Sync ADD to a DAW

ADD Setup:

The MIDI Timecode (MTC) Sync function allows ADD to send and receive MTC from another DAW so the playback from your DAW controls the playback inside ADD and vice versa. The settings can be changed in the Hardware and MIDI tab of the Preferences Window (⌘,).

In the “MIDI Timecode” section you will find MTC Input/Output drop down menus. Set these to “ADD MTC In/Out”.

 

Now open ADD’s Project Settings window on the ADD Transport Bar.

Make sure the Project Start Timecode, Frame Rate, and Sample Rate are the same as in your DAW. If these settings are different between apps, MTC will lose sync or might not connect at all.

 

Finally, click the “MTC Sync Receive” (clock) icon on the ADD Transport Bar to enable MTC Sync or to disable it.

Now ADD is ready to be synced with your preferred DAW!

 

Pro Tools:

Make Pro Tools the Leader:

To setup MTC in Pro Tools, first go to the ProTools Menu bar and select “Setup > Peripherals”.

 

Click the “MTC Reader” drop down menu and select “ADD MTC Out”. Now open the “MTC Generator” drop down menu and select “ADD MTC In”.

Click the MTC button to engage.

Now Pro Tools and ADD are connected! Pro Tools is the leader and ADD will Follow.

 

Make ADD the Leader:

To allow Pro Tools to follow ADD, go the Menu bar and select “Setup > Midi > Midi Input Devices”.

 

Now click the check box next to “ADD MTC Out” and click “OK”.

 

Uncheck the “MTC” button and click the “Online” (clock icon) button

Now ADD is the Leader and Pro Tools will follow!

 

**On some systems it has been reported that Pro Tools has a slight delay when starting to follow ADD playback but will quickly catch up**

 

Logic:

Make Logic the Leader:

In Logic, go to “File>Project Settings>Synchronization”

 

Then click the “MIDI” tab.

 

Click the first “Destination” drop down menu and select “ADD MTC In”. Then click the checkboxes under “Clock” and “MTC”.

Now press play in Logic and Audio Design Desk will follow along!

 

Make ADD the Leader:

To make Logic follow ADD, click “Sync” (clock) icon in the Control Bar. (If you don’t see the clock you need to add it by right clicking the Control Bar and selecting Customize)

 

Now go back to ADD and check that “MTC External Sync” (clock icon at the top of the Video Window) is off. The icon will be grey.

Press play in ADD and Logic will now follow along!

 

Ableton Live:

Make Ableton Live the Leader:

First download the plugin “Max Runtime“. Then open the app and drag the MTC.amxd file onto any Live track

 

Inside ADD, change MTC Receive to the Live MTC Bridge.

Now Ableton Live is the leader and ADD will follow. You can configure additional settings from the LiveMTC app interface.

 

Make ADD the Leader:

Go the Menu Bar and select “Preference > Link > Midi Ports”. Change the “In” drop down menu to”ADD MTC Out” and click the checkbox under “Sync”.

Ableton Live is now synced with ADD and will follow along!

 

Cubase:

Make Cubase the Leader: 

To see your starting point and Frame Rate in Cubase, navigate to “Project > Project Setup”.

Then navigate to “Transport > Project Synchronization Setup”

 

Under Sources, check “Activate External Sync” and “Internal Timecode”. Under the Destinations tab, check “ADD Audio Bridge In” (DAW Bridge shown as example) for the “MIDI Timecode Destination” and check  “MIDI Timecode Follows Project Time”

The transport in Cubase will now control ADD!

 

Make ADD the Leader:

In Cubase, navigate to “Transport > Project Synchronization Setup”.

Under Sources, check “Activate External Sync” and “MIDI Timecode”. For MIDI input, select “ADD MTC Out”.

Now go back to ADD and check that “MTC External Sync” (clock icon at the top of the Video Window) is off. The icon will be grey.

The transport in ADD will now control Cubase!

 

Reaper:

Go to Reaper, create a track, and insert an “SMPTE LTC/MTC Timecode Generator”. This can be accessed from the Menu bar by clicking “Insert > SMPTE LTC/MTC Timecode Generator”

 

In “Track Routing”, add “ADD MTC In” to MIDI Hardware Output using the drop down menu.

 

Now open up the Properties of the inserted “SMPTE LTC/MTC Timecode Generator”. Set your desired frame rate and start time and click “Send MIDI (MTC)”.

 

Right-Click the Play Button to bring up the “External Timecode Synchronization” settings. Now click “Enable Synchronization to Timecode” and “Use All Inputs”

Reaper is now synced with ADD!

 

Studio One:

Go to the Studio One Menu bar and select “Preference > External Device” to add a new device. In the “Receive From/Send” drop down menus, select “ADD MTC In/Out” and click Send MIDI Timecode. 

 

Now go to “Advanced > Synchronization” and click Sync to External Device. Then select “ADD MTC Out” in the drop down menus. 

Studio One is now synced with ADD!

 

Connect NLE to DAW:

You can easily connect your favorite NLE (Final Cut Pro) to your favorite DAW (Logic, Pro Tools, etc.).

First connect ADD to your NLE via the ADD Audio Bridge. To learn how, see ADD Audio Bridge.

Now find your preferred DAW above and sync it to ADD via MTC.

**Make ADD the leader to prevent any lag or de-sync.**

 

Out of Sync:

If you’re experiencing any connection issues or losing sync between ADD and your DAW, make sure that you’ve double checked your Project Settings as listed at the top of the page. Frame Rate and Sample Rate need to be the same to stay in sync.

If you’ve checked these and still experience some issues, it might be that you’ve enable “MTC In” (the clock icons in ADD, Logic, Pro Tools) in both ADD and your DAW. This can create an MTC generator loop that will slowly lose sync. Revisit the steps above to make sure you have a clear Leader and Follower.

If you’ve checked everything and still have issues, please email our support team and let us know!