ISO: Nagra IV-S non-TC to rent in LA

[studiomprd]

have some tapes recorded on a non-TC Stereo Nagra, and want to resolve them to digital files, to sync with the film, which has been transferred to video (I have the pull-down under control once the audio is transferred).

need one day,

thanks!

[Marc Wielage]

Are these Neopilot? I think I could lay down the tapes straight across from a Nagra T to a timecode DAT, but it'd take me a few days to find the time to do it. If you're not in a super-hurry, and it's only a few tapes, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Boy, it's been a long time since I played back a non-TC Nagra tape, at least since the early 1990s. <growing misty-eyed with nostalgia>

--Marc W.

[David Waelder]

Hi Mike,

I have a Harvey-Mod Nagra IV-S that you could borrow. If I recall correctly (and I am straining the synapses here) the Harvey time code machine could also read and resolve regular FM sync.

Since it's a normal sized Nagra IVS, you could take it with you to your own facility and play with it to determine if it would suit your needs.

At this point it's on the bottom of the pile of cases in my equipment closet but, with your help, I'm sure I could dig it out.

David Waelder

[Philip Perkins]

Hi Mike,

I have a Harvey-Mod Nagra IV-S that you could borrow. If I recall correctly (and I am straining the synapses here) the Harvey time code machine could also read and resolve regular FM sync.

Since it's a normal sized Nagra IVS, you could take it with you to your own facility and play with it to determine if it would suit your needs.

At this point it's on the bottom of the pile of cases in my equipment closet but, with your help, I'm sure I could dig it out.

David Waelder

Yes--one of the major advantages of the Harvey Warnke/Time Code Systems Nagra mod was that it could become an FM Pilotone machine at the turn of a switch (instead of a circuit board swap), and that it could resolve the Pilotone (or TC) without an external resolver.  Furthermore, it could also resolve either to its internal or an external clock source, such as field rate derived from TC.  (Other advantages over the stock IV-STC included a more stable sync clock, a large LED TC display on the deck and a FAR more straighforward operation of the TC system, among others.)

Philip Perkins (one the "original 6" Harvey-board guinea pigs)

[David Waelder]

Yes--one of the major advantages of the Harvey Warnke/Time Code Systems Nagra mod was that it could become an FM Pilotone machine at the turn of a switch (instead of a circuit board swap), and that it could resolve the Pilotone (or TC) without an external resolver.

Thanks for the confirmation,Philip. I thought that was the case but it has been a long time since it was applicable for me.

I also recall that the recorder had the potential ability to read pilotone from a camera and adjust time code frame rate accordingly so that one could generate code to keep sync with a camera that was being controlled by a Cinematography Electronics box for the purpose of scan-line free photography of monitors. Regrettably, I was never able to personally confirm that capability. Every time I managed to get all the components together, the CE box, the cable from the CE box to the pilot in on the Nagra (the pin configuration changed from CE box to CE box), etc. it would happen that the camera crew would need to swap out boxes on the day of the shoot and none of my preparations would be serviceable.

We may call upon you for help with the process of changing over the Nagra to read and resolve the code. Unless, of course, it's obvious from the labels on the switches.

David Waelder

[Philip Perkins]

Thanks for the confirmation,Philip. I thought that was the case but it has been a long time since it was applicable for me.

I also recall that the recorder had the potential ability to read pilotone from a camera and adjust time code frame rate accordingly so that one could generate code to keep sync with a camera that was being controlled by a Cinematography Electronics box for the purpose of scan-line free photography of monitors. Regrettably, I was never able to personally confirm that capability. Every time I managed to get all the components together, the CE box, the cable from the CE box to the pilot in on the Nagra (the pin configuration changed from CE box to CE box), etc. it would happen that the camera crew would need to swap out boxes on the day of the shoot and none of my preparations would be serviceable.

We may call upon you for help with the process of changing over the Nagra to read and resolve the code. Unless, of course, it's obvious from the labels on the switches.

David Waelder

I did exactly this with the CE box MANY times, since I used to do a lot of work for Silicon Valley companies who wanted CRT monitors in the shot during sync sound (film) takes.  We got pretty far off sound speed, and it all still worked--the telecine people never knew how far off 24 fps we were--it all synced up as normal for them.  (One of the keys to getting this to work reliably for many many takes was to run a split of the signal from the CE box ("Barton Box") thru a 'scope, and wait for the sine wave from the box to settle down before calling "speed" and slating.  In those days we were transmitting TC to the slate via Comtek, so the slate TC matched the off-speed TC that was being recorded.)  Note that we were recording with TIMECODE sync, not FM Pilotone sync for these jobs, as would have been required by the stock IV-STC.

Pilotone operation is very obvious and well labeled on the switch panel on the right side of the Harvey-modded Nagra.  It should work fine.  Dan Dugan inherited the last of Harvey's spare parts, and is the expert on those machines now. 

Philip Perkins