how do you use JL Cooper PPS-2 Synchronizer: Sync 388-to-PC-based Sequencer software?

[nik the barber]

How do these things work. I'm bidding on a complete recording set up, and this is with it. I have always pressed playon my tascam 424 and hit record on my computer at the same time, and its highly annoying. I didn't even know they had these. So how does it work?

 

[Han]

There's SMPTE coming out of the PPS2 which you can record on a track of an analog recorder (30 frames per second)

If you feed this recorded SMPTE signal form the recorder back into the PPS2's SMPTE in, it will convert to MTC (midi time code) which you can feed to the midi in of a sequencer or audio software like Nuendo, Cubase SX, Protools or whatever you have.

The computer/sequencer will run in sync with the analog tapemachine within a second or so.

The PPS2 was one of the cheapest SMPTE writers/convertors, so it isn't worth much today.

 

[acorec]

Re: how do you use JL Cooper PPS-2 Synchronizer: Sync 388-to-PC-based Sequencer software?

How do these things work. I'm bidding on a complete recording set up, and this is with it. I have always pressed playon my tascam 424 and hit record on my computer at the same time, and its highly annoying. I didn't even know they had these. So how does it work?

In addition, you have to use good, new tape if you stripe the tape. ANY dropouts will lose sync in a hurry. Also make sure you "stripe" the track with a "guard" track seperating the striped track from the rest of the recorded tracks. Good Luck, you will need it. Some decks are better at synching than others.

 

[Han]

A Tascam ES50/51 has a slow chase mode, so a small dropout isn't a big deal. http://www.gbaudio.co.uk/data/es50.htm

The automation of my mixing board will jump out of record mode at once from a minor dropout. The problem is easely solved by feeding a small part of the right smpte time into the desk's computer.