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Hi guys!

I have 2x 896HD connected via firewire to my PC. N ow I want to sync the two with a BNC wordclock cable. So they will be connected with firewire AND wordclock cable together. How can I tell the second 896HD that it should synchronize through BNC and not through firerwire?

Thank you very much!

Lemon

This is not possible. Under Windows, both interfaces share a single clock source.

exactly. you can have them hooked up this way but you'll need to change the settings on the units or through the driver interface so it will be one or the other: not both.

I'm sorry, it seems I was not clear enough. I know that only one 896HD can be the clock source, but I want the second unit to check for the clock source via BNC connection, and not through the firewire cable.

Lemon

lemon wrote:I'm sorry, it seems I was not clear enough. I know that only one 896HD can be the clock source, but I want the second unit to check for the clock source via BNC connection, and not through the firewire cable.

Lemon

1nput0utput wrote:This is not possible. Under Windows, both interfaces share a single clock source.

If one interface's clock source is internal and the other's clock source is word clock, then that's two clock sources, not one, isn't it? This is not possible under Windows. The second interface must synchronize to the first over the FireWire connection.

lemon wrote:I'm sorry, it seems I was not clear enough. I know that only one 896HD can be the clock source, but I want the second unit to check for the clock source via BNC connection, and not through the firewire cable.

Lemon

I don't think this is possible. I'm a Mac user and have a PCI based system, but what you're getting at is a subject that was explored on another thread. I had just ordered an external Lucid clock and some had advised using a "star" configuration, connecting each MOTU interfaces BNC word clock input jack to the external clock. However, the MOTU software allows you to only designate the word clock input of ONE interface to be the master. What happens is the "slave" MOTU audio interfaces synch up via the PCI-424 card and "Audio Wire." Multiple MOTU interfaces become sort of "one big interface" and you designate ONE word clock input on ONE interface which the rest of the system syncs to. Connecting the other interfaces' word clock inputs to the external master clock does nothing. It's just how the system is designed and apparently it's no different with other systems from what I've been told.

Again, I'm using PCI-based MOTU interfaces, but it may very well be the same for Firewire.

James Steele wrote:

lemon wrote:I'm sorry, it seems I was not clear enough. I know that only one 896HD can be the clock source, but I want the second unit to check for the clock source via BNC connection, and not through the firewire cable.

Lemon

I don't think this is possible. I'm a Mac user and have a PCI based system, but what you're getting at is a subject that was explored on another thread. I had just ordered an external Lucid clock and some had advised using a "star" configuration, connecting each MOTU interfaces BNC word clock input jack to the external clock. However, the MOTU software allows you to only designate the word clock input of ONE interface to be the master. What happens is the "slave" MOTU audio interfaces synch up via the PCI-424 card and "Audio Wire." Multiple MOTU interfaces become sort of "one big interface" and you designate ONE word clock input on ONE interface which the rest of the system syncs to. Connecting the other interfaces' word clock inputs to the external master clock does nothing. It's just how the system is designed and apparently it's no different with other systems from what I've been told.

Again, I'm using PCI-based MOTU interfaces, but it may very well be the same for Firewire.

Choosing a clock source for multiple MOTU FireWire interfaces is not the same as for a PCI-424 system. The four interfaces connected to a PCI-424 card always use a single clock source regardless of platform. Under Mac OS X, multiple FireWire interfaces can have independent clock sources. Under Windows, multiple FireWire interfaces must share a single clock source.

>Under Mac OS X, multiple FireWire interfaces can have independent clock sources.

why would you want that? wouldn't that lead to sync problems?


>Under Windows, multiple FireWire interfaces must share a single clock source.

which would be expected.

I think there is a confusion in that the OP is trying to connect both optically and firewire. And it sounds like he wants the bnc/optical to be the clock which the firewire handles the channels. While you can physically have the hook ups connected this way only the unit determined to be master through MOTU audio control panel i/o (firewire or optical) will determine the channel arrangement.

I'm wondering if there is a sync issue the OP is dealing with and the full details are missing from the post. I hope he realizes two units cannot connect firewire daisy chain and sync without other set-ups or 3rd party drivers.