Avid Technology Pro Tools SYNC HD, Manual

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Pro Tools | SYNC HD Guide 42
To pause or stop VITC using the front panel
controls:

Press and release the Run/Stop/Clear/Esc
switch when you want to pause or stop the gen-
erating process.
MTC Generation/Regeneration
MTC (MIDI Timecode) is a serial digital signal. In
many ways, you can think of it as an inaudible type
of LTC that can be used by various MIDI devices.
MTC is available from the SYNC HD MTC Out
connector, which is a standard DIN-style 5-pin fe-
male MIDI connector.
To use MTC, connect MTC Out to a MIDI In con-
nector of a device that can recognize and use MTC.
Typically, this would be a console, sequencer, syn-
thesizer or sampler keyboard, a drum machine or
other device.
MTC Output and Idle Muting
MTC is normally output whenever LTC is output.
Whenever LTC output stops, the SYNC HD will
continue to output MTC in bursts of one frame ev-
ery 200 milliseconds. This allows any connected
MIDI-reading device to be continuously updated
as to the position of VITC or Bi-Phase (either of
which might be operating at slow or still speeds).
Thus, you can still use a connected MIDI device
for Auto-Spotting from VITC or Bi-Phase.
Optionally, this constant output can be set to mute
when timecode (LTC) is idle.
To mute idle-time MTC output using Pro Tools:
1
Choose
Setup > Peripherals
and click
Synchro-
nization
.
2
Select the
Idle MTC Enabled
option.
3
Click
OK
.
To mute idle-time MTC output using the front panel
controls:
1
Press Set, and use the Up and Down switches to
display Idle MTC (“IdLE 7C”).
2
Press Set to display the current state (On or
Off).
3
Press the Up or Down switches to toggle the
Idle MTC setting.
4
Press Set.
Generating a Window Dub
SYNC HD offers timecode character generation.
This superimposes onto an SD video signal a small
area called a
window dub (or window burn , or time-
code window ) that displays timecode in hours:min-
utes:seconds:frames.
A window dub provides a visual cue to your loca-
tion in a project, and can be helpful when spotting
clips to video frames in Pro Tools, especially if
your only timecode reference from tape is LTC
(Auto-Spot requires VITC).
The SYNC HD character generator obtains its
timecode address from the chosen Positional Ref-
erence.
Regardless of whether you are generating or
regenerating, an active video signal needs to
be present at one of the SYNC HD video in-
puts. Check to see if the machine is paused,
stopped or unlaced.