2nd Machine as recorder / dubber via Dante

[windmillaudio]

I am looking at upgrading a Mac Pro Trashcan when the new Mac Studio comes out, but want to hang on to the trashcan for anything non Apple Silicon we may need to go back to.
Mac Studio will run on an HD Native TB - MTRX Studio, and am thinking about putting an RME Digiface Dante on the Trashcan, hoping I could use it as a dubber / extra machine when required.
Question is, is word clock from the MTRX, with Satellite enough to guarantee sync, or am I entering into a world of needing a SYNC HD / SYNC X?

[creativecontrol]

What is your specific use case? Is there video anywhere in the process? Are you simply wanting to re-record stems or pre-dubs?


Jeff

[smurfyou]

I believe the only way Satellite is sample accurate is with a Sync peripheral. Without, it's good for chasing but not punching in.

[windmillaudio]

Originally Posted by creativecontrol

What is your specific use case? Is there video anywhere in the process? Are you simply wanting to re-record stems or pre-dubs?


Jeff

Thanks for the reply. Yes to video. Running via Video Sync or ADR Master, also via Satellite. Would ideally use it to print stems + mixes, or occasionally offload extra tracks on to.

[creativecontrol]

Yes, this is correct. A SYNC peripheral is highly recommended if you will be using this workstation for re-recording.


Jeff

Originally Posted by smurfyou

I believe the only way Satellite is sample accurate is with a Sync peripheral. Without, it's good for chasing but not punching in.

[windmillaudio]

Originally Posted by creativecontrol

Yes, this is correct. A SYNC peripheral is highly recommended if you will be using this workstation for re-recording.


Jeff

Good to know. May I ask why this is the case? If I'm only running two devices - Avid MTRX Studio as the master clock, and in this case an RME Digiface Dante receiving Word Clock in from the the MTRX, what is the difference here in adding a Sync peripheral in the middle? So the two are receiving an identical clock source from an "independent" source?

[LDS]

Originally Posted by windmillaudio

Good to know. May I ask why this is the case? If I'm only running two devices - Avid MTRX Studio as the master clock, and in this case an RME Digiface Dante receiving Word Clock in from the the MTRX, what is the difference here in adding a Sync peripheral in the middle? So the two are receiving an identical clock source from an "independent" source?

Because Avid are lazy and haven't bothered changing how they do stuff in the last 20 years... basically.

To achieve sample accurate sync you need a 'sample clock' of some kind. Like a word clock with added positional reference so that each DAW knows exactly where on the timeline that sample belongs. Punch in on one machine, and the second machine punches in at exactly the same sample. Or "near sample", as Avid called it. Word clock alone only synchronizes sample rates. It doesn't synchronize samples.

Nuendo basically does it in exactly the way you are suggesting, using VST system link. It lets you send the 'sample clock' between systems using a spare digital audio I/O on your interface. You can chain synchronize a whole bunch of systems using nothing but ADAT or AES or MADI, etc. ASIO position protocol goes one step further and incorporates it directly into a bunch of ASIO audio interfaces like those by RME or Lynx.

As of this year, the only way you can do it in Pro Tools is by purchasing a $5000 HDX card and a $4000 Sync X per system... because that is how Avid say you must do it.