11.0

Cubase supports the following frame rates:
24 fps
This is the true speed of standard lm cameras.
25 fps
This is the frame rate of PAL video.
29.97 fps/29.97 dfps
This is the frame rate of NTSC video. The count can be either non-drop or drop-frame.
30 fps/30 dfps
This frame rate is not a video standard anymore but has been commonly used in music
recording. Many years ago, it was the black and white NTSC broadcast standard. It is
equal to NTSC video being pulled up to lm speed after a 2-3 telecine transfer. The
count can be either non-drop or drop-frame.
IMPORTANT
Video formats with a variable frame rate (VFR) are not supported.
Frame count vs. frame rate
Part of the confusion in timecode stems from the use of frames per second in both the timecode
standard and the actual frame rate. When used to describe a timecode standard, frames per
second
denes how many frames of timecode are counted before one second on the counter
increments. When describing frame rates, frames per second dene how many frames are
played back during the span of one second of real time. In other words: Regardless of how many
frames of video there are per second of timecode (frame count), those frames can be moving at
different rates depending on the speed (frame rate) of the video format. For example, NTSC
timecode (SMPTE) has a frame count of 30 fps. However, NTSC video runs at a rate of 29.97 fps.
So the NTSC timecode standard known as SMPTE is a 30 fps standard that runs at 29.97 fps real
time.
Clock Sources
Once the position is established, the next essential factor for synchronization is the playback
speed. Once 2 devices start playing from the same position, they must run at exactly the same
speed in order to remain in sync. Therefore, a single speed reference must be used and all
devices in the system must follow that reference. With digital audio, the speed is determined by
the audio clock rate. With video, the speed is determined by the video sync signal.
Audio clock
Audio clock signals run at the speed of the sample rate used by a digital audio device and are
transmitted in several ways:
Word clock
Word clock is a dedicated signal running at the current sample rate that is fed over
BNC coaxial cables between devices. It is the most reliable form of audio clock and is
relatively easy to connect and use.
AES/SPDIF Digital Audio
An audio clock source is embedded within AES and SPDIF digital audio signals. This
clock source can be used as a speed reference. Preferably, the signal itself does not
contain any actual audio (digital black), but any digital audio source can be used if
necessary.
Synchronization
Clock Sources
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Cubase AI 11.0.0