192k Master Digital Clock: User's Guide
192k Master Digital Clock: User's Guide
192k Master Digital Clock: User's Guide
User’s Guide
v1.0 - June 2003
192k Master Digital Clock
User’s Guide
v1.0 - June 2003
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
Warnings
FCC warning
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursu-
ant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses,
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruc-
tion manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in
a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to take
whatever measures necessary to correct the interference at his own expense.
Copyright Notice
The Apogee BIG BEN is a computer-based device, and as such contains and uses software in ROMs.
This software, and all related documentation, including this User’s Guide contain proprietary informa-
tion which is protected by copyright laws. All rights are reserved. No part of the software and its related
documentation may be copied, transferred, or modified. You may not modify, adapt, translate, lease,
distribute, resell for profit or create derivative works based on the software and its related documenta-
tion or any part thereof without prior written consent from Apogee Electronics Corporation, U.S.A.
ii APOGEE ELECTRONICS
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
APOGEE ELECTRONICS CORPORATION warrants this product to be free of defects in material and
manufacture under normal use for a period of 12 months. The term of this warranty begins on the
date of sale to the purchaser. Units returned for warranty repair to Apogee or an authorized Apogee
warranty repair facility will be repaired or replaced at the manufacturer’s option, free of charge.
ALL UNITS RETURNED TO APOGEE OR AN AUTHORIZED APOGEE REPAIR FACILITY MUST
BE PREPAID, INSURED AND PROPERLY PACKAGED, PREFERABLY IN THEIR ORIGINAL BOX.
Apogee reserves the right to change or improve design at any time without prior notification. Design
changes are not implemented retroactively, and the incorporation of design changes into future units
does not imply the availability of an upgrade to existing units.
This warranty is void if Apogee determines, in its sole business judgment, the defect to be the result
of abuse, neglect, alteration or attempted repair by unauthorized personnel.
The warranties set forth above are in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied, and Apogee
specifically disclaims any and all implied warranty of merchantability or of fitness for a particular
purpose. The buyer acknowledges and agrees that in no event shall the company be held liable for
any special, indirect, incidental or consequential damages, or for injury, loss or damage sustained by
any person or property, that may result from this product failing to operate correctly at any time.
USA: Some states do not allow for the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liability for
incidental or consequential damage, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty
gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state to state.
Service Information
The BIG BEN contains no user-serviceable components: refer to qualified service personnel for repair
or upgrade. Your warranty will be voided if you tamper with the internal components. If you have any
questions with regard to the above, please contact Apogee.
In the event your BIG BEN needs to be upgraded or repaired, it is necessary to contact Apogee prior
to shipping, and a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number will be assigned. This number will
serve as a reference for you and helps facilitate and expedite the return process. Apogee requires
that shipments be pre-paid and insured — unless otherwise authorized in advance.
Declarations of Conformity
Declaration of Conformity—FCC
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful inteference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
1. Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna.
2. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a different circuit from that to which the receiver is connected.
4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
NOTE: The use of non-shielded cable with this equipment is prohibited.
CAUTION: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer responsible for compliance
could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Apogee Electronics Corporation, 3145 Donald Douglas Loop South, Santa Monica, CA 90405.
Betty Bennett, CEO.
This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regula-
tions. Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matérial brouilleur
du Canada.
Declaration of Conformity – CE
Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that the product, the BIG BEN, to which this declaration relates,
is in material conformity with the following standards or other normative documents:
• EN50081-1/EN55022; 1995
• EN50082-1/IEC 801-2, 3, 4; 1992
following the provisions of:
• 73/23/EEC – Low Voltage Directive
• 89/336/EEC – EMC Directive
Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that the BIG BEN, to which this declaration relates, is in material
conformity with the VCCI Class A standard.
Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that the BIG BEN is in material conformity with AN/NZS standard
requirements.
iv APOGEE ELECTRONICS
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
OWNER’S RECORD
The serial number is located on the rear panel of the unit. We suggest you record the
serial number in the space provided below. Refer to it whenever you call an authorized
Apogee Electronics repair facility or the manufacturer. Please be sure to return your com-
pleted warranty card immediately!
