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Black and coding Beta SP
I had hoped that forum research and manual reading would be enough to help me solve a time code issue I’m having but, alas, after two days of digesting information I’m more confused than when I started.
I’m running FCP 4.5 on a dual G5 with a Decklink SP card. I capture and record from and to a Sony UVW1800 Beta SP deck that is controlled with an RS422 cable. Before editing, I black and code my Beta tapes through FCP using the techniques suggested on page 437 volume one of the FCP manuals set. I make insert edits to record material onto Beta tape at the specific time codes. In my case, I’m usually recording :30 second commercials. Often I will take my recorded masters to a post house for additional audio sweetening. Upon completion of the audio work, the post house does a frame accurate insert edit to lay the audio back to my master Beta SP. No problems, life is good.
Recently, however, I did some audio work at a local audio production facility, a top-notch studio with decades of broadcast audio production experience. The audio facility was unable to read the time code that I had recorded through FCP onto my tape. My first thought was that it was an LTC vs VITC issue. The audio engineer I was workig with said there appeared to be code on the tape for about :02 seconds and then it dissappeared. The code lasted long enough for him to lock onto and then regenerate time code. I left the audio studio with my tapes and their regenerated code and set out to solve this problem. But in researching, I am unable to determine what type of time code I am recording when I black and code a tape. I believe that I am laying down code because FCP says it will record code when I click the “OK” button. I am able to make frame accurate insert edits and, at least, one post house is able to read the code and edit back to my masters. I’d say the problem was with the audio studio but they’ve been in business too long and they work with too many broadcast clients for me to be dismissive of them.
Thank you for taking time to read this lengthly post. My question, having laid the above ground work, is can anyone hazzard a quess as to what’s going on here? Am I recording broadcast quality code with FCP? I don’t find a menu feature on the UVW Beta machine that let’s me choose between LTC or VITC. And the only reference I’ve been able to find in FCP for selecting a type of time code is in the device control presets of the A/V settings. I could sure use a little help from the Cow pros if it’s available. Thanks.
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5 Replies
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You shouldn’t be sending TC from FCP to black, use the internal TC generator on the 1800. That’s what I do. Send Black from FCP to the deck, but set the deck to Local control, Preset your starting TC using the 1800’s controls, then manually hit REC + Play to stripe your tape with that TC. Then you can do your insert edit from FCP normally, but the TC has already been generated on the tape.
I’ve used our 1800 for about 6 years now with no TC issues ever reported using this method. I don’t even black entire tapes actually, I just black the first minute from 00:58:00:00 to 00:59:00:00 and make an Assemble Edit from FCP switching the deck over to Regen and again, letting it generate the correct TC. Again, never had a TC issue.
In your case, sounds like the tape was not blacked correctly and the control track didn’t take.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
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“Ditto” all the way to Walter’s post.
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Thanks folks I’ll take that approach and run a test tape by the audio studio that I originally had the problem with. I suspect, given both of your confident recommendations, that I won’t have a repeat of my previous TC problem. I’m not sure I understand why FCP includes the “black and code” option if it doesn’t work but, perhaps, it works on some different type of video deck. In any case, I am so very grateful for the nonjudgemental help and advice that I’ve received from the Cow and the members of our small community.
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[Rick Macadamia] “I’m not sure I understand why FCP includes the “black and code” option if it doesn’t work”
Rick,
Black and code actually does work, but the timecode must still be generated by the deck itself. I’ve never used Walter’s method, but it sure sounds simple. If it works it sounds like a winner.
DRW
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Hhhmmm? Would you care to hazzard a guess as to where I may have erred in creating my master? As I mentioned, the post house could read the code without problem but the audio studio saw no code, expect right at the very beginning of the tape. I have been laying down bars, tone, slate and the spot in one pass as an insert edit. Could I be doing something that is erasing the TC or control track as I carry out the inseert edit? I usually start blacking a tape with the code 00:58:50:00 and then insert bars at 00:59:00:00.
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