D/A ->Digital Component ->Digital Component->Analog Component->A/D ...So in this situation a clock would be needed? But most mastering engineers use all hardware anyway...I mean the rare System 6000 users audio routed to that I can see. So this would be a situation where a clock would be used?
In the context of home recording 99% of clocking angst is a complete waste of time.
I haven't needed to use separate word clock connection, even simply chaining from one device to the next, in years.
So...are you saying it's becuase you're using only a single digital device...or are you saying that even with multiple digital devices you just don't bother daisy chaining WC or using any master clock setup...?
Of course if I had multiple separate converters and/or multiple parallel devices something has to be the master and everything else has to be slaved to it...
I haven't needed to use separate word clock connection, even simply chaining from one device to the next, in years. The last time it was necessary was with a couple of ADATs, doing a transfer to the computer and the stupid Lightpipe connection didn't provide reliable clocking. Probably cheap optical cables or something, not my gear.
It's multiple ADAT connections that caused me to use a separate word clock. A single ADAT device can sync fine to another device via the ADAT signal but as soon as you get into multiple devices you either need a central word clock or a carefully worked out scheme of looping and terminating a coax from one to another.