Mac Syncman - M
Contents
1. 1 4 dn 1aS wa ysks 92184 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 musical or non musical applications as hard to believe as this may be We suggest that this Set up be connected as follows 1 Connect the MIDI Out of your master keyboard to the modem MIDI In on the front panel of the Mac Syncman 2 Connect the MIDI In of the master keyboard to the modem MIDI Out on the front panel of the Mac Syncman 3 Connect the modem MIDI Outs on the back of the Mac Syncman to the MIDI Ins of any additional MIDI sound modules you may have 4 Connect the Tape Out on the back of the Mac Syncman to the Tape In of the last or sync track of your tape deck 5 Connect the Tape In on the back of the Syncman to the Tape Out of the last or sync track of your tape deck 6 Connect the Modem Serial In on the back of the Mac Syncman to the modem serial port on your Mac 7 Connect the Printer Serial In on the back of the Mac Syncman to the printer serial port on your Mac 8 Connect the Modem Serial Out on the back of the Mac Syncman to the your modem 9 Connect the Printer Serial Out on the back of the Mac Syncman to the your printer If you are ready to sequen2. If you are using an older version of Performer which uses Direct Lock older than 3 3 turn the DTL MTC dip switch Up However if not using Performer make sure the DTL MTC switch is Up NOTE Mac Syncman transmits MIDI Time Code when the SMPTE stripe is being written as well as when it is being read This means you can easily trouble shoot any MIDI Time Code capable sequencer without having to go to tape This is done by simply pressing the Write switch on Mac Syncman generating MIDI Time Code into your sequencer and debugging it To check the integrity of your sync tone rewind the tape to somewhere before where you started to record the tone Make sure your Mac Syncman is not in Write Mode and that the Tape Read Write Indicator is Off before you try playing back the tone Now press play on your tape deck When you reach the location on the tape where you began record ing the sync tone the Tape Read Write Indicator will light showing that a Mac Syncman sync signal is being read from tape For the most reliable performance you should play the entire stripe back and make sure the Read Write Light never blinks When playing back the sync stripe the tape light should never flicker If it does make sure your heads are clean all of your cables are good all EQ if you have gone through a mixing board is flat and that your tape is good After doing this try re recording the sync stripe 15 Syncing to SMPTE Stripe IM
3. Any MIDI sync information such as MIDI Time Code decoded by the Mac Syncman is sent to the Printer Port MIDI In This MIDI sync info is merged with any other MIDI data received at the printer port MIDI In MIDI Outs 3 printer port The three MIDI Outs for the printer port These MIDI Outs would typically be connected to the MIDI Ins of various synthesizer modules MIDI Outs 2 modem port Two of three MIDI Outs for the modem port These MIDI Outs would typically be connected the MIDI Ins of your various sound modules The other MIDI Out for the modem port is on the Mac Syncman Tape In Jack RCA phono jack This jack will usually be connected to the Line Out of the tape deck track on which the sync signal is recorded This track is normally the last track on your deck Tape Out Jack RCA phono jack This jack will usually be connected to the Line In of the tape deck track on which the sync signal is recorded Serial In modem port This will normally be connected to the modem serial port on your Mac The Mac Syncman sends and receives MIDI over either or both serial ports Serial Out modem port This will normally be connected to your modem if you have one When the modem Serial Thru switch on the front panel is Out the Mac Syncman is bypassed and the Mac is 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 mo
4. 30 Frames which means the two left most dip switches should both be 21 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 Set Start Time to HrO MnO 5 5 This sets the sequence start time to 5 seconds Exit the Goodies Menu At the bottom right of the screen in the small box where it says INT Sync click twice until it says MTC Sync This switches the sync to MIDI Time Code You are now ready to sync to SMPTE via MIDI Time Code Cubase With Cubase we recommend that you use Mac 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 dip switches should both be Down Now with Cubase do the following At the bottom right of the main screen 3 boxes appear labeled Click Master and Sync Select the box labeled Sync Under the Options Menu look at Sync Under Sync Select SMPTE Syne MTC Set Song Start to 00 00 05 00 00 Set the SMPTE format Frames Sec to 30 fps Logic With Logic we recommend that you use Mac Syncman in SMPTE MIDI Time Code Mode do this make sure that the OFF MTC and DTL MTC dip switches are both Down On Mac Syncman select
