Eric Toline Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 Here's the first one that I made. Designed as a breakaway for SD standard multipin cables. Seriously considering sales. 24" long tip to tip. Comments & suggestions welcomed. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriskellett Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 Hi Eric, Why so short? Why not use the more common quick release connector on the end? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted February 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 Hi Eric, Why so short? Why not use the more common quick release connector on the end? It was designed as a breakaway for the SD supplied cable assembly which is all I use. I don't do any "quick release" type jobs so I'll have to find the quick release connector manufacturer and model number and make one up in that configuration. Thanks for the heads up on the connector. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 I'll have to find the quick release connector manufacturer and model number and make one up in that configuration. It's a female Neutricon connector made my Neutrik. Trew carries them although they aren't listed in the connector section, here's an example on one of their camera connects: http://www.trewaudio.com/store/product.php?productid=619&cat=13&page=1 Here's a Neutrik page that shows the individual parts: http://www.neutrik.com/us/en/industry/204_1505413780/neutriCON_-_Modular_System_productlist.aspx Here's a link to the connectors on Markertek's site: http://tinyurl.com/4jemnzk The tricky part about wiring them (besides 8 pins in a tight formation), is that the inserts can easily fit into the housing rotated to the wrong position. It's also possible to swap which housing the inserts go into. Also, note that Trew's breakaway wiring is a bit different from that used by PSC. You can get the connectors from Trew as a set so you don't have to specify all the pieces individually as on the Neutrik page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted February 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 bad decision not to make both right angles , that one would not lust From the close up pictures that I saw it appears that a 5 pin right angle will not work with an Alexa as the 5 pin female is on a recessed place that will prevent the 5 pin male from locking. I will confirm in person this week. Changing the HP return to a RA is no problem, I used what I had here. Lust=last? Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael P Clark Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 Right Angle won't work. I have to say that the design of the audio input by Arri is the worst design I have ever seen. The XLR release towards the front. If the right angle went north, it would go right into the lens, if it went south, it bumps into the rack rail tension knob. Also, with the XLR connected, the rail tension knob can't be turned, because it bumps into the XLR housing, right angle or not! If camera doesn't use the top rack rails, you would be fine, but jeez, what were they thinking! Thankfully, because of all this, I was able to NOT have to send a scratch track. Aside from that the size of this camera doesn't allow for a too many accessories to be hanging off of them(ie, comtek, sync box). I had the 1st AC actually ask if I could jam the cameras instead of having the SBT attached to the camera due to limited space. Nice try, but I'm not going to be the guinea pig on that one! It was a nice bargaining tool however, I'll try to get the comtek off, but you have to give me the SBT:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 Right angle 5pin XLRs work just fine in the up setting. Ron @ PSC is making camera tails for PSC camera snakes. The Alexa rail mount has a pull out adjustable lever just like on Rycote pistol grips so they can tighten the rails with the audio plugged in. As for timecode jamming the Alexa will hold sync for 10+ hours and the Alexa can be tuned by the Ambient masterclock. The Alexa will hold timecode sync during battery changes for approx ten minutes. When we tested it looked to us like the Neutrik right angle 5 pin would work fine, and the shooters liked the idea. The tail of the connector in the 9 o'clock position won't cover up anything the camera people need to get to in the lens, and the cable can be routed up to the handle and then tied off towards the back to the camera. In truth, the Switchcraft straight XLR doesn't stick out enough that it would be an issue in any but the most run/gun situations. The main thing the shooters wanted was to NOT have a pair of A3Fs dangling off the front of the camera, so the adapter cable or snake fan needs to be long enough to put the connectors at the rear of the camera. My experience w/ Alexa TC jam has been very positive so far--best of any video camera I've ever worked with. You do have to be careful about whether or not the jam has held after camera frame rate changes. phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Daddyo Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 The main thing the shooters wanted was to NOT have a pair of A3Fs dangling off the front of the camera, so the adapter cable or snake fan needs to be long enough to put the connectors at the rear of the camera. phil p Do you have any idea how long that cable should be? Thinking I might make one. Thanks, Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Daddyo Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 I went with 28" of cable showing which allowed me to wrap around the handle for strain relief. THANKS!! Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael P Clark Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 Right angle 5pin XLRs work just fine in the up setting. Ron @ PSC is making camera tails for PSC camera snakes. The Alexa rail mount has a pull out adjustable lever just like on Rycote pistol grips so they can tighten the rails with the audio plugged in. As for timecode jamming the Alexa will hold sync for 10+ hours and the Alexa can be tuned by the Ambient masterclock. The Alexa will hold timecode sync during battery changes for approx ten minutes. NO, it won't work! *wink* *wink* >nudge<>nudge< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikefilosa Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 I did a few tests going back and forth Scott - Did you get a chance to check on TC holding stability with battery changes - or shutdown-time of various lengths? (Some battery changes do take longer than others!) For me, that is where the rubber meets the road on my needing an SBT or Lockit... Michael Filosa, CAS Atlanta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izen Ears Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 I'm sorry I have nothing to add to this thread, except to say that I worked with this camera the other day and it was hilarious watching the camera dudes run around like fire ants getting surprised. They had a 5-pin -to- 2xXLR cable and they set my tone at -20 and it worked! Dan Izen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 Scott - Did you get a chance to check on TC holding stability with battery changes - or shutdown-time of various lengths? (Some battery changes do take longer than others!) For me, that is where the rubber meets the road on my needing an SBT or Lockit... Michael Filosa, CAS Atlanta For me some changes nuked the jammed code and others did not. Ditto for frame rate changes. We left the SBT on the camera all the time, but unplugged, handy if I walked over and the code was wrong. The display works very well, and the menus/buttons for TC and audio settings I was able to figure out w/o the manual. I did audio tests and it didn't sound quite as good to me as my 744 (mostly midrange detail issues) but it was as good as other high-end cameras (this was not a blind test though). I'm not at all thrilled with the idea of recording audio to any camera, but Arri did at least as good a job as Sony and Panasonic do on their upper-end cameras. phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Jones Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 Re: Timecode input Just wondering if it had a Genlock in, or if everyone was treating it like the RED and just feeding TC? I'd like to be able to just use my SB-3 for this... Thanks for all the info already, A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Here are my findings after testing two Alexa's @ Abel Cine Tech Burbank Arri Alexa v3.0 (3.0RC3:12575) - updated as of 02/11/2011 Internal TC jams (or fed) via LEMO, for 10+ hours (tested w/ACC501 and shooting a slate) No Genlock Holds timecode sync approx 10 min - (during battery change) Audio input via 5 pin XLR line level only - range -5 to +25 dB of gain each channel Analog Input Audio outputs via HD-SDI port and headphone jack 24bit 48kHz There are no hardware mic preamps or options for mic level You do see the levels on a two track segmented meter on the home screen No playback output with this release Internal timecode can be tuned with master clock (Ambient ACC501) Holds jammed timecode when run at off speeds then back to normal speed - shot slate and compared timecode frame by frame Timecode in the LCD screen is approx 2 frames out of sync Notes Headphone menu needs value numbers Timecode feed must be same as camera settings Would like to see timecode in the timecode setup menu We still see TC "return to zero" on some battery changes and frame rate changes--best to check the TC for each time that happens. The 2 frame diff on the display could the the latency of the display and or the internal TC reader--it would be interesting to know why (and how) that is off sync (although that small a diff is pretty tough to see as the TC goes by in real time). (2 Alexas tested @ Chater Camera, Berkeley CA). Peter Engh is offering an adapter cable (Rt Angle 5 pin/ TRS mini male to 2 A3F/TRS mini Female), looks like a good deal if you don't want to roll your own. I'd prefer a fan for my beta snake and skip all the A3f/m weight etc. phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriskellett Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 We still see TC "return to zero" on some battery changes and frame rate changes--best to check the TC for each time that happens. The 2 frame diff on the display could the