User's Guide
Contents
1. User s Guide GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter Studio Master Clock User s Guide GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter Studio Master Clock Engineered by 9 Symetrix What Ships in the Box Mv A GENx192 hardware device v A detachable power cord M This User s Guide Getting Help If you have questions beyond the scope of this User s Guide or the help module contact our Customer Support Group in the following ways Tel 425 778 7728 8 00 am to 4 30 pm Monday through Friday Pacific Time Web support lucidaudio com This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation This Class A Digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference Causing Equipment Regulations Cet appariel numerique de la classe A respecte toutes les Exigences du Reglement sur le materiel brouilleur du Canada Important Safety Instructions 1 Read these instructions Keep these instructions Heed all warnings Follow all instructions ae e pa Do not use this apparatus near water Do not place liquids or objects filled with water on top of it or where it may be exposed to dripping splash ing or steam 6 Clean only with dry cloth 7 Do not block any ventilation open ings Inst2. s For example a jitter free 50kHz clock has exactly one clock cycle every 20us 10 s If the period of this clock changes from 19 997us to 20 001us from one moment to the next then the clock is said to have 4ns of jitter because the period varies by 4ns Jitter degrades the quality of the analog to digital and digital to analog conversion process by inducing harmonic distortion into the signal and therefore is hard to notice without comparing it to an ideal extremely low jitter signal within the same listening environment Jitter can also smear the sharpness of a stereo image created with phase coherent micing techniques e g stereo mic d acoustic guitar Because jitter can be considered as a signal that modulates an ideal clock it also has a frequency spectrum which affects the character of the distortion Jitter is the cumulative effect of numerous causes ranging from poor grounding to the characteristics of the internal circuitry of the equipment itself noisy power supplies signal crosstalk circuit components etc While some of these factors cannot be controlled external factors such as cabling termination and clock distribution method can play a significant contributing role Drift Drift occurs when two or more audiovisual record playback systems DAW digital tape video etc do not share a common master clock The problem is a direct consequence of the wristwatch illustration used above when two DAWSs are both
3. As everyone knows if you take two wristwatches set them to the exact same time and start them at the same moment a week later they will not read the same time The crystal oscillators used to generate the sample clock inside each digital audio device are no different no two crystal oscillators run at exactly the same rate Therefore they must be synchronized externally using a common master clock signal that provides both frequency rate and position alignment information This master clock can be either any digital device in the system or a dedicated clock generator such as the GENx192 Most professional audio equipment including DAT machines digital consoles A D and D A converters and DAWs can slave their internal sample clock to an external sample clock unlike most consumer audio devices which cannot such as CD players with digital outputs Common Clocking Problems Insuring proper system synchronization requires not only paying attention to the software and or hardware configuration of each device in the system but also using the correct interconnection hardware cabling connectors termination and employing the appropriate interconnection topology Failing to do so may result in any one of a number of common synchronization problems some of which are not readily perceptible or easy to diagnose Jitter Jitter refers to the amount of aperiodicity in a clock signal and is generally measured in nanoseconds ns or 10
4. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Symetrix Part Number 53G192 1A02 The information in this User s Guide is subject to change without notice Symetrix Inc shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein nor is it liable for incidental or consequential damages resulting from the furnishing performance or use of this material Mention of third party products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation Symetrix assumes no responsibility with regard to the performance or use of these products Under copyright laws no part of this User s Guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical without permission in writing from Symetrix Inc If however your only means of access is electronic permission to print one copy is hereby granted Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and or registered trademarks of their respective owners
