While it is true that there are many ways to connect audio equipment, in reality 3 or 4 most commonly used communication is no exception. However, that doesn't mean we have no alternatives, each with its own characteristics, so let's continue to see them. Of course, in this case we'll find out skip HDMI connection Because, although it can also be used for audio, its main functionality is to stream video and it's not compatible.
Types of audio connection
ADAT / Toslink
ADAT stands for Alesis Digital Audio Tape. It is a digital multichannel format that uses a rotary drum with two re adings and two recording heads arranged in a drum every 90 degrees. It was the first MDM (Modular Digital Multitrack) format, and was able to record up to 8 tracks with a resolution of up to 24 bits using a sample frequency of 44.1 or 48 KHz, allowing for sync up to 16 ADAT devices.
Currently, ADAT is no longer sold, but its type of connector has been acquired by S / PDIF digital connection, and is available on almost any PC with a Toslink connector. This technique was developed by Toshiba in 1983 and is based on the use of stone symbols instead of electrical symbols.
Firewire
FireWire, also known as IEEE 1394 is a type of cross connection that transmits serial data at high speed (up to 400 Mbps). It allows connectivity of up to 63 devices, and supports cable lengths of up to four meters. In 2000, the FireWire 800 standard was published, which nearly doubled the speed (786.5 Mbps) and reduced the delay. Unlike ADAT, it allows plug & play connections.
USB
The best-known USB can also be used to transmit a special audio, and the proof of this is USB headset or microphone that we can get with a PC. Audio in this case is completely digital and needs to be processed, either software or hardware, with up to 60 MB / s USB 2.0 interface speed.
S / PDIF – RCA
The S / PDIF disclosure is similar to the Sony / Philips Digital Interface Format. It is a hardware-level transmission of PCM digital audio signals between devices. Currently we can get it via the Toslink or RCA connector, the last one being 75 ohms, but there are also times when this protocol can be used with the XLR or D-Sub 25-pin connectors.
XLR
Also called Cannon (as they were the inventors), this kind of sound connection has been a common form of technology for many years. It is notable for its discomfort and easy access to communications, and as a result it is also known as a "balanced cable" in the audio industry, because input and output voltage rotate instead of the cable of positive and negative "balance" maximum interference, where only the internal cable is responsible.
BNC
BNC is from Bayonet Neill-Concelman, and it's the kind of connection that gets its name because of its "bayonet" closure, which ensures that the connector won't go out if it doesn't (the cable will actually break before the connector breaks.). Its main feature in addition to the type of closure is that it has a constant interruption, allowing for multi-meter communications.
This link, by the way, has not been used exclusively for audio, because in the past its use has been popular on networks thanks to the capacity of the 10Base2 data transfer to connect the network bus to the network.
TS / TRS (Jack)
There are many variants available for this type of connector, which has become the audio industry industry because it is the simplest, fastest and most efficient way to have an analog audio that requires no other, so the signal it produces is accurate to the transmitter. It is also called the TS connector (tip-sleeve, tip-sleeve) or TRS (tip-ring-sleeve, tip-ring-sleeve) connector because of its shape and because it distributes the connecting beams in one body.
MIDI
MIDI is a abbreviation of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, as its name reflects the digital interfaces made for musical instruments, and today it is the standard soundboard for music (music). This interaction was established so that the instruments could communicate with each other, and that one instrument could control the other. For this reason, popular pedalboards are used by many guitars, with MIDI connection (because the pedalboard is used to convert guitar sounds).
What type of audio connection is better to use?
With the large number of audio interfaces available, you may look frustrated and do not know which one is best to use. Don't be frustrated, because as you have already seen each type of communication is for a specific purpose, and as we show earlier, only 3-4 types of communication are used in the general areas.
On a PC, the recommendation is to connect the S / PDIF / Toslink speakers with the best digital audio without loss, while if you want the right streaming microphone you should avoid USB connectors and should look for a microphone with an XLR connection, which will be the best sound source. very bad (the bad part is that you'll need a previous converter or XLR on the Jack converter to be able to connect it to a PC).
Now, if you don't want the best audio quality, then the USB connection is too big for you and sufficient for what you need, especially since it has very little problem (though it requires more software and drivers, of course) after connecting with Jack.
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