DP88 hook up -help -Jim Rosebery and others-see last post.

[Michael Fogarty]

Yes, hi. I would like to try hooking up my DP88 (a gift).  Beautiful hardware. I had the original Digimax and then the one they came out with after that after that about 15 years  back. Heavy hardware, very clean pre-amps, but as changes come, we parted ways. I always liked their pre-amps and it is what came my way so kept smiling and making music.

I used to hook up them up  through their analog ins and outs into my MOTU analog ins - no pipes this time Danny Boy. Just felt good and I hate crackles and latency issues.  But alas, the DP88 doesn't have analog outs. So, I am destined to try to get it to be happy with a blue light. I have either an RME Babyface or a MOTU Ultralite MKIV to plug it into. They both are supposed to happy with these blue lights. I have the light cables.  I don't really understand word clock or if its needed. I am a player first, and dabble in computers and electronics. Emphasis on dabble. I am happy to grasp what I can.   Has anyone tried it or own one, or knows someone that owns one? Are there going to be latency issues or rice crispies?  I saw a tutorial on YouTube how to do it, but it was a guy hooking up a live performance with two of them in tandem and I got lost. Basically I want to know what to look out for and the basic hook-up. It  doesn't have to be a DP88.  Any ADAT unit that you have had success at low latencies through Cakewalk. Do I use sympte? (that was a joke really. I know a little bit.)

Also, on a side note,  If anybody happens  to use a Studio 192  (gifted)  I would be very curious if you ever got it to work? I love the sound again, but it has proven latency issues with any DAW that isn't Studio One. I had to purchase other interfaces for that reason. I am a keyboard player and the majority of my productions, unless I am collaborating, are composed with large library VST's like Omnisphere, NI, Ravenscroft, Scarbee's. So latency is life when I am tracking.  I found out through my trial and error and many other chaps and gals online that that its a hardware flaw and it can't be fixed.  But does it work for you? I am forever loaning it to a kid down the street that only records acoustically so he is a happy camper. It is a pretty pricey unit and sounds great- great DSP and eq. and you don't have to be online to use like my MOTU unit (is there a way around that? Oops - another thread.) Ok, hope you have a good weekend. It's Sunday night here in Japan and I am off tomorrow. Appreciate you all.

PS - I would be happy with a YouTube link -but it has to be dumbed down. Sorry.

Edited August 14, 2021 by Michael Fogarty

[Jim Roseberry]

Hi Michael,

Lightpipe carries embedded word-clock.

When connecting two pieces of gear (digitally), they both need to be running from the same clock-source.

If each are running on separate clocks, you'll hear small pops/ticks when the digital audio streams are merged.

You'll have to choose either the Audio Interface... or the DP88 as the word-clock "Master".

Have the other device (word-clock "Slave") look to its lightpipe input for word-clock.

(The word-clock "Slave" must have lightpipe routed to its lightpipe input... and that's where it'll look for word-clock sync.)

[Jim Roseberry]

I use an Arturia Audio Fuse 8 Pre (connected via lightpipe) to provide more analog I/O for a Fireface UFX+.

In my case, I have the Audio Fuse 8 Pre look to its lightpipe input (word-clock "Slave")

The UFX+ (which is the word-clock "Master") is sending lightpipe (embedded word-clock) to the Audio Fuse 8 Pre.

If I change sample-rates in the RME Fireface UFX+, the Audio Fuse 8 Pre automatically follows.

[Michael Fogarty]

1 hour ago, Jim Roseberry said:

I use an Arturia Audio Fuse 8 Pre (connected via lightpipe) to provide more analog I/O for a Fireface UFX+.

In my case, I have the Audio Fuse 8 Pre look to its lightpipe input (word-clock "Slave")

The UFX+ (which is the word-clock "Master") is sending lightpipe (embedded word-clock) to the Audio Fuse 8 Pre.

If I change sample-rates in the RME Fireface UFX+, the Audio Fuse 8 Pre automatically follows.

thank you Jim.

[Michael Fogarty]

Jim, I'm back. Trying to use my DP88 with my MOTU Ultralite Mk4 and setting it up like you, but getting pops. Upon further research, it seems the AVB MOTU units don't have word clock. Does that mean if I want to use it (or with my Babyface (not pro - the old one) I would have to set the DP88 to internal and the Interface (MOTU or Babyface) to sync?

 

PS -tried it and it works. No pops. Amazing.

PSS -tried it again and the pops are back. Hmm.

PSSS - I need to be using two digital cables right? One for the MOTU out to the DP88 in and one from the DP88 out to the MOTU in?