5. 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 port and MIDI In modem port are into the front of the Mac Syncman making it easy to plug in your master key board Selectable MIDI routing Mac Syncman can be set up as a 1 In 6 Out or as dual 2 In 3 Out MIDI interface Serial Thru MIDI switches With these switches the Mac Syncman MIDI interface can be bypassed to go to the printer or modem with out having to re plug serial cables MIDI In and Out indicator LED s for both MIDI interface channels These indicators blink whenever MIDI is sent or received Note These indicators work only if the Mac Syncman s two left Serial Thru MIDI switches are in enabling MIDI Sync Features Reads and writes with high reliability to most reasonable quality tape recorders and media Generates and reads all SMPTE formats including 24 25 30 and Drop Frame SMPTE Formats can be selected from dip switches on the front of Mac Syncman Can generate a SMPTE stripe manually with 0 offset or remotely with specified offset upon receipt of a MIDI Time Code Offset mes sage This message can be sent from your sequencer or from an appropriate DA Converts SMPTE to either MIDI Time Code or Direct Time Lock for older versions of Performer Built in reshaper allows you to duplicate recorded SMPTE sync stripes When readi
6. printer ports With 2 MIDI Ins two different sources of MIDI information can be recorded simultaneously Or alternately MIDI from one source can be recorded through one MIDI In while MIDI synchronization information is being received from the other MIDI In Two MIDI Thru switches are provided which are used to switch the modem or printer ports between MIDI use and normal use This means that you don t have to unplug your computer or modem when you want to use your computer for MIDI applications And the Mac Syncman s 6 MIDI Outs can be used to interface your computer to practically any MIDI system without the need for an additional MIDI thru box or patch bay Mac Syncman s internal sync box can be used to stripe a tape with SMPTE information This recorded stripe can then be read back by Mac Syncman and used to slave your computer sequencer e g Performer Vision Master Tracks Logic or Cubase to tape IMPORTANT Mac can ONLY read and write SMPTE when the MIDI Time Code dip switch is Down Mac Syncman can read and write a SMPTE stripe as long as the Off MTC dip switch is Down When this switch is Down i e in MTC mode Syncman read SMPTE stripe from tape and generate either MIDI Time Code MTC or for early versions of Performer Direct Lock If the Off MTC is Down and the DTL Direct Lock MTC dip switch is Down Mac Syncman generates MIDI Time Code If the Off MTC is Down and the DTL MTC dip
7. recording to tape When this switch is pressed again the Read Write Indicator LED will go off and Mac Syncman will be taken out of Write mode If you are striping SMPTE to tape the Write Switch has another use ful feature When writing SMPTE if the Write Switch is pressed in and held for a prolonged time the Read Write Indicator LED will 7 7 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 MIDI In modem port The MIDI In for the modem port This MIDI In would typically be connected to your master keyboard MIDI Out Note this MIDI In will only be functional if the Routing switch is set to either the left or center position MIDI Out modem port One of three MIDI Outs for the modem port This MIDI Out would typically be connected to your master keyboard MIDI In The other two MIDI Outs for the modem port are on the back of the unit Rear Panel 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 MIDI In printer port The MIDI In for the printer port This MIDI In would typically be connected to your secondary keyboard con troller MIDI Out if you have one Note this MIDI In will only be functional if the Routing switch is set to either the right or center position IMPORTANT
