• Registered: 2012-03-25
  • Posts: 19

Topic: Lock but no sync

Hi

Situation:

Babyface - Maudio CO2 Spdif\Coax converter (bidirectional) - Presonus Firepod.

Firepod is set to SPDIF Clock, and a blue light on the front panel let's me know that it has a solid connection with BF.
Babyface is set to Internal and three things happen when i power on the firepod:

1: huge amounts of crackling noises on inputs 1&2
2: On the settings panel it keeps switching between "Lock 44.1" and "No Sync"
3: The Sync led on the BF keeps blinking.

Am i doing something wrong? What can i try?

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Lock but no sync

You did not set the BF to Internal Clock in the selection drop down menu.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2012-03-25
  • Posts: 19

Re: Lock but no sync

Hi Matthias,

thanks.
If you mean the drop down menu in the settings dialog (internal or optical), then i already set that to internal (see first post).
If you mean another menu, where can i find that?

4 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Lock but no sync

Ok, then you did not set the BF to SPDIF output. Its ADAT signal makes the Firepod run wild.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2012-03-25
  • Posts: 19

Re: Lock but no sync

Tried that. Didn't work.
Should i think about a faulty Presonus unit?

  • Registered: 2012-03-25
  • Posts: 19

Re: Lock but no sync

Can i please get an update on my question, i don't have much time to decide if i return the Maudio CO2, get rid of the Firepod and buy a Behringer ADA8000. I'd rather not, so any further help is appreciated.

Thanks.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,782

Re: Lock but no sync

Please be more specific about what "didn't work". Also, please provide a screenshot of the RME settings dialog.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2012-03-25
  • Posts: 19

Re: Lock but no sync

Sure.

I made a video about the problem.

http://youtu.be/vn9qTTJ8Qw8

Hope you guys can get back at me soon. Thanks very much for the help.

9 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Lock but no sync

You say the Presonus gets its clock signal from the Babyface. How? In the video it is not connected...

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2012-03-25
  • Posts: 19

Re: Lock but no sync

I'm assuming it's embedded in the spdif signal?

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,782

Re: Lock but no sync

I'm not sure of the purpose behind this connection, but the problem is on the Firepod side, not the BF. You'd need to set the FP to internal clock, not SPDIF. Then you'll probably get sync. It isn't receiving incoming SPDIF, so it may be doing all kinds of things in this situation, i.e. with no valid clock (if there is no such thing as Autosync as on the BF, which would make it switch to internal automatically in the absence of an input signal).
Also, what are you trying to transfer from the FP here? You will at best get two channels (or a mix from the computer). The blue LED seems to indicate Firewire connectivity, nothing to do with the BF.
The FP is not aware of the BF's existence. Yes, SPDIF includes a sync signal, but this is a unidirectional connection.

Regards,
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2012-03-25
  • Posts: 19

Re: Lock but no sync

Hi thanks for taking the time.

About the reason i am connecting..
i have a few synths i want to use but they are vintage models, no digital output.
I also own a mixer (you can see in the video). Since i got the fp for free i thought i'd route all the synths through the mixer to the fp.
Then i could use one synth at a time to record through the spdif out into cubase.

But i think i'll return the Maudio CO2 converter and get a Behringer ADA8000 instead. It seems like too much hassle to get this
thing going for only 2 extra channels. I'd like to be able to send a track from cubase to for example my mixer, or my compressor, and back.
Realtime. I guess spdif is not going to work. Will the ADA8000 be a better choice for this?

Thanks.

13 Reply by bsfreq (edited by bsfreq 2012-04-17 07:56:30)

  • bsfreq
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  • Registered: 2011-03-02
  • Posts: 244

Re: Lock but no sync

Hi boybianchi!

The clock signal works the same way as audio signal does. It goes FROM output TO input. You've setup your interface to work as a master clock, and presonus is trying to listen to the clock from it's s/pdif input.  (as Matthias said, you got nothing connected there) In your case, you should connect another cable FROM babyface s/pdif output TO presonus s/pdif input to get the clock signal to presonus. A single adat (or s/pdif) cable does not provide a bidirectional connection between devices.

Or you could set up the presonus to work as master clock and slave the babyface with the connections you already have. (though I don't think that's preferable)

Fireface UFX+ | Fireface UFX | Babyface Pro | 12Mic
  • Registered: 2012-03-25
  • Posts: 19

Re: Lock but no sync

Thanks bsfreq!

I tried (later in the video, did you watch it?) to connect the spdif both ways. So BF out to FP in, and FP out to BF in. So all cables connected.
Then set the BF to internal master and the FP to SPDIF clock. So at this point it should be getting the clock from the BF, but i still get no sync.
ed:

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,782

Re: Lock but no sync

Your video shows that you do get sync with cables hooked up both ways... In this setup, the FP seems to get an SPDIF to sync to and it also sends a valid signal back. You say there is no audio, but that would be a question of telling the FP to send an incoming signal to SPDIF Out. Again, not an issue of the BF.

The Behringer being a straight ADAT ADDA converter (and not a Firewire audio interface) may be better suited for the purpose, it can be hooked up directly.



Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website