Apogee AMBUS SDIF CARD User Manual
AMBus SDIF Card
Installing the AMBus Card
To install the AMBus card, first make sure the power is turned off. You may wish to keep the unit plugged
into a switched-off, grounded AC receptacle so as to minimize the chance of static discharge, and avoid standing on carpeting while carrying out this procedure. Keep the new AMBus card in its packaging until you are
ready to install. Now turn the unit around so you’re facing the back panel. Remove the plate covering an available AMBus slot. Ground yourself by touching a connector on the AD-8000 rear panel and unpack the card.
Insert the card until you feel it mate with the connector at the back of the card bay. Fasten the card in place
with the screws. You will need to remember the identification of the card slot (A-D) into which you have installed
the card.
SDIF, Sony Digital Multitracks and the AD-8000
The Apogee AMBus SDIF card provides eight channels of SDIF Input and Output via 25-pin D-connectors.
The Output connector is to the left of the card and the Input to the right. Both connectors are DB-25 Female
connectors so as to provide compatibility with the Tascam SDIF/TDIF converter .
Note: Be careful to connect the
connectors correctly!
Special wiring harnesses are available, one for output from the AD-8000 and one for input to the AD-8000.
These harnesses consist of a DB-50 connector on one end, to go into the SDIF connector on a Sony digital multitrack (a male DB50 to connect to the Sony output or a female DB50 to connect to the Sony machine’s input),
and three male DB-25 connectors on the other, to connect to up to three AD-8000s equipped with SDIF cards.
This means that each harness allows access to up to 24 Sony tracks. If you wish to use the AD-8000 in conjunction with other SDIF systems, please contact Technical Support for information on the pinout of the DB-25 connectors.
The SDIF AMBus card supports both the 4/24 and 6/20 Apogee Bit-Splitting modes. As a result, the following track configurations are possible:
Sony 3348HR: All tracks 24-bit (no bit-splitting)
Sony 3348: 24 tracks of 24-bit recording (4/24 mode) or 36 tracks of 20-bit audio (6/20 mode)
Sony 3324: 12 tracks of 24-bit or 18 tracks of 20-bit recording.
The 4/24 mode (four channels of 24 bits on eight 16-bit tracks) records the first 16 bits of a channel on the
first track, and the remaining bits on a subsequent track along with a tone to indicate that you shouldn’t be listening to it on its own! You can listen to the first track in each pair, but remember that the signal will only be
16-bit. This mode is compatible with Rane’s PaqRat system.
An advantage of the 4/24 modes is that you can record or overdub on an individual 24-bit channel, by recor ding on two adjacent odd/even tracks at the same time, without damaging any other tracks. This is not possible
with the 6/20 mode, which is more intended for multi-channel live recordings wher e subsequent individual channel overdubs are not required.
In any of the bit-splitting modes, the source resolution will be displayed as “24” in the source resolution display (above the SOURCE SELECT button).
The bit-splitting modes are selected by DIP switches on the top of the SDIF card, as shown below .
Note that
you will need to remove the card to change the switch settings. W e r ecommend that you turn the AD-8000
off to do so.
SDIF DIP Switch
Switch Function when ‘ON’
1 ABS 4/24 mode (PaqRat compatible)
2 ABS 6/20 mode
3 not defined
4 not defined
If both switches 1 and 2 are both ON or both OFF, then ABS is turned off.
The default setting is all switches OFF (“Open”).
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Word Clock configuration with the AMBus SDIF Card
SDIF requires Wor d Clock for correct operation. Ther e are two primary ways in which you can connect Word
Clock in conjunction with Sony digital multitracks, the SDIF card and the AD-8000.
Using the AD-8000 as the master
This is the preferred configuration as it uses the AD-8000 high-stability clock as the master clock for the
whole system. The disadvantage is that varispeed operation is not available.
Distribute Word Clock to the system as follows:
1 Define one AD-8000 as the master and set it to CRYSTAL at the desired sample rate. Set all other AD-8000
units and the Sony machine to lock to Word Clock In.
2 Connect a high-quality digital BNC cable (such as Apogee Wyde Eye AD) of the shortest reasonable length
to the WC OUT socket on the master AD-8000 and connect the other end to a 75Ω T-connector attached
to the WC IN of the next AD-8000.
