reel-to-reel - computer synchronisation

N

Neil Ogilvie

Still Learning.......
Firstly I'd like to apologise for the shakey pictures - my brothers camera is getting on a bit now......

I've been looking into synchronising my Fostex G-16 reel-to-reel with my computer system, a delta 1010lt. From what I can gather I need some sort of SMPTE code, however I also found on the back of the control module a bunch of other stuff which may be useful.

- a pair of phono-type connectors linked with a line entitled 'Int', the top connector called 'Code in', the bottom called 'LTC out'

- another pair of phono-type connectors linked with 'ext', top called 'video in', bottom called 'loop out'.

- two jacks next to one another, 'punch-in' and 'play/locate'.

- 12-pin DIN, 'controller'

- serial-type connector, 'communication'

- Mouse-type connector, 'accessory 2'

- Midi 'in', 'thru' and 'out'

- next to the track inputs/outputs there is a phono style connector, 'loop out' underneath which is another phono-type called (in bold to differentiate from track 16) '16'.

I can understand a lot of these are pretty self explanatory, but others I'm pretty lost with (LTC out?). Any ideas how I can sync this with my computer?

Cheers.
 

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You need some kind of sync box. Typically an SMPTE to MTC sync box. Since the G16 has midi on and out, it's possible that it has this built in.


Hmm. A search on the net seems to indicate that indeed it does.

As far as cabling goes, that would mean that you need to connect midi cables between your computer and your G16. How to stripe the tape and tell the G16 to send MTC should be noted in your manual.

If it isn't noted in your manual, then it probably can't and you need an external syncbox.
 
As stated you'd need a sync box (JL Cooper) and then strip a track of the G-16 with SMPTE time code.
 
Thanks for everyones replies.

Unfortunatly I don't have the manual to go with the G16 - I bought it second hand (at a very very good price :)).

From what I can understand, it would seem I either,

A) Need to buy a box that will write on one of the 16-tracks a sort of clock-code. Something like this http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw2_artikel-145129.html
Should do the job yeah?

B) The G16 has this built in and all I will need to do is hook up midi cables to the computer. Then I'll have to tell the G16 to turn track 16 into an SMPTE time signature and tell the computer in Cubase to follow this.

Am I right?
 
Actually...


The G16 will follow Cubase.

You will have to make Cubase the MASTER.

You will need to make the G16 the SLAVE.

Cubase will tell the G16 to start playing while Cubase tells itself to start recording.

Does your computer have a MIDI interface?

You can get a MIDI interface from M-Audio.
 
Thanks for the reply Spinsterwun.

I can understand the master and slave thing, I think I know what I may be doing.......

The 1010lt has midi in and out, so I'd imagine that should do the trick.

The timing chain should be something along these lines then I'd imagine -

- midi-out 1010lt to midi-in on the G16.
- midi-out G16 to midi-in on 1010lt.


Then somehow I have to work out how to write a SMPTE track and tell the G16 this is the timing track........ Its easy to set Cubase as the master, but I'm going to have to find out how to set the G16 slave.

Any other insights?
 
if you don't want to spend the dough you should just record 8 tracks at a time to your computer. Just make sure with each set of 8 tracks you are sending a snare track as well. That way you can line up the second snare tranfer with the first and then line up all the second transfers accordingly


this probably makes no sense.
 
fenix said:
if you don't want to spend the dough you should just record 8 tracks at a time to your computer. Just make sure with each set of 8 tracks you are sending a snare track as well. That way you can line up the second snare tranfer with the first and then line up all the second transfers accordingly


this probably makes no sense.
Click to expand...


I understand that, In fact I used a similar way of transfering songs across. The problem I found was that as I cued up one song from the G16 in Cubase, the further I travelled along the waveform the more it came out of time, even if the start was in time. This is the nature of analogue though unfortunately.

Anyway, I was looking through some of the plug-ins I had downloaded for Cubase a while ago and I came across an SMPTE generator plugin. Will this be of any use to me in writing the SMPTE channel to the reel-to-reel?
 
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