Purchase Date
Dealer
Phone
Address
CAUTION:
Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by APOGEE ELECTRONICS
CORPORATION could void your authority to operate this equipment under the FCC rules.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS v
User’s Guide
Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................2
Getting Started Quickly ................................................................................3
Connecting Power .....................................................................................3
Reset ........................................................................................................3
QuickStart ..................................................................................................3
Navigating the Front Panel ......................................................................4-9
Power Switch ............................................................................................4
Set-Up .......................................................................................................4
Clock Source ............................................................................................5
Sample Rate .............................................................................................6
Lock indication ..........................................................................................6
Optical .......................................................................................................7
AES ...........................................................................................................7
Pull Up/Down (VSO) .................................................................................8
WC OUT 5 ................................................................................................8
WC OUT 6 ................................................................................................9
WC OUT/TERMINATION ..........................................................................9
Connections on the Rear Panel ...............................................................10
AES IN 1 & 2 ...........................................................................................10
AES OUT 1 & 2 .......................................................................................10
S/PDIF IN/OUT .......................................................................................10
OPTICAL IN/OUT ....................................................................................10
OPTION CARD .......................................................................................10
VIDEO/WORD CLOCK IN ......................................................................10
WORD CLOCK OUT 1-6 ........................................................................10
AC IN ......................................................................................................10
About Digital Audio Formats and Format Conversion ....................11
About SureLock .............................................................................................11
Internal Adjustments .................................................................................12
Clock Distribution –Theory and Practice
.............................................13-14
Features and Specifications .....................................................................15
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
Introduction
Apogee Electronics’ Big Ben Master Digital Clock provides a complete clock synchronization solution for
the digital production studio. Each feature of Big Ben has been carefully designed to ensure the highest
quality, stability and simplicity when synchronizing your studio.
• At the heart of Big Ben, Apogee’s C777 Clock Technology uses Direct Digital Synthesis to
generate ultra-stable clock frequencies whose jitter is virtually un-measurable regardless of
the clock source. Big Ben operates at frequencies up to 192 kHz, including common pull up/
pull down frequencies and VSO (varispeed) functionality.
• Adaptive Loop Filtering (ALF) optimizes clock performance and attenuates jitter, so that even
poor reference clock sources won’t degrade Big Ben’s performance.
• A wide range of input and output connections simplifies studio configuration; included are
AES, S/PDIF and Optical I/O, plus 6 Word Clock outputs and 1 Word Clock/Video input. An
Option Card slot, for “emerging” digital formats such as FireWire, offers the ability to update
Big Ben’s functionality. Format conversion is available between AES, S/PDIF, Optical and
Option formats.
• Sure Lock ensures a fail safe lock to external sources, thereby stabilizing the entire clock
configuration. Word Clock termination sensing verifies that all Word Clock connections are
properly terminated, thus avoiding transmission mis-matches which lead to hard-to-find
clocking errors.
Please register this unit by filling in the included registration card, or registering online at
http://www.apogeedigital.com/register.html
Please read this manual – if you call for technical support, we’ll assume that you have. There will be a quiz.
2 APOGEE ELECTRONICS
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
APOGEE ELECTRONICS 3
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
1 2
It’s Got a Mind of Its Own! 1) Power Switch – Every aspect of Big Ben has been carefully
As Big Ben’s settings are modi- thought out – even the Power Switch! Three configurations, set with
fied, certain parameters and internal jumpers, are available:
values become unavailable for selec-
tion, while others seem to change all by 1) Big Ben is powered on in the expected manner, by pushing the
themselves! In fact, Big Ben intelligently
Power Switch;
modifies many settings according to the
configuration of the unit. For example,
when an external CLOCK SOURCE is
2) Big Ben powers on automatically when AC input is applied, but
selected, SAMPLE RATE can’t be modi- the Power Switch is still functional;
fied, as its value is determined from the
selected CLOCK SOURCE. As another 3) the Power Switch is completely disabled.
example, the VSO value may be selected
only when CLOCK SOURCE is set to Please see the section on “Internal Adjustments” for instructions
INTernal. on changing the Power Switch mode.
Note that the Power Switch LED indicates that Big Ben is receiv-
ing a proper AC input, and is in Standby mode. The LED goes
out when Big Ben is powered on.
Keep in mind that before 1) Enable Setup mode by simply pressing any of the SETUP but-
modification of any Big Ben tons. The SETUP LED will illuminate and the value selected the
setting, SETUP mode must previous time SETUP mode was enabled will blink.
be enabled.
2) Press either the PREV or NEXT buttons until the current value of
the parameter to be modified is blinking.
