Configuring the Audio Clock

To be able to use VST System Link, the clock signals on your ASIO cards must be synchronized correctly.

Prerequisite

For each computer in the network, the following must apply:

  • The correct audio driver is selected in the Studio Setup dialog.

  • The clock mode or sync mode is set up in the ASIO control panel of the audio hardware.

Procedure

  1. Select Studio > Studio Setup.
  2. In the Devices list, select the your audio hardware.
  3. Click Control Panel.
  4. Set one audio hardware to be the clock master and all other cards to be clock slaves. Consult the documentation if required.
    Important

    If you set up more than one card as clock master, the network cannot function correctly.

    However, if you use an external clock from a digital mixing desk or a special word clock synchronizer, for example, you must leave all your ASIO cards in clock slave or AutoSync mode and make sure that each of them is listening for the signal coming from the synchronizer. This signal is usually passed through your ADAT cables or word clock connectors in a daisy chain fashion.

Result

Typically, the ASIO control panel for an audio card contains some indication of whether or not the card receives a proper sync signal, including the sample rate of that signal. This is a good indication that you have connected the cards and set up clock sync properly. Check the documentation of your audio hardware for details.