Pro Tools and Radar - Sync Question

[StuartMac]

I've been running 48 tracks of Radar into an analog board for years, but I'm about to add an HD2 rig to the set-up as well. I just need to be sure what the best way to sync the two together would be.

In the past I've used MTC generated by the Radar to sync my DAW (Samplitude and Cubase SX) but it's not sample accurate. I want to use Radar's internal clock AND positional references, meaning I can use its Session Controller and have Pro Tools slave to it. The Radar has an LTC: SMPTE/EBU output on XLR; is this the best option to use with the Sync HD interface?

If I DO use this set-up, do I need to use the Loop Sync connections between the Sync HD unit and the convertor interfaces (eg Digi 192)? Does this therefore prevent me from using Lynx Aurora convertors, as they have no Loop Sync I/O or equivalent? Also, how quickly will Pro Tools lock onto the Radar - obviously I'm used to both Radars playing simultaneously the moment I press play!

I know I'm all over the place with this, and I apologise, but I want to be able to run both systems hand-in-hand seamlessly, and so far nobody seems very sure how that's best achieved.

Many thanks.

[Craig F]

quick and dirty:
Word Clock (WC) and Linner Time Code (LTC) out of the Radar into the Sync HD [a master clock (like Big Ben) driving both would be the next upgrade]
WC out of the Sync HD into your Lynx Aurora converters (some will say that everything should be clocked to a master clock)

Set Pro Tools Session Setup to clock to Word Clock and chase LTC, put the session on-line and everything should be good

Lockup time should not be to bad, Machine Control option could shorten it depending on what the Radar has in the way of 9 pin (P2) control

[Guy McDude]

I've been running 48 tracks of Radar into an analog board for years, but I'm about to add an HD2 rig to the set-up as well. I just need to be sure what the best way to sync the two together would be.

In the past I've used MTC generated by the Radar to sync my DAW (Samplitude and Cubase SX) but it's not sample accurate. I want to use Radar's internal clock AND positional references, meaning I can use its Session Controller and have Pro Tools slave to it. The Radar has an LTC: SMPTE/EBU output on XLR; is this the best option to use with the Sync HD interface?

If I DO use this set-up, do I need to use the Loop Sync connections between the Sync HD unit and the convertor interfaces (eg Digi 192)? Does this therefore prevent me from using Lynx Aurora convertors, as they have no Loop Sync I/O or equivalent? Also, how quickly will Pro Tools lock onto the Radar - obviously I'm used to both Radars playing simultaneously the moment I press play!

I know I'm all over the place with this, and I apologise, but I want to be able to run both systems hand-in-hand seamlessly, and so far nobody seems very sure how that's best achieved.

Many thanks.

Hi,
I think youre just trying to slave your PT rig to your Radar rig, while clocking the PT rig from the Radar?
If so, I would think of them as two separate units, in regards to your questions about loop sync, external convertors etc.

Get PT working how you want it to work natively, [external convertors etc], then just slave the whole rig to Radar.


not sure about the details of your PT rig, but this is is how I do it:


LTC out of master Radar, into LTC in of Sync I/O

WC out of master Radar, in WC in of Sync I/O

go to session setup in PT, and pick "ext WC" as your clock source, [make sure session set up prefs match the Radars]

put PT online, [apple J]

set up Radar to gen TC [again matching session set up prefs in PT]

start Radar, PT will chase


lastly,depending on how many separate digital devices you have, you may want to look at a WC distro unit.

not sure about the details of your rig, but that should get you pretty close, if not all the way there.



all the best,
Sean

[Drew Mazurek]

I did this for a while until I realized that I should just use PT full time. But, unfortunately, not before wasting a lot of time and money on setting it up and cabling etc. Just my 2 cents.

[bit mangler]

Do you have AES/EBU cards on the RADAR? If you have the card, you can pipe the AES/EBU to the Lynx Aurora Digital inputs.This way you are just using the RADAR converters & nothing else.

[StuartMac]

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

Drew, I'll be honest - so many people have told me I'll end up ditching Radar for Pro Tools permanently, but I find that hard to imagine! I just love the way it operates, even down to the Session Controller. The main question for me just now is whether or not I scale down to 24 tracks of Radar or keep running everything on Radar and just use Pro Tools for editing and extra tracks (and I almost never exceed the 46 tracks I currently use on Radar). I even use the Radar as my Master recorder.

That being the case, my main concern really is how quickly Pro Tools will latch onto the Radar's Time Code. Supposing I track the basic band tracks on 16 tracks of Radar or so, then dump them into Pro Tools, if I then use Radar for all the overdubs, it's going to be pretty horrible if it takes a couple of seconds each time I press play for the drums to kick in!

Interestingly enough, when I've done this in the past, I found Cubase SX locked much quicker than Samplitude using exactly the same set-up sync'd to MTC.

[Craig F]

if you really want to run them in tandem you should look at some form of motion controller, Sound Master being one such device but there are others
http://www.soundmaster.com/