Unicorn Digital Timepiece, User Manual

Page: 63 / 101

M I D I M A C H I N E C O N T R O L
63
To set up the SY-88 card as the target for MMC
control:
1 Set the Machine ID on the SY-88 card using the
first four DIP switches at location S2 on your SY-88
card. Refer to your DA-88 manual for details.
2
Connect a MIDI Out from your MIDI interface
to the MIDI In on the SY-88 card so software can
send MMC commands to the SY-88 card.
3 Be sure to feed MTC back to the computer,
either from the SY-88 MIDI OUT port or from the
Digital Timepiece (but not both!)
4
Make your software send MMC commands
with the same ID you gave the SY-88 (not the
Digital Timepiece).
Setting up DA-38s
DA-38s should be set up same way as DA-88s as
described above, with the following two
differences: DA-38s reserve ID number 1 for the
master of the chain (instead of 0), and they have no
‘dials’ on their rear panel. Instead, you set the
device ID on a DA-38 using the front panel
controls. To do so, press the shift button and then
press Menu repeatedly until you see “idSEL#”.
Then use the up/down arrows to designate any ID
except 1.
Setting up other types of MMC slaves
Other MMC-compatible devices can be slaved to
the Digital Timepiece via MIDI Time Code or
SMPTE time code (LTC). Some devices can simply
slave to time code alone. Check their
documentation to find out. If so, Just make the
necessary MIDI or audio connections, depending
on what type of time code you will be using. For
MIDI Time Code, connect MIDI OUT from the
Digital Timepiece to MIDI IN on the device; for
SMPTE time code (LTC), connect SMPTE Out
from the Digital Timepiece to SMPTE In on the
device with standard, shielded quarter inch audio
cables.
Some MMC devices may require that the Digital
Timepiece send MMC transport commands to the
device. Just make the MIDI connections described
above. If you are working with MTC, you’ll be
sending both MTC and MMC via the same MIDI
connection.
Slaving computer software
Regardless of what you decide to use as your MMC
transport control master (an LRC or computer
software), you need to set up your computer
software so that it will slave to MIDI Time Code
(MTC) generated by the Digital Timepiece. This
will ensure that your software chases and locks
with all other MMC devices. Check to make your
software is set up to the proper frame rate, and that
it is in “external sync” or “slave” mode, waiting for
MTC.
Also see “Using computer software as an MMC
controller” on page 64.
SETTING UP A MMC TRANSPORT MASTER
You can control the Digital Timepiece (and all
slaves connected to it) from one of many possible
MMC transport master devices. You can also
control it from MMC-compatible computer
software. You can even set up several controllers
and use them interchangeably. For example, you
could use an Alesis LRC connected to the Digital
Timepiece front panel, and at the same time use
your computer software, switching between them
as desired in your studio.