Antelope Isochrone Trinity User manual

Isochrone Trinity User Manual 2
CONTENTS
BEFORE YOU BEGIN 3
MANDATORY ONLINE ACTIVATION 4
ACTIVATE YOUR PRODUCT WARRANTY 7
SETTING UP 8
INSTALLATION PRECAUTIONS 10
FRONT PANEL EXPLAINED 11
REAR PANEL EXPLAINED 14
GEARBOXING MODE 17
CLOCK CALIBRATION 18
CUSTOMER SUPPORT INFORMATION 18
MY ANTELOPE AUDIO PRODUCT ISN’T WORKING. 19
LIMITED WARRANTY POLICY 21
SAFETY NOTES 27
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 28
APPENDIX A 31
APPENDIX B 31
APPENDIX C 32

Isochrone Trinity User Manual 3
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of the latest generation of master clock
from the world's favorite clocking company. Based on years of research, Trinity is a brand
new design that is the most flexible, best sounding, most stable, and easiest to use master
clock available.
Based on Antelope's Oven Controlled Crystal Technology, Trinity has many new features
including 3 Independent Audio Generators up to 384kHz, with Varispeed control; 3
Independent SD Generators, simultaneously offering PAL and NTSC; 3 Independent HD
Generators, presenting a choice of 16 formats, and the latest revision of Antelope's
Acoustically Focused Clocking (AFC) technology - now in its 4th generation and employing
64-bit DSP. So, that's a mind-blowing 9 Independent and Simultaneous Audio/Video
Generators, all perfectly in sync.
The triple display shows the frequencies of the audio generators, varispeed values, source
information, pull-ups/pull-downs, and useful messages.
Temporarily lost sync from your source? Trinity will seamlessly free-wheel until the signal
returns, and then re-lock using the latest Antelope `GentleLock Technology`.
Trinity also maintains features from the OCX-V, such as the Antelope Jitter Management
Module, Black Burst Generator, Atomic Input for connection to the 10M Rubidium Atomic
Clock, and full Audio and Video Gearboxing with simultaneous 0.1% and 4% pull-ups/pull-
downs.
We encourage you to take some time to read through this manual and familiarize yourself
with everything that the Trinity has to offer.

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Above all, we hope you enjoy your new Antelope device as much as we enjoyed designing
it.
Should you ever find yourself struggling, do not hesitate to contact our Customer
Support team over phone, live chat and our ticket system. You can also visit Antelope
Audio on YouTube and explore our video tutorials or join the Antelope Audio
Users Facebook group and ask for advice. The Knowledge Base is also a good source of
information.
Best wishes,
Team Antelope
MANDATORY ONLINE ACTIVATION
Please note that the mandatory device activation procedure requires an active Internet
connection on your computer. Activating an Antelope device offline is not possible.
Step 1: Getting Started
Connect the Isochrone Trinity to a power outlet using an AC power cable. Plug
in the device to your computer using a USB cable.
Step 2: Install the Isochrone Trinity Launcher/Control Panel (macOS & Win)
Download and install the Isochrone Trinity Launcher/Control Panel application for Windows
or macOS from here
(https://support.antelopeaudio.com/support/solutions/articles/42000017495-trinity-
download-section)
Open and install the Launcher/Control Panel by following the steps in the installation
wizard.

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Step 3: Activate your Isochrone Trinity
Once the installation is completed, start the application. You will be prompted to create an
Antelope ID directly from the application. Fill out the necessary information and
click Continue. If you already have an active Antelope ID, click on Use existing Antelope
ID.
Bear in mind, that your Antelope ID is different and has no relation to your user profile on
antelopeaudio.com.

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Sign in using your credentials. If you have just created your Antelope ID, do not forget to
activate it using the link in the e-mail you have just received.
After successfully signing in your Antelope ID, you will be asked to fill
in additional information concerning your recent purchase.
Once you have filled in the required information, click Done. You can now begin using
your Isochrone Trinity.

