Alcorn McBride Knowledge Base

The Binloop controller card is, essentially, a SMPTE Machine, so you don't need both a SMPTE Machine and a Binloop. Most installations don't need SMPTE at all, even if the show media was designed using timecode. The show controller knows what frame everything is on, usually because it is locked to video, and can synchronize everything. The only need for SMPTE is if there are external devices that can't be controlled except by listening to SMPTE. An example would be a lighting board or other equipment that had no serial control capability. A SMPTE Machine or Binloop can generate timecode to all of the equipment in a venue. If you are using multiple Alcorn show controllers with a SMPTE Machine, you will need to connect one of the show controllers to the SMPTE Machine and it will function as a Master, sending commands to the other controllers.