JCC

Thanks Jeff (and studiomprd). I will check out the Zaxcom. John

Right, studiomprd - I realize it's subjective, I guess I was asking for subjective opinions, i.e. "how would you do it, knowing what you know now, if you were me?" I like your idea of "taking advantage of my good fortune", and I am, but I know it can't last more than a year or so, and so I'm trying to plan ahead a bit. Thanks. John

I'm trying to figure out my best way forward - new to the field, and purchasing as I go. I've learned very quickly that purchasing without having the end in mind can create some hefty buyers remorse down the road... I'm trying to decide about the optimal field mix set-up- mixer, recorder, and wireless stuff, while taking into consideration that I'm just starting out, and will need to buy as I go. I'm currently capturing audio for ENG style shoots, for television broadcast. I've been working with the 552, and I love it, but I worry about the limitations of being able to only record to two tracks. I have the chance to buy the 442 for about $1,600. If I did that, I'd buy the 744, to be able to record a backup, and to be able to record 4 iso channels, tho I worry about recording from pre-fade direct outs (isn't adjusting/modulating that sound more difficult on the 744?) It seems to me the 788T is the optimal system (8 iso channels, sends TC, external recording), but of course that's expensive. As for wireless, I'm considering buying the Lectro ucr411a, and smqv transmitter, but I just found those dual transmitters, and I see Lectro has a quad box that could hold two dualies really neatly in a bag - again, more expensive. I guess what I'm wondering is: 1. Is my analysis accurate? Am I making reasonable considerations about this equipment - any glaring considerations I'm missing regarding the equipment I'm discussing? 2. Would you guys generally recommend buying the best things first, and buy slowly (since that 788 and quad pack are great things I'll likely always want them anyway - might as well start saving for them now, rather than piddling away at interim gear only to have to buy the best later anyway)? OR, would you recommend starting slow, and as inexpensively as possible, since technology changes so fast, and there's so much to learn before making those huge captital investments? I should add that I have the good fortune to be able to work with someone else's gear - or to rent inexpensively - until I get my gear together. Thanks in advance for any advice! John

Right. Get the right batteries (BR2325) - I'll take note. Thanks Marc. In summary: Next time I use the GR-1 on the HPX 2700: 1. I'll set the GR-1 to 29.97 2. and test the genlock in from the sb-t video out. 3. AND I'll move the TC selector from set to F-run. 1. I expect there's a decent chance the TC will sync if I just set it up with a 29.9 TC frame rate. Seems like cameras in free run grab TC easily from other cameras (at TC in) without genlock in, so I don't understand why Genlock-in would be necessary for the sb-t. 2. I'll still totally try using the genlock in, since phil says it's how it drives the clock 3. One thing I didn't do in retrospect, is move the selector switch from set to F-run. I've heard tell since then that to grab TC from another camera, you have to move the TC selector from set to free run. When/if I face this issue again, I'll bring everything into the rental shop before taking it out, AND I'll let y'all know what finally did the trick. Thanks again, all. John

Thanks Phil and Jim. I'll hook it up with the GENLOCK in. Big help everyone, thank you! John

Thanks Jim. I've been wrestling with that manual for a while now - I expect it's much simpler than I'm making it. My confusion comes largely from the GENLOCK IN connector. I've always assumed GENLOCK was for stringing multiple cameras together so that their individual frames would sync. And since I'm not using multiple cameras, just syncing xternal TC on the sd card in the 552 to the same xternal TC on the camera, I didn't think GENLOCK applied to me. On Page 70 of the manual (you so kindly provided below), step 5, it says "Supply a phase-relationship reference time code (that conforms to the time code requirements) and reference video signals to the TC IN and GENLOCK IN connectors, repectively. When you jammed both the camera and the mixer to the two sbt's, did you run a bnc from the sbt "video out" to the GENLOCK IN input? Thanks again. John