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ACTIVATE YOUR PRODUCT WARRANTY
You will be required to activate your product warranty from the My Warranty tab in My
Antelope Account. To activate your product, click on the text that sends you to the page
where you can add a custom warranty.
On the following screen you will be asked to enter information about your new device and
to attach your warranty. Select your device from the list under Device type and add a
serial number. You can find it on the back side of your device’s rack ears. After entering the
serial number enter the date of purchase.
The last step is to attach your warranty. You can add multiple files (up to five) by using the
plus sign. Acceptable formats are .pdf, .jpg, .png, .jpeg, .heif, and the size limit is 7 MB per
file. Once you have completed the steps click Add Warranty.

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After successfully completing the process, you can click on View Warranty to see if your
file has been uploaded correctly.
SETTING UP
Please look at the following images while reading the instructions and explanations below.

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Connect Trinity to an AC or DC power source via rear panel connectors (18) or (19).
Power on from the front panel power button (1). To use the PC/Mac Control Panel
application (Windows 10/macOS 10.11-10.14), connect Trinity to your computer via USB
Type-B (35). Download and install the application from here.
To use Trinity's internal clock, set SOURCE knob (3) to OVEN, and press to confirm. If
slaving to an external source, connect the master sync device to an input on the rear panel,
and select the corresponding position with the SOURCE knob (3). Press to confirm.
Set sample rate: Press AUDIO A button (6) to allow the sample rate to be changed on
Audio channel A. Select desired sample rate with the SAMPLE RATE knob (4) and press to
confirm.
Notes:
●When using internal OVEN, there is a warmup period while the unit is first powered
on. Pressing the INFO button just after powering on will show the oven-controlled
crystal oscillator heating up. The correct operating temperature is reached when
the OVEN light remains lit.
●When making initial connections, it is advised to do so with the studio volume
turned down. Some devices may emit an unpleasant sound until properly
configured to accept incoming clock signal.
●The Control Panel application is not supported under macOS 10.15 Catalina.

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INSTALLATION PRECAUTIONS
1. Before placing the device into its operating location, consider the following:
●To minimize frequency instabilities, the device should not be placed near equipment
generating strong magnetic fields, such as generators, transformers, etc.
●To prevent possible interference, observe a minimum distance of 5cm (2in)
between the cables of this device and any non-coaxial audio cables.
●It's okay to use the device outside of a rack, as long as the above conditions are
met. There is no requirement for the device to be leveled horizontally.
2. If the DC power connection (19) is to be used, make sure the power cable is wired
properly, as reversed polarity may damage the device. Refer to the table below for
information on how to make the connection.
3. Connect the AC Power Connection (18) and/or the DC Power Connection (19) to the
respective power outlet(s). When connecting devices, do so with the studio volume turned
down as some devices may emit an unpleasant sound until properly configured to accept
incoming clock signal.

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FRONT PANEL EXPLAINED
1. Power on/off button
2. AC/DC power indicators
Indicators to show whether AC or DC power is in use.
3. SOURCE Encoder Knob
The source knob selects the input from which Trinity receives a timing reference. Select
OVEN to use the internal oven controlled crystal oscillator, or if Trinity is connected to a
10M/MX Atomic Clock via the rear panel Atomic Input. The other five source knob positions
correspond to the remaining physical inputs on the back panel input section.
If a SOURCE light flashes, the SOURCE is in a state of edit, and needs to be confirmed by
pressing the SOURCE button. If not confirmed within 10 seconds, SOURCE will revert to
the previously saved position.
4. SAMPLE RATE Encoder Knob
The sample rate encoder is used to select standard frequencies, DA mode, adjust
varispeed, and confirm settings. It is used in conjunction with the AUDIO buttons (6),
VARISPEED button, and pull-up/pull-down buttons.

