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Ipad Movie slate Hd Apps ver2.2


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Having seen traditional slates dropped and slammed around sets for years, I'd hate to see how long an iPad could withstand this kind of abuse. That glass would be cracked in a day and a half (or less). I'm also very skeptical about longterm timecode stability.

My fear is that people buy this stuff because it's cheap ($499) and looks high-tech, not necessarily because it's a good idea.

--Marc W.

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I use a ipod/iphone app called LTCReader which turns the ipod into a time code reader/display. It is hardwired to my 788T so there's no chance of drift. I wear it on my harness and use it mostly for DSLR run-and-gun shoots.

Full write up on my blog:

http://www.jfasound.com/Site/Blog.html

"LTCReader, an iPod Touch/iPhone application that reads time code via the headphones input (custom cable also provided by Gotham).

Cheers,

Jesse

Very interesting thanks.......

The headphone socket (3.5mm jack) I've always thought of as an output is it also an input on an iphone?

Any info about the Gotham custom cable please - wiring / any resistors etc.

thanks

Mick

Hey I've just answered my own questions by going to the manufacturers website - how about that? :)

http://www.rdklein.com/LTCReader/ltcreader.html

Its a four pole jack with a mic input, and there's a lovely schematic diagram for the cable

post-371-130815089412_thumb.jpg

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  • 5 weeks later...

and:

from the manufacturer:

<blockquote>Does this Slate Software Generate SMPTE Time code? </blockquote><blockquote>in other words can i use it as the Master Clock to Sync Multiple Camera's ?</blockquote>

Yes, with the purchase of the optional $50 "Timecode Sync PRO" module MovieSlate can generate LTC timecode.  With the PRO module, MovieSlate can also read timecode from external audio sources (like cameras, timecode generators, and sound recorders).

MovieSlate supports these LTC frame rates: 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30.

Here's an FAQ on our website

http://www.pureblendsoftware.com/FAQs/10178/

about the cables required, how to try before you buy, and how to troubleshoot issues.  Our apologies that this info isn't easier to find on our website; we've been so busy updating the MovieSlate software that we are only now starting efforts to update the website.

--CliffCliff JoycePureBlend Softwarewww.PureBlendSoftware.com

I have no personal experience with this thing....  wonder about accuracy, not thats its impossible but how is it accomplished. I wonder ............

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Ambient now have their 'Clockit' App, the basic TC reader version of which is free!!

Jumpsart is a dead cheap TC generator app for iPhone.

I agree that the long term 'clock' stability of any of these is bound to be questionable.... but - if you need to set a start of dat TC, and squirt it into a bunch of other things, over the space of a few minutes, then I would suggest that the accuracy of an internal IPhone clock is probably insignificant!!!

Kindest regards,

Simon B

I use a ipod/iphone app called LTCReader which turns the ipod into a time code reader/display. It is hardwired to my 788T so there's no chance of drift. I wear it on my harness and use it mostly for DSLR run-and-gun shoots.

Full write up on my blog:

http://www.jfasound.com/Site/Blog.html

Cheers,

Jesse

       
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on Jesse's blog he said, "Thanks to Peter Schneider at Gotham Sound I found LTCReader, an iPod Touch/iPhone application that reads time code via the headphones input (custom cable also provided by Gotham)." so i guess you should call up Gotham Sound and see if Peter can widdle you one up.

*Edit. Noah got me by 30 seconds...

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  • 2 months later...

so it seems pretty obvious that the movie slate app should not be used as a timecode generator since it is unstable but as anyone ever tried to send out a ltc signal out of a 744t sound devices recorder (or any other tc generator) to a (lemo to iphone jack) plugged ipod/phone then wi-fi sent to a ipad slate? any comments? was it timecode accurate?

thanks!

