Digi 002 and SMPTE or other timecode?

[SirLexelot]

Hi,

I'm considering getting started with a home studio, and I'm seriously considering pairing the Digi 002 with my G4 tower. However, I may be editing the audio for a few independent films, as well as the music I normally do. The audio is all on DAT tapes, and I need to be able to get it into the computer with timecode intact if at all possible. Is there any way to do this with the Digi 002? If not, does anyone know of a comparable piece of hardware that can do it?

[j creasey]

motu 2408 mk3 it has a direct sync out.you cant use it with pt though!

[Shawn Parr]

Which DAT machine? Does it output LTC? If so get any MIDI interface that will input LTC and sync protools to that for your location, and transfer the actual audio as SPDIF to get clocking info and ensure that you are resolved.

If it is just absolute time then there really isn't a way to maintain that 'time code' except by cueing up Protools and hitting record at the proper time, then figuring out how far off you where. If you are transferring digitally it will always be off by the same amount on any material transfered at a single time. ( I hope this is not the case, but I bring it up just in case . . . [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] )

[Gabriel Roth]

Pro Tools LE (the cheapo version of Pro Tools that comes with digi001, 002, and Mbox) doesn't support SMPTE.

there's various ways to work around this for various different purposes. recently i needed to upload some tracks that were recorded to several ADATs, linked by SMPTE, so i had the guy who recorded them record a snare-drum beat at the beginning of each tape (with the tapes synched) so that i could group the tracks and match them up visually. for my purposes, this worked fine.

but if you're going to do a lot of sound-to-picture work that relies upon SMPTE, you'd be better off with a high-end PT system (if you can afford one) or with one of the other audio/sequencing programs that offer SMPTE capability.

[acceton]

i read somewhere in an recent sound on sound intervieuw about a guy who uses an smpte to mtc coverter to sync protools to video tape. i believe it was a box from jlcooper.

[Hoepffner]

You have many SMPTE to MTC converter and for that I recommand you the Motu MicroExpress who can lock MTC to SMPTE. But that give you location time but you need something to synch precisely audio to video, for that you need something like Rosendahl Nanosynch or MOTU Timepiece who give you from video wordclock (unusable by Digi001 and 002) and SPDIF(usable). And after you choose SPDIF in place of internal for your clocking.
But PTLE dont give you SMPTE on counters, tracks etc., not very friendly. Personaly I changed to DigitalPerformer: SMPTE, 5.1, no tracks limitation and any hardware you want…

[Shawn Parr]

Originally posted by Shawn Parr:
Which DAT machine? Does it output LTC? If so get any MIDI interface that will input LTC and sync protools to that for your location, and transfer the actual audio as SPDIF to get clocking info and ensure that you are resolved.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Since he is coming off DAT this will work perfectly fine with Protools LE. Use any MIDI interface that inputs LTC and can output MTC, and use the SPDIF and you are resolved. Total lock, no need for the DTP in this case.

If you need to sync to an analog source than the MOTU DTP is your best bet as it will also generate your digital clock off of LTC.

SMPTE = positional sync
Clock = timing sync

Resolved = positional sync + timing sync

[SirLexelot]

Okay, so if a MIDI device doing LTC/MTC is all I need, along with SPDIF, then is the 002 by itself adequate? It has MIDI built in, so can it handle this?

[Rail Jon Rogut]

You can certainly synch to picture given a MTC converter and SPDIF.. the software however will not let you "Spot" to a SMPTE location.

If you don't need to have a SMPTE timeline, then you'll be okay.

BTW - I personally like to use a card like the DC30 Plus and have the picture digitized.. but for editing I find having a SMPTE timeline when working with picture important.

Rail