Sending LTC / SMPTE Timecode to External Gear

Generate SMPTE LTC audio to sync lighting consoles, DAWs, and timecode readers — from the free generator or straight from an arrangement.

What LTC actually does for you

LTC (Linear Timecode) is SMPTE timecode encoded as audio. You play it out of a dedicated output, feed it to anything that reads timecode — a lighting console, a media server, a second DAW, a hardware timecode reader — and that gear chases your position frame-accurately. No MIDI, no network, just a clean audio signal that says exactly where you are in the show.

Pliris™ gives you two ways to get an LTC file: a free standalone generator, and a one-click download straight from an arrangement you've already timed.

Option 1: The free LTC Generator

The generator lives at ltc.fromstudiotostage.com and needs no login. Use it any time you need a timecode stripe at a specific start and length.

  1. Go to ltc.fromstudiotostage.com.
  2. Set your start timecode — hours, minutes, seconds, frames.
  3. Set the duration in seconds — long enough to cover the whole song or the whole show.
  4. Pick a frame rate: 24, 25, 29.97 drop, or 30 fps.
  5. Pick a bit depth: 16-bit, 24-bit, or 32-bit float.
  6. Click Generate & Download to save the WAV.

That WAV is a standard SMPTE stripe. Drop it into your DAW, load it onto a playback rig, or burn it to a dedicated track — anything that reads LTC will follow it.

Option 2: LTC straight from an arrangement

If you've already assigned sync timecodes to your arrangements, you don't need to type any numbers. Log in, and the Arrangement Browser tab on the generator hands you a file that's already configured to match.

  1. Go to ltc.fromstudiotostage.com and log in.
  2. Switch to the Arrangement Browser tab.
  3. Search for an arrangement by name.
  4. Click the download icon next to it.
  5. The LTC file comes out pre-configured with that arrangement's sync start time, duration, and frame rate.

This is the fastest way to stripe a whole setlist — search each song, download, done. Every file lines up with the timecode you already set on the arrangement, so front-of-house and lighting are working off the same clock you are.

Choosing a frame rate

Match whatever your gear and your production are already running on. Get this wrong and everything drifts.

  • 24 fps — film and a lot of theatrical rigs.
  • 25 fps — standard in PAL regions and much of Europe.
  • 29.97 drop — NTSC broadcast and video-locked shows. "Drop" keeps clock-time honest over long runs.
  • 30 fps — common for straightforward audio-only playback.

Pro tip: Every device in your timecode chain has to agree on frame rate. If your lighting console is set to 25 and you send it 30 fps LTC, it will chase — badly. Confirm the rate on the reader before you trust it.

Choosing a bit depth

  • 16-bit — universally compatible, plenty for a decoder that just needs to read a stripe.
  • 24-bit — more headroom; a safe default for most rigs.
  • 32-bit float — maximum headroom for finicky signal chains.

LTC is decoded, not listened to, so cleaner is always better than louder. Which brings us to routing.

Routing the WAV to a dedicated output

Treat LTC like a signal, not like music.

  • Give it its own output. Put the LTC WAV on a dedicated channel or interface output that feeds only your timecode reader — never mixed into the FOH or in-ear feed.
  • Run it near unity, uncompressed. No EQ, no compression, no limiting, no effects. Timecode is a square-ish waveform; processing corrupts it and the reader starts dropping frames.
  • Keep the level sane. Too hot clips the edges; too quiet and the decoder loses lock. Around -6 dBFS to unity is a good starting point — adjust to what your reader wants to see.
  • Start it with the song. The stripe has to be sample-locked to your playback so the position it reports actually matches where the music is.

Once your reader shows steady, incrementing timecode that matches your playback position, you're locked. Every timecode-aware device downstream will follow.

Frequently asked questions

How do I send SMPTE timecode from Pliris?

Pliris generates LTC — SMPTE timecode encoded as audio — as a standard WAV file. You can create one at the free generator at ltc.fromstudiotostage.com, or log in there and download a file pre-configured from an arrangement's sync start time, duration, and frame rate, then play it out a dedicated output to your timecode reader.

Do I need a Pliris account to use the LTC generator?

No — the standalone generator at ltc.fromstudiotostage.com needs no login. You only need to log in to use the Arrangement Browser tab, which pre-configures LTC files from your own arrangements.

What frame rates and bit depths does the Pliris LTC generator support?

Frame rates: 24, 25, 29.97 drop, and 30 fps. Bit depths: 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit float. Match the frame rate your gear and production are already running on — every device in the timecode chain has to agree, or everything drifts.

Why won't my lighting console lock to the LTC signal?

The usual culprits are a frame-rate mismatch (e.g. sending 30 fps to a console set to 25), processing on the signal, or level problems. Run the LTC uncompressed with no EQ or effects on a dedicated output, keep the level around -6 dBFS to unity, and confirm the frame rate on the reader.

Can I mix the LTC audio into my main mix?

No — give the LTC WAV its own dedicated channel or interface output that feeds only your timecode reader, never mixed into the FOH or in-ear feed. Timecode is decoded, not listened to, and processing or mixing corrupts it.

Where to go next

Stuck getting a reader to lock? Click the support bubble in the bottom-right corner of any page, or email support@fromstudiotostage.com.