3 Take another cable and connect it between the other leg of the T-connector and a T-connector on the WC
IN of the next AD-8000.
4 Continue this daisy-chaining operation until all AD-8000 units are connected.
5 Run a Word Clock cable from the spare leg of the T-connector on the last AD-8000 to the WC input on the
Sony digital recorder and terminate as required.
6 Insure that all machines except the master AD-8000 are set to lock to WC IN.
Using the Sony machine as the master
Use this configuration only if you require varispeed operation on the Sony multitrack, as it relies on the Sony
clock instead of the AD-8000 high-stability master clock. However, the incoming word clock signal is reclocked
by the first AD-8000 in the chain for maximum stability and jitter-free operation.
Distribute Word Clock to the system as follows:
1 Set all AD-8000 units to lock to Word Clock In. Set the Sony machine to its internal clock.
2 Connect a high-quality digital BNC cable (such as Apogee Wyde Eye AD) of the shortest reasonable length
to the WC OUT socket on the Sony machine and connect the other end to the WC IN of the first AD-8000.
3 Connect a cable to the WC OUT socket on the master AD-8000 and connect the other end to a 75Ω T-con-
nector attached to the WC IN of the next AD-8000.
4 Take another cable and connect it between the other leg of the T-connector and a T-connector on the WC
IN of the next AD-8000.
5 Continue this daisy-chaining operation until all AD-8000 units are connected.
6 Connect a 75Ω terminator to the open leg of the T-connector on the last AD-8000.
7 Insure that all machines except the Sony recorder are set to lock to WC IN.
Emphasis and De-Emphasis
The DAC-2 and DAC-8 D/A converter cards for the AD-8000 will apply de-emphasis automatically when
required. On the DAC-2, set SW3 to ON to disable automatic de-emphasis. On the DAC-8, SW2 set to ON will
disable automatic de-emphasis sensing.
The AD-8000 and the SDIF card do not implement pre-emphasis on recording. If you attempt to overdub
on a track which was previously recorded with emphasis, the Sony recorder will indicate an error.
More on ABS Bit-Splitting Formats
There are two ABS formats. The first mode allows
up to four simultaneous 24-bit channels
to be recorded
across eight 16-bit tracks. This mode is compatible with Rane’s PaqRat system, and thus permits replay of tracks
previously recorded with an Apogee AD-1000 Platinum Edition system.
In this mode, each 24-bit channel is recorded on two adjacent 16-bit tracks. The 16 most-significant bits of
the first 24-bit channel are recorded on the first track of the pair, while the remaining eight bits are recorded
on the second track. The remaining eight bits of the second track are used to record a tone to indicate that this
track was not designed to be monitored on its own (as a result, even numbered tracks always have signal present on record). The odd-numbered tracks, however, may be monitored if desired (bearing in mind that they will
only deliver 16-bits of resolution).
VERY IMPORT ANT: When using this mode, ensure that UV22 is turned off
on the AD-8000 channels you are using.
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A benefit of the 4/24 bit-splitting mode is that each of the four high-resolution channels can be re-recorded
or overdubbed upon, simply by placing two adjacent odd/even tracks of the machine in record.
The third mode allows up to
six simultaneous channels of 20-bit audio
to be recorded on a set of eight 16bit tracks. The first 16 bits of the first three channels are recor ded on tracks 1, 2 and 3. The five least-significant
bits of these three channels are recorded on track 4. The first 16 bit of the second three channels are recorded
on tracks 5, 6 and 7 with the LSBs on track 8. This mode is designed for simultaneous and multi-channel surround recording, and as a result it is only possible to
re-record
(overdub) three 20-bit channels at a time. We do
not recommend that you try listening to tracks 4 and 8 in each set. IMPORTANT: We advise employing UV22
in this mode, to capture more of the 24-bit detail of the AD-8000. Be sure to set the UV22 output word
length to 20 bits rather than the default 16 bits. Set SW2 on the rear of the AD-8000 (NOT on the card)
to ON.
