• Registered: 2009-12-06
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Which clock should I use?

I have an older Multiface 1  and a focusrite 428 with lightpipe card, plus I just bought an ADI-2 so I could use the spdif in on the multiface. I've been using word clock from the multiface as my master clock. The advantage here is that the sample rate is set automatically by my DAW. Now I'm wondering if there would be an advantage to using the ADI-2 with SteadyClock as my master clock? I have a light pipe out available on the mulitface so I could slave the ADI-2.
Also are the AD converters any better in the ADI-2 than the ones in the multiface?

Thanks in  advance.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,560

Re: Which clock should I use?

I would use the MF as Master...
The ADI-2 has slightly better converters on paper (see tech specs).


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2009-12-06
  • Posts: 3

Re: Which clock should I use?

I found the spec sheet for the digiface after posting. It looks like I should connect my most used pre to the adi-2. It raised an other question though. the digiface shows:
Low Jitter Design: < 3 ns external clock, < 1 ns internal clock
the adi-2 shows
Low Jitter Design: < 1 ns in PLL mode, all inputs
internal clock: 800 ps jitter, random spread spectrum

You may notice they do not use the same standards between the 2 units. making it hard for me to compare, Any idea what all this means as far as which unit to use as the master.

Thanks

4 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 24,898

Re: Which clock should I use?

The Multiface has no active jitter suppression (no SteadyClock). Therefore its internal converters will work best in Master mode. The ADI-2 has SteadyClock, therefore will provide the best sound even in Slave mode.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2009-12-06
  • Posts: 3

Re: Which clock should I use?

Thanks guys. I get it. I just ran the light pipe everything is working. Every I/O is being used. 14 inputs at 88.2k  18 at 44.1 I think I have just enough inputs to go to the high sample rates YAHOOOO!! And as a bonus I can hook up a second set of monitors/or create a second  monitor mix in the control room ,if we both use headphones. That gives me 6 individual cue mixes. Things are looking up.

One more question my digiface is getting its power from the PCI card. Would it be better to get an aux power supply for it? Would this take some load off my computer's pwoer supply?

  • Registered: 2011-04-05
  • Posts: 17

Re: Which clock should I use?

I'm considering to use an ADI-2 together with either "Babyface", "Fireface UC" (or maybe even the "UFX"). Not yet decided which of the Firefaces I will use; fact is, the connection to the Notebook should use USB.

Would it be possible to use the AD and DA of the ADI-2 simultaneously (connected to the Fireface e.g. via SPDIF in/out + SPDIF out/in).
For the data transfer from and to the computer I would use the USB2 port of the Fireface.

From what I read in the ADI-2 manual (page 11), I could do either
Use the ADI-2 as "Master"
- Fireface gets clock and data via its SPDIF input and will lock (--> Slave)
- Fireface will send data via SPDIF output with this clock
- ADI-2 gets SPDIF input with correct frequency and is able to DA this data (or is there a problem, because the phase is not aligned?)

Use the Fireface as "Master"
- Fireface --> internal clock
- the ADI-2 (clock input selection set to SPDIF) will sync to the SPDIF input ("Slave") and use this clock for the DA and AD conversion
- the Fireface does get the AD-data from the ADI-2 via SPDIF at the correct frequency (since this is the master clock of the Fireface itself), or is there a problem because the phase is not aligned?

Q:
Would such a setup work with either of the Fireface Interfaces?
Which unit would you recommend to be used as "Master"?
Would this work up to 24/192 ?

Hope this is not a stupid question; I'm pretty much a "newbee" in this area.

Thank you very much
Mathias

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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  • From: USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-21
  • Posts: 4,621

Re: Which clock should I use?

Would it be possible to use the AD and DA of the ADI-2 simultaneously (connected to the Fireface e.g. via SPDIF in/out + SPDIF out/in).
Would such a setup work with either of the Fireface Interfaces?
Which unit would you recommend to be used as "Master"?
Would this work up to 24/192 ?

Yes.
Yes.
No difference. Might be easier if the interface is master, then you don't need to switch the ADI to change sample rate.
Yes.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website