cymatic audio uTrack24 audiolan User manual

SYNC
uTrack24
Aug. 2016

Table of Contents 2
SYNC
uTrack24
Aug. 2016
Table of Contents
Table of Contents...........................................................................................................................................................2
1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................3
2. NETWORK SETUP...............................................................................................................................................4
3. SYNC GROUPS....................................................................................................................................................5
3.1. Creating a SYNC Group...................................................................................................................................5
3.2. Dissolving a SYNC Group................................................................................................................................6
4. AUDIO AND SYNCHRONIZATION.......................................................................................................................6
5. RECORDING ........................................................................................................................................................7
6. uTOOL...................................................................................................................................................................8
6.1. Import Recordings............................................................................................................................................8
6.2. Export Playback Content..................................................................................................................................9
7. PLAYBACK .........................................................................................................................................................10
8. DEVICE FAILURE...............................................................................................................................................11
9. uREMOTE...........................................................................................................................................................11
10. USE CASES........................................................................................................................................................12
10.1. Recording 32 Channels (Stacked Mode) .......................................................................................................12
10.2. Recording 24 Channels (Redundant Mode)...................................................................................................14
10.3. Playback 56 Channels (Stacked Mode).........................................................................................................16
10.4. Playback 24 Channels (Redundant Mode).....................................................................................................18
11. Legal Disclaimer..................................................................................................................................................19

INTRODUCTION 3
SYNC
uTrack24
Aug. 2016
1. INTRODUCTION
With the addition of the SYNC group feature, uTrack24 turns into a scalable recorder and player system, adding up to
up to 96 audio channels, or offering redundant channels and still keeping the simple and intuitive handling that you
already are familiar with.
The SYNC group feature does not rely on using multiple clock and communication cables. Instead, connect multiple
uTrack24 units through the Ethernet port and assign them to a SYNC group –that’s all.
The basic clocking technology of our SYNC feature is the same IEEE 1588 (PTP) standard as used by the open
AES67 standard and guarantees perfect frequency and phase sync across the network. A standard Ethernet cable is
all it takes to turn two uTrack24 units into a 48-channel recorder/player, and to get an even higher channel count,
connect up to 4 uTrack24 units to a standard Ethernet switch.
In a SYNC group, one uTrack24 unit takes the role as the MASTER, and all other units are numbered SLAVES.
Operate your large-scale recorder/player on the MASTER as you do in stand-alone mode, and the SLAVES will
follow the action. The uTrack24 units can even run in different channel configurations, giving you the flexibility to
create your perfectly sized recorder/player.
This manual will show you
how to setup your network
how to create a SYNC group
how to setup your uTrack24 units, also with regards to audio I/O and clock sources
how to operate your SYNC group, also through uRemote
how uTool helps you to import/export SYNC group content
examples of different use cases
Note: If you are not yet familiar with uTrack24 operation, please read the uTrack24 user manual first.

NETWORK SETUP 4
SYNC
uTrack24
Aug. 2016
2. NETWORK SETUP
The simplest SYNC group setup consists of two uTrack24 units connected over an Ethernet cable:
This setup does not require any manual configuration –the units will automatically connect and you can instantly
proceed defining the SYNC group and assign one unit as the MASTER who’s buttons are used to control your 48-
track recorder/player. However, this setup does not allow using uRemote because the system is not connected to
WLAN.
To increase the system’s channel count, and to add WLAN for uRemote control, connect your uTrack24 units to a
standard WLAN router:
uTrack24 units feature a DHCP client, so all units will seamlessly connect if the WLAN router has DHCP server
enabled. Please read the WLAN router user manual and check these settings
DHCP server should be activated
security settings should be set to prevent unauthorized access
Note: Do not plug or unplug network audio devices (like uTrack24) during active recording or playback processes as
this might cause synchronization issues.

