SMPTE

I have a SMPTE jack on my mpc 2000xl. What does SMPTE do? I read: it contains absolute timing for TAPE.
I have a MOTU 8x8 midi interface and it also has SMPTE (1/4 in cable) in and out
Is this something I should use???
Does it work like MMC or MTC??

It works similar to midi time code but,
to use it with the mpc2000xl you need the smpte chip installed.

It is a proffesional sync format these days mostly used for syncing audio to film, but was used with multi track tape machines back in the dark ages of analog...

http://www.philrees.co.uk/articles/timecode.htm#smpte

All XLs have SMPTE jacks, but its unlikely you actually have the chip unless it was shipped with 8 outs or was installed seperately (on the 2000, the jacks and chip came with the upgrade). I personally find this to be the most reliable way of syncing if your DAW supports it. MIDI is more likely to have latency, especially if you are sending any other data over it (and if not, you are losing 16 chanels of MIDI).

McSmooth wrote:All XLs have SMPTE jacks, but its unlikely you actually have the chip unless it was shipped with 8 outs or was installed seperately (on the 2000, the jacks and chip came with the upgrade).

Would this be the mpc 2000 classic upgrade? I've noticed it was the only smpte upgrade I've seen for the mpc 2000 classic.

Stands for society of motion picture and television engineers... cant remember what breakdown of time code is but I belive its, Hours:minutes:seconds:frames example.... 05:37:32:7 cant remember how many frames per minute. Used to sync video and sound. Easy!

fasttrackpimp, that is for the 2000. However, its the same chip for both... you can just take the chip out off the card (carefull) and pop it in the XL. I think they might just sell it that way for both to avoid problems and having a seperate model number. Mine came the same way. Its a **** to pull the chip out.

SMPTE has a few diffrent time sync standards depending on the film standard your using. now you dont have to use it for film at all, ive used it instead of word clock in some cases. and yes i was used to sync tape machines in the "dark ages" of analog (at the studio we work out of at school has a studer tape machine, and we have a SMPTE transport on the neve, only use it for certain artists tho, tapes expensive in canada).

heres the diffrent specs taken right from my 4 inch text book.

30 FPS= monochrome US standard: also know as non-drop code is used to sync black and white footage in absolute refrence between clocks.

29.97 FPS= color NTSC drop frame code: the time code used for color video sync, can cause issues if the clock is a monochrome clock not compinsated for the .03 frame rate diffrence.

29.97 FPS= color NTSC non-drop code: way easier to work with then drop code, the count automaticaly advances on the clock to keep the timing correct on the clocks. most common video editing time code.

25 FPS= EBU(europen broadcast union) standard rate for PAL video. uses the SMPTE 80 bit code wording, but is locked at 25 FPS in both color and monochrome so a drop frame sync isnt needed.

24 FPS= standard rate for film use. dont know anything about this one, we never studied it.

so those are the film time code for the diffrent specs you can use SMPTE for.

but im guessing none of thismatters to you, since i dont think your syncing to video. But it does work nice to sync compatible devices together for audio.

Peace,

Rob

McSmooth wrote:fasttrackpimp, that is for the 2000. However, its the same chip for both... you can just take the chip out off the card (carefull) and pop it in the XL. I think they might just sell it that way for both to avoid problems and having a seperate model number. Mine came the same way. Its a **** to pull the chip out.

Good to know.I was just curious I was considering buying an xl, even though I have a 2000 classic right now and didn't want to look for another chip.