Syncing Digital Audio in Sonar to Mackie HD24

I want to sync my digital audio tracks in Sonar 4 to my Mackie HD24. My Mackie must be the master though, but I can't get it to work; what am I doing wrong? Tips, Suggestions, Advice?

Thanks,
Rock

What sound card do you have ? Also are you talking about time / position sync or sample rate clock sync or both ?

ORIGINAL: R247

ORIGINAL: ohhey

What sound card do you have ? Also are you talking about time / position sync or sample rate clock sync or both ?

Thanks for the reply. I'm trying to get sample rate clock sync with a Edirol 2496 sound card. It tracks fine with the Mackie as the master but when I record digital audio in Sonar 4, it will not track properly. The audio becomes garbled, speeds up, distorts, etc....

Rock

That interface has word clock in so you can use that. Connect the Word clock out of the HDR to the Word clock in on the Edirol and set the Edirol to get clock from the word clock input. You will need a BNC word clock cable to do this. However, this should not be needed unless you have a digital audio connection between the HDR and the Edirol.

Before you go to all that trouble check the sync settings in Sonar and make sure it's set to trigger and flywheel. You can only use chase lock if Sonar is only doing MIDI. Unless you have some type of digital audio connection between the HDR and the Edirol that should do it.

By the way are there any other digital items that need to share the clock like a digital mixer or are you mixing analog ?

ORIGINAL: Sbax

R247,

Listen to ohhey. He helped me out of a frustrating sync problem.

Woo Hoo ! I'm glad to know I helped someone after over 3900 posts..

ORIGINAL: R247

There are not other digital devices. I tried what you said but there is no Word Clock Out on the HD24; only Midi Out and Adat Sync Out. So, of course it didn't work :) Also, my sync settings are correct (using trigger and flywheel).

Anything else?
Rock

Do you not have anything in the slot labeled sync, Like in this photo ?

http://www.mackie.com/home/showimage.html?u=/products/hdr2496/images/HDR2496rear.jpg

Maybe that was an optional card but I thought it was standard. That bottom BNC connector on the Sync card is the Word clock out. That should go to the Word clock in on the Edirol.

ORIGINAL: R247

No, I do not have any slots. I have a Alesis HD24 Adat not a HDR24/96; that would explain the possible difference :)


I do have a data sync out box that converts the Adat out signal to MIDI out. Would that be a possible solution.

Rock

Ok, hold on let me donwload the manul to that one. Is your sync box a JL Cooper DataSYNC ?

ORIGINAL: R247

Yes, it is a JL Cooper DataSYNC...

Thanks,
Rocko

Ok, it looks like the Alesis only has Word clock In so you will have to let the Edirol be the master sample rate clock. Connect the Wordclock out of the Edirol to the Word clock in on the HD24. You shouldn't even need the JL Cooper becuase the HD24 already has MIDI out with MTC on it. However, one might work better then the other.

The important thing to understand here is that the two are not related at all. MTC over midi is a way to let one device or program control the transport of another. This is timeline position sync. Either one can be the master no matter what the sample rate clock settings are.

The "other" type of sync here is the sample rate clock. All this does is make sure the converters of each device spit out each sample at exactly the same time preventing pops and clicks. Important note !!! The Sonar project MUST be the same sample rate as the HD24 is set for. They will be using the same clock. For example you can't have your Sonar project set for 44.1 and run the HD24 at 48k. That won't work. The master clock deivce (word clock out) sets the sample rate for the other deivce so your project must be set to that and the other device must be able to do that sample rate. In this case you need to set the HD24 to the sample rate of the Sonar Project since the HD24 can only get clock in. Again this will not affect your ability to use MTC to control Sonar transport the other direction, they are completely indenpendent.

ORIGINAL: R247

Thank you for that very informative reply. Ok, I tried what you reccomended...still no luck :(
It is working but just with MIDI; I removed the audio track from Sonar and it works flawlessly; once I put any audio track back in, it will not chase properly or not at all. I get an SonarPDR.exe error almost everytime and shuts down.

Rocko

Set the sync type in Sonar to "Audio" and if you have more then one sound card make sure the Edirol is the only one selected in Audio Options. Also, remember you can't "chase" when you have audio tracks you can only trigger and flywheel. It's been a while since I've done this but it has to be one of the sync settings.

ORIGINAL: R247

I must use the Adat HD24 as the master not Sonar.

Here is my setup which worked in the past in Sonar 3:
HD24 (MTC Out) to Sound card(Midi In)

Sonar Sync is set to MTC. It worked fine with MIDI and Audio in version 3. I just can't get it to work in version 4.03. I get that error and a freeze up/shutdown

Rocko

Hum... it should work exactly the same in 4.0.3.. I havn't tried it in that version but I don't know of anything that has changed. Do you remember what settings you used in verison 3 ?