Audio and Timecode

[QUOTE=SourceChild]The lighting console needs to control the show. I am using Catalyst and need to sync multiple cats and also sync audio with it.
I don't really care what audio program I use to play audio as long as I can sync it to timecode.

Any ideas if there are DMX controllable audio servers?
Any suggestion what would be a good timecode generator to use to slave Catalyst off of and still be able to control from the lighting controller?

this is a common technical requirement and the solution is never simple.
audio and video dont always place nicely together-
even timecode rates between video and audio systems never quite match.

the best thing with audio - is to give it priority - you dont under any circumstances want the audio to glitch - whether you run a hard disc playback solution or another computer will depend on your comfort level.

typically the audio computer/hard disc player will output mtc or midi time code-

catalyst can take an mtc input clock for each layer- but there can be issues with frame rates.
video frames rate for 1024x768 vga screen set to 60Hz is 60.02hz.
MTC is going to be 30fps slightly slower when divided down.
( on placebo this week running 75hz screens - the real output was 75.03Hz )
You also need to operate very conservatively no more than 2 or 3 layers per computer. and you must use the best codecs- photojpeg 50-60% or dv.
These things need testing with your content - for the show you need to do.

I just did everything described here on a large show in germany - the german production company and the german clients, tested and retested, they optimised and checked every single technical aspect to make sure it all worked. I had to do a technical demo proving it could all work.

They checked the video cards- they installed the fastest 15000rpm scsi discs - we ran everything with mtc.
It was a 360 degree panorama total pixels 10000x720.
We used only 2 1280x720 layers photojpeg 50% on each computer.

You have to be really careful doing this stuff- there are no simple solutions.
And lots of things can go wrong. ( we had a couple of video card problems - and i discovered that when a computer has a dvi screen and a vga screen connected at the same time - the refresh rates to the monitors arent the same - so it doesnt work well )

I also added MMC ( midi machine control support ) to the software so that the lighting controller could send cues to trigger the audio playback.
Its like doing a jigsaw puzzle- and there are always little unknowns and little glitches that need ironing out.

----

what is good?
which pieces of equipment work well? and which dont?
in my experience everything has issues. big or small.
there is nothing that works perfectly....
i have seen many solutions, but almost everyone has subtlely different requirements....and they have all had to work through the problems with their equipment.

[QUOTE=SourceChild]The lighting console needs to control the show. I am using Catalyst and need to sync multiple cats and also sync audio with it.
I don't really care what audio program I use to play audio as long as I can sync it to timecode.

Any ideas if there are DMX controllable audio servers?
Any suggestion what would be a good timecode generator to use to slave Catalyst off of and still be able to control from the lighting controller?

are you familiar with any audio equipment?

hard disc playbacks?
logic?
pro tools?

[QUOTE=developer]are you familiar with any audio equipment?

hard disc playbacks?
logic?
pro tools?

any news?

Got your email Richard.
In addition to playing with Toys, I have been busy on other shows and trying to design a building that's going to use 6 projectors permanently installed for a 180 degree panoramic immersive environment. We'll prolly talk about that one in a few months.
For now, my Cat stuff has just been beyond my free time.
I'll email you back with details before the end of the week.
In the mean time, any thoughts in a DMX controllable Audio playback device that outputs timecode?
Maybe you can develop "Auralyst" (the audio Catalyst). Then we can really piss of the audio guys.

I'm trying to get Catalyst to recognize a Mid timecode Input from a time code generator but it doesn't recognize it even when the right timecode input is selected. Do you have any Idea's as to why this would be happening? Can the Catalyst run timecode video peice and does the video have to have the timecode attached to it to do so. This is coming from an external timecode source.

[QUOTE=Icer133]I'm trying to get Catalyst to recognize a Mid timecode Input from a time code generator but it doesn't recognize it even when the right timecode input is selected. Do you have any Idea's as to why this would be happening? Can the Catalyst run timecode video peice and does the video have to have the timecode attached to it to do so. This is coming from an external timecode source.

what are you trying to select?

You say you have a timecode generator? which one?
How have you connected this to the computer?