• Registered: 2021-05-23
  • Posts: 6

Topic: Dubbing ADAT to Logic - which clock?

Greetings from a newbie here!

I'm dubbing ADAT audio data into Logic Pro X via optical into my Fireface UFX, USB into my iMac (Mojave). Simple straight dubs of all 8 ADAT tracks at once into Logic, for remixing. I press Record on Logic, then press Play on the ADAT. No special sync required, I presume.

Or does it make any difference at all to the dubbed audio quality whether I use Logic's internal word clock, or sync Logic to the ADAT's word clock?

Thank you,

Morgan

2 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2021-05-23 08:19:08)

  • ramses
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Re: Dubbing ADAT to Logic - which clock?

Hi Morgan,

external devices need to be clock synchronized.
What device do you have connected through ADAT, what is the current TOSLINK or word clock cabling ?

Best would be to keep the recording interface to be the clock master. Then you select the sample rate in your application / DAW and the external devices ("clock slaves") learn the clock automatically, either via digital links (ADAT, SPDIF) or by using word clock. I would avoid word clock if possible, because then you need a special cabling for that and not all devices support that.

Easiest might be, if the external device has a digital input that matches with one of your recording interface, so that it could learn clock from that digital input. You only need one optical or coax cable more from recording interface to the external device and the external device needs to be configured to learn clock from that digital input.

If both is not possible, then it can be the case that you have to make the external device to clock master. It has a little disadvantage that you have to keep that device on and that you have to configure the sample rate always at the external device, but would work. Your RME device has SteadyClock to eliminate clock jitter.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • Registered: 2021-05-23
  • Posts: 6

Re: Dubbing ADAT to Logic - which clock?

Hi Ramses,

Thanks for the quick reply!

Here's my setup in more detail:

ADAT XT-20 Digital Out -> optical (TOSlink) cable -> RME Fireface UFX ADAT in
RME Fireface UFX USB-B out -> USB-A in on iMac running Logic Pro X (Mojave OS).

After a test record dubbing all 8 ADAT tracks simultaneously into Logic, the sound seems fine.

Current Sync/clock settings are:

ADAT:  INT
RME:    INT
Logic:   MTC

If any of these settings are wrong, what problems might I encounter? So far, dubbing of two 8-track songs has been entirely satisfactory, with no jitter or any  other audible problems.

Thanks,

Morgan

  • ramses
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Re: Dubbing ADAT to Logic - which clock?

Over time there will be problems, sooner or later. Such digital connections only work reliable, if sender and receiver work on the same clock and if they can lock/synch on that clock. For more information on clock, jitter, etc, see this nice video, its very interesting in this regards and how nicely RME's steadyclock feature works in general:

EN:
Webpage:        https://www.rme-audio.de/steadyclock-fs.html
Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti0aHW-zYcs
DE:
Webpage:        https://www.rme-audio.de/de_steadyclock-fs.html
Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rcBVuWOHiw

On youtube very well explained from Matthias Carstens, history, why and with concrete examples in terms of the very positive effects on the audio signal, de-jittering, SNR ..

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

5 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Dubbing ADAT to Logic - which clock?

morganf wrote:

Here's my setup in more detail:

ADAT XT-20 Digital Out -> optical (TOSlink) cable -> RME Fireface UFX ADAT in
RME Fireface UFX USB-B out -> USB-A in on iMac running Logic Pro X (Mojave OS).

After a test record dubbing all 8 ADAT tracks simultaneously into Logic, the sound seems fine.

Current Sync/clock settings are:

ADAT:  INT
RME:    INT
Logic:   MTC

If any of these settings are wrong

Of course they are. RME must be set to ADAT as Clock Source. Only then you will see a steady SYNC indication for the ADAT input signal.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website