Rosendahl mif 4 User manual

mif4 Instruction Manual
Rosendahl mif4 is a professional midi timecode
interface with LED display, sync input and USB
port
www.rosendahl-studiotechnik.com
Unpacking and mounting into a 19" rack
mif4 comes with the following accessories:
1 x USB power adapter
1 x USB cable A-B
2 x 1U rackmount brackets with screws
The unit is shipped with four rubber feet mounted
underside with Phillips screws.
If you want to rackmount your mif4, please
detach the four rubber feet and pull off the
protective film from the two aluminium brackets.
Remove the black countersunk screws on the
left and right side of the unit to assemble the
rack mount brackets using the 8 enclosed
Phillips screws.
Powering up & selecting timecode SOURCE
Connect the USB port to a host computer or use
the external power adapter to supply your mif4.
Each time the unit is powering up the installed
firmware and hardware version are shown in the
display for two seconds.
This manual relates to firmware version 3.0 from
September 2021.
The left key is used to select the timecode
SOURCE.
Short keypresses will navigate through the four
input modes:
LTC: longitudinal timecode (SMPTE 12M) from
the LTC IN
MTC: midi timecode from the MIDI IN.
USB: midi timecode from a host computer
connected via USB.
GEN: manually or MMC controlled timecode
generator mode.
Holding down the left key for two seconds
causes
(1) a JAM SYNC from applied, running timecode
into the GEN mode
(2) or if no timecode signal is present, you will be
able to store the default SOURCE setting to
non volatile memory.
(See generator section for more informations
about JAM SYNC)
LTC input mode
LTC is longitudinal timecode according SMPTE
12M, there are 80 bits containing time, userdata
and a syncword.
The unit detects the incoming LTC frame format
automatically..
The FPS LEDs 24, 25, 30 and DF indicate the
detected format.
24 FPS timecode is used for movie productions.
25 FPS timecode is the standard European video
frame rate but is also common for European
audio productions.
30 FPS timecode is used for audio and high
definition video productions in Japan and the US.
30 FPS pull down resulting in 29.97 FPS is used
for NTSC or high definition video productions
(pull down).
30 and DF indicates the drop frame format used
only for pull down video applications where
correlation to time of day is mandatory.
These LEDs are all unlighted if no input signal is
applied, so they also serve to indicate ISP (Input
Signal Present) status.
Continious timecode, running forward, within
+/- 6% of nominal speed will be translated into
MTC timecode and sent to the MIDI and USB
output ports. Simultaneously stable, regenerated
LTC is fed to the LTC output.

I.e. 29.97 FPS non drop timecode is 30 FPS
timecode running 0.1% slower (defined as
1000/1001 pull down rate) and within the 6%
window.
The timecode speed is displayed in the
DISPLAY mode CAL.
1.0000 indicates timecode running at nominal
speed.
29.97 FPS non drop timecode will be displayed
as 30 FPS running at 0.9990.
29.97 DF drop frame timecode is indicated by
LED 30 and LED DF with a calibration factor
CAL 0.9990
Timecode faster or slower than 6% or timecode
running reverse is translated into so-called MTC
full messages.
MTC full messages are used to spot a DAW or
other MTC controlled software to a specific
location, just like a locater.
In operation mode SOURCE = LTC a video
sync input signal does not influence the LTC
to MTC translation process.
Synchronisation is always referenced to the LTC
Input signal, indicated in CAL DISPLAY mode by
"I" ( I 1.0000 ).
The default timecode standard after powering
up is defined by the non volatile stored settings
made in the generator setup. Detection of a
different timecode standard takes one time 2-3
seconds. A correctly setup default standard
avoids this delay each time after powering up.
MTC and USB input modes
Digital Audio Workstations as well as lighting
and show control software use MTC midi
timecode for synchronisation.
mif4 reads MTC to regenerate synchronised,
stable LTC and MTC timecode.
MTC timecode can be quite unstable and jittery
caused by the latency of computer operating
systems. For this reason, mif4 makes use of
slow and integrating sync algorithms.
