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Routers
Hey guys,
I’m planning to have a full second Final Cut suite running in our offices by June and am researching routers so that we can control our Digibeta and HDCam decks from either suite. Obviously the two main things we need are RS422 control from both rooms and in/out SDI. At most we’ll end up having 3 or 4 suites down the road, but for now I think 2 suites will be all that’s required to use the decks. That said, it looks like we’ll need to the Videohub from Blackmagic to get what we’re looking for. It doesn’t seem that the AJA Kumo handles multiple RS422 connections, sadly.Are there other routers I should consider? Do people love the Videohub 16? Like I said, we have two decks, two suites, and an AJA Blackburst Generator (I forget the name). Our goals are to be able to digitize and record to tape from either room.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on what we should do. We probably won’t buy until June when FCPX comes out. If I’m going to transition and move stuff around, I’d like to do it all at once.
Thanks!
John Davidson | President / Creative Director | Magic Feather Inc.
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10 Replies
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My question: is a router necessary? For the cost, since you’ve got two rooms going on line, I’d just invest in proper patchbays for SDI and RS-422. You could save a bunch of headaches and money by just manually patching (unless it’s too far away). I work in a studio with 7 edit rooms and a color suite and don’t have a router – only patchbays. It’s easier on the brain and the wallet…
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Ditto to Mark’s thoughts. I have two rooms and use a patchbay for RS422 and SDI. I use routers for digital audio but there are so many sources and I need multiple destinations, which is not true with machine control and SDI patching usually.
With so few rooms and machines, a router is overkill.
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Yep, you guys are right. I don’t know why I was thinking I had to get a router. I’m reading Bob’s article on setting up a machine room – which will come in handy when we upgrade our office space again. Any suggestions on which patch panel I should get that can handle rs422 (or Cat5 adapted rs422)?
For anyone who ever searches the forum and comes across this post, here’s the link to Bob Zelin’s article.
https://magazine.creativecow.net/article/building-a-professional-machine-roomJohn Davidson | President / Creative Director | Magic Feather Inc.
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For SDI I use a Canare patchbay. RS422 is a Cable Ways frame which can take 9 pin displacement cables. I have had it for 20 years and I couldn’t find any link on the web.
Using ribbon and displacement connectors, it is really easy to patch RS422. You make the patch leads up with the male displacement connectors and short ribbons. Shielded RS422 cables are not necessary in my experience. (That will probably bring Zellin crashing in to berate me for something that has worked flawlessly for 20 years)
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[Mark Spano] “For the cost, since you’ve got two rooms going on line, I’d just invest in proper patchbays for SDI and RS-422.”
agreed!
Thats what I did at my facility a few years back. works great, except for the ground loop over analog video, but not a problem with SDI
I use simple cat-5 ethernet cabling to patch and wire my rs-422.
One of the engineers from a local radio station showed me that.neat trick!
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[Chris Borjis] “Thats what I did at my facility a few years back. works great, except for the ground loop over analog video, but not a problem with SDI”
Do you have your power running in a star distribution? I have never had earthloop issues with a mixed audio video facility, but all power is distributed from a common point.
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We have the Blackmagic on 6 FCP systems and along with that a simple composite video switch to feed a DVD recorder for TC window dubs from any source.
We also have a simple video switch (just a switch panel to solo an input) to send a signal to the monitor.
but love the Blackmagic. It just works.
Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production, Post, Studio Sound Stage
Founder/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com -
Star distribution?
Can you elaborate on that?
We do have an industrial grade power conditioner in the building and it still persists, but only over analog video, from one edit suite to another. The machine room to the main edit suite is fine because they are all on the same ups backup power system, but not the room with the ground gremlin.
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[Chris Borjis] “Star distribution?
Can you elaborate on that?”
Yes Chris. Basically all power for the studios comes from a single circuit and (in my case) that means a multiple power outlet in the machine room. From there all power cables run to the studios along with audio and video cables. Each studio/ edit suite runs off that power feed. So it radiates from a central single circuit like a star. It is not a good analogy but it is common terminology.
With that config, the past four studios that I have built and run have all used this single distribution point and never an earth loop.
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ah understood. I guess i only have a single “streak” of a star then to the main room, since it’s hooked up that way.
The 2nd room with the ground loop, I only use SDI so it’s not a real problem, but thats good do know.
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