SMPTE how do i sync all this crap???

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SilentSound

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Yup It's an MCI How'd you know. I don't have a BRC, but I also may be getting rid of my adats soon for that tascam 24 bit thing. I think that has way different syncing than the adats so I'll see then I guess. Thanks for the info i never got into syncing or midi until I decided to be able to accomodate any needs. Thanks again for the info!!

matt chew
 
I want to sync adats, a 24 track 2" machine, and cakewalk for the midi end of it.... I have seen several timecode generators that you can stripe tape and let that be the master of your computer, but how all three? Lemme know of any products old or new that could let me do this.
 
Recording Engineer...you are one happening dude. Looks like you're a night owl too. It's about 5:00 now, think I'll go to bed.
 
Yeah, I work grave-yard shift (normally) up in Rockin. I got it spoiled here with Ethernet; but no soundcard so I can't listen any MP3s here. I have no net connection at home (with a soundcard); so not at home either).
 
Gonna need a BRC if you want to sync your ADAT's to SMPTE. No way around that at all. Also, the BRC is an excellent timecode master. It have SMPTE, MTC, video black burst, 48kHz, all that stuff.

Also be aware that unless you have a very stable 2" machine with a motor that is running in top form that you will lose sync often if you are striping SMPTE to tape and then trying to sync digital stuff to it. The ADAT's in particular are very picky about tolerances when it comes to external syncing. If you have a Studer, of a Otari machine that is in really good shape, with a newer motor you should be alright. But if you are maybe using an old MCI machine, you will have problems from the start. I guarantee it. I learned this the hard way even after some warning a couple years ago at another studio trying to sync a MCI with ADAT's. Spent 4 days messing with it and could not keep the ADAT's sync'ed for more than about 4 minutes. Forget about multiple passes. Once that 2" tape started to get worked, it was all over.

So in the case that you are going to attempt this here is what you do.

With the BRC you would stripe one track on the 2" machine with SMPTE that is generated by the BRC. Of course you will need to play the ADAT's to do this because the BRC actually get's it's time code info from the 1'st ADAT tape.

Next you would output that track to the BRC's SMPTE in and put the BRC and ADAT system in the slave to SMPTE mode. Play your 2" tape and away you go. Actually, there is a few things you need to do, but the BRC manual covers all that.

NEVER APPLY NOISE REDUCTION TO A TRACK THAT CONTAINS SMPTE!!! THE SMPTE WILL NOT WORK. DON'T RECORD OR PLAYBACK WITH NOISE RECUCTION.

Also, you have to make sure that you don't record the SMPTE track to the tape too hot, lest it will distort and you will lose lock. I believe that they recommend about a -12 signal on tape.

Next, you can either use the SMPTE out or possibly the MTC out of the BRC for the sequencer the sync. Of course the sequencer should be in external sync mode also.

Now, you may be lucky and your 2" machine will have a sync card in it, which I believe then you would not need to burn a sync track to tape. That card would accept the incoming SMPTE and keep the machine running with it, but I am not sure how it keeps things synced up. You would need to check out the machines manual about this.

Good luck.

Ed
 
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