SYNC GROUPS 5
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uTrack24
Aug. 2016
3. SYNC GROUPS
Once the uTrack24 units are connected to the same network, they still act as independent recorders/players. You
need to assign units to a SYNC group in order to create a multi-unit system. IFollow these steps to create a SYNC
group. Please connect a USB drive before you continue.
3.1. Creating a SYNC Group
In a first step, define which unit will be your MASTER unit. The MASTER uTrack24 is in charge of controlling the
SYNC group, either using the buttons which are all lit up and fully functional as in stand-alone mode, or through
uRemote.
1. On the MASTER, press the MENU button and select “Sync”:
2. In the Sync Menu, select “Setup uTrack24 sync”:
3. Start the SYNC group creation by selecting “Ok”:
4. While waiting for the SLAVE(s), all connected units show:
5. Select “YES” on all units that should join this SYNC group.
The MASTER will acknowledge every new SLAVE unit in the display:
6. When done, select “Ok” on the MASTER to complete the setup.
Note that after the 3rd SLAVE has joined the SYNC group, the setup
auto-completes.
The MASTER unit can easily be identified as it is the only unit in the group with all transport buttons active and lit up,
while on the SLAVE units only the STOP button is illuminated. In addition, MASTER and SLAVE(s) can be identified
by the label in the display:
MASTER SLAVE

AUDIO AND SYNCHRONIZATION 6
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uTrack24
Aug. 2016
3.2. Dissolving a SYNC Group
A SYNC group can only be dissolved when the system is idle. During recording and playing, dissolving a SYNC
group is prohibited for safety reasons.
When a MASTER or a SLAVE is removed from a SYNC group, the entire SYNC group is dissolved and all units are
then switching to stand-alone mode.
To dissolve a SYNC group, press the MENU button on the MASTER or on a
SLAVE unit, then go to “Sync” to dissolve your group:
4. AUDIO AND SYNCHRONIZATION
A SYNC group can be used in two ways:
a) Stacked Mode: Increase the number of tracks to a maximum of 96 audio channels
b) Redundant Mode: Run two identical systems in a redundant configuration
As with every digital audio system, all devices should be synchronized to the same clock source. In a SYNC group a
few more settings are required for proper operation throughout the work flow. But no worries, most of it is taken care
of by the MASTER by properly setting up the connected SLAVE units. Of course, important parameters that offer
flexibility are kept under your control.
Parameter
Set By
Remarks
Sample Rate
MASTER
The MASTER sets the correct sample rate on all
SLAVES, in recording and playback mode.
If you wish to change the sampling rate for new
recordings, change it on the MASTER unit only.
Bit Depth
MASTER
The MASTER sets the correct bit depth on all
SLAVES.
If you wish to change the bit depth for new recordings,
change it on the MASTER unit only.
Track Count
MASTER+SLAVES
MASTER and SLAVES can be set to independent
track counts.
For example, to create a 32-channel recorder set the
MASTER for 24 audio tracks and the SLAVE #1 to 8
audio tracks.
Clock Source
MASTER+SLAVES
By default, all units in a SYNC group synchronize to
“PTP” which is a precision time protocol transferred
over the network.
If you need to synchronize to another clock, WCLK or
Digital I/O card, all units should be reconfigured for
this clock source.
Note: The changes in the MASTER will be sent to the SLAVES when the menu entry is left, and after a timeout.
Warning: Do not use differing clock modes on uTrack24 units within a SYNC group, to avoid clicks and pops due to
asynchronous operation.

