• Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 8

Topic: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

Hi Guys,

I managed to snare an RME ADI-2  over the weekend. It came today, and I'm having a few issues (which I think is down to the cable i'm using)
I tried hooking up 002r's optical out > RME optical in, then setting the external clock to be master. The connection seems to work, but PT rejects it saying it is not a valid external clock and that it is reverting to internal.
I tried to do the same with my Octopre LE just to check that it wasn't an RME specific thing. Same thing happened again..."reverting to internal clock etc"
So, this was my only Optical cable. I have ordered some more and some SPDIF cables as well. Hopefully that will do the trick.
If it doesn't, I'm stumped as to what to do.
I would have thought that if the issue was with the cable, then the RME/Octopre would not have "locked"
Also, I used to clock my 002 from my octopre with no problems via optical.
Can anyone shed any light on whats best to do?

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 63

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

recall wrote:

I tried hooking up 002r's optical out > RME optical in, then setting the external clock to be master. The connection seems to work, but PT rejects it saying it is not a valid external clock and that it is reverting to internal.

Hi, first of all: you will not get any signal into ProTools (neither Audio nor Clock) using the Optical OUT of the 002. When you connect the RME optical OUT to 002 optical IN and tell ProTools to sync external on optical input the whole thing should work as expected.
Did you check the external sync source of ProTools?

Regards,
Claudio

clAUDIO's Website

  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 8

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

Hi Claudio,

Thanks for your quick response.  Well I managed to hook it up like you said and Pro Tools is accepting it as master clock.
I am slightly confused by the manual though.
At the moment the ADI2 Input LED is blinking/flashing. 
I'm unclear if it is supposed to be this way.
First of all I want to clock my pro tools system from the adi2 @44.1/24
after I get this working I want to use its AD side to caputure the summed mix from my summing mixer.
I want to use the superior DA of the ADI to monitor my mix
Sorry, as you can see I am confused!
At the moment my setup is like this
002r>mackie big knob>adam a7
I hope to set it up like this:
002r>suming mixer>mackie big knob>adam a7
with 002 clocked from ADI. ADI handling print of summed mix back to pro tools.
I really appreciate the help.

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • From: USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-21
  • Posts: 4,674

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

Hi,

The blinking light indicates a clock/setup error. On the ADI-2, please check your settings are as follows.

Clock: 44.1 is the ONLY lit LED.
Input: OPT (optical)
Output: CON (SPDIF level)

In the 002 make sure your optical port is set to SPDIF mode.

002 documentation wrote:

These are a pair of TOS-link style connectors for ADAT Optical (8 channels of I/O) or S/PDIF Optical (2 channels of I/O) devices. You can choose between these Optical I/O formats in the Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog. When transferring material in one of these formats to Pro Tools, be sure to select the appropriate Optical I/O format as the Clock Source in the Hardware Setup dialog.

The Optical I/O ports support sample rates of 44.1 and 48 kHz in ADAT Optical mode, and sample rates up to 96 kHz in Optical S/PDIF mode. The Optical I/O ports support 24-bit, 20-bit and 16-bit resolutions in both modes.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 8

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

Thanks for the advice,
I got a couple of spdif cables this morning , hooked them up and everything seems to lock now.
Only concern I have is in the pro tools "hardware page".
When I set clock source to spdif its fine, then when I try to change the optical protocol to spdif as well it won't accept it and proceeds to change the clock source back to internal.
I am getting there slowly with this!
Alos on the ADI-2 clock sestion the only place the LED won't blink is at the green (right sided) QS LED.
So at present my fron panel is like this:

clock: green qs LED
INPUT: COAX
OUT: CON

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,806

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

The LED in question refers to the "Input" switch (just follow the white line...) and sets the ADI-2 to sync to the input signal it receives, i.e. sets the unit to slave mode.

Regards,
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 8

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

Hi,

I'm sorry I keep posting Questions here but I am still a bit confused.  I think I have everything working.

In Pro Tools clock is set to external spdif

optical format is ADAT

My RME is set thus:

Input:Coax
Output:Adat

Everything is playing well through the ADI-2 - no pops or clicks.....and it sounds good.

My lingering concern is that when I try and set my optical format to spdif in the Hardware menu, it automatically reverts to internal clocking.

Anyway, I don't mind leaving it setup as it is currently as long as it is working in a stable manner.

