Jump to content

Sync playback with Sound Devices 788T


fuma

Recommended Posts

Hi there,

First post here. I'm about to start filming a contemporary dance film wich include a great part with sync playback where the dancing has to move along with the music. This is my first time doing this kind of production and I'm looking for some wisdom to reproduce an accurate master playback dupe (1h running time approx.) with timecode through my 788T SSD, or recording a reference guide track into the 788T from a CD player in order to make the syncronization possible in the editing room. The idea is to use the same master playback dupe for the shooting and editing as well. I wonder wich option suits best for the occasion: using the 788T as playback machine, or to record a reference guide track.

A single Arri Alexa will be used, running at 25 fps. Due to the single camera workflow, the production will be very paused and the need for accurate playback reproduction is a must.

I need some advice on the making of the master playback dupe with timecode process. I understand that I have to make a mono version of the music in one track, and timecode recorded on the other.

My questions are:

1- Can I record timecode directly from the timecode output of the 788T into Pro Tools, add the mono track version of the music and then trim the timecode track to the duration of the music for finally make a stereo bounce or export both region as files (interleaved)?

2- In the case I playback the master dupe from a CD player and record the music and timecode in separated ISO tracks, will the 788T recognize the timecode from the CD? How can I do to get the timecode from the CD out of the 788T into a digital slate?

3-On the other hand, if I can playback the master dupe from the 788T in order to get a precisely reproduction of the music. Will the 788T recognize the internal timecode from the master playback dupe, or will generate one of its own, depending the timecode mode? Will the digi slate recognize the timecode coming from the master dupe if I assign its channel to an output of the 788T? Shall I route the outputs of the 788T (used for playback) into another recorder, or it's enough feeding the camera from the 788T?

It's possible I'm missing other important options or questions to keep in mind.

Waiting for some advice as soon as possible, thanks to you all!

Sincerely,

Santiago Fumagalli

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Easiest way that I know of is to take the TC out of the 788 and connect it to audio track 2 of the 788. Cue up the music on the CD with the output from the CD player connected to audio track 1 on the 788. Put the 788 in record, wait about 15 seconds so you have a TC lead in and hit play on the CD player.

At the end you'll have a master file with music on 1 and tc on 2. Connect track 1 to an amp & speaker and track 2to your slate. I would also feed the music to the Alexa so they can use it in post for a guide track. With the tc as an audio track you'll be sure the same tc is always shown no matter how many takes you have to do.

Eric

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some answers here:

Playing back for an hour is quite a challenge! If it's only playing back, I'm not sure why you need to record it again in Pro Tools, since you already have the copy playing back on the set. I think Eric's advice will work fine.

One trick in the previous discussions is you'll need a count-off for the dancers and/or singers to prepare for the downbeat of the beginning of the track. I'm skeptical that a CD player will stay at a precise speed for a solid hour, but the 788 definitely will. If the track playing back on set and the track being used for the edit are one and the same, then there should be zero drift.

I'm still trying to figure out how a single camera can shoot a continuous 1-hour performance! That's going to be a nightmare in post, since there won't be any editing -- or if there is, they'll have to figure out how to cover the transitions (maybe if there's a light fade on set or somebody walks in front of the camera, ala Hitchcock's Rope). It'd be considerably easier to break it down into conventional coverage so that the crew can do pickups when the actors/singers screw up. Otherwise, they might get 40 minutes in, make a mistake, and have to go all the way back to the beginning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know what your Music source is originally or if it has LTC Time code on one channel already. If it is a Stereo Commercial CD then I would just Rip the CD to a WAV file (and maybe sample rate convert on the Rip to 48khs) then convert that WAVE file to a Broadcast wave file.using Wave Agent or BWF-WIdget Pro . Or load it into Pro Tools and add 10 seconds of pre-Roll and back-time the time code so the downbeat happens at 01:00:00:00 .

Then use that Time Coded broadcast Wave master to playback on the 788 or on a ProTools Setup with Word Clock on set and give the same BWF file to Post for use in the edit.

------Courtney

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some answers here:

I'm still trying to figure out how a single camera can shoot a continuous 1-hour performance! That's going to be a nightmare in post, since there won't be any editing -- or if there is, they'll have to figure out how to cover the transitions (maybe if there's a light fade on set or somebody walks in front of the camera, ala Hitchcock's Rope). It'd be considerably easier to break it down into conventional coverage so that the crew can do pickups when the actors/singers screw up. Otherwise, they might get 40 minutes in, make a mistake, and have to go all the way back to the beginning.

I think the issue was lost in the translation in the OP but I think the original poster ment the camera would be starting and stoping so there would be a need for good Time Code Sync. This is what I think he ment when he said: "the production will be very paused and the need for accurate playback reproduction is a must."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...