Syncstation locked N 10 system Timecode Drift

Hello-

I’m having a real hair pulling time with this mystery-I have two systems running multitrack records during shows.

House provides timecode referenced to video blackburst, running at 29.97df.

I am using a syncstation, which references the house SMPTE and house blackburst as well.

The console (Studer Vista 9) and the Nuendo MADI interfaces (RME Madiface XT) are getting wordclock from a Big Ben that is also referencing video black.

Nuendo is connected to Syncstation via USB and System Link is running on the RME’s AES I/O.

There is a backup machine getting MTC from the Syncstation.

Using the LTC input, and with syncstation set up what I believe is correctly, it takes about 15-20 minutes and both machines drift about 1 second behind.

Nothing I change seems to solve the issue.

I read a thread saying that MADI systems required System Link, so that was the latest change I made, getting it set up, and that hasn’t worked, either.

Same thing with N8.

My systems live on trash can macs running 10.12.6.

Any ideas?

These are recording multitrack audio to use to post to the video shoot over 3 shows weekly.

Thanks, in advance, for your time.

King Williams

I’m very curious about this King Williams. Please post what the problem is if you find out.

What an interesting problem :frowning:

Hello!

I’m So glad I received notification that you wrote to the topic, it reminded me to update it.

The solution was external, in a way, to the setup.

The IT department had loaded security software that, for some reason, blocked the system from running the (signed and approved installation) drivers for both the RME card and the Syncstation, so neither system could reference clocks correctly, somehow, thus neither were speeding correctly.

It took an enormous effort and weeks of slugging it out to finally find the issue and to make IT ‘fess up to the situation.

Software removed, sensible settings invoked, like we all know how to do, absolutely perfect speed and sync.

The lesson?

Beware IT, if you’re doing your work in a corporate media company…

Cheers!

King Williams

PS-

Kudos to Steinberg support and Mr Colin Broad for their assistance in getting me both an alternate sync station and setting change suggestions to help my beleaguered self out; their efforts led us to the knowledge that it was NOT our equipment or our settings or our general approach to the problem, but a piece of anti-virus software that disallowed correct use of necessary drivers.

Best,

KW