User manual

429
Synchronization
• You can also set this with the function “Set Timecode at
Cursor” on the Project menu.
This is useful if you know that a certain position in your project coincides
with a certain timecode position in the external device. Move the project
cursor to the desired position, select “Set Timecode at Cursor” and
specify the corresponding timecode position in the dialog that appears –
the Start value is adjusted accordingly.
5. A message appears, asking you whether you want to
keep the project content at its timecode positions. Select
“No”.
This will make all events and parts keep their positions relative to the
project start.
6. Close the Project Setup dialog.
7. On the Transport panel, activate the Sync button (or
select “Use External Sync” from the Transport menu).
8. Start the tape (or video, or other master device) that
contains the timecode. Cubase starts playing when it re-
ceives timecode with a position “higher” than, or equal to,
the project Start frame.
You can wind the device that sends the timecode to any
position and start from there.
You should also take a look at the Sync Options, see
“Sync Options” on page 431.
The Sync indicator
On the Transport panel you can check the status of in-
coming timecode by observing the sync indicator. It
switches between “Offline” (not waiting for sync), “Idle”
(ready for sync but no signal is coming in), and “Lock xx”
(where xx indicates the frame rate of the incoming signal).
VST System Link
Machine Control
Cubase can control external tape transports and similar
devices via MIDI Machine Control. This allows you to op-
erate an external tape transport from Cubase’s Transport
panel. That is, Cubase can make the tape recorder locate
to a certain position, start, stop, rewind etc.
About sync and machine control
Controlling tape transports is a two-way process:
• Cubase sends out machine control commands to the tape re-
corder, asking it to locate to a certain position and activate
playback etc.
• The tape recorder locates to the requested position, starts
and delivers timecode back to Cubase, to which Cubase is
synchronized.
Even though it appears as if Cubase is controlling the tape
recorder completely, it is important to remember that in
this setup, Cubase is still being synchronized to the exter-
nal tape transport, not vice versa.
Also note that the two processes of sync and machine
control are completely separated, in terms of protocols
used. You can for example synchronize to MTC while
sending out transport commands via MMC.
MIDI Machine Control (MMC)
This is a standard MIDI protocol for controlling tape trans-
ports. There are a number of tape recorders and hard disk
recording systems on the market that support this protocol.
Cubase allows you to control the transport of an external
MMC device and arm tracks for recording (Cubase only).
Machine Control commands can be sent using MIDI Ma-
chine Control (MMC):
1. Set up and test basic timecode synchronization, as de-
scribed earlier in this chapter.
2. Connect a MIDI Out on your MIDI interface to a MIDI
In on the tape recorder (or similar device).
If you have not already done so (when setting up for MIDI Timecode),
also connect a MIDI cable from the MIDI Output on the tape recorder to
a MIDI In on the computer.
3. Make sure you have timecode recorded on the tape
recorder, and that it is set up to use MMC.
!
When the master device with the timecode is
stopped, you can use the Cubase transport controls
as you normally do, when it is not synchronized.
!
For a description of the VST System Link feature
(with which you can synchronize separate computers
running Cubase or Nuendo for example) see “VST
System Link” on page 429.