5. LED 44 1kHz or 48kHZ will be lit When SYNC SOURCE is set to EXTERNAL AES or WORD the LOCK LED be lit when a valid clock signal ranging from 28kHz to 216kHz is present if no signal is present or the clock is out of range the LOCK LED will flash to indicate that the GENx192 is not synchronized to the clock source When the external clock rate falls within 6 0 of a nominal sample rate the corresponding RATE LED will flash When the external clock rate falls within 0 2 of a nominal sample rate the corresponding RATE LED will light solid SYNC 4 position rotary Selects either an internal oscillator 44 1kKHz or 48kHz or an external clock source AES or SOURCE switch word clock A OUT 3 position rotary Sets the sample rate for the AOUTPUTS When an internal clock is used the switch PUTS switch multiplies the base rate set by SYNC SOURCE by either 1x 2x or 4x However when an external clock is used the switch can act as either a multiplier or divider depending on the rate of the external clock For example with an external 96kHz clock the GENx192 generates 96kHz when the A OUTPUT switch is set to 96 192kHz when set to 192 x2 and 48kHz when set to 48 2 See CLOCK DIVISOR RANGES for more information B OUT 3 position rotary Sets the sample rate for the B OUTPUTS Functions identically to A OUTPUTS switch PUTS switch POWER Rocker switch Turns the unit off and on SWITCH 4 ea 5 cid w 2 User
6. and digital audio cables that work well in these applications E D G 5 User s Guide 1 1C a GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter A ws I GE Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix Termination and Word Clock Drive Levels Unlike AES 3 AES 11 and S PDIF there are no published standards for word clock While over the years certain common word clock circuit design practices have emerged compatibility between manufacturers is not guaranteed in all cases Some devices do not have sufficient output voltage to drive a properly terminated word clock input while others require an unusu ally high input signal voltage to work properly When two such devices are mated the result is that the receiving device may intermittently lose lock or simply not lock at all The GENx192 was designed to be compatible with all equipment on the market today For ideal word clock transmission conditions to exist the end of the cable must be terminated with a load impedance that exactly matches the cable impedance 75Q Ringing occurs at the clock input when there is an impedance mismatch add ing jitter to the signal Many devices are by default internally terminated with a 75Q resistor others are either user selectable through a switch or jumper or are completely unterminated Consult the operator s manual for each piece of equipment to determine the word clock input impedance AES and S PDIF do not have these termination issues properly designed
7. set to internal clocks at the same sample rate and if they contain identical audio material and are started at exactly the same time then over time one DAW will begin to play back behind the other Whereas it may take hours or days for two wristwatches to drift from each other appreciably in the digital world it typically takes only seconds or minutes for noticeable drift to accumulate Drift is invariably caused by a failure to set up the operating parameters of the equipment correctly or to make the correct synchronization connections 5 D G Ss User s Guide 1 1C 1 a GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter a WG I GE Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix Pops Clicks Hash and Distortion Pops and clicks occur when the clocks between two digitally interconnected devices running at different clock rates for reasons stated above move into and out of alignment with each other As misalignment occurs audio data is dropped creating a discontinuity in the audio data Similar to the beating of two closely tuned strings these pops and clicks occur at the same rate as the difference in speed between the two clocks If the clock rate difference is very slight then the clocks will undergo a protracted period wherein data will be dropped causing a long burst of noise or hash instead In its most extreme forms when jitter becomes gt 5 to 10 of the clock period jitter can induce the same problems except that the period and rate of poppi
8. the output signal causing the clock edge to become pro gressively misaligned between each device in the chain Added Jitter Each device has an inherent amount of jitter in its internal clocks If the device regenerates the clock rather than passing it through then the inherent jitter of the device will get added to the jitter contributed by all previous devices Any signal quality degradation will only exacerbate the jitter problem Cabling Alwaysuse the correct cabling recommended for each type of clock signal Improper cabling can lead to several of the prob lems described previously such as clock signal degradation and jitter The longer the cable run the more critical it is to use the correct cable Word Clock Use 750 video coax RG 59 or RG 6 with properly matched 75Q BNC connectors In a pinch you may substitute 500 coax RG 58 for very short runs only but any use of 500 coaxial cable with a properly terminated word clock input will cause signal reflections at the connector that can induce clock jitter AES Use 1100 shielded twisted pair digital audio cable Because of the extremely high bandwidth of AES signals up to 25MHz microphone cable should never be used for AES signals even for very short runs S PDIF Use 750 video coax RG 59 or or RG 6 with RCA male connectors designed for attachment to coaxial cable Unlike word clock 50 Q coax should not be used Belden Canare and Mogami all make excellent coaxial
