase these monitors for my imac or ones very similar to them and was wondering how I go about hooking them up to the imac. I've read that I would have to use a mini-TOSLink cable to use the optical digital out, but how do I go from that to the RCA on the back of the monitors? Do they make a mini-TOSLink cable to RCA cable? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

aberrant_soul wrote:
I've read that I would have to use a mini-TOSLink cable to use the optical digital out,
but how do I go from that to the RCA on the back of the monitors?
No, the AV 40 inputs are line-level analog RCA; they 'don't understand' digital audio,
and the conversion requires more than a cable -- you'd need an D-to-A converter.
You could run an analog signal to the monitors with just a cheap miniplug-to-RCA
(analog) adaptor from Radio Shack; but if you want to use the iMac's digital output,
you'll need some sort of external digital-to-analog conversion hardware.
I don't know of any inexpensive stand-alone TOSLINK-to-analog converters, but
there are many USB-to-audio products that would allow you to feed digital audio
from the iMac to the AV 40's -- but through a USB port, rather than TOSLINK.
Search for "USB audio" on amazon.com and/or newegg.com.
Looby

My MacBook Pro has no audio. Sounds preferences showing output is Optical digital-out port. How do I change this to built-in speakers?

My MacBook Pro has no audio. Sounds preferences showing output is Optical digital-out port. How do I change this to built-in speakers?

I experienced this same problem yesterday on my MacBook Pro, still searching for a solution, several other posts here indicate people have been experiencing this since at lease 2007. I have yet to find a clear solution.
It appears that occasionally inserting headphone causes this, it turns on the Optical digital-out port feature (red light glows inside the headphone port) and takes away the internal speakers option. Restarting did not restore it, but for some reason after sitting asleep overnight the sound started working again and the internal speaker option return in the Sound - Output Window, and the Optical Digital-out option went away.
Here is another post with some ideas on this
https://discussions.apple.com/message/4160477#4160477

HT1338 how do I turn off optical digital-out port?

how do I turn off optical digital-out port?

Just want to report that I too, running 10.6.5 on a MacBook Pro, had the mysterious " Audio Out Stuck On Optical Digital-Out Port" problem whereby I was unable to adjust the volume on my built-in speakers and they were permanently "muted" because the operating system was sending the audio signal to a non-existent device that it falsely thought was plugged in to my unused headphone jack hole. I thought at first the problem must necessarily be software-based because the built-in speakers worked fine when playing the start-up chimes. So I uninstalled something called "Soundflower" which does some mysterious shenanigans with commandeering the internal audio signal so that one can make audio recordings of one's computers' sound effects. But uninstalling Soundflower had no effect. So I uninstalled some other audio-related software, also to no avail. Then I zapped the PRAM, to no avail.
Then I decided to try what some people call "the toothpick trick," i.e. poking around in the headphone jack hole to see if something was stuck in there shortcircuiting it, and initiating the false signal to the OS.
Bingo! Success!
Actually, I did a hyper-sophisticated version of the toothpick trick:
First, I own a home "otoscope," one of those doohickeys that doctors use to look into your ear. One can now buy amateur versions of otoscopes for home use, to looks for kids' ear infections, etc. (They only cost $30 or so.) Anyway, using the smallest attachment designed for babies' ears, I was able to look (with illumination) into the headphone jack hole and yessiree there was a big bunch of dust stuck way deep in there.
So then I took not a toothpick but instead a slender dental prong-pick thingie made of stainless steel, and very delicately was able to snag the clot of dust deep in the hole at the bottom on the first try. Quite a wad!
Then I took one of those rubber ear-bulbs, used for cleaning out your ears, and used it as a micro-vacuum-cleaner: Squeeze the rubber bulb til it is as empty as can be, then place the tip of the bulb at the entrance to the headphone jack hole, then suddenly release my grip: it ***** air out of the tiniest spaces! After doing this a few times, I then did the reverse and blew blasts of air into the hole.
After all this, I looked back into the hole with the otoscope, and it was sparkling clean! Not even the tiniest speck of dust in an area that just three minutes earlier was thick with dust.
I then turned my computer back on and...problem solved! The audio worked again like normal, and it was no longer detecting an imaginary "Optical Digital-Out Port" device. The internal speakers once again worked as normal, and the volume could be adjusted.
I guess the problem for me really was dust causing a short-circuit. It might very well be the same for you -- so try cleaning out the headphone jack hole as I did.
I'm writing this detailed description to help anyone else in the future with a similar problem.