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

hey Scott,

yes i saw this test too. it basically compares the timecode generator accuracy from the ipad to the real professionnal equipment. it s no surprise that it ends up drifting so therefor it is not good enough to be jam synced with another device. but i am more thinking of a way to continously hardwire feed tlc signal into a ipod (like the JFAsound guy in this discussion ) and then send the signal through wi-fi to IPAD slate, like the movie slate app website says it can:

http://www.pureblendsoftware.com/movieslate3

the main issue seems to be that in order to wi-fi sync two devices you need a wi-fi network and without jailbreaking the ipod touch, you basically depend on a external wi-fi network to make this work... for soundbag users like me it s not very practical...

how to create a wi-fi network with a ipod touch:

anybody got any comments/ideas about this anyone?

i can see that work pretty well but i see some challenges into making this work and testing it..

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  • 2 weeks later...

yes some have and its not so good

I know somebody who tried the iPad slate a week or two ago on a quickie project and commented to me that the brightness on the iPad is nowhere near a "real" slate. Me personally, I worry about the relative fragility of the glass screen. A standard Denecke TS3 makes a lot more sense to me, especially as a workhouse and for stability.

--Marc W.

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I'm not surprised that the brightness wouldn't match a Denecke. Older LED-type displays are a lot more powerful at a limited function range than a full-on LCD display.

Syncing timecode over wifi... I'd be concerned about latency of the signal. I'm working some theories about this, and as soon as I get my hands on an ipad I plan to start some small tests of stability of the signal. I think there might be a way to jam it over audio wireless from a master somewhere else, and that would eliminate the drift problem.

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I'm not surprised that the brightness wouldn't match a Denecke. Older LED-type displays are a lot more powerful at a limited function range than a full-on LCD display.

Syncing timecode over wifi... I'd be concerned about latency of the signal. I'm working some theories about this, and as soon as I get my hands on an ipad I plan to start some small tests of stability of the signal. I think there might be a way to jam it over audio wireless from a master somewhere else, and that would eliminate the drift problem.

hey geordi,

i would be curious to see what you come up with once you run some testing with the ipad. the develloper of the app says that there is a 1/100th of a second latency with the wi-fi processing (wich would be less than approx 1/3 of a frame). i m sure that you could use senheiser packs (g2, g3) and send it to a simple (and free) ambient ltc reader app on a ipad, and even an extra reciever on the camera to feed in tc. but that creates more batteries to check/change etc...  but now since sound devices released the cl wifi thing it is most definetly changing the picture (at least for sound devices 788 users). and hopefully we will see apps like movieslate becoming compatible with it. it would be, in my humble opinion, the best way to go..

i agree with other comments about visibility issues with the ipad and for durability, i m sure that if you protect it smartly, it s doable. and extra power plugins things are outhere too for long days. also, as anyone ever heard of a simple LED ltc timecode display that you could plug into a ipod for sale anywhere? i know there bunch of ''how to'' about it on youtube but i have yet to venture into making one... looks like it s a diy case for now..

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@marc: yes i agree too that a denecke slate is definetly still the way to go for now, but i do think that automated sound reports from the movie slate app and remote controll and metering from the cl-wifi when hopefully one day combined under the cl wifi network will create a new possible way to work.

and while we there, imagine if we could have audio monitoring though the ipad jack from the wifi feed.. we could use a ipad as a full-on independent remote and save our backs for 10-15 pounds bags..

it might look a little far for now, but i hope this is where it s heading

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I thought about the Senheiser packs, and yes battery life is another problem... But for the timecode signal, I think that the compander in the wireless is a bigger issue. A wireless TC distribution system is exactly the idea that I had, using one transmitter and multiple receivers. The trick will be using a system that doesn't alter the audio signal of the TC.

Battery life also can be worked with, I've used some older wireless systems (very cheap now thankfully) that don't have a lot of features, but do have INSANE battery life - Like 10 hours on alkaline 9 volts. I can't imagine what they would do on the lithiums or rechargables. The nice thing is that these don't have companders either. The fidelity isn't great, but they should (hopefully) work. Hence why testing is needed. :) I wouldn't mind sending a scratch feed from my 442 (mono) on one of those, and the TC on the other channel for double protection of sync. Then, if they can't see the slate screen b/c of the brightness... You still have TC.

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