Timecode generator and an HVX

[Lars Wikstrom]

I don’t know if you can JAM sync these cameras, that is a good question. When I shot some small segments for a cooking show I rolled all 3 cameras and then stood in front of them and use a Flash from a digital camera. that flash is 1/60 of a second and worked great to sync up the cameras later. Shooting P2 that might not be that good. All cameras must roll all the time with out stopping for that to work.

-Lars

[Adam Fischer]

You can jam sync these cameras with firewire. I know how to do that. What I’ve never had experience with is using a TC generator and seperate audio. That’s where I’m lost.

[Noah Kadner]

You can feed audio timecode into one channel but it’s pointless if you don’t know what you’re doing. Why not record to an external audio recorder that accepts timecode? Like a Tascam HD-P2, a Sound Devices recorder, a DAT or an AATON Cantar. On board audio with the HVX is good enough quality but not when you have many separate tracks you really care about having.

-Noah

Unlock the secrets of the DVX100, Apple Color and now the HVX200!
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[Michael Sacci]

Then place a TC clock somewhere that all the cameras can shoot it.

This way audio is being recorded with TC from the generator and the reader is display it. Every time a camera stops it starts with a shot of the reader to match up TC with the audio. This gives you some reference for lining things up.

I have to move up to the HPX500 to have the ability to reader TC in.

[Adam Fischer]

Thanks Noah. I took a look at the recorders you mentioned plus some others at B&H and I only saw one that had 6 channels. Most were 2 and 4 and the 6 channel unit was $8500. I’ll need to keep all the channels recorded discreetly.

Although I admit I am new to this area of production, it seems like there has to be a computer based solution that I can learn how to use that is more cost effective.

You’re right, I don’t know the first thing about syncing timecode with remotely recorded audio, so I’m hoping to at least learn what tools people use for this and then try to learn how to use them myself.

Thanks for your help.

[Noah Kadner]

Yup these things aren’t cheap. I’d also suggest you simply hire a sound recordist, like someone who owns their own Deva or Cantar. That way you’ll kill two birds with one stone- know you’re getting good audio and getting multiple tracks. But no one seems to care much about audio sadly…

Noah

Unlock the secrets of the DVX100, Apple Color and now the HVX200!
https://www.callboxlive.com

[Bouke Vahl]

If you can get your cameras TC locked, that’s a start.
But, if you can shoot time of the day, it’s easier to sync with the sound tracks.

There are many computer based recording solutions, and even dirt cheap ones. But, how to sync them?

Easiest way to do so is having indeed a clap in the image, and DO NOT STOP recording the entire session. Once you’ve matched the clap with one of the cameras, you can set the TC (or AUX TC) of your audio channels to the actual TOD, and you’re fine from there on.

Another thing to concider is my ‘FCP AUX TC’ solution, downloadable from my website.
But even with that, you need a TC source that will be fed to all recording devices.

If you have time, test, test, test.

Bouke

http://www.videoToolShed.com
smart tools for video pro’s

[Adam Fischer]

Thanks to all of you. I appreciate all the helpful info!

[Dave Neyman]

I just did a multicam shoot with these cameras. We did it the old fashion way. We programmed the time code to be close on all the cameras (within 1 second). Then we used an old fashion film camera slate that all the cameras could see. You can even clap it multiple time depending on how many cameras you have. The editor was able to program the offset in FCP once they were synced up in post. We shot 14 TB worth of data like this and no issues.