Using the Free-Time Clock

Streamers's integrated free-time clock is synced to MIDI timecode (MTC) from your sequencer. In order to set up your sequencer to use the free-time clock, you need to do two things:

• Send MTC to Streamers
• Place a MIDI note (A#2 by default) on the downbeat of each cue to send to Streamers

With these in place, Streamers will listen to incoming MTC, and when it receives the relevant note message, will remember the current timecode as the cue start. From this point on, the free-time clock will follow incoming MTC. Pickups require no additional user input; if MTC starts up mid-cue, the free-time clock will snap to position and follow.

There is one additional setup step within Streamers (Treat MTC As, below); but if you place a Cue Start MIDI note on the downbeat of each sequence, you should not need to interrupt your workflow by interacting with Streamers between cues; Streamers will reset its downbeat time whenever it receives the note.

Treat MTC As

MIDI time code does not, in its data, differentiate between video speed and film speed; i.e., 24 fps consists of the same data as 23.976 fps, and 29.97 drop looks identical to 30 drop. The only difference is the rate at which the MTC data is received; as such, Streamers needs to know what rate to expect for incoming timecode. In most cases, you can simply choose video speed or film speed, depending on what framerate you are working at:

In more advanced setups, this feature can be used to pull the free-time clock up or down if necessary. For example, if you are scoring at 29.97 non-drop but your score timings are based on 30 non-drop, you can set Streamers to expect film speed and send it 29.97 non-drop (video speed) timecode. Streamers will simply move the second hand 0.1% slower, and the free-time clock will not drift from the timings marked on the score.

Streamers & Punches

Streamers's free-time clock has an integrated streamer and punch display. Streamers wipe along the second hand (radially outward), and punches appear as white flashes on the clockface. The main streamers and punches can be disabled in Rendering Preferences, which will leave only this integrated display for events.

Positioning the Clockface

To show or hide the free-time clock in the currently selected window, hit "C", or select "Free-Time Clock" from the Display menu. To move the free-time clock within the Streamers window, simply drag it while the preview frame is visible. To resize the clock, click and drag the resize handle that appears near the clockface when the mouse hovers over it.

Notes:

• If you have multiple windows, they will retain separate free-time clock display preferences.
• The free-time clock's MTC input has a freewheel time of 1/3 second (8-10 frames depending on framerate). This is not adjustable.
• When moving from one cue to another, the free-time clock may move unexpectedly during the preroll of the first take. This is because Streamers has not yet set the new start time, and will stop once a Cue Start MIDI note has been received. You can also zero the clock by hitting "R" or selecting "Reset Free-Time Clock" from the Display menu.
• Opacity only affects the clockface; the second hand will always display at full opacity.
• The free-time clock is constrained to the bounds of the Streamers window, and will clip if dragged off the edge.