Timecode

What it's for — Timecode is the master clock screen for Theatre and full-edition rigs. It receives SMPTE timecode from your show system, routes it to outputs, and lets CueSync fire cues at precise frame-accurate positions in the show. You can also generate timecode from within CueSync and distribute it to connected gear.

The screen, region by region

Transport bar (top strip)

A persistent bar at the top of the screen with the current SMPTE position displayed in large digits (HH:MM:SS:FF). Next to the clock are transport controls:

• Play / Stop / Pause — start, stop, or pause the generator when it is free-running (INT and JAM modes).

• Mode selector — a four-way control that sets how the generator produces the clock it sends to your outputs:

  • RELAY — mirrors the active input source to your outputs, frame for frame.
  • INT — free-runs from a start position on CueSync's internal clock, independent of any input.
  • JAM — free-runs like INT but re-locks to the input whenever it drifts past a threshold, so a jittery CDJ or MTC input still becomes a clean, continuous output clock.
  • CHASE — follows the input continuously with a fixed frame offset applied, for gear that needs a delayed copy of the show clock. If the input drops, the output holds position while freewheel handles the dropout.

  When a master-audio show owns the clock, the generator follows the master audio playhead automatically and the mode selector steps aside.

• Frame rate selector — sets the project and output frame rate. Changing this updates both the generator output rate and the CDJ-to-SMPTE conversion so the clock and cue triggers agree. Available rates: 24, 25, 29.97 DF, 30, and common high-frame-rate variants.

Left column — Source routing

A list of the timecode input sources CueSync can receive from, with their current status:

• CDJ — timecode embedded in the PRO DJ LINK signal from a connected Pioneer player. Useful for DJ-driven theatre rigs where the CDJ controls the show clock.
• MTC — MIDI Timecode on a MIDI input device. Standard for most show-control environments; requires a MIDI interface connected via the MIDI settings. By default CueSync accepts MTC from every connected input — use Settings → Timecode → MTC Input Device to pin the show clock to one interface.
• LTC — Linear Timecode on an audio input. Requires an audio interface with a dedicated LTC input.
• TCNet — Timecode over the network (ProDJLink TCNet protocol).
• Internal — CueSync's own generated clock (active when the generator is free-running in INT).

Each source row shows whether the source is present, locked, and providing clean frames. Use the up and down controls on each source row to re-order priority. Click Force on any source to override the automatic selection and lock to that source regardless of signal quality.

Centre column — Hero clock and output routing

The large SMPTE clock display shows the current position from whichever source is active. When freewheel is engaged (the active source dropped out and CueSync is coasting) the clock is labelled "FREEWHEEL" so you know it is running on inertia, not a live signal. Freewheel continues from the last good frame at the last measured rate for a configurable window (set in Settings → Timecode).

Below the clock is the output routing matrix — a list of your configured outputs that can receive timecode. Toggle each output on or off to route the current clock signal to it. Outputs must be added in Network first before they appear here.

Right column — Health dashboard

Live health indicators for each input source:

• Signal present — whether CueSync is receiving frames from that source.
• Lock quality — whether the received signal is clean and frame-continuous.
• Drift warnings — if a source drifts beyond the configured threshold, a warning appears here for 5 seconds then auto-dismisses.
• Source timeout — how long CueSync waits before declaring a source lost and engaging freewheel.
• Signal-loss banner — a genuine loss (freewheel window exhausted, or a failover to a lower-priority source) raises a red banner that names the event: which source was lost, at what time, and — if CueSync failed over — which source took over (e.g. "Signal lost — MTC at 21:47:03 · failed over to LTC"). Unlike drift warnings it does not auto-dismiss: it stays until the lost source returns or you dismiss it with the ✕, so a dropout that happened while you were looking elsewhere is still on record. Stopping the transport yourself never raises it — it reports real signal loss only.

Trigger timeline (bottom strip)

A horizontal timeline showing all cues in your cue stack that have timecode triggers. Each cue appears as a marker at its trigger position. The playhead moves with the SMPTE clock. Use this to verify trigger positions visually — particularly useful when adjusting cue offsets.

Common tasks

1. Receive timecode from a MIDI interface — Connect your MIDI interface, enable it in Settings → MIDI, then confirm the MTC source row shows "Locked" on this screen. While the sender is running, the interface carries an MTC badge in Settings → MIDI & Sync; the badge reflects the signal on the wire, so it confirms the cable and the sender independently of your timecode settings.
2. Pin MTC to one interface — Open Settings → Timecode → MTC Input Device and select the interface carrying your show clock. Leave it on "Any connected input" for a simple rig; pin it when several interfaces are patched at once, so a spare console or a laptop left running cannot take over the source mid-show.
3. Generate timecode for your rig — Set the mode selector to INT in the transport bar, set the frame rate to match your show system, click Play, then enable your target outputs in the routing matrix.
4. Force a specific timecode source — Click Force on the source row you want to lock. CueSync ignores signal-quality ranking and uses that source until you clear the force.
5. Check freewheel is set correctly — Open Settings → Timecode and confirm the source timeout matches your show's acceptable dropout window before CueSync starts coasting.
6. Verify cue positions against the clock — Watch the trigger timeline at the bottom. The playhead advances with the clock; cue markers show where each timecode trigger fires.
7. Send MTC to more than one console — Pick your primary device under Settings → Timecode, then use Additional MTC Devices to fan the same MTC stream out to more consoles on separate MIDI ports — FOH, lighting, and safety consoles each on their own interface. The row lists every device currently receiving the fan-out; remove one to stop sending to it.

Tips & gotchas

• Freewheel is not the same as the source being lost. During freewheel the clock keeps running at the last measured rate. Your cues continue to fire. The health dashboard shows "FREEWHEEL" so you can distinguish a momentary glitch from a genuine source failure.
• Changing the frame rate updates both the output rate and the CDJ conversion simultaneously. You do not need to set them separately — one control keeps the display and the generator consistent.
• MTC at high frame rates (48, 50, 59.94, 60) uses an extended encoding. CueSync honours this when outputting MTC, but older consoles may not decode HD-rate MTC correctly — check your console's documentation before going above 30 fps.
• Outputs must be configured in Network before they appear in the routing matrix. If a destination is missing from the list, go to Network → Outputs → + to add it.
• Incoming MTC is corrected for quarter-frame lag, and the correction is adjustable. A complete MTC position arrives as eight quarter-frame messages spanning two frames, so the value is already two frames old when CueSync assembles it. CueSync adds those two frames back, which is what the SMPTE specification asks a receiver to do; without it every MTC-triggered cue would fire two frames late — 80 ms at 25 fps. Set Settings → Timecode → MTC Input Compensation to 0 only if your sender already sends ahead, otherwise the clock runs early.
• A pinned MTC input that is not connected receives nothing. If you have selected a specific interface under MTC Input Device and that interface is unplugged, the MTC source cannot lock even though the MTC toggle is on. The settings row names the missing device; select "Any connected input" or reconnect the interface.

Related

• Network Outputs — Add and configure the outputs that appear in the routing matrix
• Cues — Add a Timecode trigger to a cue so it fires at a specific SMPTE position
• Diagnostics — Connection event log and uptime history for timecode-routed outputs