4 APOGEE ELECTRONICS
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
3) CLOCK /Digital Audio SOURCE – At it’s simplest, Big Ben When video has been selected
derives a reference clock frequency from an internal or external as the clock source, allow Big
source and generates several ultra low jitter clock outputs based on Ben approximately 30 seconds
this reference. The CLOCK SOURCE parameter selects the source to achieve the best lock.
of the reference clock frequency. When a Clock Source is selected
which contains a digital audio signal, that signal is routed to all out-
puts capable of transmitting digital audio. The following sources are
available:
• INT – Big Ben’s clock outputs are derived from an internal clock
frequency generator. CLOCK SOURCE must be set to INTernal
to set the PULL UP/DOWN parameter to VSO,
• AES1 – clock and digital audio outputs are derived from the AES1
input. If AES is set to DOUBLE, both AES1 and AES2 will light.
• AES 2 – clock and digital audio outputs are derived from the
AES2 input.
• S/P COAX – clock and digital audio outputs are derived from the
S/PDIF coaxial input.
• OPTICAL - clock and digital audio outputs are derived from the
Optical input.
• OPTION - clock and digital audio outputs are derived from the
Option Card input. This selection is only available when an Op-
tion Card is installed.
• WC - clock outputs are derived from the Video/Word Clock input
when a valid word clock signal has been connected.
• VIDEO - clock outputs are derived from the Video/Word Clock
input when a valid video signal has been connected. The video
format (PAL,NTSC or B&W) will be automatically detected.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS 5
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
4
5
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FIGURE 2
6 APOGEE ELECTRONICS
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
6
7
ADAT x x valid
S/MUX 2 x valid x
S/MUX 4 valid x x
FIGURE 3
APOGEE ELECTRONICS 7
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
8 9
In VSO mode: 8) PULL UP/DOWN – The Pull Up/Down parameter is active only
due to the limitations of a when SAMPLE RATE is set to INTernal or VIDEO. The frequency of
4 digit display, only one the SAMPLE RATE may be modified by 4 defined percentages to ac-
of the three units of measurement commodate specific situations encountered during video production
can be displayed accurately; display and post. The +- 4% values are usually employed when transferring
values for the remaining two units between PAL video and film, while the +- 0.1 values are employed
are approximated. Whichever unit
when transferring between NTSC video and film.
of measurement is displayed when
modifying SAMPLE RATE accurately
represents the output; if a second unit of
VSO (Variable Speed Override) is the term historically used to
measurement is selected and SAMPLE denote the variable speed control on a tape machine. Variable Speed
RATE is modified, that second unit of is accomplished in the digital audio domain by modifying the sample
measurement becomes the accurately rate. Big Ben allows this modification of the SAMPLE RATE over
displayed unit. For this reason it’s a wide range of values when CLOCK SOURCE is set to INTernal
recommended to choose the unit of and the PULL UP/DOWN parameter is set to VSO, Moreover, the
measurement desired before setting the SAMPLE RATE may be displayed in three units of measurement : 1)
SAMPLE RATE value. absolute frequency in Hz 2) amount of change in percentage, and 3)
amount of change in cents (i.e. subdivisions of a semitone).
When in VSO mode, please
For VSO operation,
note that the SAMPLE RATE
value is not retained in Non-
1) Ensure that CLOCK SOURCE is set to INTernal, and that the
Volatile memory, and will be lost when desired base SAMPLE RATE has been selected.
Big Ben is power cycled. All other 2) Set PULL UP/DOWN to VSO
settings are memorized. 3) Select the SAMPLE RATE parameter, and set the desired
amount of varispeed with the UP or DOWN buttons (Pressing
and holding the UP or DOWN key causes values to scroll more
rapidly) The SAMPLE RATE value will now vary in increments of
1 hz,, 0.1% (1% when the amount of change is greater than 10
%) or 1 cent, depending on the unit of measurement displayed.
8 APOGEE ELECTRONICS
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
10 11
10) WC OUT 6 – Similar to the WC OUT 5 parameter, the frequency of Termination sensing can also be
Word Clock Output 6 may be set to a multiple of the SAMPLE RATE. used to verify the integrity of word
clock cables by following these
Valid settings are determined by the SAMPLE RATE steps (Big Ben must be locked to perform
as depicted in FIGURE 4 below this test):
FIGURE 5
APOGEE ELECTRONICS 9
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
5 8
6
4
1 2 3 7
1) AES IN 1 & 2 – These XLR connections accept AES/EBU input in the format selected
by the front panel AES parameter. When AES is set to SINGLE, each connection
accepts a discrete stereo input; when AES is set to DOUBLE, both connections used in
conjunction accept one stereo input.