HT1338 audio output defaults to optical digital-out port

M audio out defaults to optical digital-out port; I cannot select internal speakers - it is not in the preferences menu

I experienced this same problem yesterday on my MacBook Pro, still searching for a solution, several other posts here indicate people have been experiencing this since at lease 2007. I have yet to find a clear solution.
It appears that occasionally inserting headphone causes this, it turns on the Optical digital-out port feature (red light glows inside the headphone port) and takes away the internal speakers option. Restarting did not restore it, but for some reason after sitting asleep overnight the sound started working again and the internal speaker option return in the Sound - Output Window, and the Optical Digital-out option went away.
Here is another post with some ideas on this
https://discussions.apple.com/message/4160477#4160477

Macbook stuck in headphone (optical digital-out port) mode. Plugging and unplugging headphone jack no help.

Stuck in headphone (optical digital-out port) mode. What do I do? Plugging and unplugging headphone jack no help.

Do you see a red light in the headphone jack?? If you do, then the microswitch is stuck and you need to turn it off. Try poking it with a toothpick.
If you don't see a red light, then try resetting the SMC and PRAM and see if these helps. Here are the links.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379

When I unplug Apple headphones from my MacBook Pro sond from internal speakers not work, and system soud preferences displayed: Output: optical digital out port only

When I unplug Apple headphones from my MacBook Pro sond from internal speakers not work, and system soud preferences displayed: Output: optical digital out port only

If you see a red light in the audio output port, then the internal switch is stuck. Insert the earphone plug a few times and see if you can trip the switch. If that fails, insert a cocktail stirrer and the like and jiggle it around inside. If that fails, take it to an Apple store and have the technicians at the genius bar do it for you.
Ciao.

Digital Out Problem

Hey
I have a very bothersome Problem.
Every time I boot into XP Sp2 via bootcamp the internal speakers won't shut up.
The original speakers I wan't to use are connected via optical out. SPIF
There is always a kind of low echo. I hate this.
Additional: Under OS X everything is fine!
What I already did:
Play around with the Realtek panel.
Try to mute in OSX and then switch to XP.
Install Drivers over and over....
Please help!

I had this problem, and it's one of those stupid fixes that you want to yell at the universe for.
In the right-hand part of the desktop toolbar, click the "Volume" icon, and set the slider all the way down to the bottom. Don't click mute, though, because that mutes everything, including the digital out.
If that doesn't work properly, right-click the "Volume" icon, and select "Open Volume Control." Put the Master Volume slider all the way down, and leave all the others as is. Your SPDIF should be greyed out, which is what the digital would be.

X-Fi digital out problem with FPS 2000 speak

I just upgraded my old SB Li've! to X-Fi ExtremeMusic.
I connected my 4. digital FPS 2000 Cambridge Soundwork speakers to the digital i/o port at the back of the sound card, but I could only hear from front speakers. Nothing from the rear speakers.
Also when I run the speaker connection wizard, after I pick digital output, the program only allows me to select either headphone or 2. speakers even though I connected to my FPS2000 which is 4. speakers.
Is it because my orginal mini-plug to DIN converter cable from FPS2000 is a 3-pole only and X-Fi digital out port is 4-pole? If that's the case, is it possible to buy a 4-pole mini-plug to DIN converter cable which works for FPS2000?
Will this cable http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=3&subcategory=58&product=0375 &nav=systemRequirements
work?

Actually you are having exactly the same problem as other users with DTT3500 or 5700 speakers. The X-Fi does not support the DIN connection. The digital-out of the X-Fi is the industry standard SPDIF. This means only 2-channels can be sent!
You should connect your FPS speakers to the analog outs of the soundcard. Quality will be anyway better, as the X-Fi includes modern DACs at 24-bits, which is not the case of the FPS2000 speakers.

KT4 Ultra - How do I enable optical digital out?!

OK, guys, now I'm this far: | | from going totally nuts here. How on earth do I enable digital out on the onboard C-Media soundcard on the KT4 Ultra? I used to have the KT3 Ultra, and that had a special mixer setting that did that trick, but I can't find anything here. I have heard mentioning of an MSI control panel item, but I have none. Is this a fault from my installation of the mobo, or does it not excist?
Hope somebody can help me, I have done without this for quite some time (I hadn't even connected the sound bracket), but with my main optical soundcard blown I really need this now!
Thanks a lot in advance! 8)

Thanks again. I did, and it worked. The amusing thing is that afterwords I tried uninstalling the apps, and the digital still worked. So now I get to keep the digital output without any annoying extra sound apps! :D
My next project is probably impossible: I'm trying to get a Zoltrix Nightingale Pro 6 to work with digital output. I actually had it working nicely side by side with the C-Media interal soundcard (it just renamed the interal soundcard to "C-Media xxx 2"), but I could not get digital output. So my guess is that they are mutually excluding. But I can probably put the Zoltrix in another computer and run that zone (we're talking multi-zone sound system here) from that PC. 8)

Digital out problem sb0570 Win 7

Hi there.
I can't get my digital out to properly.
The test tone in control panel works! My amp switches to digital in automaticly and plays the sound.
But if i play anything. Mediaplayer, Spotify, VLC, Winamp ie only silence. My amp don?t switch to digital in.
Any ideas?