9. AES and S PDIF circuits should be correctly terminated already For point to point connections such as in a star configuration the word clock input should always be terminated If the device at the end of the cable cannot be internally terminated then an external 75Q BNC terminator and BNC T connector must be installed In a parallel configuration only the device at the end of the cable should be terminated and all devices in the middle must be unterminated high impedance A double termination condition results when two devices on the same clock leg are termi nated This results in drastically lower clock voltage and one or more of the units may fail to lock to the clock Interfacing to Analog Systems Even today where the significant majority of recording and playback systems are digital it is still necessary in certain pro duction environments to synchronize the playback of analog systems such as VTR and multitrack tape machines to digital systems that require clock synchronization In the digital domain word clock and AES 3 11 are used as timing references whereas in the analog domain video signals are commonly used To synchronize a VTR or analog multitrack to a digital system it is necessary to use a video blackburst signal as the master timing reference Blackburst is typically distributed from a single house sync or stand alone blackburst generator Most digi tal systems do not have video sync inputs It is therefore ne
10. OURCE selection knob on the front panel won 00K INPUTS WORD CLOCK Using a 75Q coaxial cable RG 59 or better terminated with male BNC connectors connect one end to any of the eight GENx192 WORD CLOCK outputs and the other end into your destination device s word clock input Repeat as necessary to connect multiple devices Koy AES CLOCK Using a 1100 shielded twisted pair cable terminated with one male and one female XLR connector connect the female end to any of the four GENx192 AES outputs and the male end into your destination device s AES input Repeat as necessary to connect multiple devices B OUTPUTS NOTE Be sure that the designated AES input of your destination device can be configured as an AES sync source for that device S PDIF CLOCK Using a 750 coaxial cable RG 59 or better terminated with male RCA connectors connect one end TE to either GENx192 S PDIF output and the other end into your destination device s S PDIF input O NOTE 1 Many consumer and pro sumer devices do not offer Word or AES clock inputs However of those devices many do have S PDIF digital audio inputs such as the Digidesign 001 and 002 workstations These devices typically allow the S PDIF input to be a sync source while allowing concurrent audio throughput from both the S PDIF and other ports such as ADAT Optical If your device fits this profile the GENx192 s S PDIF output will allow that device to finally syn
11. Some manufacturers do not clearly mark the termination input impedance of their word clock inputs Thus it is quite easy to have two or more devices in the chain which are both terminated causing a sharp drop in clock signal level leading to synchronization failure in one or more devices The GENx192 termination sensing LEDs are designed to aid in diagnosing problems with multiple terminated inputs Reliability Having multiple cables and multiple BNC T connectors in the chain can lead to a higher incidence of me chanical failure Lack of Flexibility Many devices cannot be unterminated and therefore cannot be connected together in the same parallel chain a ucid User s Guide 7 GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter i Gs Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix Clock Distribution Serial In serial clock distribution clocks are chained from the output of one device to the input of another CLOCK IN CLOCK OUT CLOCK IN CECE OUT Slave 1 Slave n Serial Clock Distribution Serial distribution has several drawbacks and should be used only for devices that have self clocking interfaces e g certain DAT machines and stand alone CD burners digital effects processors etc These drawbacks include Signal Degradation As the signal is passed from one device to another the signal quality can become degraded the farther down the chain it gets Clock Skew Devices may add a small amount of delay to
12. a star configuration Often times a setup may be a combination of two or three distribution methods Clock Distribution Star CLOCK OUT 1 CLOCK OUT 2 Master CLOCK IN CLOCK OUT Slave 1 CLOCK IN CLOCK OUT slave n Star Clock Distribution In a star configuration a single master generator distributes a clock signal to each device that requires it Without exception Star distribution should be used for every device that has a word clock or AES 11 i e non self clocking input For this reason the GENx192 was designed with a large number of clock outputs to facilitate a proper star distribution within all but the most demanding production environments If at all possible this is the way to go I o User s Guide 1 1C 1 C GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter ZZ VUE Ww 2 WE Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix Clock Distribution Parallel In parallel clock distribution word clock only the clocks of multiple devices are connected to the same signal in parallel using T connectors In a proper parallel setup the device at the end of the chain is terminated low impedance and all devices in between are unterminated high impedance so as not to adversely load the signal down CLOCK IN CLOCK OUT Master CLOCK IN CLOCK OUT Slave 1 Slave n BNC 75 Ohm Terminator Parallel distribution can be used effectively but it also has drawbacks Termination Problems
