Word Clock vs. TCG

[Will Salley]

Word clock is a sync pulse for digital audio to lock together. It really doesn’t have anything to do with timecode, it’s more like blackburst for audio.

Time code is incremental data and can be recorded on an audio track, but you would need an external reader to make use of that. The only device I know that could sync SMPTE to the HD24 is the Alesis BRC, which is a discontinued product but readily available on eBay for next to nothing.

In any event, to distribute timecode you need a master generator (a camera can suffice), a distribution amp or DA (a video DA or audio DA will do the trick – it’s analog data, you just need it amplified), and a bunch of cable. Obviously, all the cameras will need TC I/O.

Let us know how it goes. I have a BRC and would like to know for future reference.

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.2 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite

[John Livings]

Hi Will,

The cameras have Time Code I/O, I will continue to try to figure this out.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

John

[Will Salley]

John,
Your post got me to thinking about this since I do a lot of music related and sync to sound video work. I took a look at my Alesis BRC and it does indeed have SMPTE in and out, oddly on 1/4″ jacks, and video sync in on BNC. I assume that is intended to take subcarrier sync (genlock) or blackburst. It also has 48Khz I/O, MIDI I/O, and the 9-pin ADAT sync connection. The BRC manual states that it does work with the HD-24 so that may be your best way to achieve sync.

If you’re interested, I found one on eBay real cheap:
https://cgi.ebay.com/Alesis-Adat-BRC-Master-Remote-control-Unit_W0QQitemZ300392873827QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item45f0cf7f63#ht_500wt_1182

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.2 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite

[John Livings]

Thanks Will, I will check into that.

John

[Maurice Jansen]

hi there

don’t rely on timecode alone.
genlock your camera’s and if you want to do ir really right hook-up word-clock to your multitrack that is sync to the ref-video you send to your camera’s.
use a SPG like this
https://www.rosendahl-studiotechnik.de/nanosyncs.html
for instance and jam the TCgenerators from the camera’s.
or better feed them Timcode all the time from a generator that is also genlocked to your SPG

greet
Maurice

People saying they don’t make mistake’s often make nothing at all!

[Jacob Castro]

I have been trying to do the same… Does this allow transport control? Such as press play/ff/rw on master and other devices will follow