Project start inconsistency?

I just noticed this inconsistency when trying to import a track archive. The project I used to create the archive had a project start of “1.0.0.0”. Same with the project I’m importing into.

However, the “Import track archive” dialog says that both projects start at 1:00:03.600.

As you can imagine, a difference of 3.6 seconds makes me nervous. Can anyone explain what I’m seeing here?

Thanks,

Jason

Jason, can’t say I have seen this one. But in versions a few moons ago there were issues with 23.98 and 29.97 - especially with getting OMF’s right. Does the same thing happen with a track archive at 25fps? Just to rule it out…

Are you running 5.1.1? I just updated today so I can try to repro at the studio tomorrow - I need to reimport some tracks from an old series to shoehorn into a current one so I will check it carefully!

There is no problem:

The “Project Setup” Start measurement unit is timecode (at 23.976 fps)
and the “Import Options” Project Start is in seconds.

So its correct.

I don’t get it. Where does the 3.6 seconds come from? I don’t even know how to tell Nuendo what the “seconds” start for my project should be. Where is this controlled? My project start is 1.0.0.0 with no bar offset, no display offset, etc.

Jason

It is just a mathematical fact that timecode 01:00:00:00 for (23.976) is equal to 1:00:03.600 in seconds:

one timecode hour = 60 timecode minutes = 3600 timecode seconds = 86400 frames (in this case every timecode second has 24 frames)

Because these frames are not played with 24 fps, but 23.976 (exactly 24/1.001) this results in a slowdown:
86400 frames / 23.976 fps = 3603.6 seconds = 1 hour and 3.6 seconds.

Don’t ask who invented these strange ideas and why it is used :mrgreen: . Here in europe we calculate with full frames (at least TV) :wink:

I don’t even know how to tell Nuendo what the “seconds” start for my project should be. Where is this controlled?

Good question, afaik the “Project setup” offers only timecode.

Of course! Makes perfect sense. Very confusing coming from Pro Tools where the real-time ruler is independent of the timecode start of the project. Makes it difficult to use the “seconds” view of the transport to see how far into a program you are in real time.

Is there any way to decouple these rulers in Nuendo?

Jason

In fact, it doesn’t even make sense. If your timecode start is anything other than 0:00:00:00, switching to “samples” view says you’re some number of samples > 0 into the program. How is that useful?

Jason

So Jason, you are basically saying that Project Start Time should affect only TC and leave all other absolute values beginning at 0…makes pretty good sense to me

At least. I think Digital Performer does it best. You can specify the TC, bar|beat and realtime values for the start of the project independently. I just don’t see why the TC offset should move the others.

Jason