Library of Useful Discussions

[David Waelder]

I've been thinking of this issue for awhile but was spurred to write by a recent series of posts on the topic of a good rental source in London. Faced with a last-minute booking, Nicholas (nhaudio) asked for recommendations of places to rent gear in London. Mike MIchaels immediately posted this response:

very recently discussed...

try some searching...

Probably true but not very helpful to someone seeking help in a time-sensitive situation.

Many posts seem to run to a pattern where similar issues will come up again and again but the person making the inquiry isn't skilled at finding the threads and simply asks the question anew.

I think the site might enhance its (already considerable) value if there were a resource of topics with broad or recurring appeal. For instance, this resource might include:

1. An edited collection of posts on connecting audio to the Red camera

2, Tips on rigging lav mikes for quiet operation

3. Techniques for recording sound in moving cars

And numerous other topics.

In an ideal world, these collections of posts would be edited to minimize clutter and repitition so that the reader would not have to wade through every opinion to get to the useful parts. Perhaps the edited compilation might include links to the original thread and the identities of the posters so a reader could have the resources to make a more detailed inquiry.

The result of these efforts would be like an FAQ section of useful information. Anyone making an inquiry about a popular subject might be directed to that section where a quick scan of topic headers would facilitate a productive search.

The compillation would be a lot of work and you personally have enough to do managing the site. Perhaps your role might be to draw up the guidelines of how the compillations might be done. Volunteers might take on the task of researching the site and condensing the posts on a particular subject. And you might assign subjects to particular volunteers to avoid a duplication of efforts.

David

[Bob Marts]

Great idea!

[John Blankenship]

That's a great idea -- kind of a variation on the "Sticky" concept.

While the compilation could be a massive amount of work, just having a directory with links to previous threads on specific topics might be more easy to implement. No doubt Senator Mike would be delighted to compile such a directory.

[Mark Vesterskov]

Absolutely great idea, no doubt. Maybe a Wiki would be a good way to do it?

[soundtrane]

Dave, yes.

[Jeff Wexler]

Fabulous idea --- not so easy to implement but the results would be wonderful. A searchable and editable Wiki style resource representing the contents of JWSOUNDGROUP. I have thought about this a lot, starting with the difficulties we have had with SEARCH on this site, but haven't come up with a workable plan yet. I have some experience with Wiki software and I will start to pursue the possibilities for our community. It is fairly obvious that there is a lot of hidden potential value in the over 97,000 posts that have been made to this site since 2006.

[Marc Wielage]

I would also add a link to the book lists I've posted a few times for neos and others looking for technical information.

Another big topic:

Will This Block Frequency Work in City X?

I agree, one page for Frequently Asked Questions would be a cool idea.

[David Waelder]

It's good to see some support for the general idea.

I think that the Wiki model is probably a useful template. Jeff mentions "Wiki software." I'm not familiar with that; I don't know what it might be. My general understanding of Wiki editing is that readers add content but designated editors vet the copy for accuracy. I think this would be a good practice and that it would also be appropriate to identify the people responsible for each chore. So, a compillation of material on shotgun mikes would say that it was assembled by THIS person and fact checked by THAT person.

If people have some time to invest in bringing this to fruition, they might post that here and Jeff could make assignments.

I think it's OK if the whole project goes forward slowly, allowing time to evaluate the effectiveness and suitability of the work and to alter course as needed.

As time permits, I'll try to work up a sample document next week so we might have an example to consider.

David

[Jan McL]

Absolutely great idea, no doubt. Maybe a Wiki would be a good way to do it?

+1

[David Waelder]

As my contribution to keeping the concept moving, I've assembled some information on the Arri Alexa and excerpts from related posts.

I thought it made good sense to introduce the material with links to authoritative sources like the Arri website and then follow that with a list of threads that discussed the camera. After that I have some excerpts from posts on subjects of general interest like recording audio in the camera and the performance of the time code system.

I think most of my choices are the obvious ones that anyone reading the threads would select. In one case I might be persuaded that I quoted too much. On the subject of timecode performance, I quoted both Richard Lightstone's very thorough and detailed explanation of how to jam the camera and also the even more detailed explanation from Nelson Stoll and Lou Wiskis. The interests of brevity might be served by discarding Richard's post in favor of the very thorough post from Nelson Stoll. However, Richard's contribution is particularly lucid so I was loathe to lose it.

