Sync Setup - Steinberg Nuendo on the same computer (macOS)
About DAW Sync
To play video in sync with Nuendo, Video Sync needs a way to follow the Nuendo transport - knowing when it plays, stops, and where the playhead is located at any moment. This connection between Video Sync and Nuendo is called DAW sync.
About This Configuration
This chapter covers syncing Video Sync with Steinberg Nuendo running on the same computer, using MIDI Timecode (MTC) and MIDI Machine Control (MMC).
Note: The following explanation and screenshots are related to Nuendo 12, 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 Nuendo (such as clicking in the timeline or using markers), MMC sends locate commands to update Video Sync's position without requiring playback.
Setup
Video Sync features virtual MIDI ports, which removes the need to create additional MIDI ports in order to connect to Nuendo 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 Nuendo.
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Unfortunately, Nuendo does not remember these MTC & MMC port selections when both Video Sync & Nuendo are quit & relaunched. Thus both these settings would require manual re-assigning every time that Video Sync & Nuendo are relaunched (regardless of whether Video Sync is launched first).
To avoid these extra steps each time, it is advised to use the IAC Driver in Audio MIDI Setup instead - to create permanent MIDI buses that persist across reboots and application relaunches.
Note: With older legacy versions of Nuendo, the virtual port issue may only occur if Video Sync is not launched before Nuendo. In this case, the virtual ports can be used instead. To do this, skip the Configuring the IAC Driver section below. Wherever reference is made to selecting the IAC bus in Nuendo or Video Sync, use the correspondingly named default Video Sync ports instead - labelled Video Sync MTC In (virtual) & Video Sync MMC In (virtual). Video Sync must be launched before Nuendo for these ports to be assignable in Nuendo.
Configuring the IAC Driver in Audio MIDI Setup
Close Video Sync & Nuendo.
Go to Applications → Utilities & open Audio MIDI Setup.
Select Window → Show MIDI Studio (Command & 2). A window with icons for available MIDI devices will appear.
Double-click the IAC Driver icon (grey keyboard icon).
In the dialog that opens, check Device is online.
If the IAC Driver does not respond to settings changes (such as enabling "Device is online" or adding ports), the MIDI configuration file may have become corrupted. To fix this, quit Audio MIDI Setup, go to ~/Library/Preferences/ and move the file com.apple.audio.AudioMIDISetup.plist to the Desktop. Reopen Audio MIDI Setup - it will rebuild a fresh configuration. Then re-enable the IAC Driver.
In the Ports list, click + to add a new bus. Rename it to something descriptive, e.g. Nuendo MTC/MMC. MTC & MMC can share the same bus.
Each IAC bus acts as a virtual MIDI cable - any application that sends to the bus can be received by any other application that selects the same bus as an input. Both Video Sync and Nuendo may need to be restarted to see newly created IAC buses.
Once the IAC Driver is enabled and buses are created, they will remain available after rebooting - no reconnection is required.
Video Sync MTC / MMC Setup
Launch Video Sync.
If Video Sync was open already, use the "Rescan Available MIDI Ports" button in the SYNC preferences.
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, set both MTC In & MMC In fields to the IAC bus created in the previous step (e.g. IAC Bus Nuendo MTC/MMC).
Nuendo MTC (MIDI Timecode) Setup
Go to Transport>Project Synchronization Setup.
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In the Sources tab, confirm that Activate External Sync is not enabled.
Note: In order for Nuendo to transmit timecode, external sync must be disabled.
In the Timecode Source section, select Internal Timecode.
Note: For earlier versions of Nuendo where the Timecode Source option is not available, set SYNC to INT from the transport panel.
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In the Destinations tab, under the MIDI Timecode Destinations section, enable the tick box to the left of the IAC bus (e.g. IAC Bus Nuendo MTC/MMC).
In the MIDI Timecode Preferences section, make sure the MIDI Timecode Follows Project Time option is enabled.
Nuendo MMC (MIDI Machine Control) Setup
In the Machine Control tab under the Machine Control Output section, enable MIDI Machine Control.
In the Machine Control Output Settings section, set MIDI Output to the same IAC bus (e.g. IAC Bus Nuendo MTC/MMC).
Click OK to close the window.
Matching Frame Rates
For MTC sync to work correctly, the Nuendo 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 Nuendo project is set to the same frame rate as the Video Sync timeline.
Enabling Synchronised playback
When hitting play or scrubbing within Nuendo, 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 Nuendo® 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 Nuendo project frame rate to half the timeline frame rate. For example:
- 48fps timeline → set Nuendo to 24fps
- 50fps timeline → set Nuendo to 25fps
- 60fps timeline → set Nuendo 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 Nuendo
- Check that the correct MTC port is selected in Nuendo's synchronization/MIDI settings
- Ensure Video Sync was launched before Nuendo 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 Nuendo session starts at 01:00:00:00 but the Video Sync timeline starts at 10:00:00:00, playback will not begin until Nuendo reaches 10:00:00:00
If Video Sync's position only updates during playback but not when navigating in Nuendo:
- 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 Nuendo
If playback is jumpy or frames are being skipped:
- This is often caused by mismatched frame rates between Nuendo 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.