"full frame MIDI message" what's this???

[donpietra]

Sorry to insist... My newly purchased Unitor8 midi/SMPTE interface states on its manual that I need to set the "full frame message" to 0, 2, 15 or 30 frames for Protools specifically, and that it says how many frames I need in the PT manual.

Checked the PT manual, the forums, the lot, and I cannot find a single reference to "full frame message" anywhere. I would assume that the Unitor8 people haven't dreamt about this PT feature, so it must be somewhere to set up...

Today all European Emagic offices are closed, that's why I am crying for help. Monday will be too late!

Thanks in advance...

[donpietra]

BUMP

[donpietra]

bump!

[donpietra]

bump!

[DigiTechSupt]

There is no "Full Frame Message" field in Pro Tools. The only places in Pro Tools where you can enter a specific Frame value is the "Minimum Sync Delay (Setups>Peripherals>Synchronization), the "Timecode Freewheel" field (Session Setup Window) and the "Minimum Sync Delay" (Setups>Peripherals>Machine Control).

I can only assume that this setting is either specific to Logic Audio or is available in OMS when you double click the Unitor 8 Interface.

Brent

[donpietra]

Brent, thanks for your reply... the unitor8 manual says the following:

"...additional transmission of the Full Frame Message is needed for some software packages (such as Protools), for them to function properly. If you happen to work with such software, please use its manual to look up how often (number of framens) the Full Frame Message has to be transmitted...)

It is a feature specific to those programs that need more than "quarter frame messages", and that apparently includes PT.

Could you confirm that is not the case and that PT is fine with just Quarter Frame messages, and if not, what to do?

many thanks once more...

donpietra

[donpietra]

bump!

[DigiTechSupt]

As far as I know, PT needs full frame MTC messages only to locate, but not during synchronized playback.

What device(s) are you attempting trying to synchronize? What kind of results have you gotten?

Brent

[donpietra]

hi brent, thanks for your reply!

I am laying back to Digital Betacam.

Using a Rosendhal nanosyncs as my house sync for all digital gear, which includes PT, of course.

Using an Emagic Unitor8 as my MIDI/SMPTE interface.

Word clock (x256) out from Nanosyncs to PT interface; black burst out from nanosyncs to Video Ref on the Digibeta; timecode out (LTC) from digibeta to Unitor8.

All appears to work fine, but I am intrigued with this specific claim that PT needs the FFM sent a few times per frame in order to lock properly. The window within the Unitor8 that sets up how many times the FFM needs to be sent per frame is there only to deal with PT, so there has to be something about this issue.

I am also getting some feedback from emagic (I hope), shall keep you informed...

Thanks once more for your help...

[donpietra]

this a very cryptic answer from emagic:

"The setting in the Unitor control program's computer mode is
clear. As to how Full Frame Messages pertains to Pro Tools we are
not sure. If there is no reference to it in the manuals, it might be
a relic from past days. Maybe the Digidesign web site's AnswerBase
has more information."

So, Digi don't know, Emagic don't know, but the guy that programmed the unit was paid I would assume a good amount of money to add this feature to a piece of equipment, and another was paid for this feature to be stated, highlighted and printed in the manual.

This world is a funny place...