problem with syncplate connection

[guppy]

I've a problem when trying to use the syncplate device.
I've attached the syncplate to my scope card, I can load syncplate source, but syncplate dest causes an error:



Everything is connected with bnc cables, but when I choose worldclock on the a16 ultra, I got no sound going to the monitors from the a16.
Leds are green on a16 with wordclock, as on the adat, so I think connection is OK, but I got no sound into the monitors
In fact i'd like to get the syncplate to synchronize the adat hardware (Focusrite Octopre) and the a16 ultra, cause i got a lot of pops and crackles when I try to record.
I don't understand how to connect syncplate dest...
Can you help me please ?

[garyb]

you don't need any modules to use the syncplate.

wordclock bnc connectors should NOT be chained one device to the other. you need a clock distributor with multiple parrallel outs to use bnc with more than two devices.

more importantly, you can only have ONE device be master clock. all others MUST be slave, no matter how they are connected to clock, through adat, sp/dif, aes/ebu or bnc.

clock signals are carried in the OUTPUT cable when using adat, sp/dif or aes/ebu.

[guppy]

hello Gary
Thanks for the answer

But i've just connected directly the a16 with the syncplate, without the Octopre, and I can't have any sound when I choose wordclock on the16....
I got the 2 leds green on a16 with wordclock, so I presume it should be ok.....It works fine and I got sound with Zlink synchronization when Zlink is choosen on it.

[garyb]

there is no advantage to wordclock, unless you are clocking several digital devices and have a premium clock/distributor.

the octopre MUST be master when using adat. it can only be slave via bnc.

are you sure that you are using wordclock output to sync the A16 or octopre?

if Scope is master, then i'd make the A16 z-link slave. you can then use bnc from the syncplate or a16 to slave the octopre.

if the octopre is master, make Scope the slave to adat and the A16 slave to zlink.

the best solution would be to purchase a clock/distributor and slave everything to it. you must use the proper cables, impeadance is very important. 75ohms! most good clocks are at least $1000, but a $100 ART SyncGen will do a perfectly good job. it's not like you have a million dollars into the room design alone...

[guppy]

The Scope is master
yes, the octopre is slave with worldclock.
The a16 is zlink slave.
and cables are 75ohm.

Do you mean that the led wordclock on the a16 is just here to verify that worldclock is OK or not, and is not mean to stay on this option during work ? (...)
That's why I have no sound when the a16 is switch to worldclock synchronization led ? I thought it was necesary.

The octopre can lock to worldclock and have sound on I/O, it's ok on this part.

[garyb]

you can't go from the syncplate, to the A16 to the octopre and have it work properly. that is serial usage. wordclock must be parallel, from one source to one destination. if you need several devices sync via bnc, you need a distributor.

[guppy]

Ok
Thank you Gary !

[garyb]

sure.

just sync the A16 to z-link and use the bnc for the octopre.

[guppy]

As I just need 1 bnc cable for just the octopre, I presume that I haven't got to buy a Art Syncgen to synchronize multiple devices
In an other way, I've unchecked some hardware acceleration of the graphic card, and no more clics when acting in Ableton Live !
But the graphics in Scope are much slower now.

[garyb]

yeah, that's probably not the way to fix the pops and clicks.

what else have you done?


syncing to the syncgen is probably a better solution than just using the bnc for the octopre, but it requires buying more stuff, and the improvement may or may not be something that you can hear. something like an Apogee Big Ben or my Rosendahl Nanoclocks would be better still, but again, for the money, it may not be something you really care about. if you're the kind of guy who gets into fixing the room acoustics, or had even more digital devices to sync, i'd be more likely to suggest buying a good clock.

[guppy]

You are right, the grapic hardware acceleration wasn't the cause of the noises, and they came back.
I've tried lots of things , reinstalling the OS and Scope, even changing the ATI graphic card for a nvidia to try to isolate the graphic IRQ...with no more result on this part.
Now I'm trying touse Samplitude, I've discovered that only Ableton Live was making clips ans pops. So now I'll try to learn Samplitude (It looks much more interesting).
In the same time, I exchanged the plates of my pulsar and scope cards, to get the zlink plate with ADAT on the biggest Scope card (I got 2Pulsar2 and 1 Scope).
Tha IO were shared on the pulsar (zlink for a16ultra) and Scope (ADAT from the octopre). I changed it to match Adat and Zlink on the same plate, and leave the pulsar plate without IO connections (I read that it can avoid phase problem and too much stdm connections).