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DA Mode
In DA mode, Trinity takes the incoming audio clock selected by the SOURCE knob (3) and
puts it through the Jitter Management Module to regenerate a clean, de-jittered signal that
is distributed to the outputs on any channel that is in DA mode. In DA mode, the outgoing
sample rate will always match the incoming reference.
DA mode will not work if the SOURCE knob (3) is set to VIDEO or OVEN, as there is no
audio reference to distribute. In this case the display will scroll the message “Cannot DA
chosen source”. Note that in DA mode, Trinity can work with non-standard sample rates,
and any sample rate in the range 27.340 kHz - 449.433 kHz is acceptable.
To select DA mode for any channel, press the desired AUDIO button(s) (6), turn the
SAMPLE RATE knob (4) fully clockwise, and press to confirm. If not confirmed within a few
seconds, the audio channel(s) will revert to their last saved settings.
Note: Trinity will exit Edit mode without saving if there is no user input for 10seconds.
5. EDIT Indicator
Flashes when in Edit mode, but not for HD mode.
6. AUDIO Channel Edit Select Buttons
These three buttons are used to select the audio channels for editing and can be edited
individually or all at the same time. The latter results in a single channel master clock
utilizing all rear panel outputs. If pressed once while in standard mode, the current state of
the channel(s) will be visible, including varispeed and pull-ups/pull-downs.
Note: In Edit mode, pull ups/downs are not only shown with lights, but are also shown with
dashes after the frequency on the main display. So, if 0.1% & 4% pull ups are selected, the
middle and top line of the last digit on the display are lit. If 0.1% & 4% pull downs are
selected, the middle and bottom line of the last digit in the display are lit.
7. Triple Display
Displays information for everything except HD.
8. DIMMER Knob
Adjusts the brightness of the triple display.

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9. HD Select Encoders
Use these knobs to select HD rates for the three HD channels. Press to confirm a change.
HD1, HD2, HD3 signals are sent to the corresponding rear panel output BNC connections.
10. VARISPEED Select Button
Press this button when editing an audio channel allowing varispeed adjustment via the
SAMPLE RATE encoder knob (4). The VARISPEED button toggles between adjustment
options of cents and percent, where a 'c' on the display signifies cents mode, and a 'p' on
the display signifies percent mode. Press SAMPLE RATE to confirm varispeed setting.
11. SPLIT Mode
Once any channel has been saved with a varispeed setting, the varispeed indicator will
always light when NOT in edit mode to show that one or more channels is using varispeed.
The reasoning behind this function is to avoid TRINITY mis-locking to an input frequency
that is non-standard, but very close to a standard gearboxing frequency. See standard
gearboxing frequencies in Appendix A. If you know that your input frequency is a non-
standard, non-gearbox frequency, then use SPLIT mode to allow DA of this non-standard
input.
For this function to have any effect, at least one audio channel must be in DA mode. If no
audio channels are in DA mode, and SPLIT is activated, the input will be ignored. When
SPLIT is activated, the audio channel(s) that is/are set to DA will lock to the SOURCE
signal. All channels not in DA mode will continue to generate the frequency displayed for
the respective channel(s) and will be running on internal OVEN or external Atomic clock.
Note: The SPLIT button has no function when SOURCE is set to VIDEO or OVEN.
12. USA pull-up/pull-down (+/-0.1%)
13. European pull-up/pull-down (+/-4%)
14. Status LEDs
●LOCK - When lit, indicates that Trinity is locked to a valid incoming reference. The
light will flash if there is no input, or a frequency present at the input is not one of
the recognized valid gearboxing frequencies as in Appendix A.
●ATOMIC - Will be lit if SOURCE is set to OVEN, and a valid signal is present at the
rear panel Atomic input.

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●OVEN - Flashes when Trinity is first turned on and remains glowing when the oven
reaches its operating temperature.
15. INFO Button
Press to display further information on the SOURCE. Press again or wait ten seconds to
return.
16. HD Pull Down Select Buttons
Toggles -0.1% pull down On or Off for each HD channel. Press HD button for the given
channel(s) to confirm edit(s).
17. SD Video Select Button
Use this button to select the format that will be present at rear panel outputs SD 3 & 4.
This is an instant change which does not require confirmation.
REAR PANEL EXPLAINED
18. AC Power Socket
The IES AC Connection supports an input range of 90-250 VAC. This enables the device
to automatically accommodate mains voltages in any country.

