Record Laserdisc digital audio via spdif in

Hello !

This my first time posting here

I have just acquired a new usb card with a spdif in which I want to use to capture digital audio streams ( PCM ) from Laserdisc in the future.

The soundcard I bought is the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD:

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/Sou...Fi-HD.aspx

The good thing about the card is that as soon as I connected my Laserdisc's digital output to the soundcard's spdif input the "Creative
Audio Control Panel" immediately recognized that there was a 44.1 khz signal at the spdif input.

However when I tried recording the file using the software that came along with the card it recorded the PCM stream at 48 khz.
It sounds great in my opinion however I would prefer recording it at 44.1 khz.

Can anyone recommand a specific software for this purpose ?

[spoRv]

Welcome aboard!

I know used Audactiy with the settings set at 44.1 khz and 16 bit. It seems to yield good results. However it seems to lack dynamics but I am not entirely sure.
I did not change any other settings in Audactiy.

[spoRv]

If you have also a video capture card, try VirtualDub; the laserdisc video will help you also to put the audio in sync with other sources like BD, DVD etc.

I do not want to rip the video of any disc. I only find that interesting for titles unavailable on any other medium.

I have just processed my ripped PCM streams using ReplayGain. Now they sound fine. I just wonder why it is a bit quiet but it
is not really bothering me.

[jonno]

I wrote a little guide for capturing with X-Fi cards for another member - perhaps it will give you some additional points to check:

https://app.box.com/s/6135gvxl13utjo0dj9n8

As for why the captures are quiet, I've found that many earlier titles (particularly pre-1990) are mastered at a mysteriously low digital level. Here's Superman, for instance:



I'm no fan of brickwalling, but this is nowhere near the dynamic range that could have been achieved. It's a tough call what to do in these cases - edit and use it as-is (leaving your HT processor to do the hard work) or normalise? I've tried both but don't feel good about either ;-)

[spoRv]

Jonno, great guide! You should start a new thread in the Restoration guides:

http://forum.fanres.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=15

[valien]

I notice that some LD PCM audio rips in are 48kHz even if the source obviously is 44.1kHz. Why is that?
I know that converting from 44.1 to 48 - and of course vice versa - harms sound quality, since 48 is not multiple of 44.1.
Thanks

Most people including myself convert the 44.1 to 48 so that its compatible with the Blu-ray format. The BD standard does not include the old 44.1 (LDs and CDs), so if you want to play it on a BD player you have to convert to 48. The only way you can use a 44.1 soundtrack synced to BD video is by playing it on a computer.

[spoRv]

...and the quality loss it's really, really low - unnoticeable by anyone, I guess!