Sync Plate - For PCI

fraz · Post by **fraz** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 2:55 pm

Hello again,

I'm back here with some questions about sync....

....I'm fortunate enough to have aquired another DSP board....

I now have a Scope Pro (14 DSP), Pulsar 2 (6 DSP) and a Power Sampler (3 DSP) and an expansion plate for the PS to help with more I / O if needed.

The intention is is to put all three cards into one system with the expansion plate which moves me onto the next issue of recording and sync.

Will I need a sync plate? - I figure I may do but let me know your thoughts....

If I do need a sync plate exactly how does this connect and is one enough per system....

As this is a new area of Scope I know nothing about please explain things as simply as possible. Thanks in advance....

alfonso · Post by **alfonso** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:13 pm

One sync plate is enough, the cards all run on the same clock, obviously and the sync plate is connected to one of them with a special cable. It takes the space of a pci slot but without being inserted in it, it could also be the space of another type of slot, like isa or pci-e, it only needs the hole in the back of the case.

It basically depends on what are you going to sync to this system. For example i have also a Noah which doesn't have regular digital inputs but has BNC connectors for the clock, so I can run it slaved to the system and I'm not forced to do the opposite. But my Lexicon MPX 200 syncs perfectly through its spdif input and sends perfectly reclocked signal back to scope through its spdif out, so I don't need a sync plate in this case.

In a professional studio I would have it anyway.

fraz · Post by **fraz** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:34 pm

Hi,

Thanks for getting back!!! - I thought maybe I needed a sync card to make all three of the cards work together for audio etc.. with ADAT and Z-link connections. and stay in sync with each other....is this correct?

Edit:

I think if the system was maxed out there would be 2 X A16u (32 I/O) 4 X ADAT 2 X Fostex VC-8 (16 I/O) & 2 X Behringer ADA 8000 (16) = 64 I / O

Currently though there is 1 x A16U 1 x Fostex VC-8 & 1 X Behringer ADA 8000 = 32 I / O - If these were all connected up would I need a sync plate for these units to work together?

Fluxpod · Post by **Fluxpod** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:43 pm

fraz wrote:Hi,

Thanks for getting back!!! - I thought maybe I needed a sync card to make all three of the cards work together for audio etc.. with ADAT and Z-link connections. and stay in sync with each other....is this correct?

Edit:

I think if the system was maxed out there would be 2 X A16u (32 I/O) 4 X ADAT 2 X Fostex VC-8 (16 I/O) & 2 X Behringer ADA 8000 (16) = 64 I / O

Currently though there is 1 x A16U 1 x Fostex VC-8 & 1 X Behringer ADA 8000 = 32 I / O - If these were all connected up would I need a sync plate for these units to work together?

All sync inbetwen the cards is via the s/tdm cables.No need for any sync devices if you clock intern from scope

fraz · Post by **fraz** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:55 pm

OK Fluxpod I hear you. This is good news. So even if there is multiple-things being recorded at the same time across the ADATS etc.....no sync box is needed??? - Is this definately the case??? - ALL internal via Scope software no matter what I record???

Edit

Well if thats the end of it I'll be very happy!!! - And not as complicated as I thought it may be. That means aside from some cables amd more info on Xite I don't need anything else....

Fluxpod · Post by **Fluxpod** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:24 pm

fraz wrote:OK Fluxpod I hear you. This is good news. So even if there is multiple-things being recorded at the same time across the ADATS etc.....no sync box is needed??? - Is this definately the case??? - ALL internal via Scope software no matter what I record???

Edit

Well if thats the end of it I'll be very happy!!! - And not as complicated as I thought it may be. That means aside from some cables amd more info on Xite I don't need anything else....

No sync needed.Except you have to set wc sync via adat to intern or extern.Whatever you need to make wordclock master.And if you use behringer AD/DA scope should be master.

alfonso · Post by **alfonso** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:24 pm

To be more precise, the working of the Scope cards connected by STDM (they cant work without anyway) is ALWAYS synchronized, no matter if the clock is internal or external via syncplate or ADAT or spdif or AES/EBU. The maximum you will ever want, to connect special external devices, is a single syncplate. But for the 90% of the uses you don't need that either.

the19thbear · Post by **the19thbear** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 11:14 pm

but!!!??... i might be wrong here.. lets say you buy a ada8000 and you use that for recording into your scope card via adat..
You of course want to use scope clocks, since the behringer clock is horrible..
and then you need sync, right??? you want the behringer to sync to the clock of scope. then you need the sync plate! because the sync signal doesnt go through the adat cables, but throug the BNC sync cable. right??!?

Post by **garyb** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:08 am

wrong. the ada8000 and other adat devices will sync to adat.

the19thbear · Post by **the19thbear** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:47 am

very good to know!

the19thbear · Post by **the19thbear** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:33 am

and by the way... why do you need sync at all then?? on anything digital? if the clock is transferred via spdif/adat, then why a seperate sync?

kylie · Post by **kylie** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:42 am

the19thbear wrote:and by the way... why do you need sync at all then?? on anything digital? if the clock is transferred via spdif/adat, then why a seperate sync?

well I assume not every gear supports to be slave to scope. there has to be some real master, then. right, gary?

the19thbear · Post by **the19thbear** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:45 am

@ kylie: so you can only SEND clock via adat? not recieve it??? i dont get it.

darkrezin · Post by **darkrezin** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 3:02 am

wordclock is crucial when you have a setup which is too complex for simple ADAT or SPDIF sync. i.e. Multiple digital devices which aren't connected in a linear way.

the19thbear · Post by **the19thbear** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 3:06 am

ok. that makes sense....
can you give an example?
thanks.

kylie · Post by **kylie** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:24 am

the19thbear wrote:@ kylie: so you can only SEND clock via adat? not recieve it??? i dont get it.

iirc there is equipment out there always wanting to be master when clocked via adat. if you had two of them connected to your scope adat ports you would receive different master clock signals then. but there can only be one master. these devices might have, though, the option to be wc slave, so you could make scope wc master for all that outboard. you would need the sync plate then.

the19thbear · Post by **the19thbear** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:51 am

makes sense!
thanks!

Post by **garyb** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:25 am

sync is so that all samples stay in place both in order and timing.

also, if you have a number of different items to clock, a central clock via bnc is more efficient, clean and reliable. otherwise, adat sync works fine. Scope can be master or slave, as long as only ONE master exists in the chain(yes, kylie, there may be some device which will only be master, usually consumer sp/dif devices). almost all digital formats can carry clock.

kylie · Post by **kylie** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:40 am

garyb wrote:yes, kylie, there may be some device which will only be master, usually consumer sp/dif devices

I somehow remember somebody here said so. I assume that most outboard (not being a studio clock itself) with wordclock on board doesn't have an internal clock to share and must at least be able to be slave to a wordclock supplicant, like the scope sync plate.