PSSSS -am going to try the Babyface now. Have found no solutions sfor the MOTU.

PSSSST-the Babyface works. No outstanding Pops -spikes. But noisy floor. 

Edited August 14, 2021 by Michael Fogarty

[Jim Roseberry]

When you're connecting two devices digitally (via Lightpipe), the both must be sharing a single/common clock source.

That means either the audio interface or the DP88 must be the master clock.

Once you've decided which is the master... the other unit must look to its Lightpipe input port for word-clock.

(Word-clock is imbedded in Lightpipe)

Once both devices are running from a single/common clock, the small pops/ticks will be gone.

If you try to merge two digital audio streams... each running on a separate clock, you will always experience small pops/ticks/etc.

[Michael Fogarty]

16 hours ago, Jim Roseberry said:

When you're connecting two devices digitally (via Lightpipe), the both must be sharing a single/common clock source.

That means either the audio interface or the DP88 must be the master clock.

Once you've decided which is the master... the other unit must look to its Lightpipe input port for word-clock.

(Word-clock is imbedded in Lightpipe)

Once both devices are running from a single/common clock, the small pops/ticks will be gone.

If you try to merge two digital audio streams... each running on a separate clock, you will always experience small pops/ticks/etc.

Thanks for chiming in never got this working. Tried every possible combination. Presonus rep said the DP88 should be the master. Even tried using two cables, though you are not supposed to need to do that unless you are running at 192. Tried using the RME or the MOTU as the master. No go. Nothing worked. Ended up getting a DP 25 balanced connector. 

[Jim Roseberry]

A single Lightpipe connection has enough bandwidth to carry 8-channels of 44.1k/48k audio.

If you wish to work at 88.2k/96k, many devices allow you to use two Lightpipe ports together (called SMUX).

IOW, It takes two Lightpipe ports to achieve 8-channels of either input or output at 88.2k or 96k.

SMUX (88.2k or 96k) is the only reason you'd need two cables for either input or output.

 

If the DP88 was setup as word-clock master at 44.1k or 48k:

• You'd need the DP88's clock setting to be set to Internal
• You'd need a Toslink cable from the DP88's Toslink output to the MOTU's Toslink Input.
• Both the DP88 and MOTU Toslink ports would need to be set to Lightpipe (not optical S/PDIF)
• The MOTU would need to be set to receive word-clock from its Toslink input

As long as everything is properly functional, it has to work.  

These principles apply to any combination of gear connected via Lightpipe.

[Michael Fogarty]

22 hours ago, Jim Roseberry said:

A single Lightpipe connection has enough bandwidth to carry 8-channels of 44.1k/48k audio.

If you wish to work at 88.2k/96k, many devices allow you to use two Lightpipe ports together (called SMUX).

IOW, It takes two Lightpipe ports to achieve 8-channels of either input or output at 88.2k or 96k.

SMUX (88.2k or 96k) is the only reason you'd need two cables for either input or output.

 

If the DP88 was setup as word-clock master at 44.1k or 48k:

• You'd need the DP88's clock setting to be set to Internal
• You'd need a Toslink cable from the DP88's Toslink output to the MOTU's Toslink Input.
• Both the DP88 and MOTU Toslink ports would need to be set to Lightpipe (not optical S/PDIF)
• The MOTU would need to be set to receive word-clock from its Toslink input

As long as everything is properly functional, it has to work.  

These principles apply to any combination of gear connected via Lightpipe.

I wish it were true. That is the set-up I am using. The only thing that could possibly be different is that the MOTU doesn't have the actual word "Toslink" as an option. You have either internal, optical, SPDIF, or LTC. I have chosen optical. The fact it also doesn't work with the Babyface caused the Asian Presonus rep (who gave me the unit) to think that even though it shows that the DP88 is in sync, it is a hardware problem and it isn't actually syncing. It is one of the early units. But, because I know you know your stuff (and I thought I did) I will try it again at a later date. Thanks for taking the time. 

This is my favorite line --"As long as everything is properly functional, it has to work." 

[Jim Roseberry]

2 hours ago, Michael Fogarty said:

This is my favorite line --"As long as everything is properly functional, it has to work." 

?

It's a simple phrase... but certainly true

Tosklink the the optical port used to carry either Optical S/PDIF or Lightpipe.

I've used a LOT of different (Tosklink) Lightpipe/Optical-S/PDIF based gear over the past three decades (digital mixers, audio interfaces, external converters, keyboards, etc).  It's always worked.  If something is defective, that's an entirely different matter.