Ambient LockitBT Timecode & Sync Generator

The Ambient LockitBT, a timecode and sync generator, adds Bluetooth to the Lockit, so it can be set up and monitored from the free LockitRemote app for iOS and Android.

It shares the Lockit’s core: highly accurate SMPTE timecode, genlock and wordclock sync, and full compatibility with Ambient’s ACN wireless network. A replaceable NP-50 battery runs it for about 14 hours and can be charged while the unit is running.

Remote Control with LockitRemote

Over Bluetooth, the LockitRemote app reaches the entire LockitBT menu and can start the C-Jam (Continuous Jam) master. Its ACN Radar view monitors and controls every Lockit on the same ACN channel, older models included. The LockitBT can also send timecode information over Bluetooth to compatible devices from other makers.

Everything can still be set on the unit itself, through its OLED display and buttons.

Zero Drift over ACN

ACN is Ambient’s own 2.4 GHz radio network for Lockit devices. In C-Jam mode, every Lockit on the channel stays locked to the others for zero drift over a full shooting day. Holding the green button for three seconds syncs timecode and frame rate to every other Lockit on the same channel.

TX Mode and Offsets

In TX Mode the LockitBT follows an external timecode source, LTC by cable or MIDI timecode from a computer, and passes timecode and genlock on to the other Lockits over ACN. TX Mode is made for shoots where the audio recorder or a studio master clock leads, and for playback and virtual production. Separate timecode and sync offsets, from -10 to +10 frames, correct cameras that lag by a frame or more.

Outputs and Sync Formats

Two 5-pin Lemo-compatible push-pull ports handle the connections. One carries timecode with genlock or wordclock, and the other carries timecode with ACN metadata; a Y-cable can combine both. Tri-level genlock covers 1080i and 1080p at project rates from 23.976 to 60 fps, and wordclock runs from 48 to 192 kHz for audio recorders. The USB-C port handles power and charging, connects to Ambient’s LockitToolbox software, and sends MIDI timecode to a DAW on a laptop.

Features

• Timecode and sync generator with Bluetooth
• Remote control and ACN Radar in the free LockitRemote app
• Zero drift with C-Jam mode active
• SMPTE timecode at frame rates from 23.976 to 60 fps
• Tri-level genlock, wordclock up to 192 kHz, and PPF shutter sync
• TX Mode for following an external timecode source
• Timecode and sync offset from -10 to +10 frames
• 256 × 32 OLED display with button menu
• USB-C for power, charging, LockitToolbox, and MIDI timecode
• About 14 hours on a replaceable NP-50 battery