Thx

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 63

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

set my optical format to spdif in the Hardware menu

This is understandable as your optical input format is NOT SPDIF. You said that the ADI-2 output is set to ADAT. So your optical signal is ADAT and not SPDIF. That is why ProTools cannot sync on an optical SPDIF input. Maybe you will have to change the ProTools clock settings to "external ADAT" then (don't know the setup off hand right now).
Did you connect some SPDIF signal via Coax to ProTools?

Regards,
Claudio

clAUDIO's Website

  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 8

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

Hi Claudio,

Even when I change the output to "con" Pro Tools still reverts to internal clocking.  This is really frustrating.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 63

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

Well,

first of all I think, maybe you should go on working with the setup that is running without problems right now.

Everything is playing well through the ADI-2 - no pops or clicks.....and it sounds good.

To go deeper into special setups maybe these documents will help you:

http://akmedia.digidesign.com/support/d … _42160.pdf

http://akmedia.digidesign.com/support/d … _42156.pdf

https://archiv.rme-audio.de/download/adi2_e.pdf

Just read the manuals step by step and play around with the settings to become familiar with their meaning. This will take some time. But it does not help you to know how the settings have to be without understanding what happens behind. Pro Audio is complex. Start reading and try the things. Then you will be able to ask more specific questions. :-)

Regards,
Claudio

clAUDIO's Website

  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 8

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

Hi Claudio,

Thanks for your help.  I realise it is complex but it seems that Pro Tools LE 002R and my ADI-2 just don't get on well with each other.

I have been trying all week ot sort this out.  Here is what I have been doing:

002R:
Opt out > RME opt in
opt in> RME out

RME Front panel:

set to Input: optical output: ADAT

Everything appears well, no flashing lights, 002 locked to ADI-2.

I turn RME on first, wait a ew seconds then turn 002r on, make sure no flashing lights, open up pro tools LE 7.4

go to Setup>Hrdware:

set clock source to: optical, optical format to ADAT.

Open my test session and ensure everything is routed to come out of RME ADI-2

press play and I hear a fine sounding convertor except after a couple of minutes pro tools stops and gives me -6085 error message.

First of all I tried to ensure that this wasn't caused by a rogue plugin or anything else related to pro tools.  When I switch clock source back to "internal" this does not happen.  Nor when I connect my 002 to my Focusrite octopre does this happen.

I have tried this setup on two different Pro Tools LE computers, both return the same error message when clocked from the RME.

Playing back and recording through it works with no pops, clicks or weirdness.  It is just that it causes these errors all the time and I can't work out what to do.

Could there be a hardware issue with the RME where I could return it to be fixed?

Thanks again

Iwan

12 Reply by clAUDIO (edited by clAUDIO 2008-06-07 12:39:46)

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 63

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

Hi,

well, normally I would say: Ask Digi what Error -6085 is supposed to be. But we are not living in a world like that. :-)

How is your clock source of the ADI-2 set? It MUST be set to one of the internal settings (naturally the sample rate of your PT project). NOT to 'Input'. Otherwise you create a clock sync feedback loop which breaks down sooner or later. The only thing I could imagine is that PT is loosing sync due to a feedback loop and stops working with this nice, well expressed and information bursting error message.

Claudio


P.S.:
Just read the latest post of this one here:
http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3066

Maybe there is a problem with Digi002 syncing to ADAT in generally.

clAUDIO's Website

  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 8

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

OK,

Thanks Claudio.  I have it set at the moment to the LED above "48" with white line next to it (? I think this is what you mean when the clock source is et to input)

The reason I have it set like this is because when I have it on 44.1 (the sample rate of my test session) it just keeps flashing, indicating a broken "lock"

It does seem that the error is caused by the feedback loop you spoke of, it makes sense as it does play for a couple of minutes and then causes an error.

At least I know that the RME works properly.  If I wasn't so keen on the software that came with Pro Tools then I would switch to another DAW.......it really shouldn't be this difficult to get things working :-)

I think I will start contacting DIGI on monday via telephone to see if I can get any kind of info from them.

The -6085 message refers to hardware buffers and FW bandwidth.

Anyway...the quest continues!

Thanks again,

Iwan

  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 8

Re: Hooking up an ADI-2, some confusing issues

Hi Claudio.

I managed to get it working.  By selecting 44.1 on the ADI and then re-selecting "spdif clock" in pro tools it locks fully and works flawlessly with no error messages.

What I have learnt is that the 44.1 LED will continue flashing until Pro Tools opens and locks to it.

Anyway, it works very well now - so I am not about to change anything!

Thanks for all your help, the info about the clock feedback loop, really spurred me on to sort it out.

Best,

Iwan