sync plate

ARCADIOS · Post by **ARCADIOS** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 12:59 pm

what is the need of sync-plate exactly?
is creamwares sync-plate precision good enough?
what is the best way to record via aes/ebu for example to a dvd-audio recorder, or a dat?

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 1:04 pm

The sync-plate let's you send or receive word-clock from other devices. I sycn my A16U to my pulsars via the sync-plate.
It gives a more stable clock than ADAT, which means less jitter.

ARCADIOS · Post by **ARCADIOS** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 1:27 pm

are there any specifications for sync-plate?
what is the best solution for having less jitter?

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 1:41 pm

Specs? Probably, don't know where. The pulsar plate is merely an interface. The clocks are on the pulsars themselves, or in the A16U.

Jitter-free sollution would probably be an Apogee Big Ben, or any quality stand-alone clock, connected to all your digital gear in paralell.

[ This Message was edited by: voidar on 2005-12-27 13:42 ]

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 2:29 pm

On 2005-12-27 13:41, voidar wrote:
Specs? Probably, don't know where. The pulsar plate is merely an interface. ...

right, and a pretty simple one, too - in fact it doesn't have any specs but buffering the signal and keep the pulses steep (imho)

cheers, tom

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 5:13 pm

Yeah, there's probably some clipper-device on there ;P

ARCADIOS · Post by **ARCADIOS** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:19 am

what about apogee big ben?
is it a da/ad converter whith this big ben clock?
or is it a clock hardware system only that can be connected to creamware cards? does it communicate with creamwares syncplate?
confused a little...... i would appreciate some kind of analysis here.

thanks

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:51 am

The Big Ben is a clock only. The clock is sent out on BNC-type cables (they used to use them for computer networking some years ago).

You know Slave/Master principals? Well, the Big Ben acts as a master, and the other units, like the AD/DA's etc are slaves to it.

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 7:31 am

Read this: http://www.recording.org/modules.php?na ... ic&t=34072

I don't have enough gear to warrant owning a big ben. But using word-clock instead of ADAT sync is definitely an improvement.

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:53 am

On 2005-12-28 06:51, voidar wrote:
...The clock is sent out on BNC-type cables (they used to use them for computer networking some years ago)...

attention (!) the cables LOOK identical, but have DIFFERENT specs. Network cables have 50 Ohm, but you need 75 Ohm cables.

cheers, Tom

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:11 pm

Hmm, I thought 75 Ohms were universal? That's what we used up here I believe.

Anyway, I bought mine from mercenary.com. Apogee... Expensive piece of wire..

[ This Message was edited by: voidar on 2005-12-28 12:12 ]

Post by **garyb** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:29 pm

i use the rosendahl nanoclocks...

Shroomz~> · Post by **Shroomz~>** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 4:39 am

Quoting Creamware's words only :___

"The Sync Plate permits the integration of Pulsar & Scope systems into professional studio enviroments via BNC word clock I/O and the ADAT 9-pin protocol."

"The professional-standard BNC word clock allows syncronization of multiple devices to a single master clock. Pulsar/SCOPE can operate as either master or slave in such configurations. The Sync Plate also enables Pulsar & SCOPE to operate at sample rates well beyond 96kHz. When used with the sync plate, Pulsar/SCOPE can run at sample rates of 176.4kHz, 192kHz and even 384kHz - making the system an incredible tool for any cutting edge digital audio configuration."

"The ADAT 9-pin ports permit syncronisation and control of external ADAT machines. ADAT timecode is translated to MTC (MIDI Time Code), which can be used to syncronize MIDI sequencing software or other MIDI gear. Via the Sync Plate, advanced HDR software (e.g. VDAT, tripleDAT v3.0) can achieve sample word-accurate sync between tape and hard disk."

"Features

- Word clock and ADAT Timecode syncronization (selectable)
- Operation as syncronization master or slave
- Mounts on PC chassis back panel - no slot used
- Sample rate 24 kHz - 400 kHz via BNC word clock"

"Syncronization

- Word clock BNC 75ohm, input and output"

"Timecode

- Adat 9-pin connector input and output"

That's what it says on the box

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 5:27 am

I didn't know about the samplerate stuff. But you won't be able to run any plugs that high, not to mention a lot of them either way.

