PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

i have a behringer vamp pro and a fostex vc8, both with a BNC connector for digital sync signal.

what should be the advantages of using a pulsar sync plate?
and, since my system is going well (i think!) as is, why one should bother to use one?

thanks!

bosone wrote:since my system is going well (i think!) as is, why one should bother to use one?

No reason then.

You need SyncPlate when you want to use an external master clock but are not using a signal cable cabable of transferring the clock signal. For example, ADAT lightpipe is cabable of transferring the sync signal.

The only reason to use one is if you want to reduce jitter to an absolute minimum. By using the syncplate you can use a master workclock device and sync all other devices as slaves. Big studios use very expensive dedicated master clock generators for this purpose as fidelity is everything.
Like most of this sort of stuff unless you've got the ears and environment to hear the difference you'll achieve nothing other than emptying your pockets

Simon

I use it connected to Noah as slave to Scope, this way I can use it or not without bothering on changing Scope clock every time. It comes useful also when I use Scope slaved to the Apogee MiniMe through the AES/EBU connection, the clock is then replicated at the BNC out for external gear.

I have a sync plate because where I lived 2-3 years ago (not my previous residence but the one before that) I had my computers in another room and my racks for my gear was in the main room with me. The ADAT runs from the scope box in the other room to my RME Multiface wasn't terribly long (just under 20 feet or 6 meters) but glass ADAT cables were hideously expensive for decent optics so I opted for the less expensive ones (plastic core which is normal for consumer toslink and 'prosumer' adat). I noticed occasional sync errors in RME's digicheck app (and the occasional single crackle in my audio) and moving to the BNC connection on a sync plate solved it.

when you need multiple devices to be in sync, or the distances bewteen devices is long, bnc is the best way to assure that there is little to no jitter. most master clocks are considerably more accurate than built-in clocks on most devices, though that may or may not have much to do with sound quality depending on exactly what is in the signal chain, and how trained one's hearing is....

grappa wrote:Big studios use very expensive dedicated master clock generators for this purpose as fidelity is everything.
Like most of this sort of stuff unless you've got the ears and environment to hear the difference you'll achieve nothing other than emptying your pockets

Yeah. If that's your case, I can recommend http://www.thomann.de/fi/apogee_big_ben ... _clock.htm