13. all only in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions 8 Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves or other apparatus including amplifiers that produce heat 9 This apparatus shall be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing connection Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding type plug A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet consult an electri cian for replacement of the obsolete outlet 10 Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus 11 Only use attachments accessories specified by the manufacturer 12 Use only with the cart stand tripod bracket or table specified by the manufacturer or A sold with the apparatus When a cart is used use caution when moving the cart apparatus com bination to avoid injury from tip over 13 Unplug this apparatus during light ning storms or when unused for long periods of time 14 Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way such as power supply cord or plug cord is damaged liquid has been sp
14. as a 1x4 AES 3 audio distribution amplifier Mechanical Data Specifications Remarks Rack Space 1U WDH 48 02 cm x 22 15 cm x 4 37 cm Allow at least 1 inch additional clearance for rear panel con Required 18 91 in x 8 72 in x 1 72 in Depth is speci nections Additional depth may be required depending upon fied from front panel to back of connectors your specific wiring and connections Electrical 100 240 VAC 50 60 Hz 25 Watts maximum Universal power input no line voltage switching required Ventilation Maximum recommended ambient operating Ventilation should not be impeded by covering the unit with temperature is 30 C 86 F items such as newspapers tablecloths curtains etc Shipping 3 70 kg 8 15 Ibs Weight Performance Data Inputs Recommended Input Level Word Clock 2 0 to 5 0Vpp nominal 1 0 to 7 0Vpp lock range AES 2 0 to 7 0Vpp nominal Input Impedance Word Clock 750 10kQ switchable Green TERM LED beneath the switch on rear panel indicates proper Word Clock input termination AES 1100 Outputs Output Level Word Clock 5 2Vpp unterminated 4 0Vpp 750 termination AES gt 3 6Vpp 110Q termination S PDIF gt 0 3Vpp 75Q termination Output Impedance Word Clock 240 AES 1100 S PDIF 750 Maximum Cable Length Word clock 30 5 m 100 ft with 75Q RG 59 or better coaxial cable AES 30 5 m 100 ft with 1100 shielded twisted pair cable S PDIF 10 0 m 33 ft wi
15. c to the outside world NOTE 2 There is no clock only specification for S PDIF digital audio as there is within the AES specification Therefore the S PDIF output of the GENx192 is simply an unbalanced transformer coupled copy of the AES outputs Most S PDIF inputs will accept the AES formatted data but compatilbility is not always guaranteed gt eS hee User s Guide 1 1C a GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter A ws I WE Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix Sync Source Selector A Outputs Sample Rate Multiplier ULTRA LOW RATE 1 wa i E 2 lucid GENx192 ee eee i Priaman Lock and Rate Indicator LEDs B Outputs Sample Rate Multiplier Power On Off Basic Setup Illustration The following illustration details the connections of a typical master clock setup in a visual format In this setup analog audio is handled by an external A D and D A converter such as a Lucid 88192 After the converter all audio is digital between a digital multitrack recording device and a digital mixer All devices sync to a dedicated word clock provided by the GENx192 AES OUT mouse SYNC y ustus WORD IN WORD IN ALY Dfa Syndariar LG Ital IVIIXET WORD IN WORD IN Oiled tocuselor Uiyital iaci LEVICE The GENx192 s user interface consists of three simple multi position selector knobs Follow the guidelines below to setup the GENx192 for use in the example shown above A Power on B Select the SYNC SOURCE and set th
16. cessary to use a second clocking device that can receive a video signal and output a resolved digital sample clock that can be distributed through a device such as the GENx192 to all the digi tal equipment that requires it a few generators can output both blackburst and resolved sample clock signals These resolvers work as synchronization gearboxes by mathematically relating the video signal to the sample clock For example a resolver can generate a 48kHz sample clock from a 30Hz video signal by outputting 48 000 30 1600 samples for every video frame Some DAWs and MDMs have video sync inputs as well as clock inputs It is acceptable to use the video sync inputs on these devices in lieu of clock ONLY when using analog inputs and outputs exclusively AND when phase coherent audio is NOT distributed between the video synchronized devices s and other devices in the system In all other cases a valid clock system must be used particularly when using digital inputs and outputs The reason for this is that in most video resolving circuits although the video frame rate can be adequately resolved to the sample clock rate the phase alignment between the video and clock signals is arbitrary Therefore if two devices are interconnected digitally but both resolved to black burst the clock alignment will be arbitrary and may cause misclocking 4 D a User s Guide l C a GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter 1 VE We 2 WE Studio Master Clock Engin
