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M-Audio Mac Syncman Manual

Summary of Mac Syncman

  • Page 1

    Contents overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 panel description - fig. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 panel description . . . . . . . . . . . . ...

  • Page 2

    2 overview mac syncman is a professional quality, 1 megahertz/rs-422, 2 in / 6 out macintosh midi interface and synchronization box - all built into one. Mac syncman’s midi interface allows you to hook your macintosh com- puter up to any midi equipment by way of the modem and printer ports. With 2 m...

  • Page 3: Midiman

    3 additionally, mac syncman has a very high quality, built-in smpte regenerator. A smpte regenerator can take a bad smpte signal and regenerate it into perfect smpte. This regenerator can be used to recov- er an unreliable or damaged smpte stripe. Additional mac syncman features allow you to meet pr...

  • Page 4: Interface Features

    4 features interface features • 1 megahertz rs-422 mac serial interface. • a dual 1 in/3 out midi interface (2 midi ins and 6 midi outs - sup- porting 32 midi channels in all). One of the midi interface channels is connected to the modem port and the other to the printer port. • one midi out (modem ...

  • Page 5

    5 smpte sync stripes. • selectable chase delay time. Depending on the speed of your macintosh and program, a longer or shorter delay may be required for the sequencer to properly “chase” when syncing to tape. The delay dip-switch allows you to set a long (when up) or short (when down) delay time..

  • Page 6

    6 panel description - fig. 1. T2@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@6k @ b@ @? ?@ @? ?@ @?G@@@@@@@@@6x?He?@ @?G@?G?@)xhe?@ @?G@?G?@v/x?H?@ @?G@?G?@?V/xh?@ @?G@?G?@ev)x?G?@ @?G@?G?@@@@@1?G?@ @?G@?Hf@?G?@ @?G@?Hf@?G?@ @?G@?Hf@?G?@ @?G@?Hf@?G?@ @?G@?Hf@?G?@ @?G@?Hf@?G?@ @?G@?Hf@?G?@ @?G@?Hf@?G?@ @?E@@@@@?Hf@@@...

  • Page 7: Front Panel

    7 panel description (see fig. 1) front panel 1. Serial thru /midi switches. With these switches the mac syncman midi interface can be bypassed so that the mac can be routed direct- ly to the printer or modem without having to re-plug serial cables. There are two thru switches - one each for the mode...

  • Page 8: Rear Panel

    8 blink once, twice, three times, etc. If you then let the write switch up the mac syncman will start writing smpte from a smpte offset of 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, or whatever number of times the read/write led blinked. This feature gives you some control of smpte offset right from the front panel....

  • Page 9: Dip-Switch Descriptions

    9 connected directly to your modem. Because of this unique serial thru feature, you do not have to unplug and re-plug cables to switch between the midi interface and your modem. 16. Serial in - printer port. This will normally be connected to the printer serial port on your mac. The mac syncman send...

  • Page 10

    10 would normally be set to mtc (down). When this switch is down, and the off/mtc switch is down, mac syncman will generate midi time code whenever a smpte stripe is read. Midi time code is used by almost all mac sequencers including vision, cubase, logic, master tracks and newer versions of perform...

  • Page 11: Mac

    11 t ypical system set-up - figure 2 tape deck tape in tape out midi out midi in master keyboard midi in sampler out in out in print modem serial out in tape out out modem midi mac syncman (front panel) (top view) out out out in printer midi midi modem in out modem printer macintosh serial ports typ...

  • Page 12

    12 typical system set-up (see figure 2) a typical system set-up (see fig. 2) consists of mac syncman, a mac running some sequencer program, a tape deck, a master keyboard and one or more midi sound modules. Additionally, you may have a printer or a modem in your set up which you occasionally use for...

  • Page 13

    13 frames: both down . . . . .For 30 frames/second off/mtc: down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .For mtc dtl/mtc: down . . . . . .For mtc (not direct lock) delay: up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .This should be off regenerate: up . . . . . . . . . .Must be off to sync at all duplicate: up ...

  • Page 14: Recording A Smpte Stripe

    14 operation to begin using mac syncman, make sure you have read the preceding sections of this manual. Your system should be set-up along the guide- lines out-lined in the “typical system set-up” section above. Set the mac syncman switches to the positions indicated above, or which are appropriate ...

  • Page 15

    15 4. Press the mac syncman write switch. This starts mac syncman out- putting a smpte signal which will be indicated by the write led going on. 5. Adjust your recording level to around - 5 db. 6. Continue recording several minutes of smpte stripe. Naturally, you will need a stripe longer than the p...

  • Page 16: Syncing to A Smpte Stripe

    16 syncing to a smpte stripe important: make sure to look at the “some popular sequencers” sec- tion in the back of this manual to see specific details on how to best set- up your sequencer. 1. Make sure the tape out from your tape deck is connected to the tape in on mac syncman. 2. Put your sequenc...

  • Page 17

    17 misc. Info - remotely writing smpte syncman is also capable of writing a smpte stripe with any specified offset. When syncman receives a time code off-set message it will automatically start writing smpte with the correct, specified offset. When started remotely, syncman will continue to write sm...

  • Page 18: Duplicating A Stripe

    18 mac syncman can regenerate or duplicate a smpte stripe. If the stripe is fine and you need to copy it you should probably duplicate it. If the stripe is damaged you will have to regenerate it. When mac syncman is regenerating, this is all it is doing - it cannot regenerate and sync at the same ti...

  • Page 19

    19 trouble shooting if you have any problems using mac syncman you should first check the following: 1. Are all of your cables working and plugged in properly? 2. Are you using a high quality tape deck and tape? Have you tried using high quality metal tape? 3. Have you discovered the best input and ...

  • Page 20: Vision

    20 some popular sequencers vision with vision we recommend that you use mac syncman in smpte/midi time code mode . To do this, make sure that the off/mtc and dtl/mtc dip-switches are both down. On mac syncman select the smpte format you wish to use. We suggest 30 frames which means the two left most...

  • Page 21: Master Tracks

    21 set to type of sync to midi time code. Set smtpe format to 30 fps. Now set chunk start time by going to the counter window and click- ing on the second icon from the left at the top of the window, this will access a pull-down in which you should select set chunk start. In the set chunk start wind...

  • Page 22: Cubase

    22 down. Now with master tracks do the following: go to the goodies menu. Select midi set-up. Set the “receive sync on port” to printer. Set “sync source” to midi time code. Set “smpte format” to 30 fps (30 frames/sec) set “start time” to: hr 0 mn 0 sc 5 fr 0. This sets the sequence start time to 5 ...

  • Page 23

    23 click-hold the sync button in either transport area. In the flip menu that appears, choose “open tempo sequence”. Change the smpte time position of the first (usually the only) tempo event to your desired start time (e.G.. 0: 0: 5: 0/ 0). Special note on the tascam 238 tape deck on the back of th...

  • Page 24

    24 limited lifetime warranty midiman warrants that this product is free of defects in materials and work- manship under normal use so long as the product is owned by the original pur- chaser and that purchaser has registered his/her ownership of the product by sending in the completed warranty card....