Using SDDS XLR In/Out

[Jeremy Briel]

Hello all! I have a bit of a strange question but hopefully someone might have an answer.

I was a projectionist for quite a few years in the late 90s/early 2000s and had a huge affection for the SDDS processor (and sound). I even have our old SDDS poster on my wall next to me as i type this.

Some years back i bought an old SDDS unit on ebay (DFP-D2000) with the thought of someday using it in my home theater just for nostalgia purposes. I always loved the sound gauges on the front of it and so i had hoped i could run some XLR cables in from an AV processor into the SDDS and get them to light up/move.

My question is really threefold.

- My unit turns on, but there seems to be an error code (e712) on the volume screen. Unfortunately, i can't find any info online about this error. Would anyone happen to know what it means? As a side note, the unit i bought only came with one of the motherboards installed, the DSP one, so maybe i'm just missing one or more of the motherboards? I already replaced the battery on the board btw.

- My hope is to at least run an audio signal from my AV processor's XLRs out into the SDDS unit's XLR inputs and have the led sound gauges light up. Would anyone know if this would work, even if the sound itself wouldn't work?

- If the gauges would indeed light up from the AV processor's XLR audio signal, would it then also be able to pass that audio out through the SDDS unit's XLR outputs and into an amp (using the SDDS unit's bypass option) and actually get sound going in and out of the SDDS unit?

Before i bought another one on ebay, i figured i would first check with someone way more knowledgeable than me to see if it was even feasible.

Appreciate the help!

[Steve Guttag]

I have truly forgotten more than I remember on the SDDS 2000. However, there shouldn't be ANY empty slots in it. It is not going to work at all without them all in and working. I don't believe the 2000's meters work on none SDDS content. The XLRs should feed the sound through with the unit in "bypass" or even if not.

The DFP-D2500, now that one DOES, for sure, use its metters for non-SDDS. It is a rare-bird though. Very few were made.

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The SDDS DFP-D3000, which were the most plentiful, also should move its meters for all content.

[Jeremy Briel]

Ah, thanks so much for the info!

Dang, that's a shame that the meters probably don't work on non SDDS material on the 2000. Not only is that the one i had at my own theater (so i was hoping to be able to use that specific model), but it also seems to be the only one with XLR in/outs. I'm almost tempted to buy another one (with all the cards in it) just to make absolutely sure it doesn't work. lol

Any idea how i'd get sound/audio output from an home theater AV source (pre-amp or receiver) that only has RCA and XLR outs and into the newer SDDS units that only have these kinds of AUX inputs?

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[Steve Guttag]

Make your own cables (I'm pretty sure they were to the THX standard. Odds are, Odyssey/Dargco has a board that would break them out...if not, a standard DB25 breakout board should allow getting them to a terminal block, which you might find easier to work with.

[Jeremy Briel]

I sadly have no experience with that kind of stuff, but i'll definitely look into it and see if i can wrap my head around it. I was hoping Sony or some third party sold some kind of cables. I saw some XLR to DB25 cables and naively thought those might work right out of the box.

I really appreciate the help and insight!

[Steve Guttag]

They are likely going to follow the Tascam "standard" for pinout...which corresponds to current processors like the Dolby CP950. However, Dargco does have a Tascam to THX adapter board too.

[Jeremy Briel]

Took a day to read up more and try to get a better idea of things. I've never set up any theater/audio equipment, i was just a lowly regular part time projectionist. lol So glad you mentioned that board as i would have never known it existed!

A few more dumb questions if you don't mind.

- I saw it mentioned in the manual about shorting pins to get the AUX inputs to work correctly? I don't think i'd want to mess with that, but i did see that it also mentioned i could change a setting the computer menu (if i can even still get the SDDS program) called No Fallback, and then i wouldn't have to short the pins? Does that sound correct?




- If i got this DB25 Tascam to THX converter (plugging it into the AUX In of the SDDS unit), and the DB25 to XLR cable in the picture underneath it (which would then plug into the Tascam/THX converter and into the XLR outputs on the back of my AV receiver), that should be everything i need to get the signal/audio signal to the SDDS unit, as far as you know?



- Would i also need another one of those Tascam to THX converters for the SDDS's AUX outputs too, or could i just use a regular DB25 to XLR cable, like the one in picture above without the converter?

[Jeremy Briel]

Sorry about the pictures. They loaded when i originally checked yesterday but today none of them showed up in the post.

[Ryan Gallagher]

The only way to know if a 3rd party breakout cable is going to be compatible is to compare the pinout diagrams if you can locate them, unless like Steve suggests there is some prior knowledge about what standard certain brands are utilizing (if any).

If you give me couple days (or several), I can pull one of my DFP-D2000's with full card compliment out of storage and check if meters move in bypass mode.

[Jeremy Briel]

Oh man Ryan, that would be so awesome (and helpful) if you could do that whenever you get the chance. No rush at all. Like i mentioned above, if the sound works going in/out of the system that would be amazing, but the main thing i was hoping for was to see if the meters light up using bypass/the XLRs.

On the slight chance it works, it would save me $100s from buying/trying other versions of the unit and all i would have to buy is a much cheaper D2000 with all the cards. I'm just so uninformed and inexperienced with the pin outs, shorting pins, and all that kind of stuff for the DFP3000 version, i doubt i could get it all working on my own.