17. e SYNC RATE 1 Turn the SYNC SOURCE knob to select the internal base rate of either 44 1kKHz or 48kKHz based upon the desired final output rate For example select 48 if you want 48kHz 96KHz or 192kKHz Select 44 1 if you want 44 1kKHz 88 2kHz or 176 4kHz Both the green LOCK LED and the 44 1 or 48 green RATE LED rate will light 2 Turn the AOUTPUTS knob to select the desired final output rate This is a multiple 1x 2x or 4x of the base selected in step one 3 Repeat step 2 for B OUTPUTS if necessary If you re connecting the GENx192 to an external sync source then proceed as follows A Power on B Select the SYNC SOURCE and set the SYNC RATE 1 Turn the SYNC SOURCE knob to AES or WORD If a valid AES or WORD input is present then the LOCK LED will light A flashing LOCK LED indicates that the selected SYNC SOURCE is either not present out of range or unusable A RATE LED will flash when the external clock rate falls within 6 0 of the indicated RATE A RATE LED will light solid when the external clock rate falls within 0 2 of the indicated RATE 2 Turn the A OUTPUTS knob to select the desired final output rate 3 Repeat step 2 for B OUTPUTS if necessary Note Should the external sync source become disconnected or interrupted in some way the GENx192 will switch to an internal clock that is closest to the external clock rate The GENx192 will continue to output sync at the closest internal rate until it is able to loc
18. e allocatable to the product or any part thereof which gives rise to the claim In no event will Symetrix be liable for any incidental or consequential damages including but not limited to damage for loss of revenue cost of capital claims of customers for service interruptions or failure to supply and costs and expenses incurred in connection with labor overhead transportation installation or removal of products substitute facilities or supply houses Servicing the GENx192 If you have determined that your GENx192 requires repair services and you live outside of the United States please contact your local Lucid dealer or distributor for instructions on how to obtain service If you reside in the U S then proceed as follows Return authorization At the Symetrix factory Symetrix will perform in warranty or out of warranty service on any product it has manufactured for a period of three 3 years from date of discontinued manufac ture Before sending anything to Symetrix please contact our Customer Service Department for a return authorization RA number The telephone number is 425 778 7728 Additionally support is available via the web site support lucidaudio com In warranty repairs To get your GENx192 repaired under the terms of the war ranty 1 Call us for an RA number have the serial number shipping and contact information and description of the problem ready 2 Pack the unit in its original packaging mater
19. eered by Symetrix Declaration of Conformity We Symetrix Inc 6408 216th St SW Mountlake Terrace Washington USA declare under our sole responsibility that the product GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter Studio Master Clock to which this declaration relates is in conformity with the following standards EN 60065 Safety requirements for mains operated electronic and related apparatus for household and similar general use EN 55103 1 Electromagnetic compatibility Generic emission standard Part 1 Residential commercial and light industry EN 55103 2 Electromagnetic compatibility Generic immunity standard Part 1 Residential commercial and light industry The technical construction file is maintained at Symetrix Inc 6408 216th St SW Mountlake Terrace WA 98043 USA The authorized representative located within the European Community is World Marketing Associates P O Box 100 St Austell Cornwall PL26 6YU U K Date of issue April 17 2006 Place of issue Mountlake Terrace Washington USA Authorized signature Dane Butcher President Symetrix Incorporated User s Guide GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter Studio Master Clock gt gen i uc iq Engineered by 9 Symetrix The Symetrix Limited Warranty Symetrix Inc expressly warrants that the product will be free from defects in material and workmanship for eighteen 18 months from the date the product is shipped from the factory Symetrix s obl
20. erly designed equipment when the proper interconnection topology is used Malfunction At worst some devices cease to pass audio altogether when they cannot lock to an external clock In other cases their PLLs Phase Locked Loops may drift to invalid sample rates quite far from the target sample rate and create all varieties of audible havoc both internally and with other interconnected audio devices Fortunately employing a low jitter low skew centralized master clock distributor like the Lucid GENx192 can solve most if not all of the above mentioned potential problems 4 D a User s Guide l C a GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter amp Vs Ww 2 VE Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix Clock Distribution Three Common Approaches There are several types of sample clock signals commonly used today word clock AES 3 AES 11 S PDIF and ADAT Opti cal The GENx192 provides all of these except for ADAT Optical AES 3 S PDIF and ADAT Optical are known as self clock ing interfaces because they carry both audio signals and clock data which receiving devices can slave their sample clocks to TDIF another popular digital interface format is not a self clocking interface because it must always be used along with an external word clock signal Word clock and AES 11 carry no audio information they are synchronization signals only There are three ways to distribute clock signals in a serial chain in a parallel chain or in