8. should both be Down Now with Vision do the following Go into the Options Menu and Set Receive Sync Mode to MIDI Time Code Set Receive Sync Port to printer port Set SMPTE Format to 30 Non drop or whatever other SMPTE your job may otherwise dictate Go into the Sequence Window and Click on the Offset Value and Set to the desired value we recommend that you set this to around 5 seconds Press Play on the Transport Optional Go into the Options Menu and Select Counter display and Set to Both SMPTE amp Mes Bts Pulses Performer With Performer versions 3 3 and later 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 dip switches should both be Down Now with Performer do the following Open a File or select New Go to the Basics Menu and Select MIDI Interface and Make sure this isn t set to Jam Box Select Receive Sync and Set Sync to Port to printer 20 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 window set the start time to 0 00 05
9. the SMPTE format you wish to use We suggest 30 Frames which means the two left most dip switches should both be Down Since Logic automati cally detects incoming MIDI Time Code and adjusts to incoming frame rate all you have to do is 22 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 the Tascam 238 are two switches marked Tape Sync and Filter Contrary to the instructions given in the Owner s Manual these switches should be set as follows Filter switch to OUT so the mid range filter is NOT active and Sync switch to IN so you can adjust the recording level to around 5 dB 23 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 In the event that MIDIMAN receives written notice of defects in materials or workmanship from such an original purchaser MIDIMAN will either replace the product repair the product or refund the purchase price at its option In the event any repair is required shipment to and from MIDIM
10. the best Input and Output level settings on your tape deck You may need to spend some time playing with dif ferent playback and record levels to find the most reliable settings If the level of the signal is too high or too low you may encounter problems You should play with the record and playback levels until the Tape Read Write Light does not blink indicating tape drop out at all during playback Is a dip switch in the wrong position for your application See the Dip Switch Descriptions section of this manual Mac Syncman records information to tape as data If your recorder uses noise reduction such as DBX or Dolby when writing or read ing Mac Syncman Sync tracks the data may be corrupted and the results may be unacceptable We recommend that you NOT use noise reduction when writing or reading Mac Sync tracks If you are recording any kind of a sync stripe and going through a board to set levels make sure any EQ is off or flat Should you continue to encounter any difficulties after checking all of the above items AND after reading this manual thoroughly we suggest you contact us directly 19 Some Popular Sequencers Vision With Vision we recommend that you use Mac 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 dip switches
11. to Off Up When switched Up allows you to use Mac Syncman to regen erate and reconstruct SMPTE stripes Mac Syncman is capable of regenerating even horribly damaged SMPTE stripes When regener ating a stripe you have to play the old stripe while recording the new stripe onto another track of your tape deck Because of this an additional track of your deck has to be free in order to regenerate When the Mac Syncman is regenerating a stripe NO other syncing activity is possible So if you are not regenerating a stripe MAKE SURE this switch is Up Duplicate Switch This Switch would normally be set to Off Up When switched to Up this switch allows you to use Syncman to duplicate SMPTE stripes onto another track or onto another tape deck Mac Syncman will duplicate SMPTE stripes without any other switch selections When Switched On Down any Mac Syncman tape Sync information coming in the Mac Syncman Tape In will be reshaped and sent at a dubbing level out the Mac Syncman Tape Out Jack 10 LL 0 Printer OSes Modem Serial Ports Macintosh MIDI In Out In Out In Out Out Out Out In Print Modem Printer Serial MIDI MIDI back panel Mac Syncman top view front panel eon Typical Set up Tape In Q 9 2 Tape Out Tape Deck Alla
