Working with SMPTE Timecode

When scoring video, you will often reference your song's timeline based on SMPTE time code, which uses hours, minutes, seconds, and frames as a scale, instead of bars, beats, divisions, and ticks. However, the SMPTE time code used in your song depends directly upon the video format you are scoring to. For example, PAL video, the format used in Europe (including Germany, where Logic's designers and programmers reside), plays at 25 frames per second, while the NTSC video format of North America plays at 29.97 frames per second. Consequently, you must synchronize Logic to the correct frame rate before you begin scoring. To do so, visit the Song Settings dialog's Synchronization pane.

1.	Choose File > Song Settings > Synchronisation (Option-X). The Song Settings dialog opens to display the Synchronization pane. Near the top of the Synchronization pane is a Frame Rate menu.
2.	From the Frame Rate menu, choose the frame rate of the video you are scoring, in this case, 29.97.
3.	Close the Song Settings window.

Enabling the SMPTE Time Ruler

As you score the song, it helps to have the SMPTE time ruler enabled so you can see the SPL's precise SMPTE position within the video.

1. From the Arrange window's local menu bar, choose View > SMPTE Time Ruler (U).

   

   The SMPTE time ruler appears above the Bar Ruler.