User's Guide
DIGI32/8 © RME
12
9.4 Clock Modes - Synchronization
In the digital world, all devices are either the 'Master' (clock source) or a 'Slave' synchronized to
the master. Whenever several devices are linked within a system, there must always be a sin-
gle master. The DIGI32 series includes a very user-friendly intelligent clock control, which
handles the clock switching between master and slave on its own. Click on 'AutoSync' to activa-
te this mode.
In AutoSync mode, the card constantly scans for a valid input signal at the active input. As
soon as this matches the current playback sample rate, the card switches from the internal
quartz (display 'Clock Master') to the clock generated from the input signal (display 'Clock Sla-
ve'). This allows on-the-fly recording, even during playback, without having to synchronize the
card to the input signal first. It also allows immediate playback at any sample rate without ha-
ving to reconfigure the card.
'AutoSync’ guarantees a fault-free function of the modes Record, Record while Play and while
using more than one card (see chapter 10). In certain cases however, e.g. when the inputs and
outputs of a DAT machine are connected directly to the
DIGI32/8
, AutoSync causes feed-
back in the digital carrier, so synchronization breaks down. To remedy this, switch the card's
clock mode over to 'Master'.
Thanks to the described AutoSync technology and a lightning fast PLL the DIGI32 series is not
only capable of handling standard frequencies, but also any sample rate between 25 and 60
kHz. The digital input serves as synchronization source. Please note that at the start of a record
or playback a valid sample frequency (32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz) has to be attached. When
started, the sample frequency can be pitched to whatever is needed,
DIGI32/8
will follow
these changes immediately.
Only one device can be master in a digital system! When DIGI32/8 operates in clock mode
'Master', all other devices have to be 'Slave'.
More information on these subjects can be found in the HTML document 'sync.htm', located in
the directory
\rmeaudio.web\english\techinfo
on the RME Driver CD, or on our web site.
10. Using more than one
DIGI32/8
All our drivers can communicate simultaneously with all the cards registered in the system. The
driver marks them with different numbers after the device's name, like
‘DIGI32/8 In (1)’.
Thanks to our AutoSync technology multiple cards can be synchronized easily by applying one
input signal to all inputs simultaneously.
In order to connect more than one
DIGI32/8
to a digital mixing desk they must all get
the same clock(ed input signal). This is easy to achieve: just connect at least one input of
each card to one output of the mixing desk.
Example 1:
All
DIGI'
s digital inputs are connected to other devices synced to the word clock
net.
Activate the corresponding input of each card in its Settings dialog, and activate the mode Au-
toSync at all cards.
