Audio transfer

[nabberigu]

I usually record ITB via Studio One. Using Presonus Studio 192 and DP 88 interface.
Had to send my interface in for repairs because of a bad channel.
I had a recording session booked that was impossible to reschedule in the short term so I decided to record on my old Tascam SX 1 LE PLUS.
Had not used it in about 5 years so had to revive it with fresh OS update.
I once before transfered and old recorded project via the ADAT link. I played 14 channels out the Tascam and into the interface (both systems offer 16 channels of ADAT 24 bit/48kHz).
I did the same setup this time but the vocals sound distorted and the whole recording sounds "flat" in Studio One compared to the Tascam.
The audio is played unprocessed with faders at unity and BNC synced.
So I am wondering why the flat and occasionally distorted sound.
The audio never leaves the digital domain so it should not be altered other then the difference in audio engines
Any suggestions?

[Hugh Robjohns]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'flat', but the distortion is worrying if it is undistorted in the Tascam.

As it's a digital transfer, distortion can only be the result of digital corruption, and the most likely reason for that is a clocking problem.

You say 'BNC synced', so I assume you're making the Tascam slave to your interface. Have you tried it the other way around? Make the Tascam the master, and configure your interface to slave to the incoming ADAT data? That might well cure the problem, but it's certainly worth a try.

H

[CS70]

To add to what Hugh says, if you’re positive that all is synchronized properly, it could be a bad cable or a bad ADAT input.

[n o i s e f l e ur]

Hah!

As a complete n00b to clocking digital gear together I experienced poor sync / clocking issues myself for the first time the other night. Could not for the life of me figure out WTF was wrong, serious clicks and pops on the signal and a seriously collapsed soundstage - as the OP described - flat sounding.

Started pulling up control-panels to track down the issue and noticed the "sync" lettering on the RME USB CP was blinking briefly and this was my clue-by-four. Swapped master / slave arrangement . . . no fix.

Turns out I'd been swapping USB around the night previously to get the RME on its own controller and this had somehow messed up sync something rotten. Restored it to the port it had been on and voila, everything pristine again. Now all I need to do is repeat the procedure just to make sure it wasn't just an intermittent conncection due to a strained USB cable as opposed to real USB issues.

But yeah . . . in my limited experience . . . clock / sync issues.

[nabberigu]

"Flat" sounding as in old digital sound vs warm tube and the warm tube is the Tascam.
Was expecting the other way around
The distortion is mostly noticable in the vocal track. Almost like digital clipping. Very nasty at times.
Reading the reactions I wil investigate the clock set up.
Actually is there a clock needed? Always thought t that the ADAT protocol has an embedded clock signal as well.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Reading the reactions I wil investigate the clock set up.
Actually is there a clock needed? Always thought t that the ADAT protocol has an embedded clock signal as well.

It does. So the ADAT source can act as clock master and the receiving interface slaves to the incoming data.