B
BadMuthaHubbard
New member
Hi there!
I am in the process of modifying my sequencer to send MIDI data and I've spent a few days reading up and experimenting on this MIDI timecode frame-rate business. Besides reading, I have been setting Cubase 5 to different frame rates and capturing the messages it sends. These are my conclusions... can anyone confirm or deny them?
On the left is what Cubase identifies as the project frame rate. Then, the actual frequency of the quarter-frame messages (remember, in real time, MIDI timecode sends 1/8th of the total position information 4 times per frame, so these numbers refer to messages sent, NOT to frames). After that, the 2-bit code used to relay the framerate within the actual bytes being sent. And lastly, the number of frames sent before incrementing seconds, which doesn't necessarily happen at the actual millisecond when the clock on the wall changes seconds.
I've just read in a bunch of places online that "30 drop-frame doesn't exist" or that it is just another term for 29.97 drop-frame. But there it is in Cubase's options, and I found a few references saying it is used for NTSC broadcast. Regardless, I analyzed the information Cubase puts out and this seems to be it. If you know anything about the MIDI data pertaining to any of these frame rates, I'd appreciate your advice!
24 fps
96 msgs / second; rr = 00; 24 frames before incrementing seconds
25 fps
100 msgs / second; rr = 01; 25
29.97 drop
119.88 msgs / second; rr = 10; 30/28
29.97 non-drop
119.88 msgs / second; rr = 11; 30
30 drop
120 msgs / second; rr = 10; 30/28
30 non-drop
120 msgs / second; rr = 11; 30
Thanks!
Chuckk
I am in the process of modifying my sequencer to send MIDI data and I've spent a few days reading up and experimenting on this MIDI timecode frame-rate business. Besides reading, I have been setting Cubase 5 to different frame rates and capturing the messages it sends. These are my conclusions... can anyone confirm or deny them?
On the left is what Cubase identifies as the project frame rate. Then, the actual frequency of the quarter-frame messages (remember, in real time, MIDI timecode sends 1/8th of the total position information 4 times per frame, so these numbers refer to messages sent, NOT to frames). After that, the 2-bit code used to relay the framerate within the actual bytes being sent. And lastly, the number of frames sent before incrementing seconds, which doesn't necessarily happen at the actual millisecond when the clock on the wall changes seconds.
I've just read in a bunch of places online that "30 drop-frame doesn't exist" or that it is just another term for 29.97 drop-frame. But there it is in Cubase's options, and I found a few references saying it is used for NTSC broadcast. Regardless, I analyzed the information Cubase puts out and this seems to be it. If you know anything about the MIDI data pertaining to any of these frame rates, I'd appreciate your advice!
24 fps
96 msgs / second; rr = 00; 24 frames before incrementing seconds
25 fps
100 msgs / second; rr = 01; 25
29.97 drop
119.88 msgs / second; rr = 10; 30/28
29.97 non-drop
119.88 msgs / second; rr = 11; 30
30 drop
120 msgs / second; rr = 10; 30/28
30 non-drop
120 msgs / second; rr = 11; 30
Thanks!
Chuckk