Mastering Error (unable to lock servo on deck)

[Jeremy Garchow]

Did you black and code the tape for 20 seconds or so?

[Travis Marshall]

I did black the tape for a full 2 minutes before trying to master. I figured out a workaround for this particular time through — I ended up mastering through Firewire in a pinch. Not my ideal method, and certainly not the way I want to master the 13 shows I’m mastering this Spring. So I’m still searching for a solution for the problem that occurred via the Kona.

One weird thing I did notice: When I mastered via FW, the system was giving me trouble until I switched the deck audio selection from “Unity” to “PB/REC”. Not sure why that would have any impact. I haven’t checked mastering via Kona with that deck setting yet, though.

Mac Pro 2.66ghz, OSX 10.4.8, FCP 5.1.2

[Bob Zelin]

Kona control panel>Control Tab>External Reference. If it’s in internal, you will never lock to the VTR. GEN10 ideally should put out 720p HD sync (did you change the DIP switches on your GEN10), and should feed both VTR Ref Vid IN, and Kona Reference IN. I have done this with 525 NTSC sync going to both. I ASSUME that your project is a 720p 59.94 project, and that you are NOT working with 23.98 media, or a 23.98 project. Is that correct ?

Bob Zelin

[Travis Marshall]

Thanks for the tip, Bob.

My Kona Control panel was set to Ref In for Genlock, so that wasn’t the problem. I did investigate the dip switches, though, and I noticed that perhaps the three S switches could have an impact. Please correct me if I’m wrong on any of the following:

The Kona will put out DVCPro 720p 59.94 to my deck, because that’s the format the deck reads, correct? Even though my project is 720p 29.97? Because otherwise, the Gen10 manual recommends me to switch the dip switches

S1 1
S2 1
S3 0

Am I way off base here?

Mac Pro 2.66ghz, OSX 10.4.8, FCP 5.1.2

[Bob Zelin]

I don’t know the whole story here. You have DVCProHD media. You have a HD1400 VTR, which operates at 720p 59.94. Your PROJECT should be AJA Kona DVCProHD 59.94, NOT 29.97.

Re-render with the correct sequence settings, and output at 59.94, and you will be ok.
720p 59.94 show the switches to be 000 for sw 6,7,8, but
switch 4 has to be set for 59.94, and switch 5 has to be set for 720, and not 1080

And check the menu in your HD1400, and make sure that it is set for 720p, and not 1080. Brand new 1400’s are set for 1080 from the factory.

Bob Zelin

[Travis Marshall]

Thanks for your continued help, Bob!

Sorry I should have explained more at the start.

The show was shot on Varicam DVCPro-HD 29.97 — NOT 59.94. About half of the show was digitized via firewire by an assistant, which using the FCP Easy Setup creates 29.97 clips.

I called AJA after I installed the Kona to check to see what my best options were coming in via the Kona from the 1400 (a VTR as you stated operates at 720p 59.94). They walked me through creating a custom Easy Setup (modified 23.98 VFR setup changed to 29.97) that uses the VFR flags on the tape and captures video at 29.97 from the deck via the Kona.

So my project originated at 29.97, and I was trying to stay that way without mixing frame rates and digitizing half my media with twice as many frames as I needed. Anyway, I took your advice and pasted a show sequence into a new 59.94 timeline, rendered, switched my Easy Setup to the standard DVCPro-HD 720p 59.94 Kona preset, and got the exact same problem as before.

My Gen10 dip switches are set to:

HD
HD
SD Bars
59.94
720
0
0
0

Again, a huge thanks for all your help so far. I may need to get back on the phone with AJA again if I can’t figure this out.

Mac Pro 2.66ghz, OSX 10.4.8, FCP 5.1.2

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Travis Marshall] “switched my Easy Setup to the standard DVCPro-HD 720p 59.94 Kona preset, and got the exact same problem as before.”

Of course, because the video out of your Kona is always 720p59.94 and nothing else when in 720p, so the frame rate of the timeline does not matter as you are sending 60Hz out of the Kona. (For all future readers, this is for 720p, so don’t read too much in to other formats). Keeping your timeline @ 29.97 is fine. (Bob it’s like capturing 720pN30 like you would on p2 cards, but from tape).

Deck should be in 720p mode, you should also be in 59/60 (not 23/24) in the menus. Set your incoming ref to SDI (bypass genlock for now, sorry Bob) and see what happens.

Also, just to be sure, select the custom easy setup that AJA walked you through, OPen ETT, set the in point in the ETT window that matches the in point on your tape, drag the sequence from the browser to the Ett window to the “Assemble” overlay.

Jeremy

[Travis Marshall]

Thanks for chiming in, Jeremy.

Deck is in 720p, 59/60 mode.

To set incoming ref to SDI, do you mean change the menu item 032 “Rec Ref” on the deck to SLTC (The TC input to the HDSDI In connector is identified and serves as the reference)?

I tried that and got an error
E-95 (INVALID EMBEDDED TC)
(When “SLTC” is selected in menu No. 032 REC REF) Appear when a time code for a signal input into the HD SDI IN connector is not stepping at the standard rate in synchronizing the image frames to be recorded with the
time code.

I tried to ETT despite the error, but got the same problem.

Did I take a wrong turn somewhere?

Thanks so much for your help.

Travis

Mac Pro 2x3Ghz Quad Core Xeon, OSX 10.6.4, FCP 7.0.2

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Travis Marshall] “To set incoming ref to SDI, do you mean change the menu item 032 “Rec Ref” on the deck to SLTC (The TC input to the HDSDI In connector is identified and serves as the reference)?”

No. Menu 31 should be set to input (and pull the Gen10 for now). Set menu 32 back to where it was.

[Travis Marshall]

Thanks for clarifying.

I set 032 back to normal and change 031 to Input and pulled the Gen10.

Still getting the same problem.

Could it be the deck? We’re getting our 1200A back from service in a few days, so I could try that once it’s here.

This sure has been a frustrating problem… Thanks again for everyone’s help so far.

Mac Pro 2x3Ghz Quad Core Xeon, OSX 10.6.4, FCP 7.0.2
Kona LHe, Panasonic AJ-HD1400 VTR