The Digital X Bus provides control over some key MIDI parameters. These parameters affect your system’s ease of use and efficiency, and should be verified in the Setup Mix Options and Setup MIDI windows:

•MMC DEVICE ID: Some 8-track digital re- corders require that you define the device ID numbers used for each recorder in the MIDI Machine Controller. Typically, tracks 1–8 are device 0, tracks 9–16 are device 1, and tracks 17–24 are device 2, so these are the default set- tings.

•ONE BUTTON PUNCH: You can also select whether to press the PLAY and RECORD but- tons to enter record mode, or just press the RECORD button (One Button Record).

Note: We recommend leaving One Button Record off to provide an extra measure of safety in case you inadvertently press the RECORD button in the Transport Section.

•SONG OFFSET: Song Offset can be used to in- dicate the starting time deviation of a Standard MIDI File (SMF), referenced to absolute time code.

•TEMPO MAP: If you use a sequencer in your recording process, you can create a standard MIDI file from the song(s) you’ve recorded.

Copy the tempo map from the SMF to the Digi- tal X Bus and “synchronize” the X.200 display to the Bars:Beats:Ticks of the sequenced pro- gram. SMFs are loaded from a USB Flash drive.

Word Clock and the Digital X Bus — The Kitchen Sync

In order for all digital components to function together in unity, they must all move together, sample-by-sample, through the digital data stream.

Word clock is an incredibly important part of digital recording! The concept is simple: If multiple devices are synchronized together via word clock, they progress together through the digital data stream, one sample at a time. This is called sample- accurate sync.

Each system works in reference to one master device. Forty-eight thousand times a second (or whatever the common sample rate is) digital slaves keep track of the word clock status of the master device; they only output the next sample when the master device outputs the next sample.

This type of system provides very accurate synchronization. Incorporating a time reference,

like MTC, along with sample accurate sync enables

Owner's

 

time stamping of data changes, like start-stop time,

 

snapshot placements, real-time automation data,

 

etc. Hence, ultimately flexible and way cool automa-

 

tion capabilities of virtually every control on the

 

Digital X Bus! Yahoo!

 

The Sync card in your Digital X Bus provides a

Manual

means to send and receive digital word clock.

 

This card is used:

 

• When digitally combining the Digital X Bus with

 

a computer-based DAW, MDMs, video recorders,

 

etc.

 

• When the Digital X Bus must send or receive

 

word clock other than through ADAT lightpipe

 

or AES/EBU connections.

 

Sync data can transmit directly through ADAT

 

Lightpipe and AES/EBU connections. However, a

 

complete sync system needs two main ingredients:

 

•Word clock, sample-accurate sync. This is provided through the Digital X Bus optical or AES/EBU connections, and through the Sync card.

•Time reference to stamp automation data for accurate playback. This is typically provided through MIDI Time Code (MTC).

Proper Sync Connection

Every digital system needs a master sync source. The X.200 prefers to be the master source but will function as a master or slave. Follow these simple steps to help assure a successful digital setup:

•Determine which piece of gear is the master. The master must be able to generate proper word clock that can be read by all other digital equipment.

•Set all digital equipment to the exact same word clock rate—the X.200 can operate up to 192 kHz.

•Connect the word clock output from the mas- ter device to the word clock input of the slave devices. Each digital device connected to the digital audio chain must receive a common word clock source, either directly or from a slave.

•It is common procedure to chain word clock through digital devices. The X.200 can provide master word clock to a central word clock hub, then the hub can send to multiple digital slaves (DAWs, MDMs, digital effects, etc.).

•Set every slave device to respond to external word clock.

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