Hey guys, I've been considering replacing my Digi 003 with an Apollo Twin Duo, but the more I think about it the less I think it's worth it since I am recording using the SPIDF output, which should be the same 1's and 0's in any device.
I also ran a test recording the same session in ProTools, two tracks:
- One SPIDF mono in (Master)
- One Main Output (Analog) mono in (Master)
This is what I found:
- Absolutely no noticeable difference (I know purists will hate this, but to my ears the signal was the same, not even a marginal difference)
- There was a 0.006 second LAG on the DIGITAL signal... yes, on the SPIDF signal (to my surprise)
Here are some pics, Gtr1 is the SPIDF, Gtr2 is the Master Out Analog.
The overall visual of the tracks
[Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/5ojItDR.png]
Here, we see there's a difference in the time the signal hits the CPU (the SPIDF signal is slower)
[Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/KLC3QGN.png]
A close up highlighting the distance between the two identical points tells us the difference in time is 0.006 seconds (is this even significant!?)
[Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/ofStKKf.png]
Spectrum Analyzer to see if there's a difference in frequency (I couldn't get the levels PERFECTLY the same so one will be louder than the other, the idea here is that the frequencies are identical)
[Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/QnqAbc8.png]
So, in conclusion, the difference is marginal and it doesn't really matter if you go analog or digital if what you are after is getting 99% of the way there and making music (e.g., focusing on the actual song, playing, songwriting, creativity). Don't get stuck because you find different forum members arguing about digital vs. analog and about this 0.006 second difference. Just make music!