My suggested Alexa precis is in the following post. Please look it over and share your thoughts as to whether this makes a good model for a library of subjects of general interest.

David

[David Waelder]

Arri Alexa camera

The Alexa is a new digital camera manufactured by Arriflex, a German company with a long history of making professional film cameras. Information about the camera is available from the manufacturer’s website:

http://www.arri.de/camera/digital_cameras

An on-line simulator for entering set-up data is available on the Arri site here:

http://www.arri.com/camera/digital_cameras/tools/alexa_camera_simulator.html

A list of FAQs is available on the Arri site here:

http://www.arri.com/camera/digital_cameras/learn/alexa_faq.html?no_cache=1

Several threads on JW-Sound deal with the new Arriflex digital camera and how it may interface with audio recording. Topics include: Timecode In and Out, Recording Audio in the Camera, Making Audio Connections, and similar subjects. Among the most relevant are:

Arri Alexa audio –

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/6824-arri-alexa-audio/

Alexa Time Code OUT ? –

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/9646-alexa-time-code-out/

More Alexa Timecode Sync Info –

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/6892-more-alexa-timecode-sync-info/

Arri Alexa Menu Simulator –

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/6989-arri-alexa-menu-simulator/

[editor’s note- the URL of the simulator appears to have changed. The correct link as of February 2012 is listed above]

Arri Alexa On Board Sound-

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/6976-arri-alexa-onboard-sound/

Anyway Hook Up with Arri Alexa-

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/7051-anyway-hook-up-with-arri-alexa/

Do I Need a Sync Box to Keep an Arri Alexa TC Jammed-

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/7149-do-i-need-a-sync-box-to-keep-an-arri-alexa-tc-jammed-for-a-couple-of-hours/

There are other threads dealing with these and other related subjects. Entering the following into a Google Search Box will pull up a complete list:

site:jwsoundgroup.net Alexa

HIGHLIGHTS from the posts

It should be understood that JW Sound, as an open forum, accepts posts from all registered participants. Some contributors are well qualified to speak on technical matters and some are less qualified. The excerpts quoted below are the opinions of the individual posters. While we would not knowingly reprint falsehoods, there can be no assurance that this information is correct. Furthermore, technical specifications change as equipment evolves; information that was accurate at one time may become stale. This service is provided for public benefit and the user is responsible for checking accuracy before applying this information to a project.

Also please note that threads quoted here are not necessarily reproduced in their entirety, they may be excerpted.

On-Board Audio Performance

Phillip Perkins, February 7, 2011

We ran some tests on the newly-enabled audio recording aspect of the Arri Alexa today. I'm happy to report that they did a MUCH better job on sound than RED did. The Alexa allows a pretty wide range of trimming of the each channel of input levels (separately), using the whole height of the display in that mode. (I was able to trim up a -10 input to nominal level, for instance.) The audio output is similarly precise to set (or can be switched to a fixed level mode). When you go back to the "home screen" there is a small audio meter above the TC display--good for a confidence check. The audio plays out the TRS mini jack in E- to E and record--the sound was good but the level isn't tremendous--low in fact even when turned all the way up. The audio (in record and e- to e) also plays out the HDSDI output, and puts little level meters on the screen (but off the image, one in each corner of the monitor). With this firmware the picture will playback on the camera....without audio. We listened to a comparison of the same audio recorded on my 744 from the same mixer through my studio monitors--I felt like the camera audio was a little thinner and lacking in midrange detail, but certainly as good as what I recall high-end Sony and Pana cameras sounding like, and quieter than lesser cameras like EX, HVX-200 etc.

Wanderingear, September 30, 2011

The audio input is line level only, but has a good amount of gain adjustment, something like 20db in each direction. The camera houses up here (seattle) have not been supplying the 5 pin audio input cable, so it would be worth asking camera to request one in case production decides the want in camera audio.

Eric Toline, March 11, 2011

The audio input on the Alexa is line level only. It records at 24/48 and is just about the best sounding camera I ever heard. There are no external level adjustment controls. You have to go into the menu to get to the audio menu and adjust them with the big knob on the out side. For headphone/output gain make sure that you choose the 3rd option at the bottom of the page (I forgot what it's called).

Audio Connections

Audio Daddyo, February 12, 2011

This is what I know to be standard wiring. Is this what the Alexa is using?

