Preparation and troubleshooting
Lighting timecode: source, cues and recovery
Preparing a repeatable sequence with audio or playback starts with deciding which system provides time and who retains control.
Proposed test, scope and alternatives
For content with known duration and positions, assess timecode for rehearsed cues. For a changing program, manual operation or discrete triggers may fit better. Tempo pulses, a Go command and timecode serve different purposes; sharing a network does not establish synchronization.
Define the path: source → format/transport → receiver → slot/clock → timecode show → sequence and output. As a documented example, grandMA3 2.5 receives LTC, MIDI timecode or ArtTimeCode. Connector direction and assignment require configuration; plugging in a cable does not select the correct show.
In grandMA3, After Roll can continue the clock internally after signal loss. Auto Stop and playback behavior are additional settings. Specify required results for loss, pause, jumps and return. A counting clock does not establish a live external source. This is not camera genlock or exposure synchronization.
- Record source, release, agreed format/frame rate, transport, receiver and approved cue list. Preserve originals and assign start, stop and change authority.
- Propose a short safe-level visible cue test followed by several program positions. Compare incoming clock, selected slot, offset and events; a moving counter does not prove cue execution.
- Rehearse code loss/return, pause, jumps and manual recovery with controlled outputs. For grandMA3 2.5, document slot settings separately: the manual states they do not transfer to another station inside the showfile.
Start with your date, venue and approximate needs. We can assess equipment, configuration and operation within an agreed scope.
Will timecode make lights follow any music?
It needs a compatible source and cues prepared for that content. For changing music selections, assess live operation or triggers with an agreed scope.
Why does the show continue after disconnecting the source?
After Roll or playback state may be involved. Review configuration and the planned test; losing code does not necessarily mean blackout.
What should a proposal include?
Compatible source/conversion, distribution, cue preparation, operator and recovery rehearsal. Start with date, venue, duration, known playback and expected changes, even without a final cue list.