Question for the analog Guru

D

DrJones

New member
I have a Tascam MSR-16 (16 track) tape machine. On the digital side I run Pro tools 6.4 DIGI 001 w/Alesis AI3 ADAT. Win OS XP. Now I need to sync the tape (Stripe SMPTE) to Pro Tools. How???? I am new to the really super cool analog side. Can anyone help? Thanks!!
 
you need an smpte controller....tascam makes one, someone else can give you the model number and other brands as well
 
You need one of these:
http://www.jlcooper.com/pages/pps2.html

First, you will set the PPS2 to generate SMPTE and stripe a track on the tape machine. Then, you will take the output of the SMPTE tape track and route it back into the PPS2. The PPS2 will then convert the SMPTE timecode to MIDI Time Code (MTC). You will run a MIDI cable from the PPS2 to the DIGI001. You then set your ProTools software to sync to MTC.

Now your Digi001 will chase the analog deck. Every time you press play on the analog deck, ProTools will will lock to it.
 
Bigsnake00 said:
So will this unit work with a tascam 38, thats not really SMPTE "ready"
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What do you mean by "SMPTE Ready"? SMPTE is just an audio signal that needs to be reproduced. It will work with any analog recorder, or digital for that matter. You could use the same method to make a computer chase a stereo cassette deck if you wanted. Wouldn't really have any practical use because you can't record to each track separately on a standard cassette deck, but you could do it. It would work with a 4-track cassette.
 
One thing I should mention though. Don't use noise reduction on your SMPTE track. Some recorders have the option of disabling noise reduction on the last track (track 8, 16, or 24). Maybe that is what Bigsnake00 meant by SMPTE ready. Noise reduction can mess the SMPTE signal up. If your recorder doesn't have the option of disabling it on the last track, you should just disable the NR altogether on your recorder when you intend to use SMPTE later. This may make your recorder useless due to noise.

You should also watch your levels when printing a SMPTE track. The signal is pretty nasty, and may bleed to adjacent tracks. That's why you use the last track for SMPTE. The last track only has one adjacent track. Print the SMPTE signal at -10db or less if you can get away with it. That's the standard level on 2" 24 track and I know it works on 1" 16-track. On the narrower format tapes, it may still be too much.
 
Raw-Tracks said:
What do you mean by "SMPTE Ready"?
Click to expand...
I think he's referring to a machine that's capable of chasing another machine's SMPTE time code stream. Pretty much any machine can be a master, but the slave must be capable of speeding up or slowing down to stay in sync with the master. Usually it's simpler to have the computer chase the tape machine, rather than the other way around.

Don
 
DonF said:
Usually it's simpler to have the computer chase the tape machine, rather than the other way around.
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Definietly. If for no other reason, if you have the compupter chase the tape machine that means you will be using the tape transport for all you RW, FF, play, etc. If you have the tape chase the computer, you will be constantly waiting for the tape to catch up to the computer.
 
Looking in the manual of my msr 16 it does say that track 16 has a sync lock switch witch defeats the dbx encode/decode for track 16 only. It also references to enable that track before pressing the sync lock button otherwise recording on that track is not possible.
 
DrJones said:
It also references to enable that track before pressing the sync lock button otherwise recording on that track is not possible.
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That feature reduces the likelihood of accidentally blowing away your time code stripe.

"OK, ready to punch in the cowbell on track 15.... <press play> <wait, wait, wait> <punch!> <computer stops playing> CRAP!"

Don
 
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