5 Pin

pin 1 shield

pin 2 Left channel +

pin 3 Left channel -

pin 4 Right channel +

pin 5 Right channel –

(Yes) Confirmed same day by Jim Gilchrist and John Blankenship.

Time Code

RP Sharman, March 25, 2011

The Alexa contains a clock made by Ambient, and therefore holds time code as well as a Lockit box. Once the Alexa is jammed (you can do this from a Denecke slate or TC box, Lockit box, recorder, whatever), there is an internal battery which holds the time during battery changes. This should certainly be good for 6 hours.

Richard Lightstone, March 25, 2011

I have a "first person" perspective, after just completing a pilot with 3 Arri Alexas. My crew jammed them via a Denecke Time Code slate in the morning and after lunch. Contrary to what Robert wrote, they do not have to be jammed after a "frame rate" change, but he is correct that the Arri uses an Ambient TC clock.

The Alexa will maintain time code after a battery change, but it is recommended that you re-jam the camera if it has been powered down for over ten minutes or more.

The menu is really easy to navigate and here is the step by step external jamming procedure with thanks to Robert Kennedy of Coffey Sound:

Jamming TC into an Arri Alexa:

power on alexa

go to timecode page by pressing TC button

go into options and change the mode to "Ext Jam" using rotating push dial

connect TC source

press info button to go to info page, wait for it to say "system good"

go back to timecode page and change to INT TC

remove timecode source

press TC button and compare to slate (if jammed properly it will be ~1 frame off)

Richard Lightstone, April 3, 2011

The instructions from Robert Kennedy has a typo. The display screen on the Alexa will be about one second off from your slate. However the internal TC on the Alexa will be correct.

Larry Long, March 26, 2011

I'm working on a pilot for ABC now using these cameras, I'm using Denecke SBt's. The problems we've encountered are when the cameras are rebooted they must be rejammed (not battery changes)

Phillip Perkins, March 26, 2011

Mostly the Alexa is great for TC. You had better at least check that it is still on the same TC as you jammed if they either reboot the camera or change the frame rate to something off-speed and then back to sound speed. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes it's not. Fortunately it's easy to just look at the display on the side of the camera. In my experience, if the Alexa blows its jam, it goes all the way back to counting from 00:00:00:00, so it is is easy to see that you aren't jam synced anymore.

Nelson Stoll, February 17, 2011

Below is a detailed cheat sheet for the jam process compiled by the Utility Person, Lou Wiskis.

Arri Alexa Timecode Jam Sequence

Date: 2/16/11

Firmware Version: 3.0RC_12575

Menu settings for external jam sync:

Source: Ext LTC

Mode: Free Run

Generator: Jam Sync

User bit source: LTC in UB

Jam Sequence:

1. Power Camera on, timecode display will begin counting at 00.00.00:00

2. Plug in sync cable (5 pin Lemo) from jam source

3. After approximately 2 seconds, "i" will begin flashing on camera display

4. After approximately 2 more seconds, timecode display will begin flashing and display correct timecode

5. After approximately 2 more seconds, "i" will stop flashing, timecode will continue flashing

6. After approximately 2 more seconds, timecode will stop flashing

The camera is now jammed. In the current firmware the camera's timecode display will read approximately 1 second behind actual timecode, (internal camera timecode is correct). There is no need to enter any menus or press any buttons to jam the camera.

Notes:

1) The menu sync settings are persistent; the camera will hold the settings after being powered down with no power source until the settings are reset.

2) The Alexa camera will continue to hold sync if powered down as long as a power source is connected. It will also hold sync for more than 10 minutes when no power supply is connected, allowing for battery or external power source change. In practice, the camera may hold sync for as long as 30 minutes when the power supply is disconnected.

3) The Alexa internal TimeCode clock is licensed from Ambient and allows tuning to improve the clock accuracy from the Ambient Controller ACC 101, just like the Lockit and Ambient slates.

4) If the ACC101 displays a ‚ ¨Sconnection error‚ ¨¶‚ ¨ù message, pressing ‚ ¨Senter‚ ¨ù on the ACC101 will clear the message and return to the tuning menu. On occasion, simply retrying the tuning process should result in correct tuning of the camera. If multiple connection errors occur, jamming the camera from the ACC101, and then re-running the tuning process, usually fixes the issue. If the camera is jammed to the ACC101 and a connection error is still displayed, simply retry the tuning process again.

