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  • Anyone Using DAMAX+ Break Out Box?- Have Question

    Posted by George Butts on June 7, 2008 at 6:18 pm

    Hello,
    I am using an older transcoder I purchased from a company out of LA called Promax. Well, Promax just closed shop, so there is zero customer support for their products now. I have a question regarding getting my Avid Xpress Pro HD system to recognize my deck when run through the transcoder. First of all, this is my basic Windows PC system;
    > ProMax’s Xeon – 2.0GHz Dual Processor
    >- 512MB SDRAM
    >- 60GB Boot Drive
    >- One 120GB ATA EIDE Drives
    >- Floppy Drive
    >- 40X12X48 Rewritable Drive
    >- Windows XP Professional
    >- Matrox Millennium G-550 AGP Dual 32MB Card
    >- Avid Xpress Pro HD 5.2.7
    >- Logitech Cordless Mouseman Optical Black
    >- Avid Xpress DV Black Keyboard
    >- DA-MAX+ Break Out Box (circa 2003)
    >- I upgraded my original video card, but don’t recall off the top of my head what is in the system now.

    Per the manual, here are the settings for Deck Configuration;

    Firewire on OHCI- Promax DA-MAX-plus
    Direct on COM1- Sony UVW-1800

    I am connected from the break out box to the Sony via component video and XLR audio cables. My firewire runs from my computer to the break out box. I have connected the 9 pin female (RS-232) connector of serial cable to the PC’s Com port . Connect the 9 pin male ( RS-422) connector of the serial cable to VTR’s RS-422 port.
    Box is set for Audio Input: XLR, 48khz, Video Input: Component.

    Here is the problem, after doing all this the Avid does not recognize the deck. It does not launch the window to select tape. Instead it says, “The deck is empty (which its not), offline or turned off (which its not)> Do you want to associate a tape with this deck anyway?

    I recall having this same problem in years past, but for the life of me can not recall how I got past the issue. The box works well, but has always been a little quirky to get set up. I do recall that there were times I had to unplug the power unit to the box, wait awhile and plug it back in. I tried that, but it did not help.
    If anyone has one of these boxes and has experienced this problem and knows how to resolve it I would be greatly appreciative.
    Thank you

    Bob Zelin replied 18 years, 3 months ago 3 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • Terence Curren

    June 7, 2008 at 9:13 pm

    You are missing the conversion from 422 to 232 protocols. We use the https://www.addenda-elect.com/product.htm products for that. If you have a USB port, you can use the keyspan adapter.

    Terence Curren
    http://www.alphadogs.tv
    http://www.digitalservicestation.com
    Burbank,Ca

  • George Butts

    June 7, 2008 at 9:46 pm

    Terance,
    I misspoke. I actually do have the Rosetta Stone Model 2/3 VTR 422 – PC 232 cable to connect between the PC and the Sony. Despite that, I am still having the non-recognition problem.

  • Bob Zelin

    June 8, 2008 at 10:34 pm

    for AVID you need the Addenda RS 2/8 RS232 to RS422 converter. This exact model # has been used for years by AVID (and it’s exact immitation – the DataMate, as displayed in the Hall Of Shame on the Addenda site).

    Use Deck Configuration menu in the AVID menus (settings), and it will recognize the RS2/8, and give you VTR control.

    Bob Zelin

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