Syncing two macs running DP with SMPTE

[ski spiggy]

Hi all.
I wish to sync two macs, the main one which sends signals to the mixer/comp, and the mastering mac which captures the final signal.
I tried to do this via MIDI clock ages ago, and it wasn't accurate.

I wish to do it via SMPTE. I have read the manual. Searched on line. And it seems motu needs one of it's hardware devices to stripe a track with SMPTE.

30 years ago, I could do it with what ever software I was using with my Amiga 11 to use a drum machine with an eight track tape recorder.

It was straight forward and easy.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Spig

[ski spiggy]

OK.

So I've generated time code on line and placed it on an audio channel in DP.
Reading the manual, it appears I need a SMPTE to MIDI converter. Really?

Spig

[ski spiggy]

It seems I need Motu hardware like a MIDI Express. I presume my Aurora 16 will "play" with a MIDI express as an aggregate device and have my Aurora as the master clock and still allow the software to sync to the SMPTE time code coming into the MIDI Express.
When I've got the dough to just buy and try, I'll find out.

Spig

[HCMarkus]

I wish to sync two macs, the main one which sends signals to the mixer/comp, and the mastering mac which captures the final signal.

I hate to do this, but simply must ask: Why? Unless I'm missing something here, you can do all of this with one Mac and audio interface. Simply route the audio output from your mixer/compressor back into your audio interface and record on a separate track in DP. The mix track will be in perfect sync.

Second question: If you simply must use two computers, why is it necessary to sync them? Assuming you are running into an analog mixer/compressor, then routing the analog audio to the second (mastering) computer, that second computer can be free-running. Trim the master track after recording.

Finally, I believe many, if not all, of the current MOTU audio interfaces will read timecode; no MIDI required.

But I still don't understand why you need to do this. Please excuse my thick-headedness and explain.

[ski spiggy]

Not thick headed.

2nd computer because the the Lyra and the Aurora don't sound good clocked off each other.
Syncing because it saves a whole lot of time when you use different parts of different master takes. At the moment, I have to time align everything manually. I would much prefer they were aligned automatically.

Spig

[stubbsonic]

I wonder if the sound issue will change depending on which device is master. I also wonder if the sound issue affects the final transfer, or just during monitoring.

I don't golden ears and doubt if I could hear a clock issue other than glitching, or serious wobble.