Help, "the external clock choice is invalid..."

[lowlight]

I keep getting this error:

The external clock choice is invalid. Reverting to internal.

when I'm syncing my 002 rack to incoming smpte from tape with S/PDIF. It works, mostly, but I keep having to deal with the error popping up. Occasionally, I can just leave pro tools in online mode, where it's waiting for sync, and it's fine. But it's very glitchy. There must be a fix for this. I have everything set up properly, and have tracked 10 minutes of perfectly locked sync several times (the system's all brand new).

I have trashed prefs and repaired disk permissions and that worked, once.

help!

[DMK]

need more info. what hardware are you trying to synch to ? what is the SPDIF connected to ? digital timepiece ? what are you using to convert the smpte in midi time code ? -dave

[lowlight]

ok, more info -

The smpte is handled by a MOTU Digital Timepiece. It stripes the tape and then reads incoming smpte from that and sends s/pdif to the digi 002 rack. there is also a motu Midi Timepiece AV connected to the computer - for some glitchy reason, that is the only way to get the digital timepiece recognized by clockworks (which is the program that runs the motu timepieces).

summary;

SMPTE is coming from tascam 388 1/4" tape machine
MOTU Digital Timepiece is receiving the SMPTE and converting that to S/PDIF
S/PDIF is coming into the Digi 002 rack from the Digital Timepiece

[lowlight]

anyone else? am I the only one getting this error? anyone's who's fixed this glitch, please enlighten a poor soul.

thanks

[DMK]

The motu digital timepiece doesn't send SMPTE through the Spdif. You need to have midi cables connecting your 002 to the timepiece. this in addition to clocking to the Spdif should solve your problem.

[DMK]

for the 002 to synch to the Digital Timepiece, you need to have midi cables connected to and from each other. set up the DT in your midi set-up window. make sure the DT icon in midi set-up is set to send midi time code. use the S/PDIF to clock to the DT and set synch to S/PDIF in session set-up window. make sure you are receiving code in the session set-up window. remember, 002 doesn't use SMPTE. It uses midi time code. the DT converts Smpte to midi time code and sends it via the midi cables, nor the S/PDIF.

[lowlight]

thanks dmk - I'll try that - I do know that pro tools can't read smpte, but I'm a bit confused about how the s/pdif thing works. I know that midi time code won't truly sync pro tools to tape. they drift from one another after about 1 minute. having pro tools set to be driven by midi time code will start everything at the same time, but I guess what you're saying is that the addition of the s/pdif external clock will allow the two systems to lock up indefinitely. yes?

any more info would be great.

[CCash]

The MIDI TC (MTC) is just a Trigger Sync. It tells PT where to start. After that, if both systems aren't resovled, they will run at their own speed. You need the S/PDIF sync to lock PT with the tape deck, so they run at the same speed. The S/PDIF in this case is not transferring any audio... just sync info in the digital domain. The MOTU box is the hub keeping it all together.

[lowlight]

gotcha - that's what I thought.

I am 99.9% sure that I have the machines hooked up properly, and I still get the "external clock choice is invalid" warning. arrgh. I have a session tonight and all weekend that I was hoping to use more than 8 tracks on.

I have the s/pdif cables going between the digi 002 rack and the digital timepiece, and I also have midi cables going to and from the 002 and the digital timepiece. when I roll tape, I am seeing the timecode coming from the digital timepiece and changing in the pro tools hardware setup dialog box - in other words, pro tools is receiving the timecode just fine. if I can get the machines to lock before the "external clock is invalid"dialog box pops up. they run fine. but the error happens far too often to be able to set up a whole session around this arrangement.

ccash I saw in another thread that you had that error and it might have been due to a bad s/pdif jack. think that's what's happening to me?

does anyone have a setup like this that actally works reliably??

[CCash]

I'm sure you know to have your Sync Input in the Session Setup Window set to S/PDIF.

And it could be a bad jack, like I have. I have to wedge a piece of cardboard between my rack and the jack to force it into the "sweet spot". I will do it right soon and try to resolder it. But unlike you, I DON'T get any warning about the clock. It just stops syncing to S/PDIF and defaults Internal Clock... and I have no way of knowing it (unless I switch sample rates on the Lucid and PT doesn't follow).

Other than that, I don't know what might be wrong. Sorry couldn't help.