Scratch Audio Track To Alexa

[Thomas Beach]

Did some research here and found some posts on this.  But if I recall, all were rather old.  Hence my starting the topic up again.

 

Need to know what solutions currently work best for sending a wireless hop to the Alexa for a scratch audio reference track.  Presently, I have some older Lectro UCR100's which would seem ideal for this purpose.  Can anyone tell me whether they have tried using these units with the Alexa?  And what success or pitfalls they have encountered?

 

Also, if these units will do the job, can you tell me the wiring scheme from the 3.5mm UCR100 Out to the 5-Pin XLR In?

 

Finally, as a backup, I have Comtek PR-72b's available should that be considered a better solution, although I would imagine not.

 

Thanks very much.

 

Tom

[John Blankenship]

The threads may be old but the Alexa audio wiring scheme hadn't changed. It's fully discussed in several of those threads. That's one reason its good to continue existing discussions rather than starting new ones -- it becomes much easier to research such things with fewer threads..

I wouldn't use the Comteks, but the Lectros should work fine. You'll only know for sure when you try it, as there are always many variables, such as frequency bands, etc.

[afewmoreyears]

Personally I try to NEVER send audio to it unless it is absolutely demanded.... In that case I run it really low so they CANT use it.. I want them to use my tracks... We normally treat it as a film camera.. Slate and duel system... I always use a Comtek for what its worth..LOL..

[studiomprd]

" , I have some older Lectro UCR100's which would seem ideal for this purpose. "

as JB has said, plus: while you have answered your own question, you can't figure it out...?

[Thomas Beach]

A collective thanks.

 

John:  I started the new thread  because a two year+ old thread is ancient in the world of digital cameras.  I wanted to be sure Arri hadn't done something different in the interim.  

 

Few: As for sending the audio, yes, the client is demanding it as they wish to make use of Plural Eyes in post.

 

Mike: If you re-read my post you'll notice I asked if anyone else out there had had experience in using the 100's w/the Alexa for the described purpose.  I have never hopped the Alexa and as such, I have never used Lectro 100's with it either.  So I don't know what you mean by "...you have answered your own question."   As for the wiring, yes, I'm sure I can figure it out by consulting the Alexa 5-pinXLR wiring schematic and the aforementioned older posts.

[al mcguire]

Mike needs to contact his manufacturer for a much needed update.

[Marc Wielage]

Alexa audio wiring discussed here:

 

[mikewest]

For simple and more static shoots (like tomorrow) I hard wire from Aux2 of my 664

 

Reliable, simple and serves as a backup

 

Editors tend to like even just a guide with video cameras

 

mike

[Marc Wielage]

It's amazing how much editorial gripes when they don't get a scratch track these days. I reminded one recently, "hey, you should try syncing up material from film, where there is no scratch track!"  Eh, these kids today who get accustomed to doing it the easy way...

[ProSound]

I agree Marc had a issue few weeks ago where we had to strip down a c-300 for a few shots so it was just double system post had a melt down and wanted to know what " malfunctioned" and why they had no camera audio I told them nothing the DP needed to remove camera from rig so use timecode slate and camera timecode they told me to make sure it doesn't happen again lol it was only 3 takes one angle

[Mirror]

Quick story of why I truly dislike sending a scratch track to camera:

 

Did a big commercial 3 weeks ago and sent a hardline scratch track to the camera.  Yesterday I start getting emails wanting to know where the sound files for the shoot are and do I have them.  I told them I gave them to the DIT and he copied them to his drive.  They can't find them.  We'll I say, your in luck, I haven't erased my drive yet and still have a copy on my Deva.  I'm now in the process of sending them over the internet.

 

It took them 3 weeks to realize that they didn't have the sound files.  They were editing off the scratch track.  

 

Here's the point of my grip - If there had been no scratch track they would of know they had a problem the next morning and the problem would of been quickly solved! 

 

I am not in the file archiving business. A few days later and those files would of been erased.  

[Mick]

The reason some editors like a scratch track is so that if time code drifts, like it nearly always does on a Red more than the Alexa, then they can use pluralize to sync it. (I've never seen this particular software so i hope I spelled it correctly)

Comtek hop to the Alexa worked fine for me you just have to have their particular brand of split XLR breakout cable.

[Mirror]

The reason some editors like a scratch track is so that if time code drifts, like it nearly always does on a Red more than the Alexa, then they can use pluralize to sync it. (I've never seen this particular software so i hope I spelled it correctly)

Comtek hop to the Alexa worked fine for me you just have to have their particular brand of split XLR breakout cable.

 

 

I know all their reasons for them wanting a scratch track on the camera but having the scratch track makes them lazy in checking that all is good with the production tracks. In my case, it almost caused them to lose the production tracks.

[John Blankenship]

I have a regular client who wants a nice, hot camera track to edit with and only conforms the production audio when the edit is finished. He prefers a thirty second conform vs conforming dozens of takes.

He knows what he's doing, and why. It's the clients who don't know what they're doing, or why, that are a problem waiting to surface.

[old school]

A hardwire feed to an Alexa is about as good as the production mix on the Deva. I wonder what their issue was? Maybe they wanted the iso's for some reason. I've save a number of post people with my back up files like mirror did and I'm always shocked the DIT's drives lacked them. That I find hard to believe. 

CrewC

[studiomprd]

" I asked if anyone else out there had had experience in using the 100's w/the Alexa for the described purpose. "

give me a break....

you've been in this business more than a few weeks...

and you did say scratch tracks, right....

even though recording of audio fed to the Alexa is about as good as recordings made on double system recorders...anyone for a blind listening comparison test?

 

and as I just noted in another thread:  I don't believe we are an archiving service (at least not for free), or are we ?? What if the recorder I used was a rental, and went back..??  (or aren't we allowed to use rentals?)