Someones making popcorn....

EZmusic · Post by **EZmusic** » Tue May 18, 2004 3:35 am

Hi,

I had a Pulsar 1 card and a A16 Ultra. When I wanted to use the A16 Ultra at 96kHz, Creamware told me to buy a Luna 2 card, and so I did. Then I found out that I only had 8 channels at 96kHz. Creamware told me that I needed another Luna 2 card or a Pulsar card 2. So I sold my Pulsar 1 card and bought a Pulsar 2 card and used the s/mux option. Now when I use the A16 Ultra at 96kHz I get these ticks, like someone is making popcorn. What the f*ck is this. I begin to hate this Creamware shit!! I should have bought something else! Like the Motu 24/96 interface and the Powercore. This works fine and the synths + FX are much better too!! Can anyone please tell me how to get rid of those ticks?????? And please don't tell me to buy anything more from Creamware...

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Tue May 18, 2004 4:45 am

Welcome.

Full information on your system would be a start.

darkrezin · Post by **darkrezin** » Tue May 18, 2004 5:17 am

Calm down. It sounds like a clocking problem. What they probably meant is that you should use the Z-Link I/O option for the Pulsar2. I've never used Z-Link myself, so I'm not sure how the clocking works on that. I'm not sure if you can use S/MUX and the Z-link from the Luna at the same time.

EZmusic · Post by **EZmusic** » Tue May 18, 2004 5:25 am

Creamware told me that it is possible to use Luna 2 with z-link and Pulsar 2 with s/mux. But then again, they told me a lot of other things as well....

I looked at the clock and I found out that Cubase SX doesn't find the Asio Scope drivers anymore. Maybe that's the problem.

EZmusic · Post by **EZmusic** » Tue May 18, 2004 5:27 am

My computer is a AMD 2700+ with 1 GB internal memory and 500GB harddisk space. I have a Pulsar 2 and a Luna 2 and a A16 Ultra.

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Tue May 18, 2004 8:37 am

The Luna has only one Z-Link connection, is that right? :/ I don't have the A16u, but Z-Link sure outrules optical in ease of use and stability.
I suggest to check if the noise comes from any specific source (Z-Link, optical,..) and try playing with clock master/slave settings.
FYI, ASIO latency is not important for this problem. It's an all hardware thing...

EZmusic · Post by **EZmusic** » Tue May 18, 2004 9:34 am

It is the s/mux option that gives the ticks. But the s/mux option is there to combine ADAT I/O's so that you can have 8 channels 96kHz with 2x ADAT.

Creamware advised a Pulsar Z-link or a Luna 2 EX, but said that it was also possible with a Pulsar 2 and a luna 2, with s/mux and z-link. So if this doesn't work, then I got fucked by Creamware again!!

valis · Post by **valis** » Tue May 18, 2004 11:21 am

It sounds like you're using only s/mux, not s/mux and z-link. Ie, you are connecting your a16 ultra via adat cables ONLY (no z-link using a firewire cable).

Can you detail the exact order of connections you are using?

Also your options under samplerate in the SFP>Settings

Post by **garyb** » Tue May 18, 2004 2:32 pm

and your a16 settings...

EZmusic · Post by **EZmusic** » Tue May 18, 2004 3:48 pm

I use a FireWire-cable form my A16 Ultra to the Luna 2 and I have both ADAT's from my pulsar 2 card connected.

In the samplerate settingsbox I have chosen the s/mux-A option. (You can only choose 1)I have s/mux-A en s/mux-B connected to the mixer in the routingwindow. This sounds strange, but one s/mux gives you only 4 channels and s/mux-B also works. Don't ask me why, because the manual doesn't say much about s/mux. On my A16 Ultra the 96kHz and the Z-link light are on.

If I choose "slave" in the samplerate settingsbox there are no ticks, but I don't know how to set Cubase SX to master set the sample-rate. And I can't find the Asio Scope eiher...??

Kenf · Post by **Kenf** » Tue May 18, 2004 4:19 pm

Hi EZmusic
In SX go to Devices-Device Setup-VST Multitrack.
Asio and Clock Source should be there.
Regards
Kenf

EZmusic · Post by **EZmusic** » Tue May 18, 2004 4:42 pm

I know it should be, but it isn't!

