trouble with ADAT. very frustrating. please help

[bill_cosby]

I have a Focusrite Saffire Pro40 (nice interface) and an M-Audio Profire 2626 (less nice, but still cool). What i would LIKE to do is use my Saffire as my main interface and expand using the 8 Preamps on the Profire and connect the two via ADAT. I have the two connected in and out with some toslink cables and have tried every configuration i can think of to sync these things up and it just doesn't want to work for me. I can use either one of them fine by themselves, but they don't seem to want to work together. Is there something special i have to do in my "hardware setup" in DP? It's VERY frustrating. Please, help.

[barreltone]

The optical input on the Saffire can be ADAT or s/pdif. Could it be set to s/pdif?

[bill_cosby]

yes, on both interfaces i can set the optical outs as s/pdif

[Aramis]

I have a Focusrite Saffire Pro40 (nice interface) and an M-Audio Profire 2626 (less nice, but still cool). What i would LIKE to do is use my Saffire as my main interface and expand using the 8 Preamps on the Profire and connect the two via ADAT. I have the two connected in and out with some toslink cables and have tried every configuration i can think of to sync these things up and it just doesn't want to work for me. I can use either one of them fine by themselves, but they don't seem to want to work together. Is there something special i have to do in my "hardware setup" in DP? It's VERY frustrating. Please, help.

Hello ! How do you clock those?

Normally, you have 2 solutions for that !

A word clock or the optical clock!

Aramis

[Aramis]

I have a Focusrite Saffire Pro40 (nice interface) and an M-Audio Profire 2626 (less nice, but still cool). What i would LIKE to do is use my Saffire as my main interface and expand using the 8 Preamps on the Profire and connect the two via ADAT. I have the two connected in and out with some toslink cables and have tried every configuration i can think of to sync these things up and it just doesn't want to work for me. I can use either one of them fine by themselves, but they don't seem to want to work together. Is there something special i have to do in my "hardware setup" in DP? It's VERY frustrating. Please, help.

Ok , I did that with MOTU interfaces!
Normally, your M-Audio Profire should be used in stand alone mode for that.
So your Focusrite should be connected firewirely to the computer and the Profire should only be connected with adat optical cables (2) to the Focusrite.
This way, the clocking between the M-Audio and the Focusrite is made by the optical cables.
For this, you need the 2 adat cables.
Do not connect the MAUDIO firewirely. That is were the clock is confused!
Tell me if it works!
Aramis

[bill_cosby]

aramis,

I have tried that setup. I also tried it backwards (profire connected via firewire, saffire in optical) on the off-chance that the saffire has a standalone mode. Alas: nothing. i really appreciate the help! thanks for posting. i haven't tried wordclock yet. i think i might go and get a cable. any other suggestions?

[bill_cosby]

aramis,

which interface should be the host in that setup you suggested? i might be going wrong there.

[Aramis]

aramis,

which interface should be the host in that setup you suggested? i might be going wrong there.

In my opinion, you should connect the Focusrite to the Mac across the firewire first.
Then, connect only the adat cables in between the Focusrite and the Profire.
In to out and out to in.
You should declare only the Focusrite in DigitalPerformer.
Forget about the world clock because I do not see any bnc connector on the Focusrite.
You should set the clock to internal in DigitalPerformer.
Now, on my setup. I need to tell in a Motu panel that there is something connected to the adat ports.
Maybe that s what you miss!
I do see a button called settings on the Focusrite mixer GUI on their site!
Aramis

[bill_cosby]

ya it's just not working. this is getting stupid. It certainly doesn't help that whoever designed the toslink connectors was a complete moron. They just fall out. Is it too much to ask for some kind of clicking connector? a magnet atleast? can i get an "amen?"
I appreciate the help. I'm just gonna buy something that was designed for 8 channel preamp to ADAT out.

[Aramis]

ya it's just not working. this is getting stupid. It certainly doesn't help that whoever designed the toslink connectors was a complete moron. They just fall out. Is it too much to ask for some kind of clicking connector? a magnet atleast? can i get an "amen?"
I appreciate the help. I'm just gonna buy something that was designed for 8 channel preamp to ADAT out.

Tell me more?

Aramis

[Aramis]

ya it's just not working. this is getting stupid. It certainly doesn't help that whoever designed the toslink connectors was a complete moron. They just fall out. Is it too much to ask for some kind of clicking connector? a magnet atleast? can i get an "amen?"
I appreciate the help. I'm just gonna buy something that was designed for 8 channel preamp to ADAT out.

Here is my advice!
Do not try to save money on those cables!
You need the correct ones!
It is very important because you do not want to search for the origin of sound artefacts in your recordings, right?

Aramis