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19. DC Power Connection
Speakon NL4FX socket for 12VDC Watt power supply.
20. Word Clock Inputs 1 & 2
BNC connections used to accept Word Clock reference.
21. AES/EBU Input
The AES/EBU input is a female XLR connection that accepts AES/EBU clock or audio.
22. S/PDIF Input
The S/PDIF input is an RCA connection that accepts S/PDIF clock or audio.
23. Video Input
The video input is a BNC connection that accepts video reference. See Appendix B for
supported formats.
24. Atomic Input
The BNC Atomic Input connection allows Trinity to receive a 10MHz reference from an
atomic clock device, such as the Antelope 10M. When locked to Atomic, the internal oven
on Trinity is automatically bypassed, the front panel ATOMIC LED lights, and the atomic
device becomes the primary timing reference. This effectively provides 8 day sample
accuracy, which means even more detailed sound and greater stability.
Note: The user functionality of Trinity is unaffected by the presence of an Atomic device.
25. Audio Channel A - Word Clock Outputs 1 to 6
The sample rate on these outputs always matches the sample rate indicated by the
frequency display for channel A on the front panel.
26. Audio Channel A - AES/EBU Outputs 1 & 2 (male)
These two outputs provide AES/EBU clock at the sample rate shown on the front panel
frequency display for Channel A.
27. Audio Channel A - S/PDIF Outputs 1 & 2
These two outputs provide S/PDIF clock at the sample rate shown on the front panel
frequency display for Channel A.

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28. Audio Channel A - 256x Word Clock Outputs 1 & 2
These two outputs provide 256x Word Clock, a protocol used in some older DigiDesign
components.
29. Audio Channel B - Word Clock Outputs 1 to 4
The sample rate on these outputs always matches the sample rate indicated by the
frequency display for Channel B on the front panel.
30. Audio Channel B - AES/EBU Output (male)
This output provides AES/EBU clock at the sample rate shown on the front panel
frequency display for Channel B.
31. Audio Channel B - S/PDIF Output
This output provides S/PDIF clock at the sample rate shown on the front panel frequency
display for Channel B.
32. Audio Channel C - Word Clock Outputs 1 to 4
The sample rate on these outputs always matches the sample rate indicated by the
frequency display for Channel C on the front panel.
33. Audio Channel C - AES/EBU Output (male)
This output provides AES/EBU clock at the sample rate shown on the front panel
frequency display for Channel C.
34. Audio Channel C - S/PDIF Output
This output provides S/PDIF clock at the sample rate shown on the front panel frequency
display for Channel C.
35. USB Type-B
Allows connection to PC and Mac computers for using the Control Panel application.
36. HD Video Outputs
BNC connections that provide HD video outputs corresponding to front panel HD1, HD2,
HD3.

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37. SD Video Outputs
BNC connections which provide SD video outputs as follows:
●SD 1 NTSC with black burst.
●SD2 PAL with black burst.
●SD3 NTSC 30 or PAL 24 composite sync. Toggled via front panel button (17).
●SD4 PAL 47.95 or PAL 48 composite sync. Toggled via front panel button (17).
GEARBOXING MODE
In Gearboxing Mode, Trinity always generates an output clock at the sample rate set by the
SAMPLE RATE knob for each channel, regardless of the incoming reference frequency.
This output clock is still phase-locked to the reference input, but the sample rates need
not match.
For example, you may set the SAMPLE RATE for AUDIO Channel A at 48kHz and apply a
44.1kHz reference. The device then 'gearboxes' 44.1kHz into 48kHz output as chosen by
the SAMPLE RATE knob for that channel. The ability to lock to one sample rate and
generate another is very useful for sample rate conversions. Gearboxing Mode dramatically
improves the sound quality of sample rate conversions.
For Gearboxing to work, the incoming reference must be one of 81 recognized valid
frequencies. A valid frequency is:
●One of the standard frequencies: 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384kHz
●A standard frequency subjected to any of 8 possible combinations of US/European
pull-ups/pull-downs. Appendix A below contains a complete table with the valid
frequencies.
Note: Gearboxing can be disabled by using SPLIT mode. For this to work, at least
one of the AUDIO channels must be set to DA, otherwise the input is ignored.
SPLIT mode is to be used only if the input signal is known to be a varispeed
frequency and not a standard gearbox frequency.

