Ion SMTPE config help required

Hi Tim,

SMPTE and MIDI are not interchangeable.  To convert from SMPTE time code to MIDI time code usually involves hardware outboard of the console.

Is it possible that with the MIDI exchange that you are using that the time code is being converted to MTC (MIDI Time Code).  If so, the show control would need to be set-up for MIDI not SMPTE.

I can not speak authoritatively about show control.  I usually have banged my head against the problem until I get it to work and then stop messing with it.

Hope this is of some help.

John

The only way to get SMPTE into the console is with a Show Control Gateway. It hooks into the network and then gives the information into the console. I think that the only way to use the MIDI ports is to use actual midi commands or convert to MTC as the previous thread talks about. I don't know if it will accept MTC through that port, but I don't see why it wouldn't. The manual should say.

SMPTE LTC is an analog audio signal, and is thus never transmitted over MIDI.
- SMPTE LTC can be output over a normal audio system, but you would have noticed if it was doing that as it is a very harsh sound.

What your software is probably doing is transmitting MIDI Time Code (MTC) through your USB > MIDI output box.

So you should choose MIDI Time Code as the timecode source, from the MIDI In port of the Ion.

The "Source: 1" section refers to the ACN Group of the timecode input. This allows a single network (and single console) to transport and listen to multiple Timecode sources at the same time - so you could have the studio and main theatres both using different network ACN timecode sources without them interfering with each other.

So you will need to check the internal MIDI Group chosen for the Ion's rear MIDI ports, and choose that for the MTC input. I think the default is Group 1.

Hi All,

Thank you all for your help. This forum is a great resource!

Richard was spot on. I hadn't spotted that SFX was actually outputting MTC not SMPTE (it had been a long week!). All up and running and working perfectly.

Thanks again,

Tim

Hi All,

Another question if I may...

When in learn it seems that you can only timecode cue list 1, is this correct behaviour?

Thanks,

Tim

Hi Jabadger,

This does not seem to work for me. In learn it will correctly show the cue number however it will not learn which cue list it came from. 

In the event list under action it will display -

Cue 1

Cue 2

If learning cue list 3 it should show-

Cue 3/1

Cue 3/2

Which it doesn't.

The only way I can get this to work is to put the cue list into learn, run the timecode and plot the cues. Then go through and edit each timecode event to correct the cue list value... VERY DULL.

Any thoughts on if this is a bug or if I'm doing this wrong?

Thanks,

Tim

Hi Tim-

I'm seeing the same behaviour that you describe. It looks like a defect to me. I'll check with the team-

-luke-

Hi Luke,

Is there any news on this one yet?

Thanks for the help.

Tim

Thanks for reporting this. It is a defect that the learn feature is always assuming cue list 1. It will be fixed. Unfortunately, for now, I don't think there is an easier workaround than correcting the cue list number after learning the events.

Hi Dan,

Do you have any feel for when this might be fixed? I do appreciate it is difficult to predict exactly when fixes will make it into a release. I found this defect whilst doing some prep for a show which is mid March. Is there any chance of a fix by then?

I have not tried exporting yet but, is there a way of doing an ASCII export of the showfile once I have all the timecode events plotted. Then just add the cue list numbers in excel or something? Going through the events and manually adding in the list number would be very painful as it would be hundreds of events.

Kind regards,

Tim

Hi Tim,

This defect (11331) has already been fixed and is being tested in a beta build.  We hope to release 1.9 by the beginning of March.  If you would be interested in trying the beta software, please email me at eos@etcconnect.com.

Thanks,

Ann