Sync Setup - Ableton Live! on the same computer
About DAW Sync
To play video in sync with Ableton Live, Video Sync needs a way to follow the Ableton Live transport - knowing when it plays, stops, and where the playhead is located at any moment. This connection between Video Sync and Ableton Live is called DAW sync.
About This Configuration
This chapter covers setting up DAW sync with Ableton Live! running on the same computer as Video Sync. The setup uses virtual MIDI ports and requires the LiveMTC bridge application to establish MTC (MIDI Timecode) and MMC (MIDI Machine Control) connections between the two applications.
Note: The following explanation and screenshots are related to Ableton Live! version 10, but the steps will be similar for other versions.
Understanding MTC and MMC
This chapter covers setting up two MIDI-based protocols that work together to provide synchronised playback:
MTC (MIDI Timecode) transmits a continuous stream of timecode on a dedicated MIDI port during playback, allowing Video Sync to track the current position and play at the correct speed.
MMC (MIDI Machine Control) sends transport commands and locate messages on a separate dedicated MIDI port. When navigating to a specific timecode position in Ableton Live (such as clicking in the arrangement view or using locators), MMC sends locate commands to update Video Sync's position without requiring playback.
Setup
Video Sync features virtual MIDI ports, which mostly removes the need to create network MIDI sessions in Audio MIDI Setup in order to connect to Ableton Live on the same computer. When Video Sync is launched, it will create virtual MIDI ports named Video Sync MTC In, Video Sync MMC In & Video Sync Trigger In - which will automatically be pre-selected in Video Sync, & visible in Ableton Live.
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For this reason, it is advised to always launch Video Sync before launching Ableton Live. Failure to do so, may cause some of these settings to be reset to default - such that they need to be re-configured in Ableton Live! again.
Note: If Ableton Live does not reconnect to the virtual ports automatically when Video Sync is opened after Ableton Live, it may be better to consider setting up ports via Audio MIDI Setup on the same computer.
Video Sync MTC / MMC Setup
To show the MIDI I/O options in Video Sync, first navigate to the SYNC tab of the Preferences / Settings window.
Set the Sync Source field to Other.
Next, make sure that all the ports are set to their default values Video Sync MTC In (virtual) & Video Sync MMC In (virtual) as per the image below:
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Ableton Live! MTC (MIDI Timecode) Setup
Although Ableton acknowledge the importance of supporting MIDI Timecode and MIDI Machine Control in future, Live! currently does not natively support either protocol. To work around this limitation, a Max4Live instrument called LiveMTC is required.
Note: LiveMTC does not support Tempo changes due to its reliance on Rewire.
First confirm whether Max4Live was installed with the current installation of Live! If you are running Ableton Live! Suite - then it will already have been installed. If you are running Ableton Live! Standard version, you may need to purchase, download & install Max4Live separately.
Next download LiveMTC.
Unzip the downloaded file. Move the unzipped folder to the Applications folder.
Note: The unzipped folder contains the Live MTC Bridge app and the MTC.amxd plug-in.
Drag this folder onto Live!, under Places in the left browser to store it for future use.
From the new shortcut to the folder in Places, drag the MTC.amxd plug-in onto the Master track in the current session.
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In the Finder go to the Applications>LiveMTC folder & launch the Live MTC Bridge app.
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Set the Destination MIDI port in the dropdown to Video Sync MTC In (virtual).
Note: If Video Sync is launched after the Live MTC Bridge app, Live MTC Bridge will need to be restarted, as it only scans for the available MIDI ports when starting up.
If necessary, set the timecode offset to match the Video Sync movie timecode settings.
Ableton Live! MMC (MIDI Machine Control) Setup
There is no need to set up MMC separately with Abelton Live! as Live MTC Bridge sends MMC style positioning information using a bespoke implementation of MIDI Timecode (MTC).
However, due to a limitation in the way that Showsync have implemented MMC in LiveMTC, support for the playhead moving to the correct stationary position when clicking around the timeline of the Ableton Live! is only possible with 23.976 & 24fps.
Note: In this case, hit play & stop to update the playhead position using MTC.
We would like to thank the developer, Showsync for creating the LiveMTC bridge application. More information on using LiveMTC can be found here.
Matching Frame Rates
For MTC sync to work correctly, the Ableton Live project frame rate must match the timeline frame rate in Video Sync.
In the TIMELINES tab, locate the active timeline and check its frame rate in the summary section. If video is present on the timeline, the frame rate is derived from the video file. If no video is present, the frame rate can be set manually by clicking the pencil icon next to the timeline name and selecting the required frame rate from the TC Frame Rate menu.
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Ensure your Ableton Live project is set to the same frame rate as the Video Sync timeline.
Enabling Synchronised playback
When hitting play or scrubbing within Ableton Live!, both the incoming timecode field should now be seen incrementing & the timecode rate displayed within the Incoming TC section to the left of the main timecode counter in Video Sync.
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If the Sync button to the left of the transport buttons isn't already blue, click on it to activate it to follow external sync.
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Video Sync MTC/MMC sync is now online & ready to go. Hit play in Ableton Live! and Video Sync will play back in sync.
High Frame Rate Content
Video Sync supports timelines running at up to 60 frames per second. However, MTC was designed around SMPTE broadcast standards and only supports frame rates up to 30fps (24, 25, 29.97, and 30). The specification has never been updated to include higher frame rates.
To sync high frame rate timelines via MTC, set the Ableton Live project frame rate to half the timeline frame rate. For example:
- 48fps timeline → set Ableton Live to 24fps
- 50fps timeline → set Ableton Live to 25fps
- 60fps timeline → set Ableton Live to 30fps
Video Sync will automatically match the incoming timecode at half its frame rate.
Troubleshooting
If incoming timecode is not showing in Video Sync:
- Check that MTC generation is enabled in Ableton Live
- Check that the correct MTC port is selected in Ableton Live's synchronization/MIDI settings
- Ensure Video Sync was launched before Ableton Live so the virtual ports are available (if using virtual ports)
If incoming timecode is showing but playback is not syncing:
- Ensure the Sync button is enabled (blue) in Video Sync
- Check that frame rates match (see Matching Frame Rates above)
- Check that timecode ranges match - if the Ableton Live session starts at 01:00:00:00 but the Video Sync timeline starts at 10:00:00:00, playback will not begin until Ableton Live reaches 10:00:00:00
If Video Sync's position only updates during playback but not when navigating in Ableton Live:
- This indicates an issue with MMC (MIDI Machine Control) setup
- Check that the correct MMC port is selected in Video Sync
- Check that MMC is enabled and configured correctly in Ableton Live
If playback is jumpy or frames are being skipped:
- This is often caused by mismatched frame rates between Ableton Live and Video Sync - ensure both are set to the same frame rate (see Matching Frame Rates above)
- Try increasing the TC Freewheel value in Preferences → MISC. This defines a number of freewheel frames to keep playback running through unexpected timecode values. Note that higher values will make Video Sync less responsive to external timecode changes.
If synchronised playback still does not work after following these steps, please contact support@non-lethal-applications.com.