Final Cut Pro – Edit to tape accuracy – does it exist?

[Jeremy Garchow]

You have to calibrate it to match the offset. how much is it off? I just did this this morning for a downconverted layoff from my K2 to a uvw 1800 through an io for the d/a conversion. I laid off a scrap copy, figured out it was 4 frames off as I set my timeline and the first frame of the spot to start at 1:00:00:00, b&t started at 58:40:00 with 10 second slate and 10 second countdown. Tape timecode started at 58:20:00 to leave 20 seconds of black before the b&t, marked the program to go in at 58:40:00 to match my timeline. I changed my playback offset to +4 frames to start 4 frames early. Worked like a charm and proceeded to lay off two more masters that were spot on accurate.

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G5 Dual 2Ghz <> 4GB RAM <> FCP 5.02 <> Kona 2
ATTO 42XS <> Huge Systems 4105 Fibre

[Tpix]

Thanks, I’ll try these steps later and see what happens.

[Gary Adcock]

[tPix] “Is this an FCP or AJA problem? Seems outrageous for a product this mature to have such rinky-dink issues that are frustrating and very time consuming. Not to mention the explaining if a client is with you as you try again and again…”

Offset controls are built into the capture settings of FCP, unfortunately they get often trashed with the prefs.
My Kona2 likes a -2.5 frame offset
My Io is set to -1.5 frames

These are normally issues that are dealt with by your systems integrator, and vary depending on RS 4:2:2 cable lengths and other hardware related items. My guess is that your Media 100 came configured by an integrator, and your FCP system did not

Gary Adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
Chicago, IL USA

[Bob Zelin]

Gary writes –
These are normally issues that are dealt with by your systems integrator, and vary depending on RS 4:2:2 cable lengths and other hardware related items. My guess is that your Media 100 came configured by an integrator, and your FCP system did not

Sorry Gary, but incorrect. You can have a 1000′ RS422 cable – it ain’t gonna affect the accuracy of the edit. This ain’t no analog video signal that has a high frequency rolloff. This is a nice boring RS422 serial protocol, that is BALANCED – the very idea that edit accuracy is proportional to the length of cable is pretty rediculous. As far as “other hardware related items” – I would like to assume that he is using the AJA RS422 port (since he is using the AJA product), but even if he is using the Keyspan USA-28x (and I am not saying that he is – I am just humoring your comment) – it would have no different effect (as far as edit accuracy). It’s all software, my friend, and writing the correct communication protocol to the VTR.

Bob Zelin

[Gary Adcock]

[Bob Zelin] “Sorry Gary, but incorrect. You can have a 1000′ RS422 cable – it ain’t gonna affect the accuracy of the edit. “

Com’on Bob
you have never had a change in serial cable necessitate the need to change the offset in FCP? Or better yet had some lame serial router setup in a machine room cause an inaccurate offset?

I did not mean to imply that that cable length would cause differing changes in the frame offset- but I have seen more than a few instances of a change in serial cabling causing FCP offset errors that required changing of the FCP capture offsets.

Gary Adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
Chicago, IL USA

[Bob Zelin]

no sir – If you have one of the pins missing from the cable (only 5 pins are actually used – 2 for transmit, 2 for receive (both balanced pairs) and one ground – you get flakey performance – but that is because a solder connection became bad – not because of the cable legnth.

Just like audio and video – you must have a working cable, with all 5 pins working from pin to pin, but a working cable does not change edit frame offset depending on it’s legnth.

bob Zelin

[Jeremy Garchow]

Forgot to mention that my b&t was 1 minute long (if you didn’t figure out the math) 😉

Jeremy

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G5 Dual 2Ghz <> 4GB RAM <> FCP 5.02 <> Kona 2
ATTO 42XS <> Huge Systems 4105 Fibre

[Ramona Howard]

Gary,

I agree with Bob on this one. You can get accurate RS422 on any cable length. Now other hardware can effect it or crappy wire or connections but not length. Hell we can do RS422 over a standard network protocal and get accuracy and we all know how long network cable goes.

As far if this issue is due to hardware or FCP, I doubt that it’s the hardware, we don’t have this problem. Now the problems that do exist are the deck ballistics and the offsets that one must account for, those are very real…..

Cheers,
Ramona

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Ramona Howard] “deck ballistics”

Deck Ballistics. That used to be my radio name.

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G5 Dual 2Ghz <> 4GB RAM <> FCP 5.02 <> Kona 2
ATTO 42XS <> Huge Systems 4105 Fibre

[Ramona Howard]

That term sounds so cool and you would think it would be information easily available. You try hunting for it.

Mine is office b*#@&. Not that I’m on the air everyday, only once.

Cheers,
Ramona