I think the Windows 8 package you downloaded can be used to make a fresh install as well as upgrade from Windows 7.
If you run the Windows 8 package you downloaded it should give you the option to create a Media install. So grab a 4GB USB drive, run the Windows 8 package and select the option to Create Media Installation, or something to that description.
Select the USB drive and it will create a Bootable Windows 8 install.
You can use this, with your Key, to create a fresh install.
I'm dual booting, on the same drive, for now while I get used to WIndows 8.
T410(2537) -- i7 620M - Intel HD GPU (1440 x 900) - 8GB RAM - 128GB Crucial M4 SSD - 250GB Hitachi HDD - Windows 7 & 8 Pro

Quad G5 + Optical Digital Out + ADAT

Hi,
Does anybody know what i need to connect my Quad directly to the ADAT of a Yamaha 01v96 V2 digital mixer?
Apple Developer
Digital data is transmitted to and from the digital audio I/O using optical cables. The physical connectors, commonly referred to as TOSLink, are for both input and output and conform to IEC60874-17. The TOSLink friction-lock type F-05 connectors are available from pro-audio, musician’s supply, hi-fi and other retailers. The 7.5 mm digital optical TOSLink input and output connectors,..., are located on the back of the enclosure.
...The data format for signals transmitted over the optical cable is S/PDIF protocol IEC 60958-3.
Something like this? RME DIGI9652
G5 Quad 2.5Ghz 2GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.6) Bulldog8 on SpeedTouch 716v5WL router
G5 Quad 2.5Ghz 2GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.6) Bulldog8 on SpeedTouch 716v5WL router

Well, if you have the dough then this is the PCIExpress solution from Apogee. You would buy the card and an interface (or several), which connects to the card.
You could disable the other FW devices f the KPs are too often. Otherwise, the PCIe-424 and a MOTU interface should be more affordable.
http://www.motu.com/newsitems/the-pcie-424-card-is-now-shipping
Excerpt from above link:
The new PCIe-424 card is available for purchase as part of a 2408mk3, HD192 or 24I/O core system (from your favorite MOTU reseller). Be sure to ask your dealer for the PCIe version of the core system you would like to purchase. PCIe is also referred to as "PCI Express".

SPDIF optical audio input problem

having got over the audio stutter problem by upgrading to 10.4.5, i discover that there is a part 2 to the audio faults on the last g4 powerbooks.
i've been trying to record from DAT via the spdif input, but after a random amount of time, the apps stop recording with a processor overload error, or worse, something very similar to the looping audio problem previously thought cured.
If i try and record via line in analogue - there is no problem.
I'm not really streesing the CPU - i've been forced to try and use simple recorders like quicktime and boom recorder , trying to keep it simple and reliable at this stage.
any ideas?
Powerbook G4 17" 1.67 DL 512mb Mac OS X (10.4.5)
Powerbook G4 17" 1.67 DL 512 mb Mac OS X (10.4.5)

But when I plug the output of the Radio Shack controller into the audio input of the iMac, it captures only one end (my end) of the conversation.
Where did you previously connect that output, when it works properly?
Is it coming over only on the left or right channel?
You may be able to control the audio input more precisely using the +Audio Midi Setup+ utility (in the Utilities folder).

Toslink/AC3 Optical Audio Out Docking Station???

Is there such a thing that docks iPod at the base and send digital audio signal to a receiver/preamp? I realize you can do this using RCA cable but D/A conversion is done in iPod rather than in home hi-fi.
I searched a bit in this forum and came to understand that iPod does not support digital audio out, but Airport and iPod Hi-Fi does. Not looking to include computer/router in the loop.
It would be nice if this dock had a S-Video or Component video out as well but maybe this is too much like iTV....
Thanks in advance.

I love to see it too, but it seems that Apple is not going to add this digital audio signal output for iPod, as this music industry is worried that adding the digital option on a MP3 device may creates more illegal copy

TOSLINK/SPDIF optical digital out problem

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