• Registered: 2009-01-29
  • Posts: 6

Topic: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

Hello all

I need help troubleshooting this. I have successfully used an HDSP AES card for a few months now.  It worked great.

I just added an HDSPe-MADI card for added I/O to the same system. Everything installed properly and seems to work fine. I have also updated the driver with the flash update tool.

Except I have this regular but intermittent 'crappy and fully distorted audio' about every 5 minutes or so. It is generated on the AES and MADI stream but I do not know if it's at the same time.

When the problem occurs it actually sounds like the sample rate is wrong. Like playing a 44.1Khz file on a 48Khz clock. The amount of distortion is not always the same. It gradually come and gradually goes after a few seconds of hearing distorted audio. It is much worst at 2x Fs.

I should also mention that the MADI card is installed right next to a video card with a huge fan. This is where the PCIx slot is.

Any clue on what could be causing this?

THanks

Carl
Musicom Productions

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

You use the same ASIO driver with both but did not sync the cards as neccessary in multi-card operation.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2009-01-29
  • Posts: 6

Re: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

Well it seemed pretty straight forward. One card as master and the other one on autosync.
I tried all different combinations, meaning all cards on autosync, one as master and the other as slave, Clock routed separately to either card from the master. None of the usual digital clock troubleshooting seems to have any effect on this problem.  Which is why I posted this help request on the forum. 

I just browsed again through the manual and I do not see anything particular about multiboard configuration. Is there anything I should know. Maybe I am missing something here.


Thanks

Carl

4 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

So how do you sync the cards exactly? Details please. And what does the Settings dialog tell when the noise occurs?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
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Re: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

Musicom wrote:

Well it seemed pretty straight forward. One card as master and the other one on autosync.

Just applying these settings does not ensure correct sync. You will probably observer that "the other one" still says "Clock Mode: Master".

You need some sort of physical sync, e.g. with Word Clock, or both cards must receive synced external signals (in which case, both should be on Autosync.

Please provide more details about the setup.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2009-01-29
  • Posts: 6

Re: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

Hi again, I think I figured out what my problem was.
If I feed external clock to BOTH cards. The Madi and the AES cards, both syncing to word and on autosync, they both clock properly.
Now the relevant shows sync to word on both cards at the appropriate sample rate.
Before, both cards would show up as master even though I selected one as master and the other one as slave.
I made the asumption that the master card would generate and send wordclock via the clock output provided. This did not work.

Now it's been solid and clean audio on playback and input even without a MADI signal connected.

But, I guess there is now way to sync both cards to one another without an external clock...or is there one?

Carl

7 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

Word clock out does work and I don't see why it shouldn't.

There is no way to use internal sync with these two cards.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2009-01-29
  • Posts: 6

Re: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

Dear Matthias

We are saying the same thing. Yes wordclock out works, but only  when a wordclock in is fed. I simply thought internal sync could be used and a valid wordclock would show at the output. But now all is clear.

Thanks

9 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

No it is not clear. The word clock out always works, no matter which mode is used. There is no way to prevent it from spitting out the current internal clock signal. If it does not work in master mode then I expect something to be configured or set up wrongly.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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  • From: Oslo
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 114

Re: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

Hmm, even reading between the lines I cannot see anyone stating how to make this work yet in this thread.
Have that been communicated via email?

It's dead easy.
If you do not want to run from an external clock.
Just set one card as master, connect the wordclock out from this card to the WC in of the next, set the other card to "slave" in the device settings. Bingo voila! Works.

Best,
P

psvennevig's Website

  • Registered: 2009-01-29
  • Posts: 6

Re: Added HDSPe-MADI to an HDSP-AES, intermittent audio distortion problem

Well, after reading this last post, then someting is really not right.
At first, I tried to use one card as master and the second one as slave and connecting the workclock out of the master to the slave but it did not work at all.
First I tried using the MADI as master, the AES as slave. It did not work. THen I tried with the AES as master. Still did not work.
The only time I got both cards to lock properly and show proper lock/sync in their respective window, is when I fed an external master clock, coming obviously from the same source. Bingo, that worked perfectly.
In my case, the word out, on every card only seems to be a thru. If no wordclock is fed to the input, no clock comes at the output. And it is the same for both, the AES and MADI cards I have.

I would love it if it worked as described by P?l

Best
Carl