Problems with the digital chain

Herr Voigt · Post by **Herr Voigt** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:43 pm

Hello friends,

I have increased my home studio. In my DAW there is a Scope Pro (with these incredible 20 MV's). In my second computer (for internet, pictures etc.) there is a Luna card. Now I bought an ADAT supplement for it. It works fine. I use this computer for additional sounds, especially with the STS 3000.

My digital specifications: Fostex VC-8 is master and my Scope Pro in my DAW is slaved, connected via ADAT A. The Luna is also connected with the Scope Pro at ADAT B.

I think, the Luna has also to work as slave, but it doesn't show me any connection, no sound comes out of it. When I set the Luna to master, sound comes, but with the typical crackles when you have two masters in the digital chain.

What do I have to do?

Thanks, Thomas

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 1:52 am

you might have to set the sync source on the Scope pro to Adat B, as that is where the Luna will try to get it's clock from.
The Scope will nevertheless get it's clock from the Fostex (regardless what's selected in sync source) - at least that's how it looks with my A16.

It may work but imho it's a 2nd hand clock, so to say, it will always be a cycle or so late.
I'd rather set the Scope Pro as master and slave the other 2 systems to it, then it's one common clocksource.

Is your setup due to the rule 'converter as clockmaster' or is the Fostex a disobedient slave ?

cheers, Tom

Herr Voigt · Post by **Herr Voigt** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 10:39 am

Very interesting Tom! I'll try these settings on my Scope Pro.
The Fostex is master and I don't know how to set it to slave, but it would be fine...
Well, I'm no digital guru

Cheers, Thomas

Shroomz~> · Post by **Shroomz~>** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 1:33 pm

Hi, there's lots of ways you could set up the adat between these devices where it should work fine. I'd try setting the VC8 clock source to 'optical' & connect adat both ways between the VC8 & your Scope pro. Connect both ways between the Scope pro & the Luna. Set your Scope pro to master & Luna to Slave. If you want the Luna as master set the Scope pro to slave & Luna to master. If you select Luna as Master the clock signal will still be passed through to the VC8, although you should also be able to sync the VC8 directly from the Luna in that case. No matter what you choose as master make sure the clock master is set to 44.1Khz & that the other devices are set to slave.

Herr Voigt · Post by **Herr Voigt** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:47 pm

Thank you, Shroomz. So the solution could be in connecting both ways in each case? Seems logical for me. I forgot, that ADAT connections are one-way, so the VC-8 cannot receive the clock from Scope pro if the VC-8 is only connected at ADAT out!
Well, I have to fetch 2 optical cables and let's see what happens.

Shroomz~> · Post by **Shroomz~>** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:30 pm

On 2006-09-05 15:47, Herr Voigt wrote:
Thank you, Shroomz. So the solution could be in connecting both ways in each case?

yes

Seems logical for me. I forgot, that ADAT connections are one-way, so the VC-8 cannot receive the clock from Scope pro if the VC-8 is only connected at ADAT out!

yes

Well, I have to fetch 2 optical cables and let's see what happens.

When you have the 3 adat devices connected via 4 cables you should get it working quite quickly. I should explain in more detail that if you end up (for whatever reason) making the Luna master, you'd be best to send a single Luna adat out directly to the VC8 to avoid unwanted phase issues in the system. Basically, with Luna as master the sync will pass through the Scope pro to the VC8, but you may experience phase problems in that configuration, so directly syncing the VC8 from the Luna should eliminate those problems when using that config'.

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 6:17 pm

the best method is to use a dedicated wordclock
which doesn't apply in this case
the next best way is to set the central system (Scope Pro) as master and sync it's satellites, VC8 and Luna to it. Period.

cheers, Tom

Shroomz~> · Post by **Shroomz~>** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:24 am

I was wondering about a similar setup to this except with some more digital gear thrown into the equation, so the question is ..without using a dedicated studio clock, how would people here advise setting up the following digital gear to get a sync throughout:-

PC:- Pulsar2 + sync plate
Luna + adat plate
Luna + 2496 I/O box

2 x Digital desks (not 24/96 capable) with 8ch adat I/O each

1 Fostex VC8

1 Hardware sampler with adat (8in 16out)

1 Noah EX with WC in & 8ch adat out

No doubt there's quite a few ways it could be set up, but for a standard small home project studio, what digital routing would make the most sense with the gear above?

Herr Voigt · Post by **Herr Voigt** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:58 pm

So my friends, I took the "next best way" and declared my Scope Pro to master and Fostex + Luna to slaves. My wife bought 2 optical cables - they have a round plug and not this one with the 6 corners, but these plugs also match at Scope and Fostex.

ALL IS RUNNING WITHOUT CRACKLES!!!

Thank you very much,

Thomas

Shroomz~> · Post by **Shroomz~>** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:39 am

Great!