I can say I am a moderate, almost experienced Nuendo user, but time and time again I’m losing myself in setting bar 1 at timecode 01:00:00:00 after I’ve changed the tempo of a project. Although Nuendo has this -very easy- function: “Set Timecode At Cursor”, Steinberg didn’t implement this for bar numbering…
How do you -fellow Nuendo-users- do this?
More info: I’ve got this template with tempo 120BPM, a length of 23hrs, 59mins and 59secs. At timecode 01:00:00:00 I’ve set the markers which indicate the start of my project. When I import the reference-videotrack for a project, I let it start at 01:00:00:00. I’ve set my project-settings to a bar-offset of 1800 bars, which results in “bar 1 positioned exactly at timecode 01:00:00:00”.
Though: when I change the tempo of my project, my “bar 1” moves, obviously…
But after this tempo change I’d like to find an easy way to properly set “bar 1” back at timecode 01:00:00:00 again…
Note: I want to keep my projects’ time-base based on “timecode”.
I may not have a solution, but a workaround. If you work with tempo change / tempo track you could fix with one drawed point the 120bpm / 1.00.00.00 tc. The moment after you change the tempo by drawing the desired one.
Set the primary time format to timecode
Set the secondary time format to Bars and Beats
The “`” key is a shortcut to switch between theprimary and secondary time format
Select “Bars & Beats” in primary time format :: Select “Snap to Grid” & “Bar”
Snap the cursor to Bar 1
Call the “Set Timecode at Cursor” item
Type in “01:00:00:00”; press ok.
Press the “`” key to switch the primary time format back to timecode.
How long is your video? I work with video’s generally up to an hour long. If the Video timecode starts at “01:00:00:00”,
I will prepare a project which has a minute before that time [ie starting at “00:59:00:00”] and a duration of a few minutes after
the end of the video [say “01:05:00:00”], rather than working with a 24hr long project.
BTW, all of the above actions have key shortcuts, so it just takes a few seconds to complete the sequence.
[eg one editor will send a video starting at “01:00:00:00”, another will use “10:00:00:00”]
Here’s a little tip to help maintain a link between a bar/beat position and a time position:
You want to start a cue at - let’s say - Bar #31 which is at “01:01:00:00” [using your default 120bpm, for example]
But you need a new tempo, [eg 150 bpm] for this cue.
Snap the cursor to Bar 31, with BARS/BEATS as PRIMARY time format, and TIMECODE as secondary format.
On the tempo track [snap on] insert two tempo events at bar 29 and bar 30 [I’m assuming there is no content between bar 29 and bar 31]
Select the tempo event at Bar 30, and change it to 150 bpm
The time formats will now show “31.1.1.0” for Bars/Beats and “01:00:59:15” for Timecode. The tempo change has resulted in a
timecode change at Bar 31.
We now want to bring the timecode at Bar 31 back to “01:00:00:00”
Select the tempo event at bar 29. The info line should now show “Start :: 29:1:1:0 | Value :: 120 | Type : Ramp or Jump”
We will need a tempo slower than 120bpm here, as we inserted a tempo greater than 120 at Bar 30.
If you have a wheel on your mouse, just start reducing the value of the event at bar 29.
As you do this, watch the TIMECODE format value for Bar 31 [our cursor is snapped to bar 31]
It should start increasing frame by frame. WHen it reads “01:00:00:00”, the job is done.
This now means that the tempo from bar 30 onwards is 150bpm - so you have a bar at the new tempo available for any pickup.
By manipulating the tempo prior to a specific point [doesn’t have to be a downbeat] - by a combination of duration and value -
you can line up a Bar/Beat value with a Timecode value.
Takes a bit of getting used to, but when you are comfortable, it’s quite easy to align specific tempi, beats and timecode.
Though:
If I were a lead programmer at Steinberg, I’d copy and paste ProTools’ function: “Renumber Bars”, where the dialog -very simple- let’s you change bar number “X” into bar number “Y”…