12. use a format of 30 Next follow these easy instructions for recording a SMPTE stripe Recording a SMPTE Stripe 1 Set Mac Syncman to the desired SMPTE format using the two left most dip switches If your work doesn t require any specific kind of SMPTE format use a format of 30 both switches Down Mac Syncman will sync equally well to any of the four SMPTE formats as long as the format dip switches are set to the same format as that recorded on tape Make sure the Mac Syncman MTC switch is on Down 2 Make sure the Mac Syncman Tape Out is connected to one track of your tape deck s Tape In Most modern multi track decks have one track that is designed to record the sync stripe If you are unsure which track this is check the user s manual for your tape deck 3 Put your tape deck into record 14 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 piece you are going to sync 7 When done recording the stripe again press the Mac Syncman Write switch 8 Take your tape recorder out of record 9 Rewind your tape to just before where you started recording the sync stripe That s it that s all there is to recording a SMPTE stripe You now have a SMPTE stripe to sync to
13. 00 5 seconds Click on OK Press Play on the Transport With Performer versions earlier than 3 3 we recommend that you use Mac in Direct Lock Mode To do this make sure that the OFF MTC dip switch is Down and that the DTL MTC dip switch Up On Mac Syncman select the SMPTE format you wish to use We sug gest 30 Frames which means the two left most dip switches should both be Down Now with Performer do the following v 3 21 Open a File or select New Go to the Basics Menu and Select MIDI Interface and Make sure this isn t set to Jam Box Select Receive Sync and Set to Direct Lock Set which Port you want to receive sync on with some older versions of Performer this cannot selected Select Slave to External Sync checked Now set SMPTE format and Start Time by going to the Counter Window and clicking on the second icon from the left at the top of the window this will access a pull down in which Select Frame Rate and set to desired value and to same menu and select Set Chunk Start and Set the offset time in the bottom half of the window We recommend you set this to 5 seconds Press Play on the Transport Master Tracks With Master Tracks we recommend that you use Mac in SMPTE MIDI Time Code Mode To do this make sure that the OFF and DTL MTC dip switches are both Down On Mac Syncman select the SMPTE format you wish to use We suggest
14. AN and a nominal handling charge shall be born by the purchaser In the event that repair is required a Return Authorization number must be obtained from MIDIMAN After this number is obtained the unit should be shipped back to MIDIMAN in a protective package with a description of the problem and the Return Authorization clearly written on the package In the event that MIDIMAN determines that the product requires repair because of user misuse or regular wear it will assess a fair repair or replacement fee The customer will have the option to pay this fee and have the unit repaired and returned or not pay this fee and have the unit returned unrepaired The remedy for breach of this limited warranty shall not include any other dam ages MIDIMAN will not be liable for consequential special indirect or similar damages or claims including loss of profit or any other commercial damage even if its agents have been advised of the possibility of such damages and in no event will MIDIMAN s liability for any damages to the purchaser or any other person exceed the price paid for the product regardless of any form of the claim MIDIMAN specifically disclaims all other warranties expressed or implied Specifically MIDIMAN makes no warranty that the product is fit for any partic ular purpose This warranty shall be construed interpreted and governed by the laws of the state of California If any provision of this warranty is found void invalid
15. Contents OVERVIEW 2 Features 4 Panel Description Fig 1 6 Panel Description 7 Dip switch Descriptions 9 Typical System Set up Fig 2 11 Typical System Set up 12 Operati 14 Recording aSMPTE Stripe 14 Syncing toa SMPTE Stripe 16 Other Tips on Syncing 16 Misc Info Remotely Writing SMPTE 17 Sync Stripe Duplication and Regeneration 17 Duplicating a Stripe 18 Regenerating a Stripe 18 Trouble 19 Some Popular Sequencers 20 VISION NRHA RELA GOS REISE 20 Performer thee 20 Master Tracks scapes 21 C base OE 22 LOGIC 22 Special Note on Tascam 238 23 Lifetime Limited Warranty 24 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
