SMPTE and Midi Time Clock issues

Levey

New member
I need a few clarifications on SMPTE concerning keyboards. In my case its a korg triton going to the PC. Im asking this because I was looking at a USB 2x2 midi interface by m-audio and it did not have SMPTE capabilities. The only one that had smpte was the 8 in 8 out one, but I dont have and wont have that many midi devices to take full advantage of that one.

Do I need an interface that can generate SMPTE for the triton to work the best with the software (logic and cubase). I noticed the timing in cubase was a little off in some spots perhaps due to the SMPTE configurations and not my Gadget Labs card. No idea of how to configure it. I just set everything to midi time clock for the triton and left the others to default.
Im confused also because I have read around websites and spec pages and there has been a few references to SMPTE converting into Midi Time Clock. How can they switch? I thought SMPTE was just for film shite. If someone could tell me a little about the process of Midi Time Code and Midi Time Clock and what actually goes on with the input and output process Id appreciate it.
 
Levey - I don't know much at all about keyboards but I needed a SMPTE to MTC converter in order to stripe SMPTE timecode on Tape and sync it to PC based programs. I ended up going with the MOTU Midi Xpress XT. It does have the 8 in 9 out that you mentioned but Motu also has a "Pocket express" listed for $165 that might suit your needs. Check out http://www.motu.com


Good luck!
Kevin.
 
Triton should also be capable of regular timecode... i mean... damn, if it hasn't then they should make a bleedin' update.
Most synths and modules are set up for MTC, mine do both.

Btw, maybe you should consider a MidiMan instead, motu is way more "pc home-mixer system" related...
 
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hehe.. that's what i don't get either... mtc is all time standard... and triton runs on mtc too... so does cubase.
 
i had a feeling it wasnt necessary to have smpte in the midi interface. after all, midi messages are sent and received through my card acceptably enough, i was just wondering if there was anything i was missing before getting any closer to buying an interface. what i read about SMPTE and MTC on that website threw me off a bit. it looked outdated too.

chriss, what do you mean about MOTU being way more "pc home-mixer system" related... ???
 
My buddy left his Triton with me since last Wednesday and I have been playing with it to get it sync'd up with my computer.

I really like it. Very easy to use...and I'm not a synth man.

Before I go too far let me say I am using Cakewalks Sonar.

I was able to get it fully slaved to the computer. It is hooked up through midi cables through my midisport 4x4. I am using midi synco, but not MMC or SMPTE/MTC.

I needed to tell Sonar which port to send the midi sync. Then I needed to go to Global > Midi on the Triton. Set it to External Clock, I set the midi channel to 16 (which is for the synco clock) and made sure that sysx could be recieved. Then, in Sequence mode the arpeggiator it synced to the computers tempo. It took a while to figure it out. But SMPTE and MTC is definitely not needed. Now if I could only figure out how to send the midi sync to multiple midi ports so I could slave multiple synths without daisy chaining on the same port....

Good luck!

Nemal
 
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