MTC sync

[Mikey851]

I really want to be able to use MTC to sync my lights up to the music being played by our dj. The problem is that his software, Serato, does not generate and send MTC as far as I'm aware.

What would be a possible solution to this problem? I need my timelines to be cued by the dj upon playing a song. I also need certain scenes to be 100% synced such as a strobe lighting up with every bass drum hit in a certain section of the song.

If nobody has any ideas I figure that I have two choices:

1. Play the music using the SS2 Easy Show and routing it through the dj's tables.....(This would be horrible because then there would be no point to the dj and it would be taking away from the dj showing his talent. I suppose he can use a live signal coming from my computer.....then when a song starts to reach the end he can fade to his other table to play some sort of intermission music or sound effects as I switch shows.

2. Use long cycles basically as "shows" and have the dj cue the cycle from his booth using a midi controller. Then the cycle would be synchronized using an audio input from the mixer. This would limit the ability to have spot on programming...

Is there some sort of MTC generator software? Any help is appreciated.

[simonB]

First of all I would definitely advise not to play the audio with EasyShow!

Unless you are programming a lightshow for each song, MTC will not be much use. Programming each song will be very time consuming and the DJ will be restricted to what can be played. You need to use MIDI Clock which is a tempo synchronisation, this works with the Audio analysis for perfect beat matching.

As far as I know there is no MIDI out functionality from Serato so unless your DJ can use a software which supports MIDI clock like NI's Traktor or M-Audio Torq, you are restricted to the BPM detection within the audio analysis (which is pretty good but not as perfect as an analysis of the track when it is loaded).

[Mikey851]

Thanks Simon. I should have clarified. There will be opening djs prior to the show that I will just be running cues for. When the main show goes on it will be a 10 song set list including the dj that works for me and the performer's manager. If I can use MTC I will program all 10 shows; if I cannot I will use either midi clock or audio analysis.

So far, what I gather is that my dj can use Serato bridge to Ableton and then use a program called Midi OX to send MTC to my computer. Have you heard of this before?

Edit:

Two other questions
1. Is there an option to quickly select double time or quadruple time when syncing to the beat? I thought I remembered one being there but now I can't find it.....
2. Worst case scenerio, if my dj's software/equipment does not support mtc or even midi clock is there some sort of hardware or software that will generate midi clock?

Thanks again for the help.

[simonB]

My dj can use Serato bridge to Ableton and then use a program called Midi OX to send MTC to my computer.

I think you should only need MIDI OX if you are using Suite2 on the same computer as Ableton. You should be able to output a MTC or MIDI Clock from Ableton straight to a port on the MIDI interface and then run that into the MIDI interface on the Suite 2 computer. (I have never used Ableton ro Serato before so not 100% sure on that).

Is there an option to quickly select double time or quadruple time when syncing to the beat?

No quick way I'm afriad. The only way is to select the double or tripple option in Easytime and make separate buttons.

Worst case scenerio, if my dj's software/equipment does not support mtc or even midi clock is there some sort of hardware or software that will generate midi clock?

To generate MIDI clock with an external program you will need to analyse the audio signal, therefore you may aswel just use the Audio Analysis.

[Mikey851]

Thanks for the help Simon.

[Mikey851]

If anyone is interested I think I figured out how to accomplish this level of synchronization between a dj and Sunlite.

My dj has Serato to Ableton bridge. In Ableton you can create midi signal and place it anywhere along the timeline of a song that the dj will be playing. When ableton passes this mark it will trigger the cue that you specify in Sunlite. Along with this triggering the midi clock will keep it beat matched.

For instance, if you have a snare roll in a song. You can zoom into the waveform in ableton and apply a midi trigger at that point in the song. This will then trigger the cue of your choosing in Sunlite; if the cue is a chase it will then beat match using the midi clock signal/tap or audio analysis.

I have not put this to the test yet but I know you can trigger cues using midi in sunlite and I know that ableton can send midi signals at specific points in songs that are being played so wish me luck!

[Ferrox]

Is there an option to quickly select double time or quadruple time when syncing to the beat?

No quick way I'm afriad. The only way is to select the double or tripple option in Easytime and make separate buttons.

A kick from my side in this old topic, is it possible to add this to a feature list? Or is it already possible?

As a suggestion, you can select the flickering bullets for the right divider. /1 , /2 or /4.

It would be a very nice feature and saves al lot of extra programming.