Proceed as follows:

1.Open the Preferences dialog (accessed from the File menu under Windows or the Nuendo menu on the Mac) and select the Transport page.

2.Enter the desired frame rate under “User Definable Framerate”.

Either type the desired value directly or use the arrow buttons to increase/decrease the value. You can enter any value between 2-200.

3.When you’re done, click OK to close the dialog and save the settings.

The Frame Rate you specified will now be the one used when you select the “User” option on the Display Format pop-up.

Making connections

The following connections are required for external sync via a synchronizer, including resolving of the audio card. For details on audio card and synchronizer settings and connections, see the manuals for these devices.

•Route the master clock signal (LTC, VITC, etc.) to an input on the synchronizer.

•Connect the word clock output on the synchronizer to a word clock input on the audio card.

•Connect the MIDI Timecode (MTC) or 9-Pin output on the synchronizer to the corresponding input on the computer.

•Set up the synchronizer and make sure the frame rate settings are in accordance with the master clock.

Synchronization settings

In the following sections, you will find a description of how to set up your system for the different timecode sources:

Internal Timecode

In this mode, Nuendo is the master. When working with MMC (see “MIDI Machine Control (MMC)” on page 454), the external device gives the start and stop signals, but is synchronized by Nuendo.

Use the “MIDI Timecode Destinations” and “MIDI Clock Destinations” sections to specify which devices should be slaved to Nuendo.

Synchronizing other Equipment to Nuendo

You may have other MIDI devices that you want to synchronize to Nuendo. There are two types of synchronization that Nuendo can transmit: MIDI Clock and MIDI Timecode.

Transmitting MIDI Clock

If you transmit MIDI Clock to a device supporting this type of synchronization signal, the other device will follow Nuendo’s tempo. The tempo setting in the other device is of no relevance. Instead, it plays at the same tempo as Nuendo. If the device also reacts to Song Position Pointers (which Nuendo transmits) it will follow when you wind, rewind and locate using the Nuendo Transport panel.

Ö MIDI Clock transport commands include “Start”, “Stop” and “Continue”. However, some MIDI equipment (e.g. some drum machines) do not recognize the “Continue” command. If this is the case with your equipment, activate the option “Always Send Start Message” in the Project Synchronization Setup dialog (for the MIDI Clock Destinations).

When this is activated, only the Start command is used.

• Activate “MIDI Clock Follows Project Position” if you want the other device to follow when you loop, jump and locate during playback.

When this is activated, the sent MIDI Clock signals will follow the sequencer time and tempo position at all times.

3. Activate the sync outputs by using the corresponding checkboxes.

You can output any combination of MIDI Timecode and MIDI Clock to any combination of outputs (however, you probably don’t want to send MTC and MIDI Clock to the same output).

Please note that some external devices may not react smoothly to these repositioning messages. Especially when working with some older devices, it may take some time for them to synchronize accurately to the project time.

Transmitting MIDI Timecode

If you transmit MIDI Timecode to a device supporting this type of synchronization signal, the device will synchronize time-wise to Nuendo, that is, the time displays on Nuendo’s Transport panel and on the other device will agree. When you wind and locate Nuendo and then activate playback, the other device will follow from the same position (if it has this capability and is set up for it!).

Ö If you want to be able to loop, jump and locate during playback in Nuendo and have the other device follow, activate “MIDI Timecode Follows Project Time”.

When this is activated, the sent MIDI Timecode will follow the sequencer time position at all times.

Setting Up

1.Connect the desired MIDI Outputs from Nuendo to the device(s) that you plan to synchronize.

2.Open the Project Synchronization Setup dialog from the Transport menu.

Timecode Source settings

Input and Output for MIDI

Machine Control messages.

Some MIDI interfaces will automatically send MIDI Clock to all MIDI outputs, regardless of the MIDI Clock Port selection in Nuendo. If this is the case, you should only select one MIDI Clock Port (consult the documentation of the MIDI Interface if in doubt).