Thanks Charlie. I finally tracked down that bnc to mini cable - works like a charm! I appreciate the response. Thanks to you too, Marc! I'd be happy with "sort- of" synching as well. My first test was at 30fps (the default), but I'm thinking 29.97 ndf would be better too, since this is for broadcast - will definitely pow wow with post people once I figure more of this out... The DP will shoot what he calls "24fps, 48fps, and 60". We obviously won't expect the offspeed stuff to sync, but it'd be nice if we could quickly line-up the 24fps, whenever he goes to that, rather than making the editors search and search within the full songs, which is recorded on the 552 SD. I haven't figured it out yet: I can get the SB-T's to Jam, I'm pretty sure my 552 is getting the SB-T timecode, but my HPX 2700 won't slave to the external yet. Matt, The codec: DV 100 720/59.94p, so I'll test it next at 29.9 ndf; thanks! There is a menu item in the camera for TC frame rates, and it only offers 24, 25, or 30; so that makes me wonder if setting the external to 30 might still make sense, since the camera doesn't offer me a menu setting for TC frame rate at 29.9... I don't think the producer is hoping for off-speed sync, just an ability to take the full song off the sd card, and sync it when she can while lining up the offspeed stuff when she can as well. Theory seems to be that if we can get the 24fps to match up, we should therefore, know where the other offspeed stuff should roughly land as well. If she has those 24fps points as a guide, then she can also always match the sd card sound, making it easier to navigate/match sound and video in post (does that make sense?). Thanks! _______________ I'm slaving two SB-T's off the Master clock (GR-1). Then I'm slaving the camera and mixer to those SB-T's. This will give the camera man the freedom to move around without the TC out bnc as well (since . I've figured out how to check drift, like I said, my next problem is getting that Panasonic to slave to the SB-T. Seems that even in F-run, all the Panasonic wants to do is work off it's internal TC generator. I'm sure there's a menu item in the Panasonic somewhere to tell it to slave to the external TC. I'm thinking, according to the cryptic manual, it might be in the VTR VF Indicator screen, under TC (ind)>TCR (which, when chosen, is displayed in the V-V mode -as opposed to the E-E mode- whatever that means). My other hope was that even if the camera is showing it's internally generated Time Code, maybe in the P2 metadata, I could find the external time code information - like maybe, just maybe, since it was on F-run, and TC input was getting info, that perhaps the camera was still recording it somewhere. ...I didn't see anything of that nature in the P2 viewer file information, though... Finally, I think this is something that needs must be tested again next time I can get close to that camera. ...there must be a menu item that'll tell it to slave to the TC in - it's just not clear about that anywhere in the manual... that I can find. Thanks again everyone for your input. Please let me know if you find where in the world in the menu, I might make the panasonic slave to the sb-t timecode. I'll keep you posted as well. I do appreciate the feedback! John

Hi. I have a GR-1 clocking two SB-T's; one for camera (Panasonic P2 hpx2700), and one for sd card on a Sound Designs 552 field mixer. Shooter will do a lot of off-speed, and client wants continuous sound while camera turns on and off. I'm testing it this weekend, while the rental house is closed. I have a few questions about how to make the TC sync, and the "brochure" Denecke provides gives me very little specific operating instructions; it seems like it mostly tells me what it can do, rather than "how" to do it. I turn on the Gr-1 (time of day), and plug a mini to mini into the TC Out slot. Then I turn on the SB-T, and plug the other end of the mini into the jam slot. On the SB-T, the led changes from strobing to 1 second flashing, which tells me it's running TC. Now, How do I check the drift? When I push ER, I get a plus sign, whether the clock is plugged into the sb-t or not. I thought I was supposed to take the mini plug from the sb-t jam jack and run it to the TC in jack on the gr-1, and I'd get an = sign, showing there's no drift, but no matter how I do it, I get a "+" sign every time. I'm sure I'm doing something (or several things) wrong. I'd really appreciate any help anyone can provide for me on this. What is the standard operating proceedure to get that clock to show an = sign, and which jacks and cables do I use to check that? On the GR-1: I'm running time of day TC, "G", 30fps. On the sb-t, dip switches/mode is "00" (1080), TC rate arrow is at "0" (30 fps). thank you! John