16. PORTANT 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 sure the Tape Out from your tape deck is connected to the Tape In on Mac Syncman 2 Put your sequencer in MIDI Time Code MTC sync mode with the MIDI Time Code coming from the printer port 3 Make sure your sequencer MTC SMPTE format is set to the same value as that set on the front of the Mac Syncman we recommend 30 frames i e two left most dip switches both up 4 In your sequencer set your SMPTE song start to 5 seconds i e so the start reads 00 00 05 00 hours minutes seconds frames 5 Start your tape deck playing back 6 You should see your VU meter come up at the place you started recording your sync stripe When you see this you should also see the Tape Read LED on Mac Syncman come on indicating that it is receiving a sync signal 7 As SMPTE is being read from tape you should see your sequencer screen display indicate MIDI Time Code being received At the song start time you set your sequence should start playing 8 Now fast forward your tape deck and hit play again Your sequencer should correctly chase along with your tape deck You have now synced your sequencer to tape Other Tips on Syncing IMPORTANT If the Tape Read Write Indicator goes out or flickers AT ALL during playback you have some kind of tape reading problem whic
17. ac Syncman cannot read or write SMPTE when this switch is Up We recommend that you leave the Off MTC switch DOWN Direct Lock MIDI Time Code Switch DTL MTC This Switch 9 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 Performer When the DTL MTC switch is Up and the Off MTC Switch is Down Mac Syncman will generate Direct Lock Time Code instead of standard MIDI Time Code Direct Lock Time Code is used by older versions of Performer instead of MIDI Time Code We recom mend that you do not use Direct Lock unless you have a version of Performer earlier than 3 3 Delay Switch This Switch would normally be set to Off Up If your sequencer sounds as if its laboring or having great difficulty starting to sync to tape but from then on seems to sync fine there may not be enough delay between the time when Mac Syncman first sends sync information and when it sends the first MIDI Timing bytes If this is the case you can flip the Delay Switch Up and dou ble the delay time If you do set this dip switch Up you will always experience a longer pause when syncing We recommend you leave this switch Down unless you are experiencing some difficulty Regenerate Switch This Switch would normally be set
18. ce and do not need to use your printer or modem at this instant go ahead and press in the two Serial Thru Switches on the front of the Mac Syncman Remember when these switches are in the MIDI interface is selected rather than the serial thru We also recommend that you set the Routing switch to the 2 x 3 center position since this configuration is the most common and offers the most versatility Also if you are using Master Tracks Vision newer versions of Performer Logic Cubase or any other MIDI Time Code capable sequencer we suggest you set the front dip switches as follows 12 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 must be to sync at all Duplicate turn off to avoid any possibility of feed back Ordinarily when syncing to tape you need to first record a SMPTE sync stripe Occasionally you may be given a tape with a SMPTE stripe already recorded onto one of its tracks However this is the exception not the rule After a SMPTE stripe has been recorded to tape you can slave your Mac sequencer to tape If you are going to use Mac Syncman in a more extensive MIDI set up with multiple MIDI Sound Modules you should make sure that all of the various sound module MIDI Ins are connected to either the modem or printer port MIDI Outs If yo
19. dem 16 Serial In printer port This will normally be connected to the printer serial port on your Mac The Mac Syncman sends and receives MIDI over either or both serial ports 17 Serial Out printer port This will normally be connected to your printer When the printer Serial Thru switch on the front panel is Out the Mac Syncman is bypassed and the Mac is connected direct ly to your printer 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 printer 18 Power Supply Jack 9 to 12 volt dc wall mount supply Dip Switch Descriptions Frames SMPTE Format When Mac Syncman is in SMPTE Mode when the Off MTC switch is Down these dip switches allow you to select the SMPTE format that Syneman will write to and read from tape All standard SMPTE formats are supported includ ing 24 25 and 30 frames per second and Drop Frame If the Mac Syncman Off MTC switch is up these Frame switches are ignored The Frame Switch positions and corresponding SMPTE formats are as follows Frames Frames Frames Frames fh 24 Frames 25Frames DropFrame 30 Frames The most commonly used SMPTE format is 30 Frames To set the Mac Syncman to 30 Frames both of the Frame switches should be down Off MIDI Time Code Switch Off MTC This Switch would nor mally be set to MTC Down Mac Syncman is in SMPTE Mode whenever the Off MTC switch is Down M