Phil Perkins, February 17, 2011

Hiya Nelson. In practice I've found that the TC holding thru battery changes is not 100%--it sometimes loses the jam (back to all zeros). We also found that it would sometimes reset itself when changing frame rates from and back to sound speed. Otherwise, no complaints. No problems jamming at all, whether from SBT, SB2A or directly from the TC output of a recorder.

INFORMATION ASSEMBLED BY: David Waelder, February 2012

[Jeff Wexler]

This is fantastic, David! What you have done here (and believe me, I know the effort involved in just this one example of an abstract or digest) is exactly the sort of thing I think our members want and would be pleased to have integrated into the already popular JWSOUND site. I do have a structure setup already that would provide a site (could be though of as just additional pages to this site) that could contain digests like you have presented here with all the useful links, external to JWSOUND and also links to JWSOUND. I will contact you privately to discuss this.

What would be needed would be a core of volunteers, like David, who have editorial skills and the necessary generosity of their time to populate this new site. There have been a few who have already offered their time and service so we may be off to a good start.

[Jim Feeley]

Check out the "Edited Discussions" section of Cinematography.net site (home of the many CML email lists):

http://www.cinematography.net/

Geoff Boyle and crew (mostly crew here) put a lot of time into editing and preserving useful information that comes up on their email lists. Might be some ideas and experiences that we here can use to get a similar project off the ground.

[Jan McL]

Would be delighted to copyedit as needed or whatever needs doing.

Awesome, Mr. Waelder (have not read the piece), even a brief scan gives me shivers of gratitude.

-- Jan

[Jeff Wexler]

Check out the "Edited Discussions" section of Cinematography.net site (home of the many CML email lists):

http://www.cinematography.net/

Geoff Boyle and crew (mostly crew here) put a lot of time into editing and preserving useful information that comes up on their email lists. Might be some ideas and experiences that we here can use to get a similar project off the ground.

Thanks for the tip about "Edited Discussions" --- gives me some really good ideas how to achieve integration between this forum and pages that would contain the actual edited discussions.

[TimPitot]

Will This Block Frequency Work in City X?

Sticky This! Great idea and very useful for those of us that travel a lot.

[studiomprd]

" Will This Block Frequency Work in City X? "

YES

[David Waelder]

Thank you, Jeff, for your appreciation of the effort involved.

Actually, it wasn't all that difficult. (We don't want to scare away any potential volunteers.) At a guess, I would say I spent a bit over two hours compiling the material on the Alexa camera. I didn't actually log my time so I don't know exactly. And I did put in some time thinking about the task before I actually sat down and tackled it. So it required a bit of effort but it wasn't an all-consuming, weekend devouring project.

Of course, I chose a managable topic for my first effort. Discussions of the Nomad or Red cameras have so many posts that it would take awhile to wade through them all. But I expect it's rather like having too many dalies because the director printed everything. It takes awhile to look at everything but it soon distills down to the few posts that really advance the discussion.

Jim, thanks for the link to the "Edited Discussions" section of Cinematography.net. Theirs is quite an extensive compilation. On first acquaintance, it looks to me more like a "greatest hits" assembly than a focused resource. For JWSound I had something more structured in mind. But that's just my thinking and there's value to a greatest hits section as well.

David

[Jim Feeley]

Ya, the CML "Edited Discussions" are pretty much greatest hits; that's a good way to put it. But the curators/editors are experienced people and are pretty good at selecting stuff that will have some long(ish)-term value.

It would be great to have a more structured resource, perhaps something wiki-like. But as a wounded veteran of several wiki projects, the more structure we want to impose, the more work we're looking at, and the greater likelihood that we don't finish or maintain or optimize the thing (and I say this as a guy who spent many years as a magazine/online writer and editor...I'm an actual expert on this stuff). And ya, I'm willing to help a bit. But we'd need a dedicated person or two to oversee and drive everything if we want something totally groovy.

I'm all for a great resource, but I'd settle for an OK one...

[David A-Ribeiro]

Excellent idea. I´m surely not the only one occasionally frustrated at not being able to find those insightful threads you once read and wish to re-read. And then you do not remember the title, the keywords don´t take you there,etc. And it feels like a waste of incredible resources that are stored in this group.

I volunteer to help with editing, reading, or any task I might be qualified to and that may contribute to this.