Word Clock config with the 4000

Can anyone help me configure Word Clock for the 4000.

I recently bought a DIGI 003 which has Word Clock capabilities and I want to track into Pro Tools, using either the MPC or the 003 as a master clock to avoid the glitches. I can't find information on how to properly set up in the MPC manual though and I am a bit of a noob when it comes to digital clocks.

Obviously there is just one space for the Word Clock cable on the 4K but the 003 has an in and out. Which one should the cable be plugged into and should you then set the clock in Pro Tools to Word Clock. I the MPC 'Digital out sync' as 'Word Clock' but with it like this I often don't get signal into Pro Tools, unless I switch to ADAT or something else. I reckon this is down to incorrect set-up on my part.

For the record I bought a quality new Word Clock cable so I don't think this should be an issue. Any help as always is appreciated.

adat has wordclock built in

i thought the converters were part of the charm tho...

Kalou wrote:Obviously there is just one space for the Word Clock cable on the 4K but the 003 has an in and out. Which one should the cable be plugged into and should you then set the clock in Pro Tools to Word Clock. I the MPC 'Digital out sync' as 'Word Clock' but with it like this I often don't get signal into Pro Tools, unless I switch to ADAT or something else. I reckon this is down to incorrect set-up on my part.

Manual says that the MPC workclock connector is an input.

You would connect the 003 wordclock output to the MPC wordclock input.

[WORDCLOCK IN] jack: This is a BNC jack for receiving a word clock signal from an external device. Use this when the MPC4000’s digital audio signal processing must be synchronized with that of an external digital recorder or digital mixer.

You would turn the wordclock termination switch on.

[TERMINATOR] switch: This is an on/off switch for word clock termination. If a word clock signal is being supplied from an external device to the MPC4000’s [WORDCLOCK IN] jack, you will normally set this to the ON position.

You would set the MPC Digital Out Sync option to WORD CLOCK, and set the Pro Tools to use the 003 internal clock.

Digital out sync field
Selects one of the following as the sync source for the digital audio signal output.
INTERNAL............Use the internal clock of the MPC4000.
DIGITAL IN...........Use the clock of the audio signal received at the [DIGITAL IN] jack. WORD CLOCK.....Use the clock signal received at the [WORD CLOCK IN] jack.
ADAT IN ................Use the clock of the audio signal that is being input from the optional ADAT interface card (IB-4ADT).

Alternatively, as 313 mentioned above, you could also use ADAT IN as the wordclock setting, with Pro Tools set to use the 003 internal clock, and not use the wordclock cable/input at all.

Thank you both, that's perfect and clear. Shame though, I thought the Word Clock would solve all issues so invested in that but it seems I could have done the same with the ADAT cable had it been properly configured.

Also clearly the information is there, I just find that manual difficult to decipher sometimes.

To sync digital audio with ADAT lightpipe, you need two ADAT lightpipe cables, one going out from the MPC into the 003, and one going out from the 003 into the MPC.

Wordclock over ADAT lightpipe can be a little unstable, with long/bendy lightpipe cable runs, is best to keep it as short as possible, and without tight bends in the lightpipe cable.

In some situations, it can be more stable to send wordclock over a coaxial cable, and the digital audio signal over the ADAT lightpipe cable.

SimonInAustralia wrote:To sync digital audio with ADAT lightpipe, you need two ADAT lightpipe cables, one going out from the MPC into the 003, and one going out from the 003 into the MPC.

Wordclock over ADAT lightpipe can be a little unstable, with long/bendy lightpipe cable runs, is best to keep it as short as possible, and without tight bends in the lightpipe cable.

In some situations, it can be more stable to send wordclock over a coaxial cable, and the digital audio signal over the ADAT lightpipe cable.

I will give that a go too.

SimonInAustralia wrote:To sync digital audio with ADAT lightpipe, you need two ADAT lightpipe cables, one going out from the MPC into the 003, and one going out from the 003 into the MPC.

Sorry, that is not totally correct.

You need two lightpipe cables to sync the MPC to the 003, with the 003 as the wordclock master.

You can use a single wordclock cable to sync the 003 to the MPC, with the MPC as the wordclock master.

Whichever way you do it, you want to make sure that the Pro Tools session is set to the same samplerate as the MPC.

[You can use a single wordclock cable to sync the 003 to the MPC, with the MPC as the wordclock master.]

Were you to go this route would the MPC be set to Word Clock or Internal and the same question for the 003.

With a single lightpipe cable, from the MPC ADAT lightpipe output, to the 003 ADAT lightpipe input, the MPC has to be the wordclock master, that means that the MPC has to be set to Internal Digital Sync, and the 003/Pro Tools has to be set to ADAT for it's clock source.

If you want to sync wordclock over coaxial cable, with a single ADAT lightpipe cable to carry the digital audio signal, then you would set the MPC to Word Clock Digital Sync, and the 003/Pro Tools set to Internal for it's clock source.