Synchronization - RME Audio Project Hammerfall DIGI9652 User Manual

The heyday of (expensive) SCSI hard disks in high-speed audio workstations is over. Today's
cheap high-capacity EIDE disks allow continuous transfer rates of well over 10 MByte per
second. In practical terms, this is more than enough to record up to 24 simultaneous tracks
using Cubase and Hammerfall!
However, the hard disks have to work using Busmaster drivers. To activate the EIDE
Busmaster mode in Windows 9x, open the Device Manager (Control Panel/System). Double-
click on 'Disk drives', then on the required hard disk(s). Select 'DMA' in the Properties dialog,
then restart Windows. Under Windows 2000/XP busmaster operation is default.
The Buffer Size value in Hammerfall's Settings dialog determines the latency (in this case the
delay) between the audio application and the Hammerfall as well as general system stability.
The higher the value, the more tracks can be recorded and played back simultaneously and the
longer the system takes to react. At the given maximum of about 0.2 seconds, you will not
notice much delay at all - the system will still respond quickly and smoothly.
Present systems are mostly unable to use the 1.5 ms mode without audible clicks. Current PCs
can handle 3 ms. For optimum reliability we recommend setting the highest latency possible,
186 ms.

13.3 Synchronization

To achieve sample-accuracy between
the ADAT recorder and Hammerfall
while running Cubase, connect the
ADAT sync output with the 9-pin D-
type sync input of the DIGI9652.
The 'Time Code' field in the Settings
dialogue should now show the same
position as the ADAT recorder.
Double-clicking on the Sync button in
Cubase's transport panel will open the
'Synchronization' dialogue.
ASIO 2.0 as the timecode base (under
Sync Source), confirm the dialogue
with 'OK', then activate Sync mode by
(single) clicking on the Sync button.
If synchronization is not working i.e. Cubase does not respond when the ADAT is set to 'Play',
please try the following:
Check the cables
Switch Sync off and on again (in Cubase's transport panel)
Select 'Reset Devices' from the Options menu.
Switch on the ADAT recorder(s) before starting Cubase
Use the BRC as Master and send its word clock to all other devices
Select
User's Guide DIGI9652 © RME
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