• Registered: 2011-08-11
  • Posts: 6

Topic: Multiface II not syncing properly to master via s/pdif

My multiface II (connected to a hdsp expresscard) doesn't seem to be syncing to my master clock (rosetta AD) via s/pdif properly. Multi channel recordings sound very strange so i set up a test with the same signal going to rosetta L in and multiface in 1 and they seem to be going at exactly the same rate but the Multiface AD's are a couple of samples behind the Rosetta AD at all times.
My plan was to use the Rosetta and Multiface together for 10ch AD but this currently produces unacceptable results (Imagine a drumkit with the close mics a couple of samples behind the overheads).

I can of course compensate for this lag in various ways but i'd rather find out what the problem is.

thanks

/Tobias Eklund

  • Registered: 2011-08-11
  • Posts: 6

Re: Multiface II not syncing properly to master via s/pdif

I think I may have found the answer to my own question.
Could this behaviour be because I am transmitting clock and audio via s/pdif? eg. Would they be in sync if I instead transmitted the clock via bnc or toslink?

Does anyone know what the ideal would be? I suspect audio over toslink and clock via bnc.

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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  • Registered: 2007-05-21
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Re: Multiface II not syncing properly to master via s/pdif

Hello, please check that the Multiface is set to Autosync mode, and the preferred sync reference is selected as SPDIF in (or Word Clock in if you use BNC). These 2 products use different A/D converters, so it may just be that the Rosetta has a lower converter latency, which will explain the sample offset. Usually, it's no problem as a couple samples is an extremely small latency difference (44.1kHz recording has 44100 samples per second).

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2011-08-11
  • Posts: 6

Re: Multiface II not syncing properly to master via s/pdif

Of course. different latencies.. that must be it. The delay is very obvious on identical signals and quite disturbing on certain sensitive multi channel recordings. The only solution seems to be to delay the rosetta a bit post recording... Thank you.