Reference Guide

1164 Synchronizing your gear
SMPTE/MIDI time code synchronization
To use SONAR as the master MTC generator
1. Configure the clocks on each external device that you want to synchronize to receive SMPTE/
MTC. Make sure they’re connected to MIDI outputs from your computer or MIDI interface.
2. In the Control Bar’s Sync module, click the Sync Type button and choose Internal Sync or
Audio Sync on the pop-up menu.
3. Go to Edit > Preferences > Project - MIDI.
4. Select the Transmit MTC check box (you can also click the Transmit MTC Sync button in
the Sync module).
5. In the Frame Rate field (it’s just below the Transmit MTC check box), choose the frame rate that
your project uses (see “Frame rates” on page 1163, if necessary).
6. In the MTC Output Ports field, check off the outputs that you want to send MTC on (the outputs
your external devices are connected to).
7. Click OK.
SONAR saves your sync and MTC output port settings with your project. However, output ports are
saved by their number only, not their name. Their number is determined by the order in which they
appear in Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Devices. If you change the order of devices in this dialog
box, the MTC output ports in your project will retain the same numbers, but those numbers will now
refer to different outputs. Also, if you reduce the number of highlighted outputs in Edit >
Preferences > MIDI - Devices, and the MTC ports you chose have higher numbers than what are
currently highlighted in Edit > Preferences > MIDI - Devices, SONAR does not substitute new port
numbers.
To configure SONAR to sync to SMPTE/MTC
1. In the Control Bar’s Sync module, click the Sync Type button and choose SMPTE Sync on the
pop-up menu.
2. Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio - Sync and Caching.
3. Select one of the following options:
• Ask first, then switch to clock source and start. This option prompts SONAR to alert you
when it detects a SMPTE/MTC signal, asks if you want to sync to the incoming signal, and if
you respond that you do, switches the clock source and starts to receive the signal.
• Always switch the clock source and start. SONAR automatically switches to the clock
source of the incoming signal and begins to receive the signal.
• Do not switch clock source, but start if in SMPTE/MTC mode. This option automatically
syncs to the incoming signal if SONAR is in SMPTE/MTC mode.
4. Click the Project - Clock page (Edit > Preferences > Project - Clock).
5. Choose the frame rate and time offset that are appropriate for your source material.
Note: The final option, Never switch clock source, never start, should never be used if you are
attempting to sync to an external clock source.