Ion SMTPE config help required

Hi,

I'm starting to lose the will to live trying to work out what I'm doing wrong... I have checked the manual and searched this forum for further info. So giving up and pleading for someone to help!!

I have SFX running on a PC which is outputting SMTPE EBU (25) via a MIDISport 2x2 to the MIDI input on my Ion. I'm pretty confident this is all hook up correctly as I can see traffic on the MIDISports led on the correct output.

I have Enabled SMPTE Time code receive in setup/show/showcontrol.

Then I go to the show controls display and set list one to-

Type-SMPTE

Source- 1 (What does this relate to???)

Internal- Off

External-On 

First Frame- 00:00:00:00

Last Frame- 23:59:59:59

FPS-25

When I run the clock in SFX nothing happens. The Ion shows- 00:00:00:00 Clock Disabled. The Status display is always in grey an never changes.

Am I doing something wrong?  Are there any other settings I've some how missed?

I'm on an Ion running v1.8Patch0.0GA Build27

Any help would be great!

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  • 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.



    [edited by: Richard at 6:01 AM (GMT -6) on Sun, Jan 17 2010]
  • 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

Reply
  • 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

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