Edit to tape suddenly broken

[Oliver Peters]

Check your Kona genlock settings. Konas seem to have problems there. Should work with the Kona in freerun and the deck set to input reference. If you have external sync to the Kona, make sure it is properly terminated and see if that helps when you are set to genlock. Try assemble rather than insert. Make sure your timeline tab is closed.

Sincerely,
Oliver

Oliver Peters
Post-Production & Interactive Media
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Chris Poisson]

Oliver,

From bad to worse. I installed the latest Kona drivers, and still no go. Fiddled with the genlock settings, tried everything, now in addition to no ETT, I am getting a shaky B&W image on my monitor , no color. If I play a tape, it’s fine, but FCP and After Effects are only getting a shaky B&W image.

Don’t know how to terminate the external sync, I have a Horita BBG, and it has been working great for 5 months. Then today, BANG, all messed up.

Have a wonderful day.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

[Chris Poisson] “Don’t know how to terminate the external sync,”

With a 75 ohm TERMINATOR connected to the “sync out” jack.

https://www.spytown.com/bnc75ohmter.html

(This is not just a “plug”. It has a 75 ohm resister connected across the pin and shield.)

This is only necessary if there is NOT a “termination SWITCH” (or built-in self-termination BNC jack) on the unit.

[Chris Poisson]

Matte,

There is a switch on the circuit, I assume it should be off?

Have a wonderful day.

[Kevin Monahan]

Definitely a synch issue. Have you solved it yet?

Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Workshop!
fcpworld.com

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

If you only have sync cable GOING IN to the sync input and nothing “looped” going OUT of the sync output…

The termination switch should be ON.

You always want to “terminate” the end of a “run” of coax.

Don’t know if this is the actual PROBLEM, but it couldn’t hurt to make sure its “right”.

[Chris Poisson]

Kevin,

Somehow, I got color back on my monitor, but Edit to Tape still will not lock up when it hits the in point. I just turned my terminatinon swithch to on” so I will try it today and see what happens.

What’s a mystery to me is that until this weekend ETT was working fine.

Have a wonderful day.

[Chris Poisson]

Matte,

turned that switch to on, but still no lock on ETT. I’m stumped.

Bummer is, I’m gonna have to make a dub tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day.

[Kevin Monahan]

Maybe your BBG is on the fritz. Rent one and see if that could be a problem. It has in the past for me.

Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Workshop!
fcpworld.com

[Tom Matthies]

Hi Chris. Noticed the email you sent me until later Sunday night. Sorry I didn’t see it sooner. Let’s see now…I’m guessing you definitely have a sync/reference issue. I don’t have a Kona card so I’m guessing a bit, but here goes. Make sure that you are feeding the same reference signal from your black burst generator to both the deck and the card. Also double check the reference input to the Kona card. It almost sounds like the card is trying to lock to the tape deck as a reference. When the deck prerolls and tries to do an ETT, it should be using the output from the Kona card as it’s reference for both the servos. If it is referencing the black generator, that should work OK as well. I don’t see anywhere in the menu on the UVW-1800 where you have the choice of setting the input reference to the deck. Most decks have a menu setting or a switch allowing you to select between internal reference, external reference or “auto”. The auto setting will allow the deck to “pick” it’s own reference based on whether is is playing back or recording. Check the back of your deck and see if it has a switch enabling you to select this setting. You describe your video as jumping around and loosing it’s color. This is the classic look of a bad or missing subcarrier or reference either to the deck or the card. Again, double check the menu settings on the Kona card and make doubly sure that the reference setting is correct. In the control panel for my Io, I get the choice of freerun or reference in. Make sure that the reference to the Kona is in fact black burst and not some other signal. Some black burst generators can also output a “sync” signal. “Sync” is not the same a “black burst”. Black burst is a composite signal that combines sync, blanking, color burst and other signals onto one output. “Sync” is usually a 4-volt signal that does not contain the other components and will cause a device expecting black burst to malfunction. The classic clue is usually a jittery picture and a loss of color lock…looking like a black and white picture.
If the reference to the Kona is either “sync” or the video output of your deck, it would create a feedback loop between the two devices and all Hell would break loose.
Just for grins, disconnect the reference to the Kona and see what happens. Your UVW-1800 may actually do the edit but will display a horizontal black bar while recording. It’s OK. It won’t actually get recorded that way. All will be well upon playback of the tape. The deck locks to the incoming signal while the decks internal TBC does not.If it works, then the reference to the card is the problem. If it continues to malfunction, your are back to square one. Are you feeding individual signals from your Horita to each device or are you looping them? Incorrect termination could be a problem, but not likely. Most devices are very tolerant of incorrect levels of their reference. That’s not to say that they will work perfectly, but they usually do work.
It is always suspect that this happened after a software upgrade. Take a good look at the documentation that came with the upgrade and make sure that some feature or setting wasn’t changed to cause this. Look for anything having to do with external reference inputs and make sure they are set correctly.
And, again, make tripley (is that a word?) sure that your references are correct to both devices. Run separate cables to the deck and to the Kona card to be safe. Make sure that both cables carry a black burst signal and not “sync”. Make sure that both drvices are on external reference. Or, in the case of the deck, try to set the reference to “auto” if you have that option. I’d check on my deck, but I have it in a rack against my wall and without rack sliders on the deck, it’s difficult to get at the back of it. Most Sony decks that I’ve seen have this switch somewhere, either as a hardware switch or in the setup menu. The UVW-1800 doesn’t have color framing select switches but it does have an edit field select switch, but this shouldn’t effect much in this case. It should still edit OK.
Hmmm, just kind of thinking outloud now…
Try those things and quadruple check your references and I’m guessing things will sort themselves out if everything checks out correct. Input reference to the card is my guess. Sounds like a feedback loop somewhere. One more question. Using a long (5 seconds or so) preroll, do you hear or observe the decks servos speeding up and slowing down while trying to lock before the edit? Usually an “1800” locks in a second or two with little “searching” of the capstan or drum servos. If you hear them speeding up and slowing down during the rollup to the edit, that’s a sure sign of a reference feeback problem. Listen to the deck. The sould can tell you many things. Wow, very Zen-like.
Good luck and let me know how it’s going.
Tom
Also…were any cables move recently. If so, check them to make sure everything is plugged where it should be. Make sure the video out didn’t get somehow plugged into the reference in to the card by mistake.