MIDI Timecode transmitted to this output.

MIDI Clock transmitted to this output.

4.Set the other device(s) to their “external synchronization” mode (or some other mode with a similar name) and activate playback on them if necessary.

5.Activate playback in Nuendo, and the other device(s) will follow.

MIDI Timecode and 9 Pin Sync

In these modes, Nuendo is the slave and the timecode is sent by the MIDI Timecode Source specified in the corresponding section.

Setting up Nuendo for external sync to timecode

1.In the Project Synchronization Setup dialog, set the Timecode Source to MIDI Timecode or one of the 9-Pin options.

2.For MIDI Timecode, use the MTC Input pop-up menu in the MIDI Timecode Settings section to select an input for the timecode.

Sync settings for MIDI Timecode.

3. For Sony 9-pin timecode, select a port from the Serial Port pop-up menu. See “Setting up Sony 9-Pin” on page 457 for more on connecting 9-pin devices to your computer.

4. Close the Project Synchronization Setup dialog and open the Project Setup dialog from the Project menu.

5. Use the Start value to set which frame on the external device (e.g. a video tape) should correspond to the beginning of the project.

Most video projects have a program start time of 01:00:00:00 for convenience. It is recommended in most cases to have a project start time of 00:59:00:00 to allow for synchronizer lockup times, test tones, timing beeps and so forth.

Set this to the timecode position where you want the project to start.

• You can also set this with the function “Set Timecode at Cursor” on the Project menu.

This is useful if you know that a certain position in your project would coincide with a certain timecode position in the external device. Move the project cursor to the desired position, select “Set Timecode at Cursor” and specify the corresponding timecode position in the dialog that appears – the Start value is adjusted accordingly.

6.In the dialog that appears, you are asked if you want to keep the project content at its timecode positions. Select “No”.

This will make all events and parts keep their positions relative to the project start.

7.Close the Project Setup dialog.

8.On the Transport panel, activate the Sync button (or select “Use External Sync” from the Transport menu).

9.Start the tape (or video, or other master device) that contains the timecode. Nuendo starts playing when it receives timecode with a position “higher” than, or equal to, the project Start frame.

You can wind the device that sends the timecode to any position and start from there.

When the master device with the timecode is stopped, you can use the Nuendo transport controls as you normally do, when it is not synchronized.

You should also look into the Sync Options, see “Timecode Preferences” on page 454.

The Sync indicator

On the Transport panel, you can check the status of incoming timecode by observing the sync indicator.

The Sync indicator

•If you have selected MIDI Timecode as Timecode Source and MIDI Machine Control as Machine Control Option, the sync indicator switches between “Offline” (not waiting for sync), “Idle” (ready for sync but no signal is coming in), and “Lock xx” (where xx is indicating the frame rate of the incoming signal).

•If you have selected one of the 9-pin options as Machine Control Option, the following applies:

•When the Sync button is activated for the first time, the Sync indicator displays the name of the machine.

•When Nuendo is ready for synchronization, but no signal is coming in, the Sync indicator reads “Stopped”.

•When the Start button is pressed, the Sync indicator reads “Waiting”.

•When Nuendo is locked to timecode (when correct timecode was detected and the sequencer is running), “Locked” is displayed.

•While shuttling, the Sync indicator displays “Shuttle”.

•When you are rewinding, the Sync indicator reads “REW”.

•During Fast Forward, “FF” is displayed.

•If a communication error occurred, the indicator reads “Timeout”.

•If the external device is not in Remote mode, the indicator reads “Local”.

•If you are using an external tape machine and no tape has been inserted, the Sync indicator reads “No Tape”.

•While positioning on the external machine, the Sync indicator reads “Locate”.

•While using the Auto Edit function, “Auto Edit” is displayed.

ASIO Audio Device

This option is only available if your hardware is compatible with the ASIO Positioning Protocol.

