Lucid Debuts SSG192 Master Clock

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Lucid's latest digital interface aims to eliminate many of the audio problems created by an ever-growing number of digital studio devices. The Lucid SSG192 Studio Sync Generator provides a master clock for synchronizing digital audio and video studio equipment, with connectors that support word clock, AES11, video blackburst, Digidesign's 256X Superclock, and a proprietary clock called Lucid UltraClock. "The SSG192 allows studios to avoid the standard way many of them distribute a single source of synchronization between units: daisy-chaining a word clock signal," according to Nathan O'Neill, Director of Engineering. "Word clock chains can provide one clock to different devices but they typically produce a phase difference between each device and jitter that increases with each additional unit in the chain. The SSG192 syncs digital units in most types of studio configurations to one stable, accurate master clock."

To eliminate distortion between digital devices, the SSG192 features 15 internal clock rates and three external sources (word clock, AES11, or video blackburst), any of which can act as the master clock to control connected equipment. In film and video postproduction studios, the SSG192 can reference to, or serve as, the house video blackburst generator. It supports NTSC 59.94, NTSC 60, or PAL/SECAM 50 Hz formats. A front-panel LED set provides a simple calculation for all common pull-up and pull-down rates using 0.1% and 4% correction factors.

The SSG192 simultaneously outputs word clock and AES11 sync formats. Four discrete word clock outputs let the SSG192 synchronize connected gear using the most common clock format for digital audio applications. Supported output frequencies are: 32, 42.336, 44.056, 44.1, 44.144, 45.937, 46.080, 47.952, 48, 48.048, 50, 88.2, 96, 100, and 192 kHz. The SSG192 also features two configurable clock outputs. These connections can be set to run at 256X, for compatibility with Digidesign's Pro Tools systems, or set to run at 1024X. In 1024X mode, called Lucid UltraClock, the unit runs at 1024X, 512X, or 256X the sample rate (as determined by the sample rate) for compatibility with future high-definition audio products from Lucid.

Its multiple connections also make the SSG192 compatible with Sonic Solutions systems, Mackie Digital 8 Bus, Yamaha O2R and O3D, Tascam DA-88, and many other professional digital audio consoles, workstations, and recorders.

The suggested US retail price of the SSG192 is $1795. It ships to select pro audio dealers in December 2000.