If you want to sync clock you must also use a spdif cable and set the second unit's clock to sync to ext from the menu
There is no menu switch
specifically controlling external clock sync.
These are the menu switches related to this-
Recording Setup menu:
Input Select: ANALOG/DIGITAL (switches what is recorded to ch1&2, the SPDIF input or the analog inputs)
Rec Freq: 44.1 thru 192kHz (the internal clock rate)
System Setup menu:
Sync mode- MASTER/SLAVE (effects the transport control functions, not the clock)
Regardless of the settings of either of those menu switches, this is the behavior when a digital input is applied:
There is no way to set any r-44 clocks to external OR internal.
There is, but there is no menu switch. The R-44 automatically senses the clock rate of an incoming SPDIF stream. If that SPDIF stream does not match the clock rate the R-44 is set to in the record menu, the sampling rate indicator on the R-44 display will blink, indicating that the clock-sync is not locked.
The sampling rate indicator on the display will either be steadily illuminated, indicating one of these two conditions..
1) no SPDIF input, using the internal clock
- OR -
2) sync established to the SPDIF input (only possible when the R44 record/menu selection has been set to the same clock rate)
Or it will blink, indicating that it senses an external SPDIF stream but is not locked to it for whatever reason and is using the internal clock.
I can confirm that blinking/non-blinking sample rate indicator behavior on the display. It is my assumption (the part in bold above) that clock-sync is positively established when there is an active SPDIF connection and the indicator is not-blinking. However, I've not examined files to confirm that conclusively, nor actually used the deck that way.
That's why I asked for actual confirmation of that a few posts above. If so it is simplest way to provide clock-sync without sacrificing two channels to record the SPDIF input.