Multiple soundcard & clocks ..->

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dev
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Dev

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I'm planning to use three soundcards for recording, cheapo sb's

I know that multiple soundcards will create a problem with the internal clocks, but how will it appear?

If it appears like, drums and guitars aren't in sync with each other, could i test it like this:



I'll install and configure cards so that they will record three tracks. I put mic on each card's mic input (uses same clock as line in, which is used on actual recording ?)

Then i'll put a metronome clicking and record same click to every channel for.. 4-5min. Then i'll listen these tracks for out-of sync problems.

Would problems appear that way?

I thought it was better to ask first...

Thankkaya,
Dev
 
Different software may handle it differently,but I can tell you my experience.I have n-track software on a PIII 600 w/128 meg RAM and 2 16 bit synced soundcards.
The two cards have to be clocked with the same crystal or you will get drift,usually audible within about a minute.In my case,I kept swapping cards untill I got a lucky match with a creative audio card and an ensoniq audio pci card.I have tested the sync on my system to be rock solid past 15 minutes.
A cleverer solution is like this;(the Keith Danials method) Windows won't normally let you use two of the same card because the identical drivers are both seen as the same card.Keith's solution was to go into one of the drivers and re-name it! So windows saw them as separate cards now (but sharing of course the same crystal from the same mfg).Presto,instant sync.
For further details do a search at the n-track forum at fasoft.com using keywords Keith and sync.He has details posted on his personal site about how to set up two ensoniq cards to sync.

Tom
 
wee

I tried, but I couldn't find matching posts. All i found was post by keith, but it had nothing to do with subject.

If he has a homepage or something, could you post the direct url for it?

Thanks!
Dev
 
You can't put 3 Sound Blasters in a PC and expect them to work. The drivers won't know which piece of hardware to talk to. With SB Lives, you can run two in a machine if you use APS drivers for one of them. You could use three different cheapo cards, possibly, but then there's the clock issue already mentioned.
 
excuse my ignorance here, but why would you want to use three sounblasters to record when the a/d converters are not that great on the soundblaster? or are you using the digital input?
 
Dev,

Multiple soundcards will each have their own clock, if you are using them at the same time, you may very well get digital noise (clicks and pops) which happens even though they are all set to the same sample (clock) rate (say 44.1 for example).

Did you ever hear the old saying "if you have 2 clocks, then you dont know what time it is"? same holds true with digital audio. With multiple clocks running simultaneously, eventually they get out of sync and samples will be skipped...the results are clicks and pops.

My advice would be to get pro level soundcards that can be clocked via Word Clock or Spdif and designate one as the master, which clocks the slave cards.

ET
 
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