Wordclock is a synch pulse that lets devices determine the start of each digital word. When multiple digital devices are connected together, it is vital that each device knows where a digital word starts and stops. Otherwise dropout or distortion may result. Although most digital interconnect protocols are self-clocking, it is more reliable to use a dedicated line for your wordclock signal. This is especially important in a multitrack environment where up to eight channels of digital data may be multiplexed on one cable.