BASS.NET API for the Un4seen BASS Audio Library

MIDIMTCType Enumeration

BASS.NET API for the Un4seen BASS Audio Library
Defines constants representing the Midi Time Code (MTC) type used by the MidiTimeCode status given in a StatusType member (also see TimeCodeType and TimeCodeValue).

Namespace:  radio42.Multimedia.Midi
Assembly:  Bass.Net (in Bass.Net.dll) Version: 2.4.17.5
Syntax

public enum MIDIMTCType
Members

  Member nameValueDescription
FramesLSB0 Current Frames Low Nibble.
FramesMSB1 Current Frames High Nibble.
SecondsLSB2 Current Seconds Low Nibble.
SecondsMSB3 Current Seconds High Nibble.
MinutesLSB4 Current Minutes Low Nibble.
MinutesMSB5 Current Minutes High Nibble.
HoursLSB6 Current Hours Low Nibble.
HoursMSB7 Current Hours High Nibble and SMPTE Type.

In the data byte for the Hours High Nibble and SMPTE Type, the bits are interpreted as follows:

"0nnn x yy d" (8-bits).

Where 'nnn' is 7. 'x' is unused and set to 0. 'd' is bit 4 of the Hours Time. 'yy' tells the SMPTE Type as follows:

0 = 24 fps, 1 = 25 fps, 2 = 30 fps (Drop-Frame), 3 = 30 fps

Remarks

MIDI Time Code (MTC) is a sub-protocol within MIDI, and is used to keep 2 devices that control some sort of timed performance (ie, maybe a sequencer and a video deck) in sync. MTC messages are an alternative to using MIDI Clocks and Song Position Pointer messages. MTC is essentially SMPTE mutated for transmission over MIDI. SMPTE timing is referenced from an absolute "time of day". On the other hand, MIDI Clocks and Song Position Pointer are based upon musical beats from the start of a song, played at a specific Tempo. For many (non-musical) cues, it's easier for humans to reference time in some absolute way rather than based upon musical beats at a certain tempo.

The Midi Time Code is used by the MidiShortMessage if the StatusType is MidiTimeCode. It is also often called the Quarter Frame message.

It has a status of 0xF1, and one subsequent data byte. This message is sent periodically to keep track of the running SMPTE time. It's analogous to the MIDI Clock message. The Quarter Frame messages are sent at a rate of 4 per each SMPTE Frame. In other words, by the time that a slave has received 4 Quarter Frame messages, a SMPTE Frame has passed. So, the Quarter Frame messages provide a "sub-frame" clock reference. (With 30 fps SMPTE, this "clock tick" happens every 8.3 milliseconds).

But the Quarter Frame is more than just a quarter frame "clock tick". The Quarter Frame message's data byte contains the SMPTE time (ie, hours, minutes, seconds, and frames). SMPTE time is normally expressed in 80 bits. Obviously, this is too many bits to be contained in 1 8-bit data byte. So, each Quarter Frame message contains just one piece of the time (for example, one Quarter Frame may contain only the hours). In order to get the entire SMPTE time at any given point, a slave needs to receive several Quarter Frame messages, and piece the current SMPTE time together from those messages. It takes 8 Quarter Frame messages to convey the current SMPTE time. In other words, by the time that a slave can piece together the current SMPTE time, two SMPTE frames have passed (ie, since there are 4 Quarter Frame messages in each frame). So, MTC's version of SMPTE time actually counts in increments of 2 SMPTE Frames per each update of the current SMPTE time.

The first (of 8) Quarter Frame message contains the low nibble (ie, bits 0 to 3) of the Frame Time. The second Quarter Frame message contains the high nibble (ie, bits 4 to 7) of the Frame Time. The third and fourth messages contain the low and high nibbles of the Seconds Time. The fifth and sixth messages contain the low and high nibbles of the Minutes Time. The seventh and eighth messages contain the low and high nibbles of the Hours Time. The eighth message also contains the SMPTE frames-per-second Type (ie, 24, 25, 30 drop, or 30 fps). If you were to break up the Quarter Frame's data byte into its 7 bits, the format is:

"0nnn dddd" (8-bits).

Where 'nnn' is one of 7 possible values which tell you what 'dddd' represents. This enummeration represents the 7 values, and what each causes 'dddd' to represent.

When MTC is running in the forward direction (ie, time is advancing), the Quarter Frame messages are sent in the order of Frames Low Nibble to Hours High Nibble. In other words, the order looks something like this:

0xF1 0x0n : where n is the current Frames Low Nibble.

0xF1 0x1n : where n is the current Frames High Nibble.

0xF1 0x2n : where n is the current Seconds Low Nibble.

0xF1 0x3n : where n is the current Seconds High Nibble.

0xF1 0x4n : where n is the current Minutes Low Nibble.

0xF1 0x5n : where n is the current Minutes High Nibble.

0xF1 0x6n : where n is the current Hours Low Nibble.

0xF1 0x7n : where n is the current Hours High Nibble and SMPTE Type.

When MTC is running in reverse (ie, time is going backwards), these are sent in the opposite order, ie, the Hours High Nibble is sent first and the Frames Low Nibble is last.

The arrival of the 0xF1 0x0n and 0xF1 0x4n messages always denote where SMPTE Frames actually occur in realtime.

Since 8 Quarter Frame messages are required to piece together the current SMPTE time, timing lock can't be achieved until the slave has received all 8 messages. This will take from 2 to 4 SMPTE Frames, depending upon when the slave comes online.

The Frame number (contained in the first 2 Quarter Frame messages) is the SMPTE Frames Time for when the first Quarter Frame message is sent. But, because it takes 7 more Quarter Frames to piece together the current SMPTE Time, when the slave does finally piece the time together, it is actually 2 SMPTE Frames behind the real current time. So, for display purposes, the slave should always add 2 frames to the current time.

See Also

Reference