2) AES OUT 1 & 2 - These XLR connections provide AES/EBU output in the format
selected by the front panel AES parameter. When AES is set to SINGLE, stereo output
is duplicated on each connection; when AES is set to DOUBLE, both connections used
in conjunction provide one stereo output.
3) S/PDIF IN/OUT – These RCA (Cinch) connections provide S/PDIF Coaxial Input/
Output
5) OPTION CARD – This slot is reserved for Option cards which provide additional input/
output formats, such as FireWire.
6) VIDEO/WORD CLOCK IN – This BNC connection accepts both TTL Logic and
video black burst signals, according to the front panel CLOCK SOURCE parameter.
When CLOCK SOURCE is set to Video, the video format (PAL, NTSC or B&W) is
automatically detected. The Video/Word Clock input is internally TERMINATED – no
external termination should be used.
7) WC OUT 1-6 – These BNC connections provide TTL logic level word clock outputs.
Outputs 1-4 transmit clocks whose frequency equals the SAMPLE RATE, while Outputs 5
& 6 may be set to transmit a clock whose frequency is a multiple of the SAMPLE RATE.
10 APOGEE ELECTRONICS
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
FIGURE 6
As sample rates and bit resolutions have increased, digital audio formats have been
modified to handle the increased flow of data, to the point where the proliferation of
format variations has led to some confusion. For example, 5 variations of the AES/EBU
format have been developed to handle sample rates between 44.1kHz and 192kHz.
FIGURE 6 depicts the characteristics of the digital audio formats available on Big Ben,
including the names by which the format is known, the connector used, valid sample
rates, the number of digital audio channels per connection, and the rate of transmission.
For example, AES Double Wire format can carry only 1 channel of audio per connection,
uses XLR connectors, is used only with sample rates between 88.2 and 192 kHz, and
transmits data at half the sample rate – i.e., bits travel at 48kHz when transmitting a
96kHz digital audio signal.
To convert a digital audio signal from one format to any other format, the source format
must be selected as the CLOCK SOURCE. Digital audio data present at the selected
input will be routed to all outputs capable of transmitting digital audio data.
When format converting, Big Ben will transmit as many channels as possible based on
the input format selected and the capability of each output format. For example, if S/MUX
2 input (capable of accepting 4 channels) is selected as the CLOCK SOURCE and AES
is set to SINGLE (thus allowing transmission of 2 channels on each connector), S/MUX
input channels 1 & 2 will be routed to AES Output 1, while S/MUX input channels 3 & 4
will be routed to AES Output 2; on the other hand, only S/MUX channels 1 & 2 will be
routed to the S/PDIF Coaxial output (capable of transmitting 2 channels on the sole
S/PDIF connector).
About SureLock
Thanks to SureLock, Apogee’s intelligent clock continuity algorithm, even the loss of the
input reference will not degrade the stability of Big Ben’s outputs. When the selected
CLOCK SOURCE is no longer applied to Big Ben, the unit will continue to generate
clock outputs at the last known valid frequency; the “Wide” arrow will blink to indicate the
loss of the input reference while the blue “Narrow LED will light solidly to indicate stable
output. When an input reference is re-connected, Big Ben will attempt to regain lock as
seamlessly as possible; nonetheless, it’s recommended to re-connect the input reference
at a moment when a brief interruption of Big Ben’s output won’t pose a problem.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS 11
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
Internal Adjustments
We’ve gone to great lengths to avoid DIP switches and other inaccessible controls on Big Ben, but
there are a few internal jumpers used to configure infrequently modified parameters. See the photo
below for an indication of each jumper’s location.
2) Jumper P8 set to AUTO – when AC power is applied to the input, Big Ben powers on
immediately; nevertheless, the POWER switch is functional. This setting may be preferred
when a Master switch controls several devices including Big Ben.
P18 P27
P8
P17
FIGURE 7
12 APOGEE ELECTRONICS
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
Much in the same way that a film captures fluid motion with discrete, regularly timed still pictures, digital
audio technology captures audio waveforms with regularly timed snapshots called samples. In each
case, the timing regularity of the slices is paramount to successfully reproducing the original event.
