User Manual-Windows

CUBASE, NUENDO AND OTHER ASIO SOFTWARE
79
SYNCHRONIZATION
Cubase or Nuendo can run under its own transport
control or slave to SMPTE time code. It can also
perform sample-accurate digital audio transfers
with Alesis digital recorders and Tascam family
digital recorders.
As you read through the following sections to
decide what form of synchronization you might
need with other devices in your studio, be sure to
consult chapter 4, “Installing the PCI-424
Hardware” (page 27) for the proper hardware
connections. Use the synchronization diagrams in
that chapter to be clear about how you will be
synchronizing Cubase to the other components of
your system.
Running Cubase or Nuendo under its own
transport control
If you do not need to synchronize Cubase or
Nuendo with time code or another recording
device, such as a tape deck, just leave its SMPTE
time code synchronization features disabled.
However, even though Cubase or Nuendo is not
slaving to SMPTE time code, you still need to be
concerned with the synchronization of the
PCI-424 system’s digital audio clock with other
devices connected to it digitally (if any). For
example, if you have a digital mixer connected to a
2408mk3 interface via an ADAT optical lightpipe
cable, you need to make sure that their audio clocks
are phase-locked. For details, see “Syncing ADAT
‘lightpipe’ devices” on page 48 and “Make sync
connections” on page 37. If you don’t have any
digital audio devices connected, digital audio
phase-lock does not apply to you.
Resolving Cubase or Nuendo and the PCI-424
to video and/or SMPTE time code
If you need to slave Cubase or Nuendo and the
PCI-424 system to video and/or SMPTE time code,
you can do so with or without a dedicated
synchronizer. SMPTE time code synchronization
can be accomplished via the analog input of any
connected interface. Direct video synchronization
requires as 2408mk3 interface.
Resolving directly to video and/or time code
(with no synchronizer)
To resolve your PCI-424 system directly to video
and/or SMPTE time code with no additional
synchronization devices, use the setup shown in
“Syncing to SMPTE time code” on page 43 or
“Syncing to video” on page 44.
☛ Direct video sync requires a 2408mk3
interface. SMPTE time code sync can be done with
any MOTU PCI audio interface.
First, set up Cubase or Nuendo for sample-accurate
sync as explained in “Sample-accurate sync with
Cubase or Nuendo” on page 80. Make sure the
Clock Source setting in the MOTU PCI Audio
Console window is set to PCI-424: SMPTE or
PCI-424: Video. Also, make sure that you’ve
specified the SMPTE time code input (if necessary)
in the MOTU SMPTE Console applet, as shown in
Figure 4-23 on page 43 or Figure 4-24 on page 44.
Resolving to video and/or time code with a
dedicated synchronizer
To resolve your PCI-424 system to video and/or
SMPTE time code using an additional synchroni-
zation device, use the setup shown in “Syncing to
video and/or SMPTE time code using a
synchronizer” on page 45.
Follow the instructions in your Cubase or Nuendo
manual for slaving them to MIDI Time Code
(MTC). To ensure that your audio tracks don’t drift
out of sync with your MIDI tracks — or time code,
use a hardware synchronizer like the MIDI
Timepiece AV or Digital Timepiece to resolve the
PCI-424 hardware as well, as explained in “Syncing
to video and/or SMPTE time code using a
synchronizer” on page 45. A digital audio
synchronizer is required for drift-free SMPTE/
MIDI time code sync. Make sure the Clock Source