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CLOCK CALIBRATION
Trinity can be calibrated periodically by connecting it to the 10M/MX Atomic Clock. This is
not something that necessarily needs to be done very often, but if desired, here is how to
do it:
1. Connect 10M to Trinity as normal.
2. Power on both devices and wait for 10M/MX to reach operating temperature.
3. Set the Trinity SOURCE knob (3) to OVEN, and be sure that the ATOMIC LED (14) is lit.
4. Wait one minute to let the units stabilize. If the middle display line is stable at +/0
0.5ppm or greater, you should proceed with the calibration. If not, wait until the display
stabilizes before deciding whether to proceed with the calibration or not.
5. Press the Display button (15) and then the Varispeed button (10). Trinity is now in
Calibration mode.
6. To proceed with calibration, press the SAMPLE RATE knob (4). Trinity is now calibrated
to an accuracy greater than +/- 0.001ppm.
7. Exit Calibration Mode by pressing the INFO button (15).
CUSTOMER SUPPORT INFORMATION
Antelope Audio Customer Support can be reached by the following means:
Online
Visit support.antelopeaudio.com
Phone
We are there for you around the clock, 21 hours/day, Monday to Friday.
North America [phone]:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. (EST)
International [phone]:00 a.m. – 03:00 a.m. (GMT)
Pour le Support francophone: [phone]:00 a.m. - 17:30 p.m. (GMT+1)
Live Chat
Live Chat is available during the following hours Monday to Friday
International 06:00 a.m. – 06:00 p.m. (GMT)

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Note: If you’re trying to reach us outside working hours, we advise you to file a ticket in
our customer support system or leave a voice message.
Additional Resources
•The Antelope Audio YouTube channel is home to various tutorial videos
and endorser content which you may find helpful and inspiring.
•The Antelope Audio Users Facebook group lets you interact with fellow
users and some of our employees. Note, however, that it is not meant to be a
support group. Please contact our customer support team for such inquiries.
•The Knowledge Base in our Customer Support section is an often-
overlooked source of troubleshooting information, answers to commonly asked
questions and Antelope know-how.
MY ANTELOPE AUDIO PRODUCT ISN’T
WORKING.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If you can't find a solution on your own, please get in touch with us so we check if you are
having a hardware-related issue. If this is the case, we'll guide you through the repair
process. If the product should be returned, a RMA number will be issued so we can begin
the procedure.

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What's an RMA number?
Issuing a RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) number is required for any factory
service or repair procedure. Please, don't attempt to send us your device without receiving
a RMA number first, as the device will be returned and not serviced.
How do I get an RMA number?
The Antelope Audio Customer Support team is in charge of issuing RMA numbers. Visit
support.antelopeaudio.com and get in touch.
After your RMA has been issued, you will receive an email with instructions on how to
proceed.
RMA shipping information
Alongside the product you are returning please, include a letter containing your full name,
shipping address, RMA number issued by our technical support team and a note with a
short information about the technical issue.
Please use the original box if possible, because a worn out one will surely not protect your
product sufficiently on its way to the Antelope Audio HQ. Additional cushioning materials in
multiple layers between the unit and the box walls to prevent from shock, vibration and
various tears and scratches.
Please remove any labels or old shipment markings it may have and ensure you add your
shipping address inside the box in case the original shipment label becomes illegible during
transportation.
The shipping costs are covered by the owner of the product. Antelope Audio will not cover
any local customs charges.
We recommend using a courier service of your choice (e.g. DHL, UPS, FedEx). The package
should be insured for its real value, marked as fragile and a tracking number should be
provided. We do not recommend using standard mail delivery services.