Synchronization / Workflow guide
Using SMPTE Timecode with Resolume Arena
Resolume Arena can use incoming SMPTE timecode to position a video clip. The dependable workflow is not complicated, but it requires agreement about the source, frame rate, offset and what should happen when the signal disappears.
Before opening Resolume
Confirm the timecode owner, format and frame rate. Establish where the signal enters the playback computer and keep it isolated from program audio. A dedicated audio interface is useful because it provides predictable connections and input control, but the important requirement is a clean, stable signal at an appropriate level.
Prepare media without an embedded audio track when it will use Resolume’s SMPTE transport. Resolume’s current documentation states that SMPTE is unavailable for clips that contain audio.
Configure the input
- Open the Audio preferences in Resolume Arena.
- Select the channel receiving SMPTE for input 1 or input 2.
- Set the frame rate to match the incoming timecode signal.
- Open the SMPTE panel and verify that the displayed address follows the source cleanly.
If the playhead makes a regular correction or jump, stop and verify the incoming rate before adjusting anything else.
Assign the clip
Choose SMPTE 1 or SMPTE 2 from the clip’s transport or timeline options, then enter the clip’s starting offset. A one-hour convention—01:00:00:00 for one segment, 02:00:00:00 for another—can make the show easier to identify and reduce accidental overlap.
The clip still has to be active in a layer that reaches the output. SMPTE follows the playhead; it does not send the clip trigger. Treat visibility and timeline position as two separate pieces of the cue.
Test behavior, not only playback
Run the start of the cue, a point in the middle and the final frames. Then test the conditions that happen during rehearsals: start before the offset, jump across the offset, move backward, stop, remove the input and restore it. Confirm whether the clip holds, disappears or resumes and make that behavior part of the operating notes.
Delay compensation
Resolume provides frame-based delay compensation for the SMPTE input. Use it only after measuring the real offset through the complete output path. Processing, conversion, display latency and audience distance can all affect perceived alignment; a guessed compensation can make a different viewing position worse.
Show-day checklist
- Incoming timecode is visible and stable.
- Frame rate matches the source.
- Every clip has the intended input and offset.
- The visible layer is active before the timecoded moment.
- Recovery from signal loss has been rehearsed.
- A manual trigger and playback path is available.