with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

The Sonic Core XITE hardware platform for Scope

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DragonSF
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with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by DragonSF »

If the sample rate is set > 32K, on all channels (6 in/outs), I'm getting constant crackles. The xite is connected to a ferrofish A16 MkII ADAT. What's wrong?
I'm using a STM 16 SX mixer.
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by JoPo »

It smells like a wrong master / slave setting.
Did you try to set ferrofish A16 MkII ADAT as master ?
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DragonSF
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by DragonSF »

Yes, but then I can't get anything on the ADAT out. I can see in SCOPE the sample rate, but no signal reaches the ADAT blocks. I also switched inputs to ADAT-B, but to no avail. BTW: when I switch to SLAVE mode in SCOPE, the cursor is always the busy one.
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ronnie
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by ronnie »

Bad cable? Dusty ports? If so, sample rate should not matter when the connection iis good. Try audio on one ADAT and clock on another. I've had that fix this type of problem with certain ADAT masters. Good luck, these may be obvious and you may have tried them already.
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by JoPo »

I don't have Ferrofish ... I'm affraid I can't help you more. Did it work correctly before or you just installed it ?

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garyb
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by garyb »

well....

you have both inputs and outputs connected and the correct setting on the A16?

there isn't much to adjust....
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by jksuperstar »

Does the word clock fix for xite affect this?
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garyb
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by garyb »

no.
there's no wordclock fix, really. it just switches the unit from master to slave and vice versa. this only affects the BNC connection.
DragonSF
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by DragonSF »

I tried different TOS link cables/ports and the behaviour is always the same:
32K S/R: no crackle
44.1K : audio is there, but a lot of crackles
48: only crackles
96k: error message: No more SAT connections from DSP 11 to DSP 5.
(Acutally only 1 DSP is active)
Switching to Slave mode doesn't work too: the A16 says locked, but no signal is decoded at the XITE.
Testing BNC output: no clock here.
jksuperstar
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by jksuperstar »

Check that the ADAT I/O is assigned to DSP 1. All hardware IO goes in & out from there. See below. And move the STM16 to DSP 7,8,9, or 10.

Always a good reference: http://www.hitfoundry.com/issue_07/xitemast.htm

Hardware IOs are always on DSP 1.
DSPs 3, 4, 5, 6 are for the communication with the four slots.
Each slot contains three new Sharc DSPs with the power of six old sharcs each.
Also every new Sharc DSP has 32 MB RAM.
DSPs 1,2,3,4,5,6 are old Sharcs.

The most important DSPs are 7,8,9,10. They have most communication channels to the IO DSPs. The STM1632 is placed on DSP 18 in the Default-Project. It should be better DSP 7, 8, 9 or 10. Same for Micromixer and Dynamic Mixer, the bigger mixers, have their own placement, which can not be changed. At the moment the user cannot place devices to one slot, internally it is possible.

The four slots:

Slot 1: 7, 11, 15
Slot 2: 8, 12, 16
Slot 3: 9, 13, 17
Slot 4: 10, 14, 18

The DSP display should have a special view to make this visible.

DSP Placement: It's always good to place a device on one new DSP. If you need more voices for Minimax, it is better to place it on its own slot and then increase the number of voices. The project 'synths.pro' resides in the //ScopeXITE/Projects/Examples folder where every synth has its own new DSP. In most cases the distribution you have chosen will be loaded next time within the Project, but not always.

Its best to use only the new DSPs for manual placement, e.g. 7 ... 18 and if possible 7, 8, 9, 10. For VDAT you need to use the DSP 2.

If you help XITE to spread DSP power equally and mostly separated to single DSPs if possible, you will get the best results.
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by DragonSF »

That helped (a little): now I can use 44.1K as S/R. There is still hope!
DragonSF
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by DragonSF »

I installed a Wordclock today, and the behavior is exactly the same. I think, I can exclude bad cables/connectors. Funny thing is, that switch the DSP affinity helped a bit.
Anythinh else to check for?
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by jksuperstar »

Did ou also blow clean air into the adat ports? this is an issue several have seen, and air seemed to help out.
DragonSF
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by DragonSF »

jksuperstar wrote:Did ou also blow clean air into the adat ports? this is an issue several have seen, and air seemed to help out.
Both devices are brandnew, but anyway, I tried. To my surprise, things got worse. Now 44.1 K is also crackling.
Just for fun, I short-cut the A16 Ins and Outs and I hear no crackles up to 48K.
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by garyb »

more air. a little dust can be a big problem.
it's possible that hardware is defective on one end or the other but i can't believe that both ports on either device would be bad. that's just not likely. at least one group of 8 should work at any samplerate on each device, assuming that both were broken, with the A16 as slave and both in and out connected.

it's easy for manufacturing dust to get caught behind the doors of the new style ports. both Ferrofish and SonicCore use those. every unit that leaves SonicCore is tested before it's shipped. it's always possible for a part to fail, but i'd be surprised to see a new unit that just didn't work out of the box from either company.

are you sure that the A16 has the correct power supply? just grasping at straws...
DragonSF
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by DragonSF »

Yes, the PS for both units are correct. I too don't assume a HW failure at this point, because - as you said - HW failure on both separate units are most unlikely.
I come to think of more a SW/configuration problem. Because setting the DSP affinity did change something regarding the problem.

Is my understanding correct, that putting the XITE into slave and connect Sync Source to either A or B, I should get a signal? Because only using BNC as sync source (WC provided), did work. In all cases in Slave mode, the correct S/R is shown in the system Window.
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Sounddesigner
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by Sounddesigner »

You might need to contact Joergen at Ferrofish and explain to him your situation. He's familiar with the SCOPE Platform since he use to partially own Sonic Core and developed for it. He also designed the converters for XITE-1.
Have you tried connecting the ADATS to any other unit besides the A16 to see if it worked?
DragonSF
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by DragonSF »

Sounddesigner wrote:You might need to contact Joergen at Ferrofish and explain to him your situation. He's familiar with the SCOPE Platform since he use to partially own Sonic Core and developed for it. He also designed the converters for XITE-1.
Have you tried connecting the ADATS to any other unit besides the A16 to see if it worked?
XITE and A16 are the only ADAT systems I got for now. Do you have an email address for Joergen?
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Sounddesigner
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Re: with 6 inputs crackles at higher sample rates

Post by Sounddesigner »

Ferrofish is so small of a company that if you send a email to the zompanies email address more than likely Jurgen will answer it. I copied the email address and physical address for Ferrofish from their website for you. Jurgen's/Ferrofish's info is below:


managing director:

Jürgen Kindermann, dipl. Informatiker
Registergericht AG Montabaur HRB 23540
UStId. Nr.: DE 271540247
WEEE Nr.: DE 988 612 00

Tel.: + 49 (0) 2644 6030605
Fax.: + 49 (0) 2644 6030059

info@ferrofish.de
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