20. e hours byte contains the SMPTE format of the SMPTE which will be written Therefore these bits must be set correctly to the desired SMPTE format MIDI System Stop Message F0 7E 00 04 04 00 F7 Sync Stripe Duplication and Regeneration On occasion you may have to duplicate a sync stripe This may is some times required if you have to move a SMPTE stripe from one tape to another or from one tape deck to another The Mac Syncman Duplicate feature only reshapes it does not repair If you need to repair a dam aged SMPTE stripe you will need to regenerate the stripe not duplicate it 17 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 time So if you need to sync to a badly damaged SMPTE stripe you need to regenerate it and then sync to the newly regenerated stripe Duplicating a Stripe To duplicate a SMPTE stripe onto another track of your tape deck you need to route the Tape Out of the recorded sync track on your deck to the Mac Tape In Next route the Mac Syncman Tape Out to the Tape In of the track on your deck you would like to duplicate the Sync stripe onto Make sure the Mac Syncman Duplicate Switch is On Down You are now ready to duplicate you
21. h should be fixed If you encounter such a problem consult the Trouble Shooting section of this Manual to find the cause When play ing back Mac Syncman sync stripes this indicator should be steadily lit or you may not achieve reliable performance When syncing to either a SMPTE you can shuttle your tape deck for ward and backward to any place you desire IMPORTANT When first learning to use your Mac Syncman don t hesi tate adjusting the various Level settings on your tape recorder to find the best Level for your particular system Don t be afraid to experiment However keep in mind that contrary to conventional wisdom hotter is not better 16 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 SMPTE until a MIDI System Stop message is received or until the SYNCMAN Write button is pressed Mac Syncman comes with a utility that allows you to control these and other functions right from the computer The MIDI messages that Mac Syncman responds to have the following format MIDI Time Code Offset Message in Hex F0 7E 00 04 00 00 0ffhhhhh Mn Sc Fm 00 00 00 F7 where hhhhh hours 0 to 23 and ff SMPTE format ff 11 is 30 Non Drop frame IMPORTANT Bits 5 and 6 of th
22. ncer and out when using your printer or modem Routing Switch The Mac Syncman can be configured as either a dual 1 In 3 Out or as a single 1 In 6 Out MIDI interface To config ure the unit as 1 In 6 Out interface using the Mac printer port set this switch to the right position To configure the unit as a 1 In 6 Out interface using the Mac modem port set this switch to the left position To configure the unit as a dual 1 In 3 Out interface using both the modem and printer port set this switch to the center posi tion The most common configuration is the dual 1 In 3 Out setting the center position MIDI In Out Indicator LED s The Indicator LED s will light when ever the Serial Thru switches are in and MIDI data is sent or received at the corresponding MIDI port For example if your mas ter keyboard MIDI Out is connected to the Mac Syncman front panel MIDI In which is the modem input and you play your keyboard the Modem In LED will flicker Dip switch Group Provides control of various Mac Syncman func tions described in detail below Tape Sync Read Write Indicator Light This LED will light when either Mac Syncman is in Write mode and a sync stripe is being writ ten to tape or when Mac Syncman is in Read mode and a pre recorded sync stripe is being read from tape Write to Tape Switch When first pressed the Tape Indicator Light will light and Mac will output the selected type of sync tone for
23. ng a sync stripe from tape a special Tape indicator LED shows when sync is obtained or lost Built in automatic Jam Sync allows Mac Syncman to re cover from most normally encountered tape drop outs Built in SMPTE regenerator The Mac Syncman has a dedicated high quality regenerator which can be used to repair even badly damaged 4 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 Panel Description Fig 1 Jz MacSyncmdn ROUTING Thru MIDI MIDI DTL MTC Delay Off MTC Regenerate 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 modem and printer port When either of these switches is In the port becomes a MIDI port When either switch is Out the port is routed directly to the modem or printer Note The MIDI indicator lights will only func tion when these switches are In These switches will normally be in when using your seque