If the unit receives an MTC full message, it will
stop and generate a short burst of stationary
LTC timecode.
The unit repeats one LTC frame 8 times.
On the LED display there are DECIMAL POINTS
to separate hours, minutes, seconds and frames
(00.00.00.00.).
The rightmost decimal point (to the right of the
frame digits) is used as a LOCKED indicator.
If the unit is in sync and outputs locked timecode,
this LOCKED indicator will light up. In MTC or
USB input modes the LOCKED threshold is <
5ms, in LTC mode < 100µS.
If the incoming midi timecode is jumping or
drifting away so that mif4 is unable to follow the
source, it will display ERROR 01 in MTC mode
or ERROR 02 in USB mode.
In this case a stop and restart of the timecode
synchronisation will be executed.
GEN generator mode
To start the timecode generator manually please
select the generator mode (SOURCE = GEN)
and display mode timecode (DISPLAY = TC).
Now press and hold the left key for about two
seconds until the HOUR digits and the right key
start blinking.
Change the "HOUR" setting with the right key.
Holding down this key for a second will
automatically count up the "HOUR" value.
Press the left key again to navigate to MINUTES.
Change the "MINUTES" value using the right
key.
Press the left key again to navigate to FPS
section. (FPS = Frame Per Second)
Select the timecode standard 24, 25, 30 or 30
drop using the right key.
Press the left key once again to start the
timecode generator manually.
If there is an external video sync signal applied
matching the selected frame rate, the timecode
generator will be started genlocked.
So the start of picture (vertical sync) matches the
start of the 80 bit LTC timecode word and MTC
quarter frame F1 0x.
Applied pull down video syncs (i.e. NTSC =
480i59.97) will change 30 FPS timecode frame
rate automatically into pull down 29.97 FPS
timecode frame rate.
CAL display 0.990 informs about pull down
timecode rates.

Stop the timecode generator manually by
pressing the left key again.
The generator userbits can be edited accordingly
when display mode is set to UB. The userbit
display shows 8 digits separated by decimal
points. Each userbit group/digit can be set to
hexadezimal values from 0 to F.
Userbits are used for coding date, takes or film
reel numbers and are handled completely
separated from the timecode data.
MMC:
In GENERATOR mode you can also remote
control the timecode generator by sending MMC
midi machine control comands via USB or MIDI
ports (MMC stop, play, defplay, locate, write
userbits field 47).
JAM SYNC:
If you are using the unit in LTC, MTC or USB
mode and an external, running timecode signal
is present, you will be able to execute a JAM
SYNC by holding down the left key for two
seconds.
JAM SYNC switches from an external timecode
mode (LTC, MTC or USB) over to GEN
generator mode and is continiously generating
the actual running timecode.
In all operation modes (LTC, MTC, USB and
GEN) the left key is illuminated red when the
timecode generator is running.
DISPLAY modes
Press the right key to select one of four display
modes:
TC timecode in hours, minutes, seconds and
frames.
UB so-called LTC userbits, 8 nibbles shown hex
from 0 to F.
CAL showing the speed of the timecode output.
Display mode CALIBRATION is showing the
factor of the current timecode speed used
related to nominal speed.
Examples:
1.0000 = nominal, 0.9990 = pull down, 1.0001 is
+ 0.01% (100 ppm).
On the left side of the display the letter "r"
indicates reference locked,
the video reference input signal is used for
synchronising the actual timecode generation.
"I" stands for Input and indicates that only the
timecode input source is used to synchronise the
actual timecode generation.
LTC mode always references to the input signal
even when a valid reference signal with matching
frame rate is applied.
In MTC or USB mode the video reference is
used, when the frame rate matches the timecode
standard, i.e. 25 FPS timecode standard
together with PAL 576i50 video syncs.
Pull down video syncs force 30 FPS and DF
timecode sources to be referenced to 29.97
(CAL = 0.9990).
