Motu 828mk3 & Apogee Big Ben | HELP !!!!!!

[blaksmarshall]

Hello ... i was wondering if i could get help with a set up issue.

I am very to AD/DA conversion and im in the process of getting a Apogee Big Ben to clock my system

I have a Motu 828mk3 & Avalon 737

How would i connect these together & what cables would i use

Would it be

Avlon 737 >> BIG BEN
BIG BEN >>> Motu

im not sure how to do it..

If you do repy i really do appreciate it as im a little lost rite now

Thank you

[4stripes]

It doesn't make sense to have a Big Ben in your system. You only have one digital item. You should use the MOTU internal clock, that would be better than an external clock. You don't clock analog gear. What is your logic for buying a Big Ben? You may want to figure this stuff out before you go spending $1800 on something you don't really need.

[TinenTech]

The Apogee Big Ben is a word clock generator. It has nothing to do with the Avalon mic preamp at all. It can provide clock to your MOTU 828 interface in any of 3 different ways, but the best way is from a Word Clock output of the Big Ben to the Word Clock input of your MOTU 828. Use a BNC cable for this…they're also used for professional video signals, and one might come with your Big Ben.

Then, in the Setup menu of the 828, set "Clock Source" to "Word Clock In". You can do that from the front panel of the 828 itself, or from your computer.

It's worth mentioning that the Big Ben could also provide clock to the 828 via AES (using an XLR cable) or Optical (using an optical "ADAT" or "Toslink" cable), so if you're anxious to get started you can try those. That would "use up" your AES or ADAT inputs, though, just for clock, so use the Word Clock for what it's designed for so you can hook up another digital input to expand your 828. If you ever add those additional digital sources, though, they will also have to be "slaved" to the Big Ben using Word Clock BNC cables, or you'll have timing errors that you'll hear every few seconds as little pops or clicks.

The Big Ben manual will probably clear up any confusion. The 828 manual has some good illustrations as well. Good luck.

[TinenTech]

It doesn't make sense to have a Big Ben in your system. You only have one digital item. You should use the MOTU internal clock, that would be better than an external clock. You don't clock analog gear. What is your logic for buying a Big Ben? You may want to figure this stuff out before you go spending $1800 on something you don't really need.

4stripes, I agree with your common-sense approach.

Still, many people claim that external clocking makes an audible improvement in the sound of an interface, by lowering jitter. That has become less and less true over time as the crystals built-in to interfaces have improved, but it's still theoretically possible. MOTU says the Direct Digital Synthesis clock of the 828x has "imperceptibly low jitter characteristics (below the noise floor)" and I'm inclined to believe them.

A Black Lion Micro Clock is only $600 and probably does the job as well as a Big Ben, if not better…but I haven't done a listening test side-by-side. Their spec is "Jitter: Maximum 1 picosecond of intrinsic jitter, less than 10 picoseconds of accumulated jitter measured using a delta sigma averaging method." I couldn't find a spec for the Big Ben…which is a pretty old product.

Blaksmarshall, there are lots of other places to spend one's money that would give you more capability than an external clock would. For example, an 8 channel mic preamp with an ADAT output would add a lot more capability to the 828, if you ever want to record more than one or two microphones at a time.

[mikehalloran]

Still, many people claim that external clocking makes an audible improvement in the sound of an interface

You don't hear that one much anymore except from hardware manufacturers trying to sell you stuff.

What do your ears tell you?

There is definitely a place for external clocking but for only one device these days? No.

[HCMarkus]

I'm still waiting for an affordable external clock with variable clock output to allow VSO FX.

[mikehalloran]

I'm still waiting for an affordable external clock with variable clock output to allow VSO FX.

Now, if ol' Big Ben had that...

[HCMarkus]

I'm still waiting for an affordable external clock with variable clock output to allow VSO FX.

Now, if ol' Big Ben had that...

It does, but it ain't what I'd call affordable. An old Alesis ADAT tape machine is the least expensive method of which I am currently aware.

[TinenTech]

What do your ears tell you?

My ears heard a slight audible improvement with external clocking of with early digital gear from the 1992 era (e.g., Yamaha 02R), but, no, not anymore. By the second generation of ADAT (after the blackface ones, the XT and XT20) jitter didn't seem to be an audible issue in most digital mixers, recorders, and interfaces.

Having a house clock generator when you've got a more complex system, that's a different issue. Once there are four or more digital devices, and especially once video's thrown in there, a master clock just prevents weirdnesses. But MOTU has a hand in the video world, so they've always paid attention to timing (vs. some other companies).

Still, some engineers seem to swear they can hear a difference with the Black Lion clock. But then the power of suggestion can mislead us, and I doubt they've done a double-blind test.