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Create LTC from metadata
So, I’ve searched around and come up with a goose egg. It would be great if someone has a solution.
I often need to take QT clips, which usually, but not always, have timecode, and play them back with LTC sent to other devices.
I don’t always have a tape deck or other machine to take 9-pin in and stripe tape. I frequently don’t have the time to stripe code in real time even if I had the deck. Basically, I would love to import the clip into FCP and … do something, apply a plugin, or even process it outside of FCP … but I need an audio track of LTC that matches my QT files.
Any capability like this exist?
I’m even open to creating something with FXBuilder, but I have never done that and don’t even know if FXBuilder has access to the metadata or can translate that into an audio file.Any bright ideas?
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16 Replies
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What equipment do you have and what equipment are you going to?
Give us the whole picture.
Jeremy
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Macpro with Kona 3 card running FCP 6. USB to MIDI interface and P2MMC interface. Going to lighting consoles, other FCP playback machines, RS422 muti-machine controllers.
If FCP could send the metadata timecode track out as MIDI TC, I could use the P2 to generate the LTC. As far as I know though, FCP doesn’t speak MTC, correct? -
Howdy MooCowers,
Check out digital-heaven.co.uk they are doing a project called Big Time this is using this technolgy of LTC … might be in the right direction ?
Hope this helps
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What format/frame rate is the video you are sending?
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It varies … NTSC 29.97, 720p 29.97, 1080i 29.97.
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OK. The reason i asked is because the 720p won’t have matching tc as your movie is 720p30 and when playing out to another device, the video is actually 720p60 (with 30fps tc). So, there might be some slight variations in tc with the 720p material. The SD and 1080i HD should be fine. Now, if your incoming device can read tc through HDSDI, then you should be fine as the Kona will send TC via HDSDI if you enable the “use QT timecode” switch in the control panel. Using AJA TV for this will probably be your best bet. Do any/all of your devices accept tc over the wire?
Jeremy
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Thanks for the tip. Two things. First, I usually always get 720p material at 29.97. All my gear, the Kona, etc., are referenced to house synch. I doubt it is 30fps, but I could be wrong.
Other than that, no, most of the devices DON’T take SDI, otherwise I wouldn’t have this problem. I have to be able to get this metadata TC converted to matching LTC audio. -
[Geof Gibson] “First, I usually always get 720p material at 29.97. All my gear, the Kona, etc., are referenced to house synch. I doubt it is 30fps, but I could be wrong.”
Unless you are specifically capturing 720p29.97, then it is. If you aren’t, then it’s 720p59.94 (I was using 30 for shorthand).
SO if none of these take SDI, how are you getting video to them?
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Video is going other places. The LTC is to allow the other devices, such as video servers and lighting and sound consoles, to run their cues in sync. with the video.
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OK, got it. I thought you were running video everywhere, but really what you need is to run LTC everywhere, or have LTC on an audio track.
Unfortunately the Kona 3 doesn’t have LTC out, but the ioHD and the Kona LHi do. That way you could simply run a spigot from the LTC out to whatever you need.
Have a look at FCP auxTC reader.
https://videotoolshed.com/?page=products&pID=26
I know this will strip Aux tc, but it says you can add aux tc to your exports. Might be just what you need. If this won’t do it (as it might need an aux tc to start with anything) contact them and I bet they can make an app for you.
You could also try running a control surface that will probably take the FCP tc and turn it MIDI, but you mileage may very on that and you’d need something to speak MIDI from it.
https://www.mackie.com/products/mcupro/index.html
https://www.mackie.com/home/showimage.html?u=/products/mcupro/images/MCU-Pro-Rear.jpg
I have some other ideas, but let’s start there.
Jeremy
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