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Tech Tip Of The Day: Word Clock Confusion

Is there any specific way my word clock should be run throughout my studio?

Provided by Sweetwater.

Q: I run a small recording studio, where I have a master mixdown deck that has a separate word clock input.

I usually go from my digital console through an outboard digital processor, and then on to my master mixdown deck.

Not terribly long ago, someone mentioned it would be a good idea to run a separate word clock cable to this deck for better performance.

Is this really important?

A: Interesting question! Arguably, it is of some importance to hook your master deck into the word clock, but the biggest benefit may come from better distribution of the clock itself.

There are a variety of subtleties that are beyond the scope of what can realistically be covered here. However, using separate word clock cables to connect your mixer to the processor, and then the processor to the recorder probably wouldn’t make much of a difference.

The word signal that’s included in the digital audio data will generally serve this function fine. However, running a separate cable from the mixer directly to the recorder and the Finalizer separately could make a significant difference.

There are so many other variables it’s hard to say for sure what your results will be, but the quality and stability of a word clock signal can (and usually is) degraded as it passes through multiple pieces.

In fact, an ideal setup for you would include a dedicated house sync generator combined with a distribution system (often the same device) that will deliver a high quality word clock signal directly to each digital device (mixer, recorders, etc.), without it having to pass through other devices along the way.

Not only will this help maximize your system’s ability to sound its best, but it can also help things be more stable..

As always, we welcome input from the PSW community and would love to know your feelings on word clock. Feel free to let us know in the comments below.

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