Conference napalm::commusic_v1

This is just a guess as I've never worked with video or SMPTE (not yet).

You record the smpte code on your audio track of the video.  The output
of the video track is fed to your smpte sync box on your midi gear.  
Additionally, I would suppose your audio master would have to have a smpte
track as a slave track too.  Then as the video plays, your MIDI stuff and the
audio deck lock to the smpte and you then record the stuff to the audio deck.

Alterately, if you have a Hi Fi VCR (the kinds with both a mono and the HiFi 
audio together), I suppose you could sync your MIDI to the video on the lifi 
track and record the audio direct to the Hi Fi tracks.

Anyway, this is always how I kind of assumed it works but I've never done 
it or seen it and I don't really know if this is it or if what I said is
really possible.

Someone who does or has done it please care to let us in on the secret?

Chad

    Actually, you usually get the SMPTE from the AUDIO track, not a VIDEO
    track.  You can record SMPTE in a video signal, during the vertical
    retrace period, if you have the right box that can do this (not cheap).
    It has the advantage of being able to generate SMPTE on playback even
    if the video is freeze-framed or in slow motion.
    
    Usually, though you record the SMPTE as audio signals on one audio
    track of the video tape.  U-matic pro tapes have two audio trakcs, so
    you can have your video sound track on one and the SMPTE on the other.
    
    Then you play back the video tape and feed the SMPTE audio into a SMPTE
    sync box which then emits MIDI TIME CODE (MTC).  This is a MIDI
    encoding of what the SMPTE signal says, which is the number of hours,
    minutes, seconds, frames, and partial frames you are from the start.
    
    Then your sequencer locks to the MTC.
    
    Now, if you have an audio recorder involved as well, a multitrack job
    say, then you have to sync THIS to the video as well.  Most cheap
    multitracks can't do this.  But if you get up to something like a
    Fostex R8 or something you can get a so-called "synchronizer" (not
    cheap) which listens to the SMPTE and makes the tape machine run in
    lock step with it.
    
    Another way is to record your own SMPTE on your multitrack and do
    everything from that (with manual entry of hit points) just like you
    would if there was no video involved, and then you just have to sync
    the two tape machines when it is time to make the master.  If you do
    not require split-second match between sound and image you could even
    do this by hand after a few tries.
    
    SMPTE-to-MTC converters can be had for under $200.
    A tape synchronizer can cost you ten times as much.
    A tape machine that will even take a synchronizer will also run you
    over $2000.

    there are some notes on SMPTE and MTC (MIDI Time Code) and SPP (Song
    Position Pointer) in here - do some dir/title stuff after hours.  I
    remember one called 'That SYNCING feeling'..
    
    Also if you have a used bookshop that carries magazines, you might scan
    the past two years' KEYBOARD and ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN issues for
    articles.
    
    karl

Try checking out the following articles:

"How to Find the Right Video Deck for Home Studio Soundtrack Work", Paul D.
Lehrman, Keyboard, June 1989

"MIDI Time Code", Paul D. Lehrman, Keyboard, March 1990

I think you will find both of them informative.

		Derek