I've been away from the studio for a while (like a few years actually) and I'm getting ready to reconfig with some new and old hardware and get some projects going.

DAW is Cubase 10.
Main audio interface MADI FX PCIe
Master clock would be MADI FX card.
Sample rate 48k

MADI 1 optical I/O 1-32

M32 AD
M32 DA

As I understand it, the ALVA optical cable housing can be opened and the ends split out. MADI 1 optical out would be routed to M32 DA MADI optical input, a BNC cable would be run from M32 DA MADI coax out to M32 AD MADI coax input and the optical MADI output of the M32 AD would be patched to the MADI FX optical input. Am I correct with this? Would it be better to clock the MADI card from the M-32 AD?

MADI 2 optical to ADI 648
Clock input MADI

ADI 8-DS I/O 65-72 clock input ADAT
ADI-8 DD I/O 73-80 clock input ADAT
ADI-8 DD I/O 81-88 clock input ADAT
ADI 192   I/O 89-96 clock input ADAT

I have had these ADI-8 DD interfaces sitting on a shelf.  I'm assuming I can use them to interface Stereo AD/DA converters and also patch them via AES to a Quantec Yardstick, Lexicon PCM 91, Sony DPS V77 and TC M2000 for use as external hardware reverbs on DAW aux busses. Any reason this wouldn't work if I'm only working at 48k?

I recall there being some fundamental difference between the way these work as opposed to the ADI 192 but I really can't identify it other than the 192 is QS capable. For some reason, these old reverbs are patched into the ADI 192 right now but I can't remember why I did that instead of using an ADI-8 DS many years ago.

Also, I have another question related to the ADI-8 DD. My partner has an Alesis Masterlink that does not have a sync input and drops sync when patched to the MADI FX AES I/O or to a stereo AD/DA. The ADI-8 DD literature states the following:

"Both converters work both completely independent and intelligently coupled. The actual states of incoming and outgoing signals and ongoing operations within the unit are displayed with LEDs of different colors in an easily overseeable way. The 8-channel Sample Rate Converter in Hi-End 24 bit/96 kHz quality is only available in the left or right part of the device. It allows for a wide range of applications. When the internal clock is used, the SRC works as a perfect jitter-killer. And thanks to the SRC's clock-decoupling non-synchronizable items like CD-players and DAT recorders can be used together as if they were synchronizable."

So If I wanted to designate a stereo pair of MADI outputs that correlated to a stereo AES output of the ADI-8 DS to the main outputs of the DAW I could sync the Masterlink (in theory) by setting the input source to AES, the clock of the ADI8 DD input to ADAT , engage the SRC, patch the AES output of the Masterlink to the AES input of the ADI-8 DD, then set the source on the right side of the ADI8=Dd unit to ADAT, the output clock of the ADI-8 DD to Internal and run an AES cable from the AES output of the ADI-8 DD to the AES input of the Masterlink? What about the input state on the right side of the unit? I'm assuming PRO, but maybe optical? I'm sort of lost at this point. Am I getting this at all?

I am hoping to get a stable digital 2bus signal into the synced Masterlink for recording and get playback from the Masterlink through it's analogue outputs.

It's been a long day and I am a bit fatigued. I hope I don't look at this later and think to myself "WTF?"
Does this clocking situation look correct and optimal?
Any feedback, (no matter how brutal) would be much appreciated.

Thanks