21. exclusively as stated herein This Symetrix Lucid product is designed and manufactured for use in professional and studio audio systems and is not intended for other usage With respect to products purchased by consumers for personal family or household use Syme trix expressly disclaims all implied warranties including but not limited to warranties of merchantability and fit ness for a particular purpose This limited warranty with all terms conditions and disclaim ers set forth herein shall extend to the original purchaser and anyone who purchases the product within the specified war ranty period Symetrix does not authorize any third party including any dealer or sales representative to assume any liability or make any additional warranties or representation regarding this product information on behalf of Symetrix This limited warranty gives the buyer certain rights You may have additional rights provided by applicable law Note Some Symetrix Lucid products contain embedded software and may also be accompanied by control software intended to be run on a personal computer Said software is specifically excluded from this warranty Limitation of Liability The total liability of Symetrix on any claim whether in contract tort including negligence or otherwise arising out of con nected with or resulting from the manufacture sale delivery resale repair replacement or use of any product will not exceed the pric
22. ials 3 Include your name address daytime telephone number and a brief statement of the problem 4 Write the RA number on the outside of the box 5 Ship the unit to Symetrix freight prepaid We do not accept freight collect shipments Just do these five things and repairs made in warranty will cost you only one way freight charges We ll pay the return freight If you don t have the factory packaging materials we rec ommend using an oversize box Wrap the unit in a plastic bag surround it with bubble wrap and place it in the box surrounded by Styrofoam peanuts Be sure there is enough clearance in the box to protect the rack ears We won t return the unit in anything but Symetrix packaging for which we will have to charge you If the problem is due to operator misuse or error you will have to pay for both parts and labor In any event if there are charges for the repair you will pay for the return freight All charges will be COD unless you have made other arrangements prepaid Visa or Mastercard Out of warranty repairs If the warranty period has passed you ll be billed for all neces sary parts labor packaging materials and freight charges Please remember you must call for an RA number before sending the unit to Symetrix D A TO gt ro Engineered by Symetrix 6408 216th St SW Mountlake Terrace WA USA Tel 425 778 7728 Fax 425 778 7727 Web www lucidaudio com 2006 Symetrix Inc
23. igations under this warranty will be limited to repairing or replacing at Symetrix s option the part or parts of the product which prove defective in material or workman ship within eighteen 18 months from the date the product is shipped from the factory provided that the Buyer gives Symetrix prompt notice of any defect or failure and satisfactory proof thereof Products may be returned by Buyer only after a Return Authorization number RA has been obtained from Symetrix Buyer will prepay all freight charges to return the product to the Symetrix factory Symetrix reserves the right to inspect any products which may be the subject of any warranty claim before repair or replacement is carried out Symetrix may at its option require proof of the original date of purchase dated copy of original retail dealer s invoice Final determina tion of warranty coverage lies solely with Symetrix Products repaired under warranty will be returned freight prepaid via United Parcel Service by Symetrix to any location within the Continental United States Outside the Continental United States products will be returned freight collect The foregoing warranties are in lieu of all other warran ties whether oral written express implied or statutory Symetrix Inc expressly disclaims any IMPLIED warran ties including fitness for a particular purpose or mer chantability Symetrix s warranty obligation and buyer s remedies hereunder are SOLELY and
24. illed or objects have fallen into the apparatus the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture does not operate normally or has been dropped CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR WAR N N G ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE e RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE AVI S e NE PAS OUVRIR SEE OWNERS MANUAL VOIR CAHIER D INSTRUCTIONS No user serviceable parts inside Refer servicing to qualified service pers The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the pres ence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the presence of important operating and maintenance servicing instructions in the literature accompanying the product i e this User s Guide CAUTION To prevent electric shock do not use the polarized plug supplied with the unit with any extension cord receptacle or other outlet unless the prongs can be fully inserted Power Source The Lucid GENx192 hardware uses a switching power supply that automatically adjusts to the applied voltage Ensure that your AC mains voltage is somewhere between 100 240 VAC 50 60 Hz Use only the power cord and connector spec ified for the product and y
