AKAI SPDIF OUT FIX

Some of you may have experienced problems when connecting the digital output of their AKAI S3000XL or AKAI S2000 samplers to other hardware’s digital input. I had the problem that no sound was detected by my M-Audio Delta1010LT’s SPDIF in.

After investigation, I found out that there is a hardware bug in the AKAI S3000XL and S2000 samplers: PIN 4 of the Crystal CS8402 digital output transmitter is connected to –RST, which is wrong since –RST will only be low for a few milliseconds after power-up and will then go high and stay high. Because V (Valid Bit) is connected to –RST, it will be high too. In the CS8402 datasheet it is stated that if V is high, “digital audio is not suited for conversion to analog”. V should be connected to GND for enabling the digital output stream to be converted to analog.

This bug could also affect other AKAI samplers – if any of you may have experienced the same problem, please inform me (email is in the picture) and I will update this site.

Now get a screwdriver, a knife and a soldering iron and fix the problem: