syncing cubase to analog devices via SMPTE time code

[mmistudent]

is there a way I can stripe a tape with smpte and have cubase chase the tape machine?? I would have to use the tape machine as the master. Any ideas?

[Blue Bear Sound]

Yes... the idea is you stripe the tape with SMPTE and have Cubase chase the tape machine, using the tape machine as the master.

[mmistudent]

right... now how would I do it??

[Blue Bear Sound]

You need a device that 1) can put a SMTPE stripe on one track of the tape (typically the last track)........ and 2) has MTC or other sync connectivity the you connect your DAW to so that it can sync with tape.

JL Cooper makes a variety of such devices....

[mmistudent]

cubase comes with a SMPTE generator that will allow cubase to act as the master when syncing up smpte devices. However, I want to sync cubase up to analog tape, so therefore the tape machine must be the master (because the tape machine itself has no way to read SMPTE). So, can cubase read smpte as well as generate it?

[iqi616]

I don't know if the 21st Century versions handle SMPTE directly (i.e. can listen to the SMPTE FSK signal via an audio input) because my Atari ain't broke yet. So if that's your question, I can't help.

However, if it doesn't do that, Bruce answered your question but here's the process in a nutshell...

• Get a SMPTE-MTC unit such as the JLCooper PPS-100.
• Pick a frame rate e.g. 30fps non-drop. There are conventions for different industries but if this is just between your own computer and tape machine, pick one and stick with it for all your recordings.
• Stripe the tape with SMPTE (the PPS-100 can do that on its own - well, with the assistance of your multitrack ). The instructions are in the handbook.
• Now, pick a start time for your recording and set that in Cubase along with the frame rate and making sure it is listening for MTC from the correct midi-in.
• Connect the audio from the striped track into the PPS-100 and the midi-out of the PPS into the midi-in on your computer.
• Set Cubase to slave.
• Roll the tape. The PPS will take the SMPTE audio and convert it to MTC and Cubase will follow.

It's as easy as Bruce said.

...Mike.