Some offer clocks themselves from a voltage controlled oscillator (M2Tech) up to Rubidium ones (Esoteric). Recognizing the importance of a clean, low noise, phase correct clock signal, companies like CEC, M2Tech, dCS, Aurender and Esoteric offer word clock inputs (and sometimes outputs too) on CD players, streaming devices, sample rate converters and digital to analogue converters. In a large studio the master is often a Rubidium clock, with OCX (Oven Controlled Oscillator) word clocks working as slaves and connected by a separate wiring system to make sure the clock is not dependent of the data stream. The lowest level is a voltage controlled oscillator circuit found in many non-professional devices. The next level down from Rubidium is a temperature controlled crystal, often called oven controlled, where the crystal is contained in its own closed box and kept at a constant temperature.
ESOTERIC WORD CLOCK GENERATOR
The ultimate clock uses Rubidium atomic as a reference generator to get a clock signal 100,000 times more accurate than any crystal oscillator could provide. Some companies like Antelope Audio have made their name manufacturing clocks to the highest level.
ESOTERIC WORD CLOCK PROFESSIONAL
In professional recording studios they don’t depend on the clocks in each device, jitter levels would become unacceptable because of frequency deviations, so master clocks or word clocks as they are called came along to make sure that every bit arrives exactly at the same time all over the studio. All in an effort only to make sure the ones and zeroes arrive at the right time. They offered clocks as modules to replace the circuit within the player and even dedicated power supplies became available. Still improvements can be made and that is why companies like Trichord, Tentlabs and LC Audio Technology became popular. More sophisticated players use advanced clocks with low jitter, low noise and a dedicated power regulator. Except for size these are no different to the quartz movement in a watch. Most clocks are very simple devices that generate a waveform from a quartz oscillator with some simple parts to get the clock going. Without a clock signal generated somewhere in your CD player, streaming device, D/A converter or digital video player you would not be able to get any sound or picture out of the box.
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