For example, just as a hand-cranked projector will cause a perfectly normal film to appear jerky and
unnatural, timing inconsistencies (known as jitter) in a digital-to-analog converter add inaccuracies to
an otherwise good digital audio signal. Worse, if a hand-cranked film camera were used to capture a
performance, even the most stable projector couldn’t remove the instability of the movement recorded
on film. Likewise, jitter anomalies encoded during the analog-to-digital stage can never be removed
further down the digital audio chain. The overall quality of a digital system is determined by the quality
of the A-to-D and D-to-A converters; the most stable clock possible ensures the most consistent
timing, and therefore the highest quality, for these stages.
In order for a musical ensemble to play together successfully, each member must perform his part at
a common tempo. Likewise, each device in a digital studio must transmit and receive digital bits as
dictated by a common clock signal. The larger the ensemble, the more difficult it is to play together
without a conductor - imagine the resulting cacophony if each player in an orchestra followed the
tempo of his neighbor. A similar situation arises in the digital studio when each device receives a clock
signal from its neighbor - timing differences between devices can cause digital bits to be dropped
when the studio must “play together”, for example while transferring or mixing digitally.
On the other hand, when each member of the orchestra follows the tempo set by a conductor, even a
large group of musicians can play precisely in unison. Likewise, when each device receives a robust
and precise clock signal directly from Big Ben, even a large digital studio can operate in perfect
synchronization.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS 13
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
From the preceding information , these four Rules of Clock can be established:
1) Ensure that all A-to-D and D-to-A converters are clocked by the most precise source possible, to
ensure the highest quality for the entire digital audio system.
2) Each digital device should be connected directly to the Master Clock Source with the shortest
possible cable, in a “star” configuration.
3) Each Word Clock line should be terminated with a 75 ohm load, as indicated by Big Ben’s Termination
sensing LEDs. When the word clock input of connected devices is un-terminated, it’s acceptable to
chain a few devices with a BNC “T” connector on the word clock input.
4) Don’t delay the clock signal to any device by chaining a signal through input/output clock circuitry.
Every device should receive the digital “downbeat” simultaneously.
14 APOGEE ELECTRONICS
BIG BEN – User’s Guide
• Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) using Apogeeʼs C777 Clock Technology up to 192kHz
• AES, S/PDIF, Optical I/O - Word Clock/Video In - 6 Word Clock Outs
• Optional FireWire connection to facilitate clocking and format conversion with other Firewire devices
• Realtime format conversion between all digital formats
• Adaptive Loop Filtering (ALF) to optimize clock performance and minimize jitter
• Fail safe lock to external sources (Sure Lock)
• Word Clock termination sensing
Inputs: Specs:
• 2 x AES-EBU on XLR 44.1k-192k single-wide and 88.2-192k • Sample rates: 44.1/48-88.2/96-176/192 . All +/- 10%
double-wide. • Video: PAL/NTSC/60Hz
• S/PDIF optical on TOS-LINK 44.1-48k • “SuperClock” (256fs)
• S/PDIF coaxial on RCA 44.1-192k • Pull up/down 0.1% and 4% from any sample rate
• ADAT 44.1-48k • Apogeeʼs new Ultra Low Jitter C777 clock
• ADAT/SMUX II for 88.2-96k • Three stage termination indicator (under/correct/over) on
• ADAT/SMUX IV for 176.4-192k each Word Clock output
• Word Clock BNC 44.1-192k • “SureLock” technology for drop out prevention
• Video • Varispeed in absolute frequency or relative musical values
• Optional Firewire (i.e. semitones to allow pitch changes)
• 4 digit numeric true sample rate indication
Outputs: • Universal power: 15 W 90-250 VAC 50-60 HZ
• 2 x AES-EBU on XLR single or double wide 44.1-192k
• S/PDIF coaxial 44.1-192k
• S/PDIF optical on TOS-LINK 44.1-48k
• 6 x BNC Word Clock 44.1-192k (of which 2 can output x256fs,
x4, x2, 1/2, 1/4 at apropriate sample rates)
• ADAT
• SMUX II
• SMUX IV
• Optional FireWire
Due to on-going development Apogee reserves the right to change all information and specifications without notice.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS 15
BIG BEN USER’S GUIDE - v.1.0 - June 2003
Text conceived and delivered by: Roger Robindore
Graphics and product illustration by: Sean McArthur