Andrew Rendell
Forum Replies Created
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FCP doesn’t export that format, so you’ll have to export a same settings quicktime and convert it with other software.
Telestream’s Episode comes to mind, but there are a handful of options for third party software IIRC.
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When the playback is synchronised to a reference signal the motors in the deck are being driven to run the tape at precisely the same speed as it was running when the initial recording was made and timing it so that at any instant a defined part to the tape is passing the record/play heads.
So the precise speed of the tape going through the mechanism makes no difference on the first recording, as long as it’s within the system boundaries. An assemble edit is basically a first recording that continues a first recording that is already there.
When you’re assemble editing, the thing that is vitally important is that at the instant that the deck starts to record, the deck is moving the tape normally (not speeding up from a standstill) and the timecode on the tape is at a number which matches the editing system output (so that the timecode on the tape is continuous and at the numbers you are required to have). And the deck can only do that if it has something recorded on the tape already.
You are right that after the initial bit of recording there isn’t control track or timecode on the tape, but the deck is creating those as it goes along. You only need them to be there already if you want to do an insert edit, i.e., adding individual tracks or combinations of tracks to an existing recording, in order to match a new bit of recording into an existing one.
Older guys (including me, I’m in my 40s) will remember switching between “auto” and “tach” and adjusting the deck to make sure that the track recorded during an edit matched the track that was there before, but you don’t need to think about that kind of thing on modern decks.
I don’t know what to suggest as learning material. My main reference is my BBC training notes (which aren’t published). I’ve always found Sony’s documentation ok if you’re already well informed and just need specific information for this piece of equipment, but a bit heavy going and confusing if your coming from nowhere. Focal Press books are mostly very good but I don’t have a particular one that I could recommend. It’s probably worth asking in the Decks and VTRs forum and maybe the Broadcasting one on the Cow here for recommendations.
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As Steve indicates, it depends on the shot. Very often it’ll start to look soft rather than grainy and you have to make a judgement about how badly it stands out compared to the shots around it.
Generally, if the shots are very clean and sharp expansion will look worse than if they’re a bit less than perfect.
TBH, you’ll usually be ok with expanding 10% to 20% bigger than was shot but you might get away with 200% for some stuff. Shots that are fairly close on movement will tend to suffer less as the eye won’t be taking in as much detail when there’s motion going on.
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It might be worthwhile putting the frame controls on and selecting the settings you need. I don’t know whether that’ll help but I have had occasions when leaving the frame controls off didn’t do what I expected.
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Assemble editing records video, audio, control track and timecode all at once, so if you are assemble editing there’s no point in striping the tape in it’s entirety. Striping the tape allows you to insert edit one or more tracks at a time rather than everything at once.
However, whenever you are editing onto tape, the tape deck has to lock up it’s playback before dropping into record (i.e., be at the correct speed and sychronous with the reference signal), so you do actually need a few seconds of recording at the front of the tape in order to perform an assemble edit. So, switch the tc generator to preset and set a time a few seconds before you want to start your recording and record until you’re past that point, then stop the tape, switch the tc generator to regen (or whatever it’s called on that particular deck) and away you go.
TBH, it’s quicker to do it than it is to type it here..
🙂
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Your Mileage May Vary.
(Used as a general disclaimer that a generalisation does not discount the possibility of contrary outcomes happening in occasional/exceptional circumstances). -
+1 to what the others have written.
However, looking up at my bookshelf I’d just like to mention Sound Effects: Radio, TV and Film by Robert L Mott (Focal Press 1990). Possibly a bit dated (particularly in technical aspects) today, but I found it really interesting when I was starting out and I got a few helpful ideas from it.
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TBH, looking at those walls makes me think of two things: (1) Reflexion filter behind the mic and a blanket hung behind you, (2) Coles 4104.
BTW, is anyone still using lip mics? I’ve been using voice booths for ages so I haven’t touched one for quite a long time but I have very fond memories…
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I’ve had good material from Associated Press.
For european stuff ITN Source.
For specific stories you might have to contact the particular broadcaster.As others have mentioned, news is mostly covered by fair use and some of what you might find through news agencies will have to be cleared with the original source (news stories might have shots from an external source included in their news stories, e.g., I did some things about the BP oil spill last year and there was underwater footage from Woods Hole in some news reports that had to be cleared separately), so be careful about anything that wasn’t obviously filmed by a news agency.
If you aren’t news and want to use anything through fair use, i.e., without clearing it, there are clauses that might allow you to do so but you must speak to a lawyer about it first.
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The overall speed of the system is always limited by the speed of the slowest part of the chain. So even if you have an adapter to connect an esata drive to a USB2 connection, the speed that the data gets from drive to computer can’t go any faster than the USB2 part of the path.
[EDIT: Aah, didn’t look properly, I’m just saying the same thing as Shane really…]