Distortion when ADAT is on in loop

[sturoe]

I have a setup in which i am using my ADAT XT20 as a converter to an optical signal. Heres how is goes.. Guitar-Yamaha 02R-ADAT-Sonar. When the ADAT is on and i have it set to monitor and am listening through my monitors(playing guitar), there is some sort of distortion. It gets recorded, and i hear it when monitoring. When i turn the ADAT off and play live sound through the monitors, its non existant. This is very hard to explain and i hope you can make sense of it. Let me know what it could be..

 

[boingoman]

Try a different optical cable. If that doesn't work-

Bypass the ADAT, go direct from the 02R into the computer
Try an analog out on the ADAT straight into the computer

The idea is to isolate exactly where in the chain the problem is.

 

[Track Rat]

Look at what the sampling rates are set to on both the ADAT and the 02R. They have to match and the 02R should be clocking to the ADAT.

 

[sturoe]

I dont think the cable is an issue becasue it doesn't only happen when sound it being inputed into the computer, it also happens when live sound is being monitored. I also dont have the ability to use an adat sync cable either. I use the emu 1212m and am very satisfied so far. I made sure to set the sample rates are the same on the computer and ADAT, but i never thought about the board as well! i will check that tomorrow and hopefully thats it. If not i really dont know what else it could be. i have a second adat unit i could try aswell, so i will do that too. If that is a no go than i will have to get a REAL a/d/a converter

thanks and let me know if you think of anything else!

 

[Track Rat]

I'd bet that I'm right on this one. You've described the symptom to a T. In the digital world, the sending unit is always the clock MASTER and all recieving units have to SLAVE to that. The master always gets to put it into the slave (ain't it the way of the world??).