Herr Voigt · Post by **Herr Voigt** » Tue May 18, 2004 4:53 pm

What about the A 16 as master? Well, I don't know anything about s-mux and 96 kHz, but in my little 44.1 kHz-system a Fostex VC-8 works as master (a 8-channel analog-adat-converter), and scope 4.0/cubase 5.1 as slaves, and they work fine.
Maybe that helps, Thomas

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Tue May 18, 2004 5:33 pm

That is different sync and clock types you are talking about:
One is sample clock as to which A16u and the DSP cards are sync'd. Each of the devices has an internal clock and can be set master/slave according to the setup or your choise. That is condition number 1: All DSP and external ADDA sync to the same sample rate clock.
Let Cubase out for a bit, see if the hardware works for now. Set up a master/slave relation between A16u & DSP cards. Try different settings: each device master and slave on each connection type. Sync A16u to Pulsar, Pulsar to A16u, try with S-Mux and Z-Link. I think Z-Link will be more stable, but give it a try.

Then, Cubase uses the sample rate clock to, for its ASIO. If the DSP card, hosting the ASIO drivers, is not locked to a sample rate (See SP sample rate view), the system cannot detect/adress to the ASIO driver. It says 'no driver found'. If sample rate is locked on the card, the ASIO drivers are found by the sequencer. The sequencer, playing back audio, will do so in sync with the drivers. This means that for every sample clock of the DSP card ticking by, the sequencer will send the next sample of the track you've recorded. The sample rate sync can be compared to MIDI Clock sync, which can run in sync but one hour offset for example. Sample clock is a metronome at sample rate. All this we all use in our setups.

It doesn't mean the sequencer's transport controls are controlled over ASIO though, when the sequencer detected the sync. For that, you need external hardware that sends a clock on the wall at sample rate, about the same as MTC means for MIDI sync. Few of us use this, it's used to sync video and different (hard and software) sequencers.

So to get back on the A16u problem: try starting with a simple synth receiving midi from a keyboard and outputting to A16u and/or Pulsar. Play with Pulsar and A16u master and slave settings, and see if/when something works. Don't forget to bypass your monitors when switching sample rate settings!

I hope my essay on sync doesnt confuse more than it explains

Yes I know that seems problematic :z But then again, just made the investment... Maybe there's some settings that work, if one is more stable than the other or something.

A card with 2 Z-Links would have been perfect, no doubt about that. You should have gone for the LunaEX or P2 Z-Link, but too late for that now.

Post by **garyb** » Tue May 18, 2004 10:54 pm

the a16 is set to master so the scope setting MUST be slave or you'll get clicks and pops. if you want to set scope to master, you'll have to change the a16 setting. as atomic said, this is NOT the same as sync for the sequencer and it has nothing to do with sx. when you use asio driver and you have chosen asioscope drivers in sx's setup, then sx will see the proper sample rate.

*edit* your only problem is that you don't know much about the gear you're using yet. it's very sophisticated and it's not a television(piece of consumer crap). please be patient and you'll get it going. cwa has done you no evil and i can GUARANTEE you that this harware works well.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2004-05-18 23:59 ]</font>

EZmusic · Post by **EZmusic** » Wed May 26, 2004 4:24 am

Thanx for your reply. It is obviously more complex than I thought. If you want to be a modern musician, you should also get a degree in engineering these days.

I got rid of the ticks. My A16 is set to 'Master' and '96kHz' and my SFP software is set to 'Slave'. This works fine!! And the sound is great! But now Cubase SX can't seem to find the ASIO Scope drivers..?? I know that I am probably doing something wrong again, but does anyone know what???

bassdude · Post by **bassdude** » Wed May 26, 2004 4:32 am

Make sure you start cubase after scope and also make sure you have a ASIO dest module in your project.

samplaire · Post by **samplaire** » Wed May 26, 2004 6:27 am

On 2004-05-26 05:24, EZmusic wrote:
It is obviously more complex than I thought. If you want to be a modern musician, you should also get a degree in engineering these days.

As Hubird said in the CWA site

I love the whole CW studio concept, it isn't more complicated than is the real analog audio world

and it doesn't mean the CW stuff is simple. But once you get it you'll love it for the wide range of possibilities

_________________
Sir Sam Plaire Scopernicus

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: samplaire on 2004-05-26 07:27 ]</font>

bassdude · Post by **bassdude** » Wed May 26, 2004 7:02 am

I wouldn't say you need a degree! But if you have a bit of background in the audio technical side of things then the routing concepts are quite easy to grasp.
For getting everything talking to each other I found it very intuitive and didn't need to look at the manuals at all. However, when it came to loading samples in the sample players, I did spend quite some time with the manuals.

EZmusic · Post by **EZmusic** » Wed May 26, 2004 9:12 am

On 2004-05-26 05:32, bassdude wrote:
Make sure you start cubase after scope and also make sure you have a ASIO dest module in your project.

I did like you said. I started Scope first (I already had a ASIO dest module in my project) and then I started Cubase SX. But in the Devices -> Device setup -> VST Multitrack box in Cubase, there is no ASIO Scope?!