In GENERATOR mode the following video syncs
are accepted as reference, depending on the
selected timecode standard:
24 FPS: 1080p23, 1080p24, 576i47, 576i48
25 FPS: 576i50, 720p50, 1080p25, 1080i50,
1080p50
30 FPS and 30 DF:
720p59, 720p60, 480i59,
480i60, 1080p29, 1080p30,
1080i59, 1080i60, 1080p59,
1080p60
REF displays the automatically detected video
reference standard applied on the video sync
input:
576i47 "slow PAL" pulldown, for movie apps
576i48 "slow PAL" for movie applications
576i50 standard PAL video sync
480i59 standard NTSC video sync
480i60 b&w video sync.
720p50 hd video 720 lines, progressive 50
720p59 hd video 720 lines, progressive 60 pd
720p60 hd video 720 lines, progressive 60
1080i47 hd video 1080 lines, PSF 24 pull down
1080i48 hd video 1080 lines, PSF 24
1080i50 hd video 1080 lines, interlaced 50
1080i59 hd video 1080 lines, interlaced 60 pd
1080i60 hd video 1080 lines, interlaced 60
1080p23 hd video 1080 lines 24 pull down
1080p24 hd video 1080 lines 24
1080p25 hd video 1080 lines 25
1080p29 hd video 1080 lines 30 pull down

1080p30 hd video 1080 lines 30
1080p50 hd video 1080 lines 50
1080p59 hd video 1080 lines 60 pull down
1080p60 hd video 1080 lines 60
Most common SD and HD video standards are
printed bold.
Setup utility
Please visit www.rosendahl-studiotechnik.com
and download the latest soft/ firmware available
for Mac OSX and Windows.
When the unit is connected in normal operation
mode the mif4 utility software allows you to
configure parameters like a unique MMC ID,
display brightness, display blanking and other
options. You find more informations in the
software help.
All settings are stored non volatile.
USB drivers
mif4 is a so called "device class compliant USB
Audio Device" and does not need a driver
installation. Windows XP or later as well as Mac
OS X provide generic USB audio drivers.
If you plug in the unit for the first time Windows
will find the new hardware and install its generic
drivers automatically.
If mif4 isn't detected by Windows you may need
to configure the Windows Device Manager to
show all hidden and ghosted devices to evaluate
the problem and possibly remove/delete
obsolete devices.
Find help at Microsoft support how to display
ghosted devices in Device Manager….
Unfortunately Windows generic USB Audio
Device drivers do not provide multi-client
capability, which means you can only use one
application with the USB MIDI I/O ports at once.
So you can not receive the mif4 MTC MIDI time
code with two different programs simultaneously.
Specific mif4 multi-client capable, low latency
drivers for 32- and 64-bit Microsoft Windows
systems can be downloaded at:
www.rosendahl-studiotechnik.com
Mac OS X USB drivers support multiple clients
and thus, there is no need to install extra mif4
device drivers.
To verify the generic OS X driver installation
please run Applications/Utilities/Audio MIDI
Setup and open the Window "MIDI Studio".
Declaration of CE conformity
Rosendahl Studiotechnik GmbH
Andechser Str. 5
D-86919 Utting a.A.
Germany
herewith confirms that the product:
Type: professional midi timecode interface
Model: mif4
meets the requirements of the council of the European
communities relating to electromagnetic compatibility
(Council Directive 89/336/EEC)
Technical Data: EMV EN 55022, EN 61000
Electric Safety EN 60950
The CE symbol is awarded to high-quality appliances
which comply with the European Directive 89/336/EEC
or the EMVG (law relating to electromagnetic
compatibility of appliances) and which offer the
following significant benefits:
*Simultaneous and interference-free operation of
adjoining appliances
*No unpermitted interference signals
*High resistance to electro-smog
This marking shown on the product or its literature
indicates that it should not be disposed with other
household wastes at the end of its working life. To
prevent possible harm to the environment or human
health from uncontrolled waste disposal, please
separate this from other types of wastes and recycle it
responsibly to promote the sustainable reuse of material
resources.
Household users should contact either the retailer
where they purchased this product or their local
government office for details of where and how they can
take this item for environmentally safe recycling.
Business users should contact their supplier and check
the terms and conditions of the purchase contract.