Bit-splitting with multiple cards
You can use two SDIF cards in 4/24 mode to fully utilize all eight channels of the AD-8000. In 4/24 mode,
when a card is in an “odd” slot (A or C), channels 1–4 will be encoded/decoded by that card. When a card is in
an “even” slot (B or D) then channels 5–8 will be encoded/decoded by that card.
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AMBus ADAT8 Card
Installing the AMBus Card
To install the AMBus card, first make sure the power is turned off. You may wish to keep the unit plugged
into a switched-off, grounded AC receptacle so as to minimize the chance of static discharge, and avoid standing on carpeting while carrying out this procedure. Keep the new AMBus card in its packaging until you are
ready to install. Now turn the unit around so you’re facing the back panel. Remove the plate covering an available AMBus slot. Ground yourself by touching a connector on the AD-8000 rear panel and unpack the card.
Insert the card until you feel it mate with the connector at the back of the card bay. Fasten the card in place
with the screws. You will need to remember the identification of the card slot (A-D) into which you have installed
the card. If you intend to use the 4/24 bit splitting mode (see below), you should install the first card in slot A
or C, and the second card (if any) in slot B or D.
ADAT and the AD-8000
The ADA T lightpipe audio format and the ADAT8 AMBus card both support 24 bit I/O, even though the basic
ADA T and the ADAT XT only support 16 bits, and the M20 only supports 20 bits. In the event that a 24-bit ADAT
machine becomes available, your ADAT8 card will provide full 24-bit compatibility. In the meantime, to allow
recording of higher resolutions (20- and 24-bit) on standard 16-bit ADAT machines, the ADAT8 card includes
several additional “bit-splitting” formats which split high resolution signals among multiple 16-bit tracks, at the
cost of having fewer total tracks available for recording. The ADAT8 card supports the following digital audio
formats:
1. 8 tracks of 16 bits on ADAT/XT, 20 bits on M20 (and 24 bits on a future 24-bit ADAT machine)
2. 4 channels of 24 bits each (Rane’s PaqRat format) on an 8-track 16-bit recorder
3. 4 channels of 24 bits each (ABS 4/24 format, which is identical to PaqRat, but with auto-ID)
4. 6 channels of 20 bits each (ABS 6/20 format with auto-ID) on an 8-track 16-bit recorder
The auto-ID facility (available shortly) enables the AD-8000 to recognize an incoming ABS signal automatically, without having to set any switches. Full PaqRat capability is provided, however, enabling you to create or
replay recordings that are completely compatible with Rane’s PaqRat equipment or with the PaqRat-compatible mode of the enhanced Apogee AD-1000. 4/24 recordings made with the AD-8000 will always include the
ABS auto-ID, but this does not affect replay via a PaqRat system.
The two 4/24 modes (four channels of 24 bits on eight 16-bit tracks) record the first 16 bits of a channel on
the first track, and the remaining bits on a subsequent track along with a tone to indicate that you shouldn’t be
listening to it on its own! You can listen to the first track in each pair, but remember that the signal will only be
16-bit.
An advantage of the 4/24 modes is that you can record or overdub on an individual 24-bit channel, by recor ding on two adjacent odd/even tracks at the same time, without damaging any other tracks. This is not possible
with the 6/20 mode, which is more intended for surround-sound mixing and multi-channel live recor dings wher e
subsequent individual channel overdubs are not required.
An additional feature of the 4/24 modes is the ability to record eight simultaneous 24-bit channels by using
two ADAT machines (and thus two ADAT8 cards). In 4/24 mode (either PaqRat or ABS), a card in slot A will output 24-bit audio from channels 1-4, and likewise on input will reconstruct the 24-bit audio onto channels 1-4.
Similarly, slot B will use 24-bit data on channels 5-8, slot C will use 24-bit data on channels 1-4, and slot D will
use 24-bit data on channels 5-8. Alternating slots use different channels in order to facilitate an 8-channel/24bit recording and playback mode using two ADAT8 cards and two 16-bit, 8 track MDMs. For example, if two
ADAT8 cards are plugged into slots A and B, then channels 1-4 will be directed to and from the slot A card, and
channels 5-8 will be directed to and from the slot B card.
In 6/20 mode (ABS), cards in any slot will operate on audio on channels 1-6 only.
In any of the bit-splitting modes, the source resolution will be displayed as “24” in the source resolution display (above the SOURCE SELECT button).
