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Timecode and Varicam?


alenK

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Hi,

 I have a camera colleague who wants to use his Panasonic HPX3700 Varicam with a wireless hop, and I want to use my Sound Devices 633 as the sound recorder and or backup recorder with a Tentacle Sync on the camera to keep timecode matched.

 

 I tried searching and reading and ended up getting confused about how to sync the Varicam to various project timecodes and framerates. For example; I saw some mention of "cross jammimg" and I am unfamiliar with the process.

 

 Can someone offer a step by step procedure for doing this properly with a Varicam type camera? 

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

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 I have read examples such as this: If the project is 23.98fps you set one of the Varicam's menu settings to work with 23.98 but send it 29.97 timecode, and then somehow it converts the 29.97 internally to 23.98.

 

 So, does this mean the step by step is:

1) Set my clock on the Sound Devices 6 series

2) Set the timecode to 29.97 (drop or non drop?)

3) Jam to the camera or to a lock it box and attach it to the camera.

 

Then, once the camera is running with the 29.97 timecode

 

4) Switch timecode on the Sound Devices 6 series mixer/recorder to 23.98. 

 

Is that how it works? If so, that seems easy to remember...

 

Now, I have to figure out how to understand the menu choices in the Varicam. I gather that the System level choices are more specific to timecode selections than the Variable Frame Rate settings that the camera operators seem to be interested in.

 

Thank you.

 

 

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Hi Alen. I have not worked with the new Vari-Cam, but if it’s like the previous models and the HPX series, the time bass is probably a constant 59.94. When the cameraman sets it to 23.98  the Vari-Cam uses a pull down method to achieve the 24 frame look. I have always set my 664 or 633 to 29.97 nd, same for the sync box, the camera takes a cross jam from the sync box  and everything itimecode wise is proper. Drop frame will not work if camera is at 23.98. Someone more familiar with the math part of the equation can better explain what is going on. There have been several posts on this site regarding this very topic. 

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Hello,

 Thank you to both for the helpful information. It helped me to search further and find extra info. 

 

 I was thinking the term "cross jamming" was an abstract idea, but now I think I understand that it is a specific function that occurs within an appliance that is capable of cross jamming.

 

 I also found this page at Sound Devices: https://www.sounddevices.com/tech-notes/double-system-sound-with-the-panasonic-varicam which has seemed very helpful.

 

 Thank you..

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