[Ardour-Users] syncing two machines

[Kim Cascone]

I'm developing a new four channel sound piece for a fall tour
and have been looking for a USB I/O audio card with four analog outputs

[caveat: I don't a load of money to spend on an RME card]

I have yet to find a USB I/O that has what I need and works out of the 
box with Linux

I've read that some units like the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6
require a Windows/OS X app to configure the analog outputs
i.e. they don't come up 'live' but need to be 'switched on' from an app 
(IIRC)

note: I don't have ffado running and my laptop doesn't have a 'real' 
Firewire connection
I tried to get the 1394 connector and ffado working with a PreSonus 
Firebox with no success

so one possible workaround might be to use two laptops: my 15" and a netbook
both running Ardour (netbook has been tested with Ardour and works)
with each soundcard (iMic) contributing two channels to a mixer where 
it's routed to four speakers

the piece doesn't require frame sync accuracy
starting on time is priority but any sloppiness on ending can be futzed 
by manually fading out one machine

but I was wondering how to sync the two laptops via MIDI sync or MTC?
is it as simple as using MTC, hooking up two MIDI interfaces and making 
one a Master?

I'm also thinking that I could use my Korg nanokontrol transport 
controls to start both machines and control faders in separate 
machines...any issues here?

RTFM: I saw a few posts on the Ardour blog but all seemed very problem 
specific
and not a general 'how to'
<http://ardour.org/node/1504>if so can someone give me a pointer to some 
info I'd be grateful
ciao!
kim

-- 
*my Linux audio perf config:*
Dell Studio 15 Core2 Duo 2.0GHz 3G-RAM
Ubuntu 10.10
kernel 2.6.35-32 generic pae
filesystem: ext3
jackdmp 1.9.6
Ardour 2.8.11
Pd version 0.43.1-extended-20120521
USB iMic audio interface
Korg nanoKontrol
cpufreq-set - both cpu's are set to 2.0GHz and userspace