Question on Optical Connectivity

[Freudian Slip]

I currently have a Echo layla 24/96. I am looking at getting a JM twinQ and I was wondering. It looks like I should be able to hook the twinQ to the Layla via adat connector and use it as an additional 2 inputs on top of my eight anolag ins. ?? Also (and I am very ignorant on this) do I need a word clock generator to sync these together? I currently set the layla to internal clock and my software to audio. I think I might need to switch the software to internal as well?

Any thoughts? I'm hoping it's just that simple.

Thanks for any help.

 

[AlexW]

I'm not familiar with Echo/Layla unit or the Joe Meek, but in general it should work if the Joe Meek has an ADAT out and the Echo Layla has an ADAT in. You might want to check to make sure both are ADAT compatible as the other optical format is S/PDIF which I believe is only 2-channels--suitable for what you're trying to do but not compatible with something expecting an ADAT optical input signal.

You will need to sync the two units. See if the Joe Meek is capable of receiving an external clock signal. If not, you may need to set the Echo Layla to external sync and have it track to the optical signal from the Joe Meek.

 

[Freudian Slip]

Thanks

Thanks AlexW

The layla says this:
24 bit optical and coaxial S/PDIF digital I/O and ADAT optical digital I/O

The twinQ says this: S/PDIF format is available from the optical and RCA phono connectors,

So It looks as if I would have to go with the s/pdif optical to mate them up.

I take it from your comment I should not have to purchase an external clock and that the signal it's self contains a time code?

As long as I can record the spdif and the analog inputs at the same time and have them sync I am a happy man

Thanks for all the help

 

[AlexW]

Cool. If the TwinQ only has digital output then you're probably stuck syncing to it. Not sure how great the clock is in the Layla so this may not be a big deal. Once you're done tracking you can switch the clock back to internal. If the TwinQ doesn't have an external clock source input then a separate clock won't do you any good in any case.

 

[Raw-Tracks]

Thanks AlexW

The layla says this:
24 bit optical and coaxial S/PDIF digital I/O and ADAT optical digital I/O

The twinQ says this: S/PDIF format is available from the optical and RCA phono connectors,

So It looks as if I would have to go with the s/pdif optical to mate them up.

I take it from your comment I should not have to purchase an external clock and that the signal it's self contains a time code?

As long as I can record the spdif and the analog inputs at the same time and have them sync I am a happy man

Thanks for all the help

A quick glance at the Joe Meek web site tells me that the TwinQ will be the word clock master unless there is a word clock signal connected to it's wordclock input. So, if you just connect either an optical or coaxial S/PDIF cable out of the TwinQ and into your Layla, your Layla will need to be set to external synchronization. You do not need to have an additional wor clock generator. The optical on your Layla sounds like it can be either ADAT or S/PDIF format, it will be software selectable. So you can use either optical or S/PDIF, whichever suits you.

Finally, please not that Word Clock is not Time Code. Time code provides information to synchronize 2 or more devices on a time line, if you will. Word Clock is simply acting like a metronome. Think of it this way, if you yourself could read timecode while playing a song in a band, you would know when the chorus comes, when the chord changes, etc. Everybody in the band could play together and be in the same place in the song. If you were just listening to word clock, you would all be playing at the same tempo, but one guy might be playing the 3rd bar of the first chorus, while you are playing the 5th bar of the last verse.

 

[Raw-Tracks]

Quick note, I just glanced at the Layla-3G on Echo's site. Not sure if all version of the Layla had word clock out, but if your Layla has word clock out, you can connect a clock cable from the out of your Layla to the in on your Joe Meek. Then you will not have to change the internal/external clock setting for you Layla, and the Joe Meek will clock your Layla.

Which way is better, clocking with the Joe Meek or the with the Layla? Probably about a horse a piece. But hey, give it a try both ways and see if you notice a difference either way.

Good Luck!

 

[Freudian Slip]

Thanks for all the info Raw-Tracks. That explains a lot. It does look like my layla has word clock out & in and that the Twin-Q only has a in. So it looks like I would use internal on the layla.

I thought that the word connectors on the layla were only for daisy chaining multiple units. I did not know it transmitted it's own signal.

I always see stand alone clocks in catalogs. I guess you only need one if you are using multiple interfaces and want to sync them all to one central unit..?

What you said about time code VS word clock makes sense.

thanks for taking the time.

F.S.