The bit-splitting modes are selected by DIP switches on the back of the ADAT8 card, as shown below.
Note
that on the card switches, UP is OFF and DOWN is ON. This is the opposite of the switches on the rear of
the AD-8000 itself.
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ADAT8 DIP Switch
Switch Function when ‘ON’
1 ABS 4/24 mode (PaqRat compatible)
2 ABS 6/20 mode
3 not defined
4 not defined
If both switches 1 and 2 are both ON or both OFF, then ABS is turned off.
On replay, the presence of an ABS signal is detected automatically (feature available shortly) and the card is
set up accordingly, irrespective of the DIP switch settings. To receive a PaqRat signal (4/24 mode with no ABS
ID), set SW1 ON.
Channel routing LED matrix
Bit Splitting Modes
Bit-splitting is indicated on the channel routing matrix. If 4-channel/24-bit (4/24) bit-splitting (PaqRat or ABS)
is enabled on one or two installed AMBus cards, then channels 1/2 and 3/4 light in the A or C row and channels
5/6 and 7/8 in the B and D row, depending on the position of the card(s).
If 6-channel/20-bit (6/20) bit-splitting is enabled on an installed AMBus card, then the channel LEDs 1-6 for
that row are turned on, indicating that channels 1-6 are selected for input.
Destination Monitor Mode
If the unit is in “tape monitor” (destination) mode, and you are monitoring a selected AMBus card, only one
of the DEST LEDs is illuminated – the one for the selected AMBus card.
Source Monitor Mode
When an AMBus card is in source monitor mode, and it is selected as the digital source, its outputs will be
muted (DEST LEDs will be OFF for that card) to prevent the possibility of digital feedback or looping.
Recording and Playback with the ADAT8 Card
Recording
Having installed the card, select the mode you wish to use according to the DIP switch settings described
above. We will describe the procedure for simple (non-ABS) recording, using the AD-8000 as the timing reference. The only differences when recording in an ABS mode are the settings of the card switches and the synchronization of multiple machines, if they are used, and these are covered in the following section. To synchronize the AD-8000 to a different timing source, see the AD-8000 manual. It is recommended to adjust DIP switch
settings with the power off to ensure that settings changes are registered.
Use standard ADAT optical interconnects to link the card lightpipe ports to the ADAT machine. Connect the
output on the card to the input on the ADAT machine, and vice-versa.
To record in normal (not bit-splitting) mode, all the DIP switches on the card should be set to either ON or
OFF (it doesn’t matter which: see the table above).
Power up the units. Set the ADAT machine to “DIG INPUT”. If you wish to use the AD-8000 as the master
clock reference for your recording, press the AD-8000 “SYNC SOURCE” button (far left of the panel, next to
the Apogee logo) until the “crystal” LED is illuminated and press the “SAMPLE RATE” button on the AD-8000
until the desired sample rate LED is illuminated (44.1 or 48 kHz). Alternatively, you can synchr onize the AD-8000
to other sources such as Word Clock, video (if the video sync module is installed) or a digital input. See your
AD-8000 manual for details.
Press the “CLOCK SELECT” button on the ADAT machine until the display reads “DIG” at the correct sample rate (44.1 or 48 kHz). This sets the ADAT machine to receive its digital timing data from the AD-8000, via
the optical interface. If the sample rate is set incorrectly (eg 44.1 instead of 48), undesireable results will be
experienced. In particular, you may see mysteriously high readings on the Channel 1 meter of the ADAT
machine.
You may now record-enable the channels on which you wish to record, and start recording!
Playback
Ensure that the ADAT machine and the AD-8000 are connected as described above, and check that the
ADA T machine is in replay mode (not input). Typically, pr ess the “ALL INPUT” button until the word “ALL” is not
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displayed in the input indicator. If you are in input mode during replay, the meters will not read and no signal
of any kind will be output.
Press the AD-8000 “DIGITAL IN” button and select the channel pairs you wish to enable for digital input, or
simply hold the “DIGITAL IN” button to illuminate all eight digital input indicators and set all the channels to
digital input. In the Digital Routing section of the AD-8000 front panel (upper far right of the unit), press the
“SOURCE” button until the correct AMBus card is selected. Refer to the earlier section on the routing matrix
to check the LED display indications are correct. You are now ready to replay your recording.
