Antelope Audio Trinity Master Clock
Antelope Audio·Model Trinity·antelope-trinity
About the Antelope Audio Trinity
The Antelope Trinity is a high-precision master clock with an atomic rubidium oscillator and GPS disciplining that provides the most stable clocking available for professional audio. In complex digital rigs with multiple convertersThe circuitry that turns analog audio into digital data and back (A/D and D/A). Converter quality sets a digital rig’s sound ceiling. and interfaces, a dedicated master clock ensures all devices are sample-accurately synchronized, which reduces jitterTiny timing wobble in a digital clock. Enough of it smears detail and stereo image — why serious rigs care about clocking. and improves audio quality. Ten word clockThe shared heartbeat keeping every digital box sampling in lockstep. One device leads, the rest follow — or you get clicks and pops. outputs can feed an entire rack of digital gear from a single reference.
The Trinity is Antelope Audio's statement-level master clock, and it earns that position with a rubidium atomic oscillator disciplined by GPS — the same basic principle used in broadcast and scientific timing applications. In a digital audio rig, every converterThe circuitry that turns analog audio into digital data and back (A/D and D/A). Converter quality sets a digital rig’s sound ceiling., interface, and digital router needs to agree on exactly when each sample begins, and the quality of that agreement is the clock. Most devices run off their own internal crystal oscillators, which drift and vary with temperature and load. The Trinity replaces all of that with a single, extraordinarily stable reference and distributes it outward.
The catalog record shows four BNCThe twist-lock coax connector used for word clock and antenna runs — it locks, so it can’t be pulled out mid-show. word clockThe shared heartbeat keeping every digital box sampling in lockstep. One device leads, the rest follow — or you get clicks and pops. outputs, though Antelope's notes reference ten — plan your cabling based on confirmed hardware in front of you. Either way, the architecture is the same: one box drives the entire rack, and everything downstream locks to it. At twenty watts nominal draw in a single rack unitThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one., it's an easy fit in any power budget. The BNC word clock input means you can also slave the Trinity to an external house reference or broadcast sync if the venue provides one, which keeps it useful in hybrid plant environments as well as self-contained touring rigs.
If your rig is all-analog or lives entirely inside a single digital ecosystem that shares clock internally — a standalone DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. network feeding one console, for example — the Trinity is more than you need and the price reflects that. It belongs in rigs where multiple high-end convertersThe circuitry that turns analog audio into digital data and back (A/D and D/A). Converter quality sets a digital rig’s sound ceiling., recorders, or interfaces from different manufacturers need to coexist cleanly: a serious IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. rig with separate playback, IEM transmitter processing, and recording, or a complex FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. setup where the AD/DA chain matters. At $3,495 it's a professional tool for professional problems, not a box you add hoping to hear a difference.
In the rack
- Run dedicated 75-ohm BNCThe twist-lock coax connector used for word clock and antenna runs — it locks, so it can’t be pulled out mid-show. cables from the Trinity to each device — don't daisy-chain word clockThe shared heartbeat keeping every digital box sampling in lockstep. One device leads, the rest follow — or you get clicks and pops. through multiple boxes, as each additional link introduces the jitterTiny timing wobble in a digital clock. Enough of it smears detail and stereo image — why serious rigs care about clocking. you're paying to eliminate.
- Power the Trinity from your conditioner's unswitched outlets if available, or bring it up first and take it down last; devices downstream that lose clock mid-show can produce loud digital artifacts.
- If the venue offers a house black-burst or word clockThe shared heartbeat keeping every digital box sampling in lockstep. One device leads, the rest follow — or you get clicks and pops. feed, use the Trinity's BNCThe twist-lock coax connector used for word clock and antenna runs — it locks, so it can’t be pulled out mid-show. input to lock to it rather than running the Trinity as free master — this keeps your rig in sync with broadcast or video elements without adding a second reference conflict.
- Mount it away from high-heat neighbors like power amplifiers; the atomic oscillator's stability is partially temperature-dependent, and a cool, stable rack environment is worth the shelf planning.
Atomic master clock with GPS, 10 word clockThe shared heartbeat keeping every digital box sampling in lockstep. One device leads, the rest follow — or you get clicks and pops. outputs.
I/O Ports (6)
| Port | Connector | Direction | Signal | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Word Clock Out 1 (BNC) | BNC | output | digital audio | — |
| Word Clock Out 2 (BNC) | BNC | output | digital audio | — |
| Word Clock Out 3 (BNC) | BNC | output | digital audio | — |
| Word Clock Out 4 (BNC) | BNC | output | digital audio | — |
| Word Clock In (BNC) | BNC | input | digital audio | — |
- Power (IEC) (IEC C14)
Deciding between two?
Rack space, watts, weight and every connector, side by side.
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A practical comparison of the three audio-over-network protocols you’ll encounter in a rack rig, with guidance on when each one is the right pick.