After that, I had new errors from Scope when loading my old projects cause bad IO (I presume...)
I rebuild them (except for the STM4896) and since that it looks ok for working.

I got a last problem, now when I close Samplitude or open (and Ableton too), I always have a PCI capacity limit. The cards can't work well after retry, and sometimes retry don"t work at all. I must resync the samplerate to make it work again.
I've tried to reinstall Scope and Samplitude, but same result.


Do you know if I can try to avoid this message please ?

Edit: I just made a new samplitude project from blank, and it makes the PCI Limit again. It looks like a reaction when opening or closing the sequencer.

[guppy]

Can you tell me if this cset.ini setting are ok please ?

[board0]
boardid=2 --> Scope
[board1]
boardid=0 --> Pulsar2
[board2]
boardid=1 --> Pulsar2 XTC

[Host-Config]
Numboards=3
Board2=Host


Maybe something is wrong ?

[guppy]

In fact when I disable midi tracks in Samplitude, the messsage disappear at samplitude starting, but not always when closing.
But now when I try to make a new midi track with a small VST Synth, i got some midi freeze that can't stop without forcing samp to close, wich often lead to a bsod
I think i have got nearly all scope configuration problem !
edit: I just testmy yamaha cs1x synth on RCA analogic Pulsar input into amplitude, and it got crackles...
Im going mad

[garyb]

the PCI overload message at opening or closing is annoying, but it's no big deal. the crackles are a different issue. i can't belive that there are crackles in the Scope environment, which leads to the pc. as i wrote in another thread:

as in the letter that came with v5.1, in the bios(you may have already done this) disable any of these things, or anything that is obviously the same, but slightly differently named:

Intel EIST
Intel C State
C1E Support
Overspeed Protection
Hyperthreading
Execute Bit Support
Set Limit CPUID MaxVal to 3 (maybe not so important)
Intel Virtual Tech
Intel VT-d Tech

AMD processors also have speed stepping called "power now" or "cool n quiet" or something similar, which MUST be disabled.

go to start\programs\accessories\system tools\system information\conflicts/sharing and tell me what, if anything is sharing an IRQ with Scope hardware.


in windows 7 go to start\control panel\power options click on "change power settings". make sure that sleep is "never". click on "change advanced settings". open PCI Express and turn off "Limk State Power Management"(especially for XITEs). i like to set the minimum and maximum level for the CPU at 100%. ok it all.

the reason for the bios changes and the power changes is to insure the the cpu is always 100% on. realtime audio does not have time for the power to the cpu to ramp up, as windows believes the software requires.

for the cards, i would go to the device manager. in XP it's in start\control panel\system\hardware tab. in win7 go to start. right click on computer and choose properties. click on device manager. find the Scope hardware and choose properties. uncheck "reset board if idle". that way if you leave the computer unattended for an hour or two, windows won't decide to cut power and make you have to restart scope and reload dsps.

there are actually a number of ways to get to these settings. if you already have a way you like, use it.

you can also click on the "advanced tab" in xp or advanced system settings and then the advanced tab in win7. push the performance "settings" button. choose adjust for best performance. this will give you plain win98 type windows, but it will save a TON of overhaed that the fancy windows graphics waste.

[guppy]

Thank you Gary for your kindness !
I made the graphic optimisation some days ago, bios settings too
But i've found my mistake : the pci limit error was made by the masterver classic into the mix insert of the stm4896. That's why some of my project config was working and some others no.
A lot of test to understand that point
Now it's really rock stable ! No more messages at all from Scope.
My last problem is abour midi input/output into Samplitude (midi configuration seems different from Ableton).
I think crackles are gone now, but i must test much more.

I have moved the cards to put the big scope card with IO (full zlink+ADAT) into a free irq.
I didn't manage to have the 2 other cards into their own irq, but they are smaller (2xpulsar2) and without IO connected.