transferring digital track from DAW to Computer

Buddy Lewis · Post by **Buddy Lewis** » 19 Nov 2007 11:53 pm

I have been recording on my DAW and transferring each track to cd and then upload the cd onto my computer for editing and mixing. I use a optical connection to send track to the cd recorder and get now sound quality loss, but my computer has no optical connection. I use up a lot of blank cds this way. Other connections on my DAW (1/4 inch) produce a dramatic sound quality loss by the time it has been converted digital/analog/digital. How do you guys solve this problem?

Will Holtz · Post by **Will Holtz** » 20 Nov 2007 12:15 am

Most of the newer stand-alone DAWs have USB or firewire connections, which allow you to do a direct digital transfer. With older models that do not have such features, careful gain staging is about all you can do reduce the signal degradation.

Buddy Lewis · Post by **Buddy Lewis** » 20 Nov 2007 9:23 am

Thanks Will

Bob Martin · Post by **Bob Martin** » 22 Nov 2007 10:41 am

Hey Buddy, give us a little info on your DAW maybe someone knows a trick or two :-)What brand and model number would help plus why not use CDRW's so you can keep using them over and over?

Bob

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 22 Nov 2007 2:29 pm

Be careful with the use of CD-RW media. RW media is known to either lose data and/or format. It's the least reliable CD media.

Having been burned 3 times, I no longer use RW media. On the Dell forum we see users reporting problems because of the use of RW media. If it's important enough to put on CD media, a 25 cent (many times less) CD-R is insignificant.

Buddy Lewis · Post by **Buddy Lewis** » 22 Nov 2007 4:11 pm

I record to a Korg D16. The way I've been doing it is this. When I have recorded the 16 tracks, I send each track separately (through the optical cable) to a cdr recorder. Then I take the cd and load it onto my computer (using Sony Soundforge) where I keep all my tracks. I then edit each track seperately (using various editing software) and then mix all the tracks using Acid or Sonar. When my tracks are mixed I burn the song to cd for mastering. My problem is that my Korg D16 does not have a USB connection and I use a lot of cds transferring each track seperately (16 tracks at a time). I do have a connection to connect a seperate hard drive to the DAW. Maybe I should do that and then take the external hard drive over to my computer when I have all the tracks loaded. I just wind up throwing a lot of cds away the way I do it because once I load the tracks onto the computer the cd is worthless. There just seems to me that there has to be an easier way without losing sound quality.

Bob Martin · Post by **Bob Martin** » 23 Nov 2007 8:28 am

Hi Buddy, it looks like your best bet would be just what you mentioned. There's a couple of things you would need to do first get an external hard drive in an external USB 2 enclosure they're pretty cheap now days. Then get a SCSI to USB 2 adapter like this one http://www.pc-pitstop.com/scsi_ide_adapters/ then just hook up your SCSI adapter to your D16 and the USB 2 end to your external hard drive and just transfer your tracks like that.

It would be an investment but you would only have to make it once then you could transfer tracks to your hearts delight. If your D16 supports recording thru the SCSI port you could even record directly to your external hard drive but you would have to check your manual for that. A lot of those older recorders used those SCSI ports for backing up only so it might not be able to record directly to it but for sure you could use it to back up and transfer tracks to your pc.

One more thing if your PC has a SCSI card in it you wouldn't need the converter but unless you have put one in it I doubt that you have one in your PC. Lot's of the older Macs came with SCSI ports but most people have switched to USB and firewire these days.

Bob

Buddy Lewis · Post by **Buddy Lewis** » 23 Nov 2007 11:52 pm

Thanks for the information Bob. I went to the site you posted for me and I have one question for you. Are all SCSI ports "50 pin". The SCSI Port on my recorder says 50 pin but the site you posted did not say how many pins the SCSI adapter was. I already have an external hard drive to back up my computer files so that transition would not cost me a lot. Thanks for your information.

Bob Martin · Post by **Bob Martin** » 24 Nov 2007 6:19 am

Hey Buddy, you can find out all you ever wanted to know about SCSI here http://www.transintl.com/technotes/scsi.htm

There are 3 different SCSI pin setups as far as I know so the best thing to do is just count the pins on your interface and then before you buy an adapter ask them which pin setup the adapter has.

You may have to do a little searching but I'm positive you can find the right adapter because at one time SCSI was as popular as USB is now. Good luck!

Bob

Buddy Lewis · Post by **Buddy Lewis** » 24 Nov 2007 9:07 am

Thanks for the information. I think you've solved my problem. You can close this thread out now Joey.

Bob Martin · Post by **Bob Martin** » 24 Nov 2007 4:01 pm

Your welcome pal