MODULO PI

Timecode

In this workshop we’ll see how to synchronize a timeline on a timecode signal.

Timecode

Timecode can be used to synchronize several techniques (video, audio, lighting, etc.) in a show.

In such a setup a master device generates the timecode signal and the other devices receive it and synchronize themselves on it.

Timecode generally works over a 24 hour signal and runs from TC 00:00:00:00 to 23:59:59:xx (HH:MM:SS:FF).

Timecode can be received in the following formats:

  • LTC: Longitudinal timecode, an audio modulation containing a timecode in 25fps (EBU – European Standard) or 30fps (SMPTE). More information (temporal) LTC has the advantage
  • MTC: Timecode sent as a MIDI signal. Some softwares and or converter boxes can transform this signal to be passed over TCP/IP
  • Art-net: Timecode sent over TCP/IP using the DMX protocol.
  • Clock: By using the internal clock of the server
  • Chronometer: To lock on to a chronometer device

Locking a timeline to a timecode

In the Devices panel create a Clock device.

If you select the device you can see in the Editor panel that it is locked to the current time of the server.

Drag & drop the Clock device on the timecode of your timeline.

The timeline’s timecode is now locked to the timecode of the Clock device.

You can manually toggle the link/unlink status of the timeline to the locked timecode by pressing the / icon next to the timeline’s timecode.

When the timeline is linked to the Timecode, it’s locator will keep its position on the target timecode and if the timecode generator is running it will follow (play).

Unlinking enables you to freely play/pause and move around the timeline (to modify things if required, or to take manual control) while keeping the timeline locked to TC to link back whenever you want to.

Linking and unlinking the timeline to TC can also be done:

  • manually in the Timelines List panel by using the / icon
  • via a Task by drag & dropping the timeline from the TImelines List as a subtask
  • in a javascript node in the Graph Editor by using Designer functions

Art Net Timecode

If you don’t have an Art Net timecode available on your network, we recommend using our DMX Tool to generate timecode over Art Net.

You may run this application on the same computer running Kinetic Designer, and in the ArtNet TC tab tick Enable and start playing the timecode. Take care the IP on this tab is set to the same IP address as being used by Kinetic Designer.

In Kinetic Designer, in the Devices panel create a Art-Net timecode device. Set the device to Slave mode in the Editor panel.

It should automatically lock on to the Art-Net timecode being streamed by the DMX Tool.

If you encounter problems detecting the timecode, try disabling all other network interfaces on your computer except the one being used by Kinetic Designer (Top menu Edit > Preferences > Network) and relaunch both applications.

Drag & drop the Art-Net device onto a timeline’s timecode to lock the timeline to that timecode.

Other applications

You can also try Timelord or Timecode Sender to generate an Art-Net timecode.

MTC / LTC

If you have access to a “Rosendahl mif4”: https://www.rosendahl-studiotechnik.com/mif4.html, you can use it to generate a MTC or LTC signal.

To use it as MTC, connect the mif4 to your computer via USB and in the Devices panel create a MIDI device.

Note that MIDI devices are not hot-plug and you must restart Kinetic Designer after plugging in the USB to your computer.

In the MIDI device, activate the Input option and set the MMC TC option to the same as the timecode being generated by the mif4.

Drag & drop the MIDI device onto a timeline’s timecode to lock the timeline to that timecode.

Note that through the MIDI connection you can also send MMC (MIDI Machine Commands) orders to the mif4 generator.

In the MIDI device, activate the Output option and select the mif4 in the list.

Drag & drop the MIDI device into a task, and in the subtask select one of the MMC commands in the list of available actions.

Note that this can all be done while the timeline is locked to the timecode and the timeline will still follow all commands on the MTC received.

You can also configure the mif4 to generate an LTC signal and use the Adrienne timecode input card of your server to read that timecode, if you have access to one. In that case, create an Adrienne timecode device in the Devices panel.

Exercise

Using the timecode generator of your choice, lock a timeline to a timecode.

Unlink the timeline from the timecode and create several cues at different moments of your timeline.

Link the timeline back to the timecode and use the timecode generator to play the different cues in your timeline.

Offset Timecode

In case the timecode generator shifts the timecode signal by a defined amount of time, for example if the timeline was encoded using 00:00:00:00 as starting point but instead the start point for the show will be 10:00:00:00, you can use the offset option to avoid having to re-encode everything.

To do so, select the Timeline that needs the offset in the Timelines List panel and in the Editor panel enter the desired timecode offset.

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