What is word clock?

[mike2550]

Ok I'm totally ignorant of this word clock thing. I know it has something to do with syncing things together but I just don't understand how/why/or what it's for. I have synced ADAT hard disk recorders and hardware sequencers via midi MTC, MMC but what is this "Word clock" all about? Whats the 75 ohm on/off button for?

[TimOBrien]

Wikipedia.org is a great resource when you want to find out basic info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_clock

[Smithcok]

Wikipedia is pretty much amazing for info.

Also, Sweetwater has a great base of knowledge
http://www.sweetwater.com/expert-center/glossary/t--WordClock

[RawknRoll]

yes

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echo in here.


Word Clock...... it's a clock with words on it instead of numbers.... duh?


No actually summed up it is A word clock (sometimes sample clock, which can have a broader meaning) is a clock signal (not the actual device) used to synchronise other devices, such as digital audio tape machines and compact disc players, which interconnect via digital audio. S/PDIF, AES/EBU, ADAT, TDIF and other formats use a word clock. Various audio over Ethernet protocols use broadcast packets for the word clock. The device which maintains the word clock on a network is the master clock.

Word clock should not be confused with timecode; word clock is used entirely to keep a perfectly-timed and constant bitrate to avoid data errors. The word clock generator, usually built-in to analog-to-digital converters, creates digital pulses which contain no other data, and is considered essential to avoid frequency drift between the internal oscillators of each device. Timecode is actual data (technically metadata) about the media content being transmitted, and is optional, being sent in a higher layer.



now that came from Wikipedia...... If that doesn't make sense to you then in simple terms it makes all that neato recording gear.... work together ....more efficiently.... sort of :).