Specifications
Chapter 3: Video Satellite Workflows 47
Matching Media Composer
Starting TC Timecode Setting
and Pro Tools Session Start
In almost all cases, the first frame of video is lo-
cated at the start of the Media Composer se-
quence. However, Pro Tools sessions often have
silence at the head to create countoffs or silence.
For example, a Media Composer sequence may
start at 1:00:00 while the matching Pro Tools
session starts at 00:55:00—allowing five seconds
of silence before the audio starts. In this case,
Media Composer parks on the first frame of
video and waits for Pro Tools to reach 1:00:00
before it begins to play the video. Regardless of
their respective start times, Pro Tools and
Media Composer will always play at the same
timecode values unless an offset has been en-
tered in the Video Satellite Offset field in the
Media Composer Video Satellite Settings win-
dow.
Therefore, it is not required that the
Media Composer sequence and Pro Tools ses-
sion start at the same time in order to play in
sync.
To set the default start time for new sequences in
Media Composer:
1 In the Project window, click the Settings tab
and then double-click the
General setting.
2 Type in the desired starting timecode in the
Default Starting TC field.
To change the start time of an existing sequence in
Media Composer:
1 In Media Composer, open the bin containing
the existing sequence.
2 If needed, re-size the bin window so that you
can see the Start column of the bin window.
3 In the Start column for the sequence for which
you want to set a new start time, type the new
start time using semi-colons (for Drop Frame) or
colons (for Non-Drop Frame), and press Enter.
4 Click OK to confirm.
In some cases, starting playback from
Media Composer at a point which is more
than a minute earlier than the start of the
Pro Tools session may fail. Change the
Pro Tools session start time to be earlier.
General Settings dialog
Bin window (Name and Start columns shown)
Start
column