SyncFrame VST Documentation

Overview

SyncFrame is a VST3 and AU plugin that plays imported video in perfect sync with your DAW's transport, for scoring to picture. It is especially useful in DAWs with no built-in video track, like Ableton Live, Bitwig, FL Studio, and Reason. It also works in Logic, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper, and any other VST3 or AU host: load it like an instrument or effect, load your video, and score against the picture right inside your session.

Installing

• Download the installer .dmg from the download page.
• Open the .dmg and run the installer, following the prompts.
• The installer places both the VST3 and AU into your system plugin folders.
• Open your DAW and rescan plugins if it does not pick up the new install automatically.
• Load SyncFrame VST like any other plugin.

Loading a video

Click Load in the plugin window and choose a video file. Supported formats are H.264, HEVC, and ProRes, in .mov, .mp4, and .m4v containers. Video plays back natively, with no transcode step, so there is no waiting after you pick a file.

Transport sync

Once a video is loaded, it follows your DAW's playhead automatically. Press play, scrub the timeline, or locate to a new position, and the picture tracks the transport frame-accurately, the same way it would on a dedicated video track.

Setting the start point (START / lock)

SyncFrame needs to know where your video's first frame lines up with your session timeline. Use SET START / LOCK to pin the video's first frame to the current playhead position, or type an exact timecode directly into the START field. Before the start point, the monitor shows black, so you always know when picture is about to begin.

Overlays

Use the segmented control to toggle two burn-in overlays on the video monitor: TIMECODE and FRAME #. These are useful when you are spotting cues or comparing notes with an editor or director. There is no safe-area or center-marker overlay; only the timecode and frame counter are available.

Detachable monitor

Pop the video out of the plugin window into its own floating window, or send it fullscreen to a second display. This is handy for keeping the picture large and out of the way while you work in your DAW's main window.

Video audio and mute

If your video file has embedded audio, SyncFrame routes it through the plugin's output into your DAW, so dialogue and reference audio play back along with the picture. Use the MUTE toggle to silence the video's audio without unloading the file.

Window and scrubbing

The plugin window is resizable, so you can work with a small monitor tucked in a corner or a large one for detailed frame checks. Scrubbing the DAW timeline updates the picture frame-accurately, making it easy to find exact cue points.

Licensing

The free demo is fully functional. The only difference is a "SyncFrame DEMO" watermark shown over the video.

To remove the watermark, open the license panel using the gear icon at the bottom right of the plugin window, paste your license key, and click Apply Key. Kraken Labs issues two kinds of keys: 15-day testing keys and lifetime full keys. You can click Remove Key at any time to deactivate a key on that machine.

Licenses are not machine-locked, so you are free to use your key on any machine you install SyncFrame on. If you have lost your key, you can recover it at the license recovery page.

System requirements

• OS: macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later.
• Chips: Apple Silicon and Intel (universal binary).
• Formats: VST3 and Audio Unit (AU).
• Hosts: any VST3 or AU host, including Ableton Live, Bitwig, FL Studio, Reason, Logic, Cubase, Studio One, and Reaper.
• A Windows build is on the way.

Troubleshooting

Plugin not appearing in my DAW. Rescan plugins in your DAW's plugin manager, then fully restart the DAW (not just close and reopen the project window).

I'm still seeing an old version after updating. A stale copy of the plugin may be installed in the system-wide /Library plugin folder alongside a copy in your user folder. Check both locations, remove the older one, and fully restart your DAW so it reloads the current version.

No video audio in my DAW. Check that the MUTE toggle is off, and that the plugin's track is monitored and routed to your output.

"Video file not found." This happens when a loaded video has been moved or renamed on disk. Use Relink to point SyncFrame at the file's new location.

The watermark will not go away. Open the gear icon panel and apply a valid license key with Apply Key. If you do not have a key handy, recover it at the license recovery page.