Chase Timecode from the Desk or Sound System
3 min readProtocols
Follow the house clock: chase LTC, MTC, Art-Net timecode or TCNet, set the source priority, and choose what a dropout does to the show.
When to Chase
Chase when something else already owns the show's clock — a playback machine, a DAW, QLab, a lighting desk's timecode. CueSync follows that clock and fires each timecode cue as the clock reaches it. Chasing is in Theatre and Production; every edition can send timecode (see Timecode Out: LTC, MTC, Art-Net, TCNet).
1. Make the Show a Follower
A new Theatre show is its own clock. In the Show Editor's transport bar, tap the TC role chip until it reads Follower ← ext TC. The chip is locked while the show plays, so pause first.
2. Turn On the Source
| Source | Where | What to set |
|---|---|---|
| LTC | Settings → Timecode → LTC Audio Input | The interface input the LTC arrives on. CueSync never opens an audio input you have not chosen. |
| MTC | Settings → MIDI & Sync, then Settings → Timecode → MTC Input Device | Any connected input suits a simple rig. Pin one interface when several are patched, so a spare console cannot take the clock. |
| Art-Net timecode | Settings → Timecode → Source Configuration → Art-Net Timecode (chase) | Off until you turn it on. Limit who can move the clock with Settings → DMX Input → Accept from. |
| TCNet | The Timecode screen's Input Sources | Listed with the others. |
| CDJ | Settings → DJ Hardware | A Pioneer deck's position, in Production, which reads PRO DJ LINK. |
Open the Timecode screen (Connect group, ⌘ 0): each source row shows whether it is present, locked and sending clean frames.
3. Set the Priority
The order of the Input Sources rows is the priority. The Theatre preset orders them MTC, LTC, Art-Net TC, TCNet, CDJ. CueSync follows the highest source with a live signal and fails over to the next one when it goes quiet, with a notice naming both. Force pins one source and switches the fallback off — clear it after the show.
4. Match the House Clock
- Frame rate — set the show's rate on the Timecode screen to the rate the source sends. Run Mode reads RATE x ≠ SHOW y when the two differ.
- Venue TC origin — the house-clock reading that equals the show's 00:00:00:00. If the playback starts its LTC at 01:00:00:00, set the origin to
01:00:00:00and a cue written at 00:04:00 fires when the house clock reads 01:04:00.
5. Decide What a Dropout Does
| Setting | Where | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source Timeout | Settings → Timecode → Advanced | 2 s | How long without a frame before a source counts as lost |
| Freewheel Duration | Settings → Timecode → Advanced | 5 s | How long the clock coasts on its last rate when no other source can take over |
| Recovery mode | Settings → Show Control → Timecode Recovery | Jump to current | What the show does when the clock jumps: Jump to current, Resume from last or Ask operator |
Silence means stopped (Settings → Timecode → Advanced) reads a quiet source as a stop rather than a dropout. It is on by default for Art-Net, because a paused grandMA3 timecode slot sends nothing at all; turn it on for an LTC or MTC source whose pause is silence.
Hold TC, beside the clock in Run Mode, stops the clock firing cues without pausing playback. GO and the standby cards still fire.
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