Help setting up 18 inputs Pro Tools 9 003R+

[geniusboots]

Hi,

I have been using a 003 Rack+ and a Behringer ADA8000 conencted via ADAT lightpipe (yes I know its crap but it was a cheap way to get 8 inputs) for live recordings. I recently read about using the SPDIF in for 2 additional channels and bought a ART Digital MPAII pre for SDPIF output to the 003. I haven't been able to get audio to register in Protools 9, however SPDIF L&R are now selectable inputs, so I believe it is registering. The ART is receiving signal and if I use that ADAT/lightpipe connection from ART to 003 instead, I get audio. I am using a proper SPDIF cable with proper impedance. I figured that clocking was my issue, but I can't seem to find a combination that will produce sound from SPDIF. All devices and PT session are set to 44.1/24. Traditionally, I just set the clock to optical and clocked everything off the ADA8000 as the master, but I don't think that will work going forward with 3 interfaces.

I don't have an external word clock device, but all devices have their own internal clocks. Clock connections possible:
ADA8000 has BNC clock in with slave setting, or Master via ADAT
003 Rack+ has BNC in and out
ART has BNC in and "Through", whatever that means.

My first thought is to do BNC out from 003 > BNC in to ART > BNC through "Through" from ART > to BNC in on ADA8000; and then set clock in PT to "internal", however did not work.

Unfortunately, I don't have another SPDIF in or out device, so I can't test those connections on the 003/ART.

Suggestions?

[CME]

I believe the best method would be via BNC word clock. Use the 003 as the master. Go out of the 003 into a "T" hooked onto the input of one of the converters. Then out of the other side of the "T" into the other converter. That will the clock signal in phase.

You'll also need to terminate the signal. If either converter has a switch on the back that says something like "75-ohm termination" use that last in the chain and make sure it's engage. If not use another "T" and either buy or make a 75-ohm termination plug. Hook that to the other side and you should be good to go.

[geniusboots]

Thanks CME, I will give that a try. Seems unusual that I would get no signal, instead of a jittery or popping one. Starting to wonder if it is a defective SPDIF on this unit.

[CME]

In hardware set up make sure you have spdif set up correctly. I believe there is an option for "spdif to optical" or something like that. I wouldn't think the ADAT would work if that was set incorrectly, but you never know. May be worth deleting preference also. Just some thoughts.

[albee1952]

Sometimes incorrect clocking gives clicks and pops, and sometimes it gives no audio(had both happen here at different times). I run the 003 controller with a Focusrite ISA-428 on lightpipe, and a DBX 386 on SPDIF. I use a Lucid GenX 192 master clock and feed wordclock to all 3 devices, but I don't see why wordclock from the 003 shouldn't work just fine(maybe to a lower degree of "perfection", but maybe neither of us could hear the difference) Anyway, if I forget to select Wordclock as the clock source, and try to record from the lightpipe channels, I sometimes get nothing(and other times I get clicks and pops)