MIDI, formats and standards · updated 2026-08-16

TIMECODE (SMPTE/LTC)

A frame-accurate clock stamped onto audio or video so separately recorded media can be aligned later.

MIDI, formats and standards — MIDI DIN in/out connectors on an RME audio interface card — the physical ports behind the MIDI, interface and I/O terms in this section.

Key takeaways

A frame-accurate clock stamped onto audio or video so separately recorded media can be aligned later.
Linear timecode encodes it as an audio signal that can be recorded on a spare track or distributed over a cable run.
Feeding LTC to a recorder means every take carries its own position, which removes clapperboard guesswork in post.
Watch out: mixing frame rates in one project.
Sits under midi, formats and standards in this glossary, with 2 primary sources below.

Quick checklist

Can you define timecode (smpte/ltc) in one sentence without looking?
Can you point at timecode (smpte/ltc) in a real session, mix or contract?
Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

TIMECODE (SMPTE/LTC) IN DEPTH

SMPTE timecode labels every frame with hours, minutes, seconds and frames so audio and video devices agree on position. Linear timecode encodes it as an audio signal that can be recorded on a spare track or distributed over a cable run.

How it works in practice

Feeding LTC to a recorder means every take carries its own position, which removes clapperboard guesswork in post.

The mistake people make

Mixing frame rates in one project. 29.97 drop-frame and 30 non-drop drift apart and the offset grows over a long take.

WHERE TIMECODE (SMPTE/LTC) SITS

Timecode (SMPTE/LTC) belongs to midi, formats and standards in the Sampled music glossary. The plumbing — the specs your gear, files and delivery pipeline agree on.

TERMS THAT DEPEND ON TIMECODE (SMPTE/LTC)

Sync: MIDI clock, MTC, Ableton Link
Different ways to keep devices in time — clock pulses, timecode, or peer-to-peer tempo sharing over a network.
Broadcast WAV (BWF)
A WAV file with an embedded metadata chunk carrying timecode, originator and coding history. The standard delivery format for post.

TEST YOURSELF

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3 quick questions on timecode (smpte/ltc). Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

1. Which statement best describes timecode (smpte/ltc)?
2. What is the mistake people most often make with timecode (smpte/ltc)?
3. In practice, which of these applies to timecode (smpte/ltc)?

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SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for timecode (smpte/ltc) — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

EBU technical publications (opens in a new tab)
Broadcast standards body · European Broadcasting Union
“A frame-accurate clock stamped onto audio or video so separately recorded media can be aligned later.”— the claim this source supports
Why it counts: The EBU tech document sets the delivery targets broadcasters and platforms actually enforce.
MIDI Association specifications (opens in a new tab)
Specification owner · The MIDI Association
“SMPTE timecode labels every frame with hours, minutes, seconds and frames so audio and video devices agree on position.”— the claim this source supports
Why it counts: The body that publishes the MIDI specification, so this is the definition hardware and software are built against.

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