🎬 Logic Pro and Sync

This is a short bonus section that steps out of Resolve to discuss one specific feature I find so useful I can’t help but mention it. I like to do my own music composition (or at least start a feeble attempt and then pass it off to someone who really knows what they’re doing). Resolve has basic MIDI sequencing support but it would be painful to try to compose with it. Logic is incredible and one of the only things that keeps me on a Mac. Because of a little magic called MIDI timecode (MTC) you can keep your Resolve timeline (where your edit lives) and Logic (where your music is going down) in sync. Here’s how:

In general, you’ll use a track of LTC or linear time code playing back in the timeline of Resolve in real time. Logic will “listen” to this track and use it as its clock for keeping Logic playback in sync with Resolve.

Software (soundflower) is necessary if you don’t want to use a hardware output device. You’ll also need a little program called “Lockstep”.

You first need an LTC source. For now, I can’t use Fairlight’s own TC generator from edit page–it only works in Fairlight in Resolve 16.2. So for now, just create and LTC audio track from here and place the LTC WAV file in your PowerBin so you can access it from any project. Make it a good 30 minutes or so for convenience.

The next trick is to use an audio aggregate device to get Quartet (my audio I/O device) and Soundflower together and then choose that device instead of “Use System Output” in your Resolve prefs.

If you choose the LCR method like I have (Timecode goes out the center channel and I don’t hear it) you also have to make sure your “MAIN” output bus is changed to a 3-channel LCR one.

LOCKSTEP Settings

And just enable “Sync” in Logic

LTC sync doesn’t work on edit page if only using Fairlight’s generator so the external audio clip in an edit track still rules the roost. Remember Fairlight: Remote Control Settings (to enable). Use your web-generated LTC on it’s own track, e.g. “LTC Track”. Now (mute that track in the timeline), but go into patching and “Track Sends” and send that track to channel 3 of SoundFlower. Set Lockstep to read SF channel 3.

Enable “Sync” in Logic’s control bar and then just turn it on and make sure frame rates match. CTI goes blue and sync is good.

And some Logic keyboard shortcuts I find useful (since I’ve provided them for other applications)