Focusrite red 16 Line's loosing sync with HDX Card

[jacktrubshaw]

Hi,

I look after a studio running 2 Focusrite Red 16Line's run from a single Avid HDX card. The system has an occasional and random fault where the second unit (channels 17 onwards) appears to lose sync and stops outputting audio or instead routes audio into incorrect channels. This doesn't appear to affect input routing. I've checked that the interfaces are wired up correctly according to the Focusrite and Avid HDX guide including digilink and BNC sync cables. The units are configured as follows:

Top unit:
Mode - Pro Tools
Sync - Internal

Second unit:
Mode - Pro Tools
Sync - Loop Sync

The firmware for both units is up to date, I've spoken to Focusrite who don't think this is a common fault.

I suspect that the configuration generally is correct as it's only an intermittent fault however it's very difficult to diagnose the faulty part of the system.

If anyone can provide any assistance I'd be very grateful

[JFreak]

Hi, welcome to the community.

I suspect (regretfully) that you have a problem on one of the four loop sync BNC sockets, or one of the cables, so you should first try to troubleshoot if both boxes do work independently as they should. Then switch the order from top down and vice versa. Changing clocking cables should be a no-brainer and cheapest fix.

Point in making sure both boxes work independently means your problem is with clocking. Point of switching box order is in which direction the clocking signal is going. While loop sync needs to maintain a loop as the name implies, may tell you something about which connector may be broken.

And of course, if this is fixed simply by swapping cables, all the better.

[LDS]

I've heard reports of this before. An engineer/tech not far from me looks after a well kitted out university, and has suggested that they moved back to Avid HD I/Os. For whatever reason, they just couldn't get multiple Red interfaces to work nicely together in the same Pro Tools system.