Post by **garyb** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:14 am

but i must have the highest sampling rate of all!!.......

i use the syncplate and yes, i send info to a dat through aes/ebu. i got a dat with wordclock input and i use the nanoclocks to lock all the digital sources in the studio....

[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2005-12-29 10:17 ]

Shroomz~> · Post by **Shroomz~>** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 4:27 am

I do wonder what would be the point of the 400 kHz max sample rate via word clock.

Maybe syncing to a Mars satalite or similar 'off world' coms. ?

ARCADIOS · Post by **ARCADIOS** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 9:32 am

thanks, things seem more clear to me, but i still have some questions.
for my case.
i have a scope pro+scope pulsar2
if i use the syncplate am i supposed to connect it to the master card which is the 14dsp one?
and when i use scopes syncplate clock this will give me up to 96khz, and if i use another clock as a master clock i can go up to whatever it can go? even up to 192khz?

tell me where i am wrong

my scope cards with the synplate connected to the big one.
other clock (big ben for ex. or better if there is...) set as master and connected to scopes syncplate.
sending via aes/ebu to ad/da converter or hardware recording system.
and as you said, scope as slave can go up to the masters clock khz. does the scope environment work on 192khz? i mean the basic stuff mixers not synths.
..........and how much and how am i going to buy syncplate? thank you very much

_________________
ELVIS LIVES

[ This Message was edited by: arcadios on 2005-12-30 10:42 ]

[ This Message was edited by: ARCADIOS on 2005-12-30 11:06 ]

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:10 am

You can use 96KHz without the sync-plate. That's just a matter of setting it up in the menus.

Wordclock is for stable/sample precise syncronisation over multiple devices and channels - nothing happens before the master device sends its pulses, and when it does every piece of hardware does what it's supposed to do, be it converting or processing audio.

If you know basic computer operation this would all be very easy to understand. Every computer needs a clock. And your DSP hardware is a micro-computer system inside your macro-system (the PC).

Setting up a wordclock is a matter of having all modules linked to a single reference clock.

I doubt our DSP will work any higher than 96KHz. It could be a limitation to the software, but allready at 96KHz our DSPs are very efficient. A plugin will use somewhat above twice the resources as it would in 44.1KHz mode.

Also, if you plan on using ADAT-lightpiping, you have a limit of 48KHz-sampling. However, our hardware offer the ability to go as high as 96KHz-sampling by using two channels as one. This is S-MUX (multiplexing algorithm).

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:18 am

On 2005-12-30 09:32, ARCADIOS wrote:
thanks, things seem more clear to me, but i still have some questions.
for my case.
i have a scope pro+scope pulsar2
if i use the syncplate am i supposed to connect it to the master card which is the 14dsp one?
and when i use scopes syncplate clock this will give me up to 96khz, and if i use another clock as a master clock i can go up to whatever it can go? even up to 192khz?

tell me where i am wrong

my scope cards with the synplate connected to the big one.
other clock (big ben for ex. or better if there is...) set as master and connected to scopes syncplate.
sending via aes/ebu to ad/da converter or hardware recording system.
and as you said, scope as slave can go up to the masters clock khz. does the scope environment work on 192khz? i mean the basic stuff mixers not synths.
..........and how much and how am i going to buy syncplate? thank you very much

_________________
ELVIS LIVES

[ This Message was edited by: arcadios on 2005-12-30 10:42 ]

[ This Message was edited by: ARCADIOS on 2005-12-30 11:06 ]

But to answer your question.

As long as the two cards are connected via STDM-cabling I doubt there is any difference to which card the actual sync-plate is attached to. However, I would probably hook it up to the big one

.

If you would use an external clock (like the Big Ben or Nanoclock) above 96KHz, I doubt you will get the Scope HW to sync as I don't think it speaks that language. However, you could always try.
It would be an interesting experiment.
However, I wonder how one would get such hi-sampled audio in or out of the computer, in excess of the analog outputs. All other solutions seem to max out at 96Khz.

Sync-plates are often found on eBay I think. I got mine from there, mint. It'll cost you a couple of hundred euros.

[ This Message was edited by: voidar on 2005-12-30 11:19 ]

ARCADIOS · Post by **ARCADIOS** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:25 am

but what about these specifications of the syncplate that say you can go up to 400khz?
isn't that tested from any creamware user?
i mean it says...beyond 96khz and up to 192 even 384khz. isn't that official?