SC48 into a 5D, Help!

[J2sound]

On a show tonight I plugged my SC48 into a 5D "bus in" via AES. Once I started to push my outputs into yellow my mix started to break up and sound distorted. No meters that I could see on either console were hitting red. Once the next bands mix came up, built on the 5D, it sounded very clean.

So what is wrong with my signal chain?

Justin

[mariojorgeandrade]

Probably a clock error, due to differences in the sample rates.
The Venues have a fixed resolution of 24 bits / 48 KHz, but the 5Ds can be switched to several sample rates.
Just make sure the 5D is switched to 24/48, plug a word clock BNC cable besides the AES/EBU cable and put one as a master (the one with wordclock out) and the other as slave (the one with wordclock in). Or, even better, use an external clock generator (such as Apogee Big Ben) as a master and put all other digital hardware as slaves.
Probably the 5D must be switched for "external clock" to be a slave, the Venues become slaves automatically when they sense an external clock in, that can be seen in the options-devices tab.
Good luck.
Regards,
MJ

[J2sound]

We have a Big Ben, but the Audio Company is saying we would have to Daisy Chain all the consoles in the Big Ben which is dangerous. I'm not really sure if that's true or not.

Justin

[rivetheadsound]

its not dangerous...unless you run like 15ft cables. with clock cables...shorter the better. what you should do is go into the 5D and set the word clock to external via the AES. the clock is horrid on the 5D and it defiantly sounds like a clock issue. but it takes only a second to do it this way. if you were running analog into the 5D i would say clock it for sure from a big ben or other external clock. but since your doing AES...it can grab the clock right from the signal. done it hundreds of times with all kinds of boards going into a 5D.

[J2sound]

So do you have to Daisy chain the consoles?

[mariojorgeandrade]

Great, Brian, it's even simpler than I thought!
As described by Brian, you don't have to daisy chain ou even plug a BNC cable between the consoles.
Just plug the AES/EBU out from the SC48 into the AES/EBU in on the PM5D.
In that case, the SC48 will be the Master and the PM5D the Slave.
Just make sure the clock setting on the PM5D is set to External AES/EBU.
The PM5D will then sync to the SC48.
Good luck.
MJ

[rivetheadsound]

thats exactly correct. i would also recommend you use as short of a cable as possible and a actual AES rated cable to make sure everything is the best possible. a standard well shielded XLR will work in a pinch though. i had a nice clock i used to carry with me when i would tour without my desk just for yamaha consoles, but then gave it to a friend after getting my sc48 because the clock is so good in it. no need to even clock that.