Hi guys, new member
I'll soon be picking up a second hand SP-606, and have a couple of questions regarding optical/digital sampling; I see it's possible to sample both through a digital connection and over USB. My question is in regard to the compression algorithm the SP uses: if I sample something digitally (that is, through the digital connectors), the signal still gets compressed, right? Wouldn't this imply that the signal will get increasingly stripped of information for each time it passes into the machine?

Sending the signal through the optical/sp-dif input will eliminate noise problems, but the audio will still get compressed; hence compressed into oblivion if done many times?

Hope this makes sense.
And I can't wait to get my hands on the unit

I don't think that sp606 uses data reduction...only when you sample in "long" mode...and even then it's not easy to hear the difference...(I need to resample 3-4 times something to hear the degrade,especially violins,hi-hats,cymbals ...)
...and there is a huge difference between digital in-outs and the analogs...no noise!

welcome!

I'm pretty sure the signal is compressed. I guess my question is more of a theoretical nature, as I'm sure I wouldn't notice much - if anything by sending the signal back and forth a couple of times. But when connected to my computer the signal could perhaps be degraded if I went bananas sampling back and forth - if my assumption is correct, that is.

don't forget to use 24bit on the software u use and keep in mind that the output volume is low and you need to raise it in the software you are recording...!also check the recording mode,if it's on "standard"...
..computers are for the internet...not music....!

Thanks for the advice there, korakios. I use my computer a lot for music, but probably won't be using the SP that much in connection to the computer. I'll also be getting a Kaossilator soon; that, plus my Korg DS-10 and RS7000 will probably suffice!