Don Greening
Forum Replies Created
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Your friend’s XL1S needs a cleaning. Suggest a reputable camera repair place in your area and have them do it. Tell them what’s happening with the XL1S and they’ll clean the heads and transport mechanicals. Have them check for proper transport alignment at the same time.
Try to avoid using a head cleaning cassette, as they are very abrasive and will decrease the service life of the heads substantially. That’s how they work, by sandpapering the heads clean. If you must use one, follow the directions on the cassette to the letter.
– Don
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For recording 4 audio channels w/ the MA-200 make sure your external mic is plugged into XLR inputs 3 or 4. XLR inputs 1 or 2 on the MA-200 should not be used, otherwise the on camera mic won’t be recorded at the same time. IN the VCR setup menu choose: Audio Mode “12bit ST-1,2”. Still in the VCR setup menu, set Audio 2 to “mic”.
Behind the audio door make sure the audio 1 input is set to “mic”. This will allow the on camera mic to be recorded on channels 1 and 2. Then plug your external mic into channel 3 or 4 of the MA-200.
Make sure you’re using the audio moitor switch correctly by setting it to listen to all 4 channels at once. I used to forget to cycle through the modes for listening to the first two channels, then channels 3 and 4 , or all 4 at once.
BTW, all of this is discussed in your XL1S user manual starting on page 51. If you don’t have one you can get a PDF version at the Canon webiste.
– Don
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A while back I transfered a bunch of projects originally edited in FCP 1.2.5 over to FCP 4.5 without issue. I suspect that your media files are offline because they were made offline in the original project, and the project file you opened in FCP 4.5 would reflect those same settings. It also may be a case of FCP knowing that the project file is on a different computer and it’s asking you to reconnect the source clips manually. It should be a simple task of telling FCP you want to now reconnect the media files and it will help you navigate to the clips on the hard drive the client gave you. Once you’ve successfully connected one of the source clips FCP may tell you it’s “found more media that are still offline” and will offer to reconnect the remaining clips for you. This will save you a ton of work.
Once you’re up and running with your reconnected clips do a “save as” so you don’t overwrite the original project file. This way you can always go back to the original file if things don’t quite go according to plan.
Best of luck.
– Don
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[calebandashley] “Do you mean export as a QT then bring drag the QT into compressor?”
Exactly. Or you can just go to Compressor’s file menu and use the import file command. The keyboard shortcut is: Command “I” without the quotes.
– Don
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It’s far easier to answer all your questions by pointing you to the very informative article below:
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/24p_in_FCP_nattress.html
Just insert the camera name “XL2” where it says “DVX100A”. The workpath is exactly the same, even in FCP5.
– Don
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[Aviator] “Does that mean that it will record that 4:3 SD on tape or does it output that signal…or both?”
It’s both. When you switch to 4:3 the camera will disable the appropriate no. of pixels right on the CCD’s to record the full screen aspect ratio.
[Aviator] “Does the H1 record in DVCam as well?”
The Canon XL-H1 doesn’t record DV CAM, which runs at a faster tape speed but the image is the same.
– Don
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I have a GL2 nad have never had the problems you’re describing, so I really don’t know what to suggest other than to find a reputable repair facility in your area and have them do a repair estimate. For what it’s worth, the problems with the rewind/zoom issues you’re having sound like intermittant electrical switch contact troubles as opposed to having to replace rewind or zoom motors, if that’s any consolation. The camera would probably still have to be taken apart to get things fixed, though.
Hope this helps in your decision about what to do.
– Don
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HI Bob,
Yes, you can make a trip to some place like Radio Shack and make up cables for your XLR mic that will connect with your GL2’s stereo mini plug. You can get an XLR adapter that goes from female XLR to a mono mini plug for the mic end. Then get a cable with mini plugs on both ends. Buy a mono to stereo mini plug adapter to connect everything to your GL2. I’ve got the exact same setup that I used to use so I know this is all doable from the Radio Shack parts bins. Just make sure that your mic has its own power supply, because the GL2 can’t send 48v phantom power to it.
The downside to doing it this way is all the fiddly bits you need to buy to get your cableing made up. But the really big headache is the side loading on the GL2’s less than robust mini plug recepticle from all that heavy cableing dragging on it like a lifetime of tar and nicotine. Be darn sure you provide adequate strain relief for the GL2’s mini plug connection or you’ll ruin the internal spring clips. The ulitmate would be a 90 degree stereo mini plug adapter right out of the