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TIMECODE NOMAD /EPIC MX SUDDENLY NOT WORKING

FredrikL

By FredrikL
in Equipment

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FredrikL

FredrikL

Posted
Posted
Hi, 
 
been using the Nomad the entire summer, and very happy with the purchase. Timecode and scratch audio feeding right into the camera, working flawlessly.  However, one of our last days of filming, the Epic MX wouldn't take timecode from our ERX2TCD. Everything had been working great for 10 shooting - days, and suddenly it didn't work.
 
The only thing we had done was to record scratch audio directly onto our camera the day before everything didn't work anymore. Went over every setting, (fps etc.) in the camera, thinking maybe we had changed anything, but still didn't work, and since then we have been forced to clap manually - no crisis, but still...:(  Yesterday upgraded to latest firmware on both the Epic and our Nomad/ERX2TCD, but still didn't work. 
 
I know people have had similar problems, so I was curious to hear of other experiences and possible solutions. 
 
Tried to feed another camera (the Scarlet) with our ERX2TCD, and it worked.
 
- Could be my TC - port on my camera is suddenly not working...
 
Fred
Jeff Wexler

Jeff Wexler

Posted
Posted

"I know people have had similar problems, so I was curious to hear of other experiences and possible solutions."

 

People have had "similar problems" if you mean that some digital camera had been handling timecode properly and then all of a sudden it isn't...  but it looks like you did all the normal troubleshooting on your end (sound dept.) and the conclusion should be that there is something wrong with the camera. As for our experiences and possible solutions, just get the camera fixed (camera dept.).

Jack Norflus

Jack Norflus

Posted
Posted

I once had an red epic jam in the morning with absoutly no issue and then i couldn't get the same camera to re jam after lunch. Nothing changed and as a matter of fact the camera didn't even move. It was sitting on a tripod in the same exact place it jammed earlier in the day.
Any day with a red is always a crap shoot as to if it's going to jam or not.

jrd456

jrd456

Posted
Posted

I one had an red epic jam in the morning with absoutly no issue and then i couldn't get the same camera to re jam after lunch. Nothing changed and as a matter of fact the camera didn't even move. It was sitting on a tripod in the same exact place it jammed earlier in the day.

Any day with a red is always a crap shoot as to if it's going to jam or not.

 

I've had the same thing happen----very squirly camera's

 

                                                                                    J.D.

osa

osa

Posted
Posted

Did you possibly try cross-jamming 29 into 23 from the erx and/or direct from your nomad? I am betting tho it might be the epic in need of repair.

Ken

bralleput

bralleput

Posted
Posted

Any day with a red is always a crap shoot as to if it's going to jam or not.

Jack I agree: "RED, I hate those guys" (free to Indiana Jones)

So Mikey is right: crap happens when .......RED is around.

Lancashire soundie

Lancashire soundie

Posted
Posted

 

 
Tried to feed another camera (the Scarlet) with our ERX2TCD, and it worked.
 
- Could be my TC - port on my camera is suddenly not working...
 
Fred

 

 

That would have been my first response, the camera obviously has a problem.  Time to ask the assistant to sort it out.  Or could you perhaps send the TC to an audio track?

bralleput

bralleput

Posted
Posted

"Or could you perhaps send the TC to an audio track?"

 

Why would you.In this case you/we are talking 'camerafuckingup'..I always want to help the cameradept,but in this RED case I would give up and have the edit department sync on sticks.Not our problem.  

Lancashire soundie

Lancashire soundie

Posted
Posted

Not our problem.  

 

Erm, but it is your problem.  Not your responsibility, for sure, but most certainly your problem.  And in my experience, anyone who says "not my problem" on location tends not to be re-hired.  At least by recording the timecode on a spare audio track you're offering production a viable workaround for something they may be unable to fix themselves.

Jack Norflus

Jack Norflus

Posted
Posted

Erm, but it is your problem. Not your responsibility, for sure, but most certainly your problem.

Yep.

Any one can "clip" a mic on someone but a professionals job goes way beyond that. A good technician should be a problem solver in addition to a sound person.

Andy P

Andy P

Posted
Posted

So many variables to consider here, are you using a 4 pin Lemo to BNC jumper cable to get TC into the Epic? That is quite fragile and can brake easily. Also, all three of my ERX's mini jack sockets have had to be replaced. They just stop working , they may be intermittent for a time, which could explain why it worked on the other Scarlet for you. Just try to eliminate all the possible causes, try different cables. To me it sounds like a hardware/cable issue rather than software/firmware issue if everything was working ok. 

johnpaul215

johnpaul215

Posted
Posted

We had this happen over a lunch break. Definitely no firmware changes or anything. Two Epic shoot, A cam was fine, B can never took TC again. Tried a ton of cables, 3 different ERX boxes, 2 different SB-3 boxes, even jamming from the slate. Camera tried reinstalling firmware and after lots of phone calls and emails it was a "sounds like it has to come back to the mothership" situation.

Follow normal procedures of swapping cables etc, but before you drive yourself nuts, know it might be the camera.

studiomprd

studiomprd

Posted
Posted (edited)

lan: "   At least by recording the timecode on a spare audio track you're offering production a viable workaround "

maybe

" but it is your problem. "

well, I am more like an 'it is our problem' person, but it may well be a problem with their toys...

actually even more of a "let's see if we can solve this problem" person...

Edited by studiomprd
bralleput

bralleput

Posted
Posted

Yep.

Any one can "clip" a mic on someone but a professionals job goes way beyond that. A good technician should be a problem solver in addition to a sound person.

I'm very willing to try to solve 'any' problem on set with the Cam.( or any)dept!

 

"And in my experience, anyone who says "not my problem" on location tends not to be re-hired."

 

OK.The fact that the cameradept (with the much 'loved RED') cannot get the TC to work after lunch,does NOT mean that this a problem of the sounddepartment: It's a problem in the camera.I will work with the 1st AC to try to find a sollution,but with a 10+ page shootingday we have to move on at some point...Read audio as TC could be an option,so is Plural Eyes .Hey! syncing on sticks!They did that for years and years.TC is nice and easy but not all is lost when a TC problem cannot be solved on set.So at a point it's not my problem anymore!And I'm rehired all the time!

bralleput

bralleput

Posted
Posted

Yep Mikey,people tend to forget there where times (25+ years ago..)when recorders had TimeCode (4s TC) and DP's where scared to use the TC on their 35mm film /cameras because the TC 'burn' on the film might 'bleed' into the frame..Sync on sticks backthen.  

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