25. k to a valid external source once again 5 D N 3 User s Guide 1 1C C GENx19 2 Ultra Low Jitter L Wwe Ww 2 DE Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix Sample Clocks Within each piece of digital audio equipment are one or more clocks that control signal and timing relationships between various internal components and external devices The sample clock controls the A D and D A conversion rate and timing of audio signal transfers through digital interfaces such as AES TDIF and ADAT optical The rate at which this clock runs is known as the Sample Rate The most common standard sample rates used in professional audio are 44 1kKHz and 48kHz from which many other less common rates are derived To properly receive a digital signal transmitted from another device the sample clocks of both sending and receiving devices must precisely match each other To use an analogy imagine a machine placing parts onto a conveyor belt while another machine picks the parts off the other end of the belt and packages them If both the first machine and the belt are running at a constant rate then the packaging machine must also take the parts off the line at precisely the same rate Not only must the packaging macine run at the identical rate it must also pick the part off the belt at the exact moment the part passes it If the alignment is out of whack then even though the packaging macine runs at the correct speed it will miss every part
26. ndicates an overvoltage or underterminated condi tion for outputs it can also indicate that no connection to a receiving device has been made Ared LED indicates an undervoltage or overterminated condition for the input it can also indicate that no connection to a source device has been made A green LED indicates optimal signal conditions with proper voltage and termination However because less is known about the word clock input signal than the output due to variances in standards and methods employed for generating word clock amongst the vari ous equipment manufacturers the tolerance range for the input is much less restrictive for the input than the output to accommodate all possible valid conditions 3 T T User s Guide 1 1C a GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter i ws 2 WE Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix POWER Connect the IEC connector side of the supplied AC cord to the receptacle on the rear of the GENx192 Connect the other side of the AC cable to an AC power source that is of the correct voltage and frequency 100 240 VAC 50 60 Hz Use only the power cord and connector specified for the product and your operating locale GENx192 WWW LUCIDAUDIO COM INPUTS optional If the GENx192 is being used to distribute an existing clock source connect that clock source to either the WORD CLOCK or AES input Both inputs may be connected simultaneously but only one input may be selected at a time using the SYNC S
27. ng and distortion will be random In most cases such problems are immediately noticeable and with a little listening and a bit of deductive reasoning the source of the problem can be quickly found Some problems are less apparent Program material listening levels and monitor systems as well as certain types of digital interfaces can tend to mask the problem which although present tends to be present at much lower levels in the material When the clock rate difference is dramatic for example when a system running at 44 1kHz is interfaced to another running at 48kHz then discrete pops and clicks cannot be heard Instead the resampled signal results in aliasing and severe harmonic distortion that sounds grainy and digital particularly in the high frequencies Skew Skew is a misalignment of two clocks whose rates are otherwise synchronized Skew is almost always caused when devices are synchronized by chaining synchronization signals serially from one device to the other instead of to all devices from a single device Skew can cause pops and clicks if the receiving device cannot receive data from the transmitting device because of the particular phase relationship of the clocks Skew can also cause timing differences in the A D and D A conversion processes which can cause slight high frequency phase cancellation and image smearing if phase coherent material is distributed across the various sources Skew should not be a problem in prop
