Need help configuring D8B...

[BrianJ]

Hey guys! Ok, I just got my RME HDSP 9652 interface for the PC and I hooked up all 6 optical lines to my threes OPT-8 cards. I opened the RME software/mixer but I don't see any level getting through to it...

I'm a little confused on how the optical connections work together...what settings need to be set on the D8B? What settings need to be set in the RME software? Is there a step-by-step guide for something like this? I've spent hours pouring over the D8B manual I have and the RME manual and I'm no further ahead than I was when I started, and I'm completely frustrated...

Can anyone point me in the right direction with this? Thanks guys...!

Brian

[Crash]

What is your clocking scenario like?

[BrianJ]

I have the Apogee clock card in the D8B, and the RME has a good clock...which one should I be using to sync with?

[Crash]

As long as you have it sorted out and locked, you are probably splitting hairs as to what is a better master in this set up. I was just trying to make sure you had a clocking scheme of some sort that was working at all, that was the reason for my question. Is this the card set up that Moshwitz was selling? If so, I would hit him up and see how he is doing it. The area of unknown for me is the card.

[BrianJ]

Ok, I apologize, I need to give more information...

This is the first time trying to setup the D8B, it's got firmware 3...i have all the in/outs from my 3 Opt-8 cards going to the RME hdsp9652 (not the actual one from Moshwitz, but the same model). I don't have any clock signal plugged into the D8B or the RME at all...which I assume is my problem. I'm coming from a Roland VS2480 and it used the optical line itself to clock with so that's what I'm used to...I've never used an actual clock like this before.

On the D8B side, what all does it need to see? If it's a slave, I'll go from the rme out to the apogee in and vise-versa if it's a master? Does the how can I tell when the D8B is locked? Do the 24 channels automatically route themselves to the opt8 cards in/outs?

I know this is alot of questions, I'm just confused about how to set it all up...I've looked in the manual I have for the D8B, but i think it's a version 2 manual and I couldn't find what I was looking for...

[Crash]

Ok, I apologize, I need to give more information...

This is the first time trying to setup the D8B, it's got firmware 3...i have all the in/outs from my 3 Opt-8 cards going to the RME hdsp9652 (not the actual one from Moshwitz, but the same model). I don't have any clock signal plugged into the D8B or the RME at all...which I assume is my problem. I'm coming from a Roland VS2480 and it used the optical line itself to clock with so that's what I'm used to...I've never used an actual clock like this before.

On the D8B side, what all does it need to see? If it's a slave, I'll go from the rme out to the apogee in and vise-versa if it's a master? Does the how can I tell when the D8B is locked? Do the 24 channels automatically route themselves to the opt8 cards in/outs?

I know this is alot of questions, I'm just confused about how to set it all up...I've looked in the manual I have for the D8B, but i think it's a version 2 manual and I couldn't find what I was looking for...

If you have not run any BNC to clock than that is an issue. No clock means no audio. You just need to go out of the RME to the in of the Apogee card on the d8b. No need to go the other way. If your d8b is not getting clock signal you will see an alternating *? in the VFD window, right side. Boot the d8b first before you introduce external clock signal to the console.

You need to go to the digital I/O window of the d8b to see the clock settings and sample rate. You will also see a locked message there if it is all going to plan, otherwise lock error. Page 110 of the v.3 manual shows it all. It is probably still on the Mackie website somewhere as a PDF. I am of no help with the RME side of things. Since Moshwitz is running the same set up more or less, I would hit him up with exact settings.

...and no need for apologies.

[Crash]

Here is the V3 manual... It says V3 on the website but it looks to be V.2, which is why you are not seeing much in the way of external clocking info.

http://www.mackie.com/pdf/d8b_om.pdf

..and the V5

http://www.mackie.com/pdf/d8bv5_om.pdf

page 132 here will be of interest to you.

[Casey_Pittman]

Under one of the menu Items at the top of the RME card mixer will be a MATRIX option. This will open up the routing matrix. I would actually never touch this and leave it patched 1->1. As long as your optical cables are connected correctly and your DAW is set-up for it you should be good to go. Any patching back and fourth will be done in the DAW of your choice.

But first, yes, you must clock the card to the d8b. Troubleshooting anything else before this is done is meaningless.

-Casey

FYI you have my same hardware set-up. As for your DAW, you never said......or did you?

[BrianJ]

Thanks guys...I'm at work right now so I'm checking the forum on my iPhone from time to time...

On the v3 manual, I clicked on the first link you gave Crash, and I didnt see page "110", I saw a setup on page 3-12, is this what you are talking about? If so, what should those settings be?

Casey...! Good to here you have the same setup...! I'll be using both reaper and Cubase...but I'm just now trying to get the RME to see the optical outputs...haven't even gotten to the DAW to start configuring yet...I obviously dont have it hooked up right cause I'm not even using a clock right now, but I will hook that up as soon as I get home...I just need to know what to set the D8B to and where to set it...

[Crash]

On the v3 manual, I clicked on the first link you gave Crash, and I didnt see page "110", I saw a setup on page 3-12, is this what you are talking about? If so, what should those settings be?

The page 110 is from where I found it in a hard copy I happen to have. I think the "V3" link I gave you is really a Version 2 manual. I think it was mislabled on the Mackie website, this is why you can't find anything on the Apogee clock card in it. Look around in the V5 manual and it will have all the pertinent info. The version 5 manual has actual page numbers...look at page 132 of that manual.