S/PDIF Input to 002 issue

[Megaman]

Hi Folks,

Did a bit of a search but couldn't find a post quite the same, so here goes...

I have been using a focusrite twintrak pro preamp as my main mic inputs to 002 desk unit using the s/pdif connections and with I/O settings as S/PDiF in input channels 9/10. Has been working well for years. I havent done much recording lately, but when i just tried today i coudlnt get any signal from focusrite pre to create a signal in the pro tools track. The focusrite appears to be working as i can get signal by listening via headphone in the focusrite unit. The 002/focusrite hardware setup hasnt moved so i dont think it would be a loose cable issue and have checked them all. The sample rate of the focusrite and the session are matched. I tried turning all hardware off/on but still no luck. Out of deperation i pressed the 002 standalone button, but then reverted back to normal mode and I momentarily got a signal into the pro tools session, however the signal was badly digitally distorted. As soon as i changed any of the playback settings (buffer, no. of processors etc.) the signal form focusrite s/pdif no longer registers in the track.

Does this problem ring any bells for anyone - any help would be greatly appreciated? Cheers.

[albee1952]

Go into the IO Setup page and select the INPUT tab. Take a look at the grid and inputs. Traditionally(with RCA=SPDIF) the SPDIF inputs are 17&18. Maybe you just need to redo the assignments. BTW, any time you import a session done on another system, it stands a good chance of changing your IO settings. While you are there, you might want to build up all the paths and label them as you like, and then save9Export Settings) as your studio IO setup. Then when you load a session from another studio, you can dump the changed IO and Import Settings to get yours all put back in place.

[Megaman]

Thanks for the thoughts Albee1952.

I checked the I/O settings and grid arangement again. For 002, the default settings for I/O are shown as Analog 1-8 and S/PDif 9/10. I had already built up my own I/O settings names as you suggested, and there are no overlapping I/O's, so i dont think the I/O assignments are the problem as it has been functioning under this arrangement before. Tried again this morning and still same problem, so i am still stumped. I wonder could it be 002 hardware related or some other setting issue?

[Eric Seaberg]

Do you have the SPDIF input set as the CLOCK MASTER? It must be!!! Just because you've got both devices set to the same sample rate doesn't mean SQUAT unless they're locked together.

[Megaman]

thanks Eric, yes i have the spdif input correct in the setting it has already been working for some years. i.e. optical setup as S/PDIF and actually clock source should be internal because not using the focusrite as the master.

Anyway, i played again with turning standby mode on and off on the 002 and lo and behold the S/PDIF channel started working again. Bizarre!
Thanks for the inputs guys. Hopefully it remains stable.

[albee1952]

"......clock source should be internal because not using the focusrite as the master."

One unit MUST be master or you will get clicks and pops when recording from the Focusrite.

[Eric Seaberg]

Agree with albee, whenever you use the Focusrite you must feed it wordclock from the 002, if the 428 has a wordclock input. If it DOESN'T have a WC input, then you have to make IT the master and the 002 locks to it.

Either way, one of the devices MUST be master and feed the other WC. You may not hear that it's not locked with typical music, but try feeding a 1kHz tone through the 428 when they're NOT locked and you'll definitely hear the problem.

[Megaman]

I probably didnt use the correct terminology as am just a hobbyuser. Anyway I do have the 002 feeding wordclock to the focusrite (i.e. in the hardware setup within pro tools it gives option of clock source as internal, s/pdif (rca) or optical). I chose "internal" as its the 002 which is the clock source. So i guess 002 is the wordclock master and focusrite is the wordclock slave. I have had it set to this and working troublefree without any audio artifacts whilst recording and can also use focusrite for latency free monitoring of the PT session (thru focusrite h/phone jack). I should point out that the focusrite has both DAC input and ADC output installed, so the DAC input is receiving PT session audio to the monitorign section of the focusrite, whilst the ADC output provides BNC wordclock. form the manual "if an external wordclock source is fed to the BNC connector, the twintrack pro will atttempt to synchronise it. when the unit is correctly locked to the external wordclock source, the ADC LOC LED will be illuminated"

I re-read the focusrite manual again and it explains that the focusrite unit shows an ADC lock LED that "illuminates whan the focusrite ADC is synchronisd to an external wordclock", i.e. the 002. If the session and focusrite are not synched then this doenst illuminate and also you get flashing LEDs on the 002 unit's sample rate indicator. Lights are illuminted correctly so pretty confident the wordclock/synch should be right as its worked before.

After succesfully recording last night (after i changed back and forth from standalone mode on the 002), today i tried to open same session and no signal is going into the same 002 track from focusrite. So i am wondering if it may point to a 002 hardware problem.

Anyway thanks for your thoughts and ideas. Thinking more it is 002 related - maybe the s/pdif input or outputs are faulty...hmmh?