Console Software
47
Console Software
Synchronizing External Devices
Your AudioFire is designed to work alongside other audio equipment. If you are
planning on using your AudioFire with other audio equipment, please note the
following:
You can use your AudioFire product with other audio devices outside of your
computer, but in order for accurate synchronization to occur, the other audio
product(s) must support a synchronization mode that is compatible with your
AudioFire hardware. Without such synchronization, the individual pieces of
equipment will act independently of each other. This scenario may be fine for some
musical applications; however, it is not appropriate for situations where sample-
accurate synchronization is required.
Let’s take a brief look at the various synchronization types.
Word Clock
–
The
Word Clock
connectors can be found on the back panel of
AudioFire, AudioFire Pre8 and AudioFire 12. When your AudioFire product is set
to “Internal” this synchronization clock runs at the AudioFire product’s selected
sample rate. Think of it as a kind of electronic metronome, which clicks back and
forth at the digital sample rate. It is one of the most widely used forms of
synchronization in digital audio. Your AudioFire product is always generating
Word Clock on its Word Clock output BNC connector. Although it can generate
Word Clock at any sample rate it is set to, your AudioFire product can only sync to
Word Clock if the master device is set to a sample rate between 30kHz and 100kHz
(200kHz for AudioFire 12). Otherwise you will get noise and/or loss of sync.
ADAT
– The Alesis ADAT optical interface can send and receive up to 8
simultaneous channels of digital audio data over fiber optic cables. Unlike wire
cables, fiber optic cables do not add noise or interference. The 2009 AudioFire 8
and the AudioFire Pre8 can send out (or “master”) ADAT clock as well as slave to
it. If you want your AudioFire 8 to slave to an ADAT clock, just set the input clock
to the
ADAT
setting. Your AudioFire 8 and AudioFire Pre8 can only sync to
ADAT clock if the master device is set to a sample rate between 30kHz and
100kHz. Otherwise you will get noise and/or loss of sync.
