Scheps Offset Counter

Package published on April 7, 2022 by Andrew Scheps

Scheps Offset Counter Package

(version 2.2)

New in 2.2!
Key commands and triggers!!!! There are three presets for assignable key commands for Offset Counter: Locate, Zero Counter and Load Last Saved Offset. Assign any trigger to the presets to initiate those functions!

New in 2.1!
When you zero the counter a file is automatically saved in the session directory. At any time command-click the Zero Counter button to recall the previously saved offset. No more locating and zeroing!
Locating now works from the Mix Window


Quick Start

  • Use the Zero Counter button to zero the counter at Pro Tools' current position. You can do this while the transport is running or stopped. If you option-click the Zero Counter button the current offset will be cleared
  • The "Locate..." button is where (some of) the magic happens. It opens a dialog where you can type in a time to locate to, relative to the offset. So if you've sent out a mix that doesn't start at the beginning of the session, capture a zero point at the beginning of the mix, and now you canlocate to the times on your mix notes as if the mix started at 0:00.000.
  • Note: The "Locate..." dialog is very forgiving about how you enter the time. If you enter "1:00.000", "1.00.000", "1.00" or "1" Pro Tools will locate to exactly 1 minute after the Zero Point in Minutes and Seconds mode, with the same logic applied to your input in Timecode mode.
  • Use the Manual Offset button to type an offset time yourself. This allows you to set the current timeline position to any time you want on the counter. You can even locate the zero point before the start of the session if you like!
  • There is a button on the top right to show/hide the smallest subdivision of the current time base. This way you can hide milliseconds, frames etc to make the counter easier on the eyes.
  • Click the time base display above the counter to switch Pro Tools between Minutes and Seconds and Timecode.
  • Utilising the Sub Counter in Pro Tools you can display different timebases on different instances of the offset counter.
  • You can have up to 5 of the Offset Counter surfaces (6 if you count the Admin panel) open at one time on your computer, as well as on iOS or Android tablets/phones.
  • Zero points for Minutes and Seconds and Timecode are independant of each other.

Notes about multiple surfaces:

Attributes that are shared betwen surfaces (including the Admin surface detailed below):

  • All surfaces share the same Zero Point.
  • When you use the locate function from any surface the previous locate time will be in the dialog, regardless of which surface was used to locate Pro Tools last
  • Each surface can show either the Main or Sub Counter timebase, but you are limited to two timebases at a time.

Attributes that are uniqe to each surface:

  • Each surface can be re-sized independently
  • Each surface can show/hide the smallest subdivision of the current time base independently
  • The iOS/Android Surface can only set a Zero Point and change its display parameters. This keeps it from invoking dialogs on the main computer's screen.

The Admin Surface gives you more commands and the ability to archive:

  • If you want to save the zero points for later, use the Add To List button and give it a name.
  • The rest of the buttons are for managing the list: Renaming, deleting, clearing, saving and loading from disk.
  • All of the surfaces will only offset the counter when displaying Minutes and Seconds, but the counter will run in any format.