28. our operating locale A protective ground connection by way of the grounding conductor in the power cord is essential for safe opera tion The appliance inlet and coupler shall remain readily operable once the apparatus has been installed User Serviceable Parts There are no user serviceable parts inside the Lucid GENx192 In case of failure customers inside the U S should refer all servicing to the Symetrix factory Customers outside the U S should refer all servicing to an authorized Lucid dis tributor Distributor contact information is available online at www lucidaudio com E User s Guide C GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter LEV in Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix Before You Begin 3 Introduction Mechanical Data Performance Data 4 5 Front Panel 6 Rear Panel T Basic Setup Hardware Connections 8 Basic Setup Front Panel 9 Clocks Cables and Termination 10 15 Sample Clocks 10 Common Clocking Problems 10 11 Clock Distribution Star 12 Clock Distribution Parallel 13 Clock Distribution Serial 14 Cabling 14 Termination and Word Clock Drive Levels 15 Interfacing to Analog Systems 15 Declaration of Conformity 16 Warranty and Service 17 3 T 7 User s Guide We a GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter 1 Vs 3 we Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix Introduction Every piece of digital audio equipment has an internal sample clock that controls the timing of the A D and D A conve
29. rters and the transfer of audio through its digital audio interfaces For optimal converter performance the clock must be stable and free of timing irregularities known as jitter which can induce harmonic distortion and degrade stereo imaging Additionally to transfer digital audio between various devices the clocks must be synchronized to a common master timing reference without which clicks pops and or low level noise will occur Because most digital audio devices support only a single clock input or output many users resort to chaining clock signals from the output of one device to the input of another Chaining clocks can lead to clock phase differences and increased jitter as the signal proceeds down the chain The Lucid GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter Studio Master clock provides the ideal solution to most common clocking issues found in today s recording post production and broadcast environments by providing a low jitter clock reference that can be distributed to a large number of devices simultaneously in multiple industry standard formats and sample rates The GENx192 features eight 8 word clock four 4 AES clock and two 2 S PDIF clock outputs capable of operating at sample rates of up to 192 kHz The outputs are divided into two groups each having independent control over sample rate The GENx192 can also synchronize to and re distribute external word clock or AES signals ranging from 28 to 216 kHz Finally it can also function
30. s Guide J 7 GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter i Us Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix B OUTPUTS Rear Panel Item Description What It Does POWER IEC 3 prong Accepts power from detachable IEC power cable 100 240 VAC 50 60 Hz 25 Watts max INPUT jack Connect only to a grounded power outlet S PDIF OUT 2 x Female Transmits either AES 3 audio or AES 11 sync data formatted for unbalanced S PDIF RCA operating levels Functionally identical to AES OUT AES OUT 4 x Male XLRs Transmits either AES 3 audio or AES 11 sync When the SYNC SOURCE is set to AES and the OUTPUT switch matches the rate of the incoming AES source then the AES out put format follows the input format and the GENx192 acts as a 1x2 or 1x4 AES distributor WORD 8 x Female Transmits phase aligned CMOS level word clock signals CLOCK OUT BNCs AES IN Female XLR Accepts single wire AES 3 or AES 11 signals at sample rates between 28 and 216kHZ WORD Female BNC Accepts TTL or CMOS level word clock signals from 28 to 216kHz CLOCK IN TERM Push Button Enables or defeats Word Clock input termination Green TERM LED beneath the switch Switch Toggle Switch indicates proper Word Clock input termination TERM 9 x Bi color Displays the condition of the word clock input or output signal using voltage level sensing LEDs to determine whether or not the signal is present is operating at the correct levels and is terminated properly An amber LED i
31. th 75Q RG 59 or better coaxial cable i a ee User s Guide C C GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter w Ny S Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix System Internal Sample Rates Internal Sample Rates 44 1kHz and 48kHz base rates multiplied by 2x and 4x to 88 2kHz 96kHz 176 4kHz 192kHz External Frequency Range 28kHz to 216kHz Internal Clock Accuracy 25ppm eee Skew Any Output to Any lt 1 00 28kKHz to 216kHz any output to any output utput TS 75 Word Clock Termination Sensing LEDs indicate condition of clock signals based on known and expected signal volt ages and source and load termination conditions Output Sense Amber gt 4 3Vpp 4 3Vpp 2 Green 2 3 5Vpp Red lt 3 5Vpp Input Sense Amber gt 4 4Vpp 4 4Vpp 2 Green 2 1 4Vpp Red lt 1 4Vpp Clock Divisor Ranges When an external clock falls within the frequency ranges prescribed below the clock is divided down in order to create the base rate for the unit 1 28kKHz to 56kHz 2 56kHz to 112kHz 4 112kHz to 216kHz 4 D a User s Guide l C a GENx192 Ultra Low Jitter 1 VUE We 2 DWE Studio Master Clock Engineered by Symetrix ULTRA LOW JITTER STUDIO MASTER CLOCK lox i G5 2 lucid GENx192 gt 2 o Clog Front Panel Item Description What It Does RATE 8 Green LEDs Displays the current sample clock rate as well as lock status When SYNC SOURCE is set to INTERNAL both the LOCK LED and the corresponding base sample RATE
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