the latency of the display and or the internal TC reader--it would be interesting to know why (and how) that is off sync (although that small a diff is pretty tough to see as the TC goes by in real time). (2 Alexas tested @ Chater Camera, Berkeley CA). Peter Engh is offering an adapter cable (Rt Angle 5 pin/ TRS mini male to 2 A3F/TRS mini Female), looks like a good deal if you don't want to roll your own. I'd prefer a fan for my beta snake and skip all the A3f/m weight etc. phil p Hi Phil. We have had two Alexa's on a job all month and we too are seeing one of them that will reset the TC to zero often during battery changes from time to time and the other one does not seem to do this. We have not yet figured out the difference between the two units that has caused this, all things seem to be the same between them both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Hi Phil. We have had two Alexa's on a job all month and we too are seeing one of them that will reset the TC to zero often during battery changes from time to time and the other one does not seem to do this. We have not yet figured out the difference between the two units that has caused this, all things seem to be the same between them both. Maybe it's a hardware thing--what rev the internal boards are etc.. Re genlock, I was advised by the Arri guy to NOT hook anything up to the sync port for now (like sync from an SBT etc), which makes sense if the camera pays no attention to it anyway. But that means you can't run in External Sync mode except to get its jam going. phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Paine Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 No aption for digital audio input ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewest Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Just working on the first sound into Alexa shoot in NZ I'm feeding with an Lectro 100 as a guide Jammed code via a Denecke SB2a which camera team keeps with them German ARRI teck says 8 hours then re-jam Using a Denecke TS3 also Perfect!!!!!!!!!!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Just working on the first sound into Alexa shoot in NZ I'm feeding with an Lectro 100 as a guide Jammed code via a Denecke SB2a which camera team keeps with them German ARRI teck says 8 hours then re-jam Using a Denecke TS3 also Perfect!!!!!!!!!!!! Mike I can't recall any video camera ever holding a jam that long. Go Arri. phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewest Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 Any comments or info on the sound quality of the Alexa yet????? mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted February 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 Any comments or info on the sound quality of the Alexa yet????? mike A quote from Phil Perkins on here on Feb 13th: " I did audio tests and it didn't sound quite as good to me as my 744 (mostly midrange detail issues) but it was as good as other high-end cameras (this was not a blind test though). I'm not at all thrilled with the idea of recording audio to any camera, but Arri did at least as good a job as Sony and Panasonic do on their upper-end cameras." Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted February 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 When we tested it looked to us like the Neutrik right angle 5 pin would work fine, and the shooters liked the idea. The tail of the connector in the 9 o'clock position won't cover up anything the camera people need to get to in the lens, and the cable can be routed up to the handle and then tied off towards the back to the camera. In truth, the Switchcraft straight XLR doesn't stick out enough that it would be an issue in any but the most run/gun situations. The main thing the shooters wanted was to NOT have a pair of A3Fs dangling off the front of the camera, so the adapter cable or snake fan needs to be long enough to put the connectors at the rear of the camera. My experience w/ Alexa TC jam has been very positive so far--best of any video camera I've ever worked with. You do have to be careful about whether or not the jam has held after camera frame rate changes. phil p Here's a picture of the Alexa breakaway by Peter Engh. No idea about price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 It's true I didn't think the Alexa audio was up to the level of detail of my 744, but it is quite good. I also didn't think it handled loud transients and the key test as well my my recorder either. That said, it is at least as good sounding as the F35 I've been working with lately, and better than all the small-size cams I've used. I also have a hunch, not proven, that it records better audio than what you hear back on its headphone jack, like several other video cameras..... phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted February 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 For those who asked about an Alexa breakaway with the quick release Neutricon connector here it is. 28" long with HP return and spare HP connection for the camera op. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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