Timecode

[numberwrong]

How does timecode work in a live music environment?

 

I assume timecode is added to an audio track and played froma playback machine that can output midi (lets say were using MTC), ie a laptopwith a USB > midi box connected.

 

I assume the midi signal goes into some kind of DA and sentto the lighting desk and the media servers? Or would it just go direct into thelighting desk and the servers would take their cues via artnet/DMX from thedesk?

 

Would the playback machine be located FoH or onstage? If onstagehow would that midi signal get to FoH?

 

Finally who originally embeds midi onto the audio file, andwhat format is it most likely to be in, some kind of video format? If thetimecode was mainly used for lighting cues would the LD add midi to the track? Whowould be responsible for rolling the track live?

 

 

[J Pearce]

I've not seen midi used, generally its SMPTE, which can happily run down any route an audio signal can, so distributing it becomes a lot easier.

 

As for direct to media vs via lighting desk - it depends if media is controlled from lighting or if media has its own control setup - this can vary job to job.

 

Playback usually onstage or sidestage (sometimes drummer, sometimes playback tech, sometimes monitor engineer), but quite often located at FOH with the engineer.

[empyfree]

Further info. SMPTE is simply an audio track, hideous to the ears should you accidentally patch it into your PA! If using a multitrack playback system you can add a mono SMPTE track, you can even strip down a VT or audio track to mono and embed the SMPTE onto the freed up channel. Just be careful that you play back in proper stereo and only amplify the real audio!

 

Alternatively (we did this recently) you can have a dedicated SMPTE playback machine, and then run both sound and LX (and pyro, video, orchestra...) in sync with that.

[numberwrong]

ok thanks, I was using midi as an example as the smaller Avolites desks only do MTC (I mainly use avo). This is a minus point for me to buy a smaller desk to use for pre visualisation purposes as one of the key reasons you'd want to pre viz is to programme to timecode. Although I assume you could get a box that will convert it

[dbuckley]

Yes, timecode is a generic term, SMTPE is the audio version, more correctly LTC, and MTC is a MIDI version, and yes they can be converted, perhaps the rosendahl mif4 is a modern and actually available to buy device. Me: you'll have to pry my XRI Systems box out of my cold dead hands.

[GaryNattrass]

I have one of those XRI XR300 system boxes and used it for many years to get time code off my Fostex E16 into and Atari ST running cubase.

 

More info here: http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/xr300-smpte-synchroniser/3967

 

There are a couple on e-bay too : https://www.ebay.co....bs-ws:rk:2:pf:1

 

Note that SMPTE (society of motion picture & television engineers) is the USA term for LTC timecode and we have EBU (European broadcasting union) timecode here in Europe.