24. or unenforceable it will not affect the validity of the balance of the warranty which shall remain valid and enforceable according to its terms In the event any reme dy hereunder is determined to have failed of its essential purpose all limitations of liability and exclusion of damages set forth herein shall remain in full force 45 E St J oseph Street Arcadia CA 91006 2861 Tel 626 445 2842 Tech 626 445 8495 FAX 626 445 7564 www midiman net 24
25. r recorded Sync stripe Put the track you are duplicating the sync tone to into record and put the track you are reading the sync tone from into play Now start your tape deck and play through the entire sync tone you are duplicating After you are done duplicating the sync stripe remember to turn the Duplicate feature off Up IMPORTANT When duplicating a sync stripe make sure your output level is high enough to fire Mac Syncman s reshaping circuitry If the Mac Syncman Tape Read LED flickers during duplication then the duplicated stripe has some error If you duplicate the damaged stripe the error will also be duplicated Regenerating a Stripe To regenerate a SMPTE stripe follow the instructions given above in Duplicating a Stripe However instead of setting turning the Duplicate switch On Down make sure to turn the Regenerator On by setting its switch Down No matter how badly the SMPTE stripe is dam aged regeneration will restore it to a usable condition IMPORTANT Since the Mac Syncman cannot do any syncing when the Regenerator is On Down you must set the Regeneration Switch back Up after you are done regenerating 18 Trouble Shooting If you have any problems using Mac Syncman you should first check the following 1 2 3 Are all of your cables working and plugged in properly Are you using a high quality tape deck and tape Have you tried using high quality Metal Tape Have you discovered
26. switch is Up Mac Syncman generates Direct Time Lock When using Mac Syncman check your sequencer manual to make sure it supports either MIDI Time Code MTC or Direct Time Lock If it does not you may consider updating your sequencer if you wish to sync it to tape Mac Syncman allows you to record sync information to any reasonable quality tape recorder Whenever syncing to tape Mac Syncman Jam syncs The Jam Sync feature allows Mac Syncman to reliably sync to tape even when the recorded tape sync stripe has been damaged or has drop outs Additionally Mac 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 practically every common MIDI and tape synchronization need It is well worth your while to read this manual thoroughly and familiarize yourself with all the Mac Syncman capabilities and features If you have any questions comments or suggestions we invite you to contact us directly at MIDIMAN 45 St Joseph Street Arcadia CA 91006 2861 Sales 626 445 2842 Tech Assistance 626 445 8495 FAX 626 445 7564 Web www midiman net E Mail info midiman net Features Interface Features 1 Megahertz RS 422 Mac serial interface A dual 1 In 3 Out MIDI interface 2 MIDI Ins and 6
27. u use the printer port MIDI Outs with the above set up you will have to make sure that your sequencer pro gram sends the appropriate MIDI information out the printer port If you don t do this you won t hear the modules which are connected to the printer port 13 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 for your application If you are going to use Mac Syncman in SMPTE MIDI Time Code Mode be sure the Off MTC switch is Down With the Macintosh there are very few sequencer programs that do not support MIDI Time Code If you are using one of these non MTC capa ble programs you will need to upgrade your program to be able to sync to tape To use Mac Syncman to sync to SMPTE via MIDI Time Code MTC you need to first have a SMPTE stripe on one track of your tape You may have been given a tape with a previously recorded stripe or you may have to record a SMPTE stripe yourself In any case you must be sure Mac Syncman is set to the same SMPTE format as that recorded on tape Usually a SMPTE format of 30 However you may be told what SMPTE format to use In any case make sure the Mac Syncman far left two dip switches are set to the desired format If you are just start ing out
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