Nexus G1

[PCMsoundie]

 

Australia camera company Nexus is currently in the preorder phase and not on sets yet but timecode is

USB-C for timecode !

  Another proprietary timecode cable?! 

Nexus G1 Cinema Camera 3300. USD price

specs show

Timecode Inputs and Outputs

Quote

 

USB-C Timecode Input: All USB-C ports support digital timecode input, via an ADC adaptor cable, enabling accurate synchronization with external cameras, recorders, or generators. 

USB-C Timecode Output: All USB-C ports support timecode output, allowing the Nexus G1 to jam timecode to other devices using a DAC adaptor cable. 

Jam-Free Syncing: The Nexus G1 handles timecode digitally over USB-C, avoiding the need for audio-based jamming, preserving both XLR and 3.5mm inputsz for clean audio. However, all audio inputs also support timecode jamming if required. 

 

How disappointing after Sony FX3 and FX30 required a MicroUSB adapter cable for timecode. 

Thoughts guys and gals?

 

That last line though on Syncing: "all audio inputs also support timecode jamming if required. " If so that would mean

Full Size XLR: 2x Full sized XLR audio inputs 
3.5mm Mic Jack: 1x 3.5mm stereo TRS microphone input jack.

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

If the analogue inputs work and it's just scratch track, post can deal with a bit of bleed.

 

USB with built in ADC / DAC sounds expensive and a pain in the neck (and different cables will be needed for input and output).  But if that's all it is, maybe a USB to 1/8" headphone adapter would do the job?  Because those are mass-produced and can be dirt cheap.  Of course, you'd need the rest of your timecode operating on 1/8" to make it work...

[codyman]

It's kind of ironic that they put two full sized XLR inputs on it but can't be bothered with a standard timecode connector.  Hell, even the R5C at least has a DIN connector for timecode which is cheap and readily available.

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

1 hour ago, codyman said:

standard timecode connector

That's the problem.  There's no such thing.  But yes, I would have preferred either BNC or Lemo5 to yet another connector.

 

[DanieldH]

We've had that TC cable discussion before including RED and even Alexa Mini. The latter has the issue that it's design needs highly suggests something angled to have the battery close to the camera body. Red came up with some unusual connector. Both a design fault, from a TC providing entity perspective, e.g. the sound department. What is new, at lest with these higher end cameras is, that TC IO at the body is in the digital domain. Why? Maybe they wanted to save space within the body and do AD/DA autside in their cable. 
What I'd actually would want to know is, if the camera also locks/syncs to a given TC. 

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

I've been thinking about this some more, and doing the A/D conversion outside the camera seems like a liability when used for sync.  Why?  Because A/D conversion introduces latency, and if the camera isn't in control of that process, the amount of latency is unknown, and therefore can't be compensated for.

Granted, maybe most A/D converters these days are fast enough that it doesn't matter much in practical terms, but it does throw a wrench in my idea to use an off-the-shelf headphone adapter.  My sense is that most of the time, if the TC is within half a frame (21ms for 23.976fps), nobody really notices if the timecode isn't perfect.

 

Anyone know what typical A/D latency is?  I can only assume it's far less than any video processing latency...

[DanieldH]

1 hour ago, The Documentary Sound Guy said:

I've been thinking about this some more, and doing the A/D conversion outside the camera seems like a liability when used for sync.  Why?  Because A/D conversion introduces latency, and if the camera isn't in control of that process, the amount of latency is unknown, and therefore can't be compensated for.

Granted, maybe most A/D converters these days are fast enough that it doesn't matter much in practical terms, but it does throw a wrench in my idea to use an off-the-shelf headphone adapter.  My sense is that most of the time, if the TC is within half a frame (21ms for 23.976fps), nobody really notices if the timecode isn't perfect.

 

Anyone know what typical A/D latency is?  I can only assume it's far less than any video processing latency...

Why do you assume that the camera is not in control when A/D is inside some cable (or rather its connector) outside the body? 
I don't think there is such a thing as a typical A/D latency. It just depends on the DSP used, the processors afterwards processing the digital signal and possibly how the firmware is prioritizing that signal. Some of the professional recorders and digital TX/RX we use advertise in their specs a value in the 1 or lower 2 digit millisecond range from A/D to D/A for channels dedicated to production audio. 

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

1 hour ago, DanieldH said:

Why do you assume that the camera is not in control when A/D is inside some cable (or rather its connector) outside the body? 

I think my meaning is getting lost here.  If the A/D happens outside the camera, the camera isn't doing the A/D ... that's all I meant, and it seems too obvious to mention.

And yeah, the 1-2 ms range is about what I expected to be typical, but I don't know if that applies to cheaper mass-produced electronics.  1-2ms isn't much for a video frame, but it's still 48-96 samples of audio @ 48kHz.  I guess it's low enough that it can be ignored from a practical point of view.

[Aprikot]

Somewhat similar situation... (Just as another example of what camera companies are doing)

 

...I've jammed the Fuji gfx 100ii via usb-c. It only takes a cable timecode from the ambient lockits though afaik. (Can also take a Blutooth jam from the ultrasync system)