Synchronization
You can set up the clocking arrangement so that either the MDM or the AD8000 is the clock master. For the
AD8000 as clock master, set the AD8000 to crystal at 44.1 or 48, and the ADAT to DIG. If you wish to make
the ADAT the master clock, set the ADAT machine’s clock to INT at the right sample rate by pressing “CLOCK
SELECT”. Now press the AD-8000’s “SYNC SOURCE” button until the LED is illuminated for the AMBus card
slot (A, B, C or D) into which the appropriate ADAT8 card is installed.
Notes on ABS Operation and Multiple Cards
While in bit splitting mode:
If a digital input pair is assigned which does not exist, the corresponding DIG x/x LEDs on the assigned channel pair will flash. For example, if in 6/20 mode, and channel 7/8 is assigned as digital, the DIG7/8 LEDs will flash
on channels 7 and 8. If in 4/24 mode, and a second AMBus card is not installed, LEDs DIG5/6 and DIG7/8 will
flash if those channels are assigned as digital.
If in 4/24 mode, and two cards are installed and being used for bit-splitting, then both cards are checked for
errors. If one of the two cards indicates an error condition, then the DIGITAL IN LED will flash, and outputs
won’t be muted (in case only one card is being used). If both cards indicate an error, the ERROR LED will come
on, and digital outputs will be muted (as in normal digital input error handling).
If a single card set to 4/24 mode is installed and appears in slot A or C, ch 1-4 on the dot matrix for that row
are lit up. If the card is in slot B or D, ch 5-8 are lit up. The selection LED for that slot is illuminated, and the 24
bit LED is on. With two bit-splitting-capable cards installed (eg two ADAT8's, or an ADAT8 and a TDIF8), the
dot matrix illuminates 1-4 for slot A or C, and 5-8 for slot B or D. Two of the selection LEDs are on, corresponding to AMB A and AMB B, or AMB C and AMB D, and the 24 bit resolution LED is on. If one of the two
cards has a slip or format error, then the "DIGITAL IN" LED flashes as before. If there is no second card or the
second card is not capable of bit splitting, then operation is identical to the one card case (only 1-4 or 5-8 are
illuminated).
ABS Bit-Splitting Formats
There are three ABS formats. The first mode allows
up to four simultaneous 24-bit channels
to be recorded
across eight 16-bit tracks. This mode is compatible with Rane’s PaqRat system, and thus permits replay of tracks
previously recorded with an Apogee AD-1000 Platinum Edition system.
In this mode, each 24-bit channel is recorded on two adjacent 16-bit MDM tracks. The 16 most-significant
bits of the first 24-bit channel are recorded on the first track of the pair, while the remaining eight bits are
recorded on the second track. The remaining eight bits of the second track are used to record a tone to indicate that this track was not designed to be monitored on its own (as a result, even numbered tracks always have
signal present on record). The odd-numbered tracks, however, may be monitored if desired (bearing in mind
that they will only deliver 16-bits of resolution).
VERY IMPORT ANT: When using this mode, ensure that UV22
is turned off on the AD-8000 channels you are using.
The second mode is identical to the first, except that the remaining eight bits of the second track contain,
along with a tone, an ID bit-pattern which identifies the track as having been recorded with Apogee Bit-Splitting
technology. Future revisions of the MDM AMBus cards will record this ID, and on replay the card will set itself
up to decode the signal automatically.
A benefit of both 4/24 bit-splitting modes is that each of the four high-resolution channels can be re-recorded or overdubbed upon, simply by placing two adjacent tracks of the MDM in record.
The third mode allows up to
six simultaneous channels of 20-bit audio
to be recorded on eight 16-bit MDM
tracks. The first 16 bits of the first three channels are recorded on tracks 1, 2 and 3. The five least-significant
bits of these three channels are recorded on track 4, along with an ID for future automatic identification. The
first 16 bit of the second three channels are recorded on tracks 5, 6 and 7 with the LSBs and ID on track 8. This
mode is designed for simultaneous and multi-channel surround recording, and as a result it is only possible to
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