In this mode, Nuendo is the slave and the synchronization signal can be received from another device connected to a digital interface of the audio hardware.

About the ASIO Positioning Protocol (APP)

ASIO Positioning Protocol requires audio hardware with specific ASIO drivers.

The ASIO Positioning Protocol is a technology that expands on the type of sync described above and makes sample-accurate positioning possible.

When transferring audio digitally between devices, it is important that synchronization using word clock and timecode is completely correlated. If not, the audio will not be recorded at the exact intended (sample-accurate) position, which can cause various types of problems, such as inaccurately positioned audio material, clicks and pops etc.

A typical situation is when transferring material from a digital multi-track tape recorder to Nuendo (for editing) and then back again. If you do not have sample-accurate synchronization set up, you cannot be sure that the material will appear in its exact original position, when transferred back to the tape recorder.

In order to take advantage of the ASIO Positioning Protocol, your audio hardware must be suitably equipped and the functionality must be included in the ASIO driver for the hardware.

An example of a system for doing sample-accurate transfers, would be transferring audio tracks from an Alesis ADAT to Nuendo. Here the ADAT will be the sync master (though it doesn’t necessarily have to be). It provides both the digital audio (with an inherent word clock) and position information (timecode) via its ADAT sync protocol. The master clock is generated by the ADAT itself.

Hardware and software requirements for APP

•Your computer audio hardware (in the example above, this would be an ADAT card in your computer) must support all the functionality required for the ASIO Positioning Protocol.

That is, it must be able to read the digital audio and the corresponding position information from the external device.

•There must be an ASIO 2.0 driver for the audio hardware.

•For resolving to external timecode, the audio hardware must have an integrated timecode reader/generator.

•For information about which audio hardware models currently support APP, see the Steinberg web site (www.steinberg.net).

The ASIO Positioning Protocol exploits the specific advantage of having an audio card that has an integrated timecode reader. With such a card and the ASIO Positioning Protocol, you can achieve constant sample-accurate synchronization between the audio source and Nuendo.

Setting up the audio card for external synchronization

1.Open the Device Setup dialog from the Devices menu and, on the VST Audio System page, select the name of your audio interface.

2.Click the Control Panel button to open the card’s proprietary setup dialog.

If this card is accessed via a special ASIO driver (as opposed to MME or Direct X), this dialog is provided by the card, not by Nuendo. Hence the settings vary with the card brand and model.

3.Adjust the settings as recommended by the card manufacturer, then close the dialog.

The dialog may also contain various diagnostic tools that allow you to verify for example whether word clock is arriving correctly.

4.From the Clock Source pop-up, select the input to which you routed the word clock signal.

This pop-up may not be used if you selected an input in the Control Panel dialog instead.

You can now set up the synchronization:

1. Open the Project Synchronization Setup dialog and set the Timecode Source to “ASIO Audio Device”.

The ASIO Audio Device is selected as Timecode Source

Timecode Preferences

2. Make the desired settings in the dialog.

For information on the different sections, click the Help button in the dialog.

3.Close the Project Synchronization Setup dialog.

4.Open the Project Setup dialog from the Project menu and use the Start value to set which frame on the external device (e.g. a video tape) should correspond to the beginning of the project.

Set this to the timecode position where you want the project to start.

• You can also set this with the function “Set Timecode at Cursor” on the Project menu.

This is useful if you know that a certain position in your project coincides with a certain timecode position in the external device. Move the project cursor to the desired position, select “Set Timecode at Cursor” and specify the corresponding timecode position in the dialog that appears – the Start value is adjusted accordingly.

5.A message appears, asking you whether you want to keep the project content at its timecode positions. Select “No”.

This will make all events and parts keep their positions relative to the project start.

6.Close the Project Setup dialog.

7.On the Transport panel, activate the Sync button (or select “Use External Sync” from the Transport menu).