D1624 sync question...Skippy

[joleary]

Hi Skippy,

Couldn't pass up the deal on the 1624 glad to see that people like you and John are out there. Hopefully this won't get to long. My goal is to slave my sequencer to the 1624. When I'm using MTC as the sync output to my sequencer and press play everthing works fine and the sequencer starts and locks. the problem is that when I press the play and record (to record on the 1624) the sequencer won't start. I see that it recieves the midi signal when I press the record button but the sequencer does not move (different midi command I assume). The setup works fine if I switch the sync output on the 1624 to CLK and set the sequencer to bar beat instead of MTC but I would prefer to use MTC if possible. Here is the midi chain:

1624 out to an Opcode64XTC midi patch bay connected to a Mac running OS8.6 and VisionDSP. Unfortunatly Opcode is out of business but up till now the setup worked fine (I used to have an ADAT instead of the 1624 with a JLcooper datasync). Any insight would be appreciated to help me determine if this is a problem with the 1624 or the Sequencer. I saw that you use Cubase, I assume when you press record on the 1624 Cubase recognizes this and starts. Thanks

Jim

[skippy]

Yes, exactly- Cubase chases the MTC from the Fostex. If your sequencer is set up to chase time code, it shouldn't matter whether the D1624 is playing or recording- it sends the same thing in either case, timecode-wise. Sounds like your sequencer is actually set up to listen to MMC, so it needs that play command as a separate item.

First workaround: try hitting play, letting the sequencer lock during the preroll, and then drop into record by hitting play and record (instead of going straight from stop to record). Does that work, or does the sequencer blow out of lock?

Second workaround: can the sequencer easily be set up to do straight timecode chase instead of MMC control?

I have no experience at all with hardware seqencers, so I'll be of little help here. However, I do know that the D1624's timecode output is very solid, and works just fine in either record or reproduce.

I just had to order a JLCooper PPS-2 Plus: I need SMPTE to drive the timecode reader in my Ghost. When I have it set up for Sony 9-pin control protocol (the only way to really get the machine control to work properly with the Fostex), it ignores the good MTC, and just listens to the (low resolution) subset timecode coming up the 9-pin cable. And that's not really accurate enough to run the automation in the Ghost the way I need it to. So I had to get an external box to listen to my MTC and generate SMPTE that I could stuff into the Ghost.

The Fostex SMPTE interface add-in costs nearly 800 bucks- the Cooper box is a lot cheaper! *That* was a no-brainer decision...

Thanks for the kind words!