RECORDING 7
SYNC
uTrack24
Aug. 2016
5. RECORDING
It is solely up to the audio signal connections to define whether a stacked or redundant multitrack recorder is formed.
The recording process is all the same, and only when importing the recordings to your PC using uTool you will
indicate which kind of recording you created.
The MASTER is setting up all SLAVES for sampling rate and bit depth. In addition, the recording take name is
negotiated between the devices to guarantee a unique and consistent take name.
Record:
The recording is started on the MASTER. While recording, use the MASTER buttons for control:
Prepare Rec:
In SYNC groups pre-recording is not available. Instead, use the new "Prepare Rec" parameter, available on the
MASTER, to set your system to instant recording (ON) or not (OFF). If set to ON, all devices in the SYNC group will
start the recording right at the click of the REC button. If the "Prepare Rec" parameter is set to OFF, it will take a few
seconds until the recording starts.
Note: Set “Prepare Rec” to ON in case you are mainly recording, in order not to miss the start of your take.
Stop:
The normal way to stop a recording is to press the STOP button on the MASTER. The STOP button on a SLAVE will
only stop the recording on this SLAVE unit and should only be used in emergency situations.
For example: If the MASTER’s hard disk is full, the MASTER will stop recording. However, the SLAVES continue
recording (so at least these tracks are safe). In this (hopefully rare) situation, the only way to stop a SLAVE is
pressing its STOP button.
Warning: Synchronized playback is not guaranteed if a slave has been stopped manually.
Note: If the recordings have been stopped in an improper way, import the recording with uTool and export it again, in
order to avoid playback problems due to track length mismatch.

uTOOL 8
SYNC
uTrack24
Aug. 2016
6. uTOOL
uTool is a simple yet important tool in your work flow. It is not only the interface between your uTrack24 (and other
Cymatic Audio products) and your DAW running on your computer, converting and optimizing the takes for your DAW
and for uTrack24. It is used for proper import/export of stacked and redundant content, and it can even help fixing
song problems that have been introduced e.g. by recording exceptions.
Note: Please read the uTool user manual for an introduction to uTool.
6.1. Import Recordings
Connect your hard disks one by one. uTool automatically detects which hard disk belongs to which unit (MASTER,
SLAVE #).
Choose one of the import modes:
Stacked Mode:
uTool creates a single folder with up to 96 audio tracks.
The imported tracks are numbered as follows:
MASTER: #01 …#24
SLAVE #1: #25 …#48 (etc.)
Redundant Mode:
uTool creates a folder for each device. The folder names
for SLAVE units are appended:
SLAVE #1: _Slave1
SLAVE #2: _Slave2
SLAVE #3: _Slave3
Within every folder the tracks are numbered 01 …24.

uTOOL 9
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uTrack24
Aug. 2016
6.2. Export Playback Content
When creating a new multitrack song in uTool, first define the number of stacked units as this will give you the
maximum number of available audio tracks. Note the 24 MASTER [M] and 24 SLAVE #1 [S1] tracks on the right-hand
side.
Now assign your wave files to the tracks and save your song.
Leave the multitrack editor and open the “Export”page. Here you can export every hard disk individually, or define an
“Export Batch”
In order to get redundant content, simply export the same content to multiple drives
Warning: Exporting to synchronized units requires matching content on all hard drives. If the content doesn’t match,
the units might play at different song positions or even play different songs after a gapless transition.
Warning: With a SYNC group, playback without gaps between songs requires a playlist that defines no pause.

PLAYBACK 10
SYNC
uTrack24
Aug. 2016
7. PLAYBACK
The audio signals and hard disk content defines whether a stacked or redundant multitrack player system is formed.
The playback process is all the same.
The MASTER is controlling all SLAVES, so start your playback on the MASTER. The SLAVES will follow all
operations on the MASTER unit, including the loading of a playlist. As a consequence, the SLAVES prohibit access to
the file browser and selecting a song.
The normal way to stop the player is by pressing the stop button on the MASTER unit. The stop button on the
SLAVES will only stop this SLAVE unit and should be used in emergency situations only.
The following playback features are not available in a SYNC group:
Head positioning
Loops within a song
Jumping to markers
Insert a song from the browser
Stereo Mode
Autoplay
Pre-Loading:
The pre-loading option is available by setting "Prepare Rec" to OFF. When pre-loading is complete, all devices in the
SYNC group will start the playback instantly at the click of the play button. If "Prepare Rec" is ON, it will take a few
seconds until the playback will start.
Note: When mainly used as a player, set “Prepare Rec” to OFF in order to have instant playback.