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mr_es335
10-16-2012, 07:34 AM
Hello,

Working with my new rig last evening with someone who was assisting me with the audio configuration.

I connected a mic to input 1 on the ADA8000 and I started to get an intermittent clicking noise. The mic is a Beyer Dynamic TG V35d - using it simply for dialog with the audience - so nothing fancy at all.

I shut down SAC, looked at TotalMix and I noticed the clicking there as well. Powered down the speakers, and turned off the ADA8000 - it was still there. The only solution was to reboot the system.

So, I am not sure if it is the mic, the ADA8000 or the audio card (RME DSP9652)? I am running at 4x64 and everything has been great up until last evening. I also noticed that I was getting more slipped buffers than usual.

I will do some more testing today.

Any ideas?

Bob L
10-16-2012, 10:32 AM
Make sure the RME is set to master or internal clock... the ADA set to ADAT sync.

If you have more than one RME card, you have to properly sync the clock between those units as well... only one can be the master.

Bob L

mr_es335
10-16-2012, 02:50 PM
Hello,

This is the idental setup to SAWStudio, at least as far as the card and DAC are concerned.

RME, Clock source: Internal
ADA8000: ADAT In

NoFear13X
10-16-2012, 10:55 PM
What version of SAC? I recently had a similar issue of clicking and digital distortion with SAC for over an hour and finally realized my CPU usage was pegged at 99%. Shut down the SAC engine and turned it back on, right back at 46% like it usually is. Now I haven't been able to duplicate the problem since, so I didn't bring it up, but if you're on 3.0, maybe there's a new bug? Again, unless it happens to me again, I'll just blame it on Obama or something...

Mattseymour
10-16-2012, 11:12 PM
If you're seeing it in totalmix then SAC is out of the picture. It does sound like a clocking issue. Could be the card didn't initialise properly. Who knows.

hkmorgan87
10-17-2012, 12:36 AM
Are you running just the one ada8000? I have had the same issue with an ada8000. First I tried reconnecting the optical cable. No help. Way back in the day on the sac forum, I remember reading about the clock switch on the back of the unit having issues. I moved the switch to another position then back to adapt sync and that fixed my issue.

However that is also the sign of a failing behringer.

marcus
10-17-2012, 03:30 AM
What version of SAC? I recently had a similar issue of clicking and digital distortion with SAC for over an hour and finally realized my CPU usage was pegged at 99***37;. Shut down the SAC engine and turned it back on, right back at 46% like it usually is. Now I haven't been able to duplicate the problem since, so I didn't bring it up, but if you're on 3.0, maybe there's a new bug? Again, unless it happens to me again, I'll just blame it on Obama or something...

I actually had the same thing happen, exactly, i had to hard reset the computer to get any response from the computer. Only had it happen once and not again, and haven't been able to replicate it. SAC version 3.0

mr_es335
10-17-2012, 07:05 AM
Hello,

It is not definitley NOT SAC...it is either the ADA or the RME. The RME was used and shipped in a poor condition...and as I bought it from a store , I got the extended warranty on it (3 years).

The ADA is new and I an running just a single unit.

Last evening - 3 hours and no glitching - but I did notice slipped buffers. So I started with new edl's - I am glad I often "over-document things" - and that seemed to rectify that problem.

Does excessive "tweaking" of the audio signal cause such issues? That is only thing that was really different from anything I had previously done. Maybe, this caused excessive CPU spikes that caused the situation? Just thinking out loud - can not see THAT being the problem though.

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

dbarrow
10-17-2012, 07:59 AM
My guess is the ADA8000 is going bad. The power supply in those is poorly designed and runs really hot. Over time it cooks the unit. I have had four of those go bad. In a friend's rack we powered just the ADA's with a Japanese stepdown transformer that stepped down 120v to 100v. Those units are still functioning perfectly. On my own rack I upgraded to the Focusrite Optopre Dynamic mkII units. They run cool with regular AC voltage. Before that I had ART TubeOpto-8 units, which ran hot like the Behringers and developed the same issues.

Mattseymour
10-17-2012, 12:03 PM
Just re-read the original post. Did the troublesome signal continue in total mix with the ada switched off? If so it much be the rme card or a pc problem.

martiaudio
10-17-2012, 10:56 PM
it happened to me.. I double checked the master/slave and sample rate twice..

well I happen to look again it was a unmatched sample rate after all.. 44.1/48khz..
to me that proved that RME is a good card because on Protools one get far more than just an intermittent click..

Then I was crtain it was crappy ADA8000 dodgy phantom power ... but it is often just sample rate... I have no Idea why the RME card changed the sample rate itself which it did BTW..
Now I always check the card first when I am about to start..
If you need to change make sure to shut down SAC, and re open after changing then check again live.

Bob L
10-18-2012, 07:06 AM
If you set the RME card to internal or master clock, it will follow SAC's samplerate selection... so its very easy to change samplerate if and when you want to for different session formats.

Bob L

Frank DeWitt
10-18-2012, 07:44 AM
When I first built my SAC rig I did it with a old computer. I had lots of clicking. I learned that windows has a bad case of ADD. It will run for a bit and then go check to see if there is a CD in the drive. Click Then a bit later it checks for a internet connection Click. And many more.

I formatted the hard drive, installed windows then turned off everything I could find, then installed the MOTU drivers and SAC, no clicking ....... Until the ADA8000s started diing, but that is another thread.

So a quick check, Slide in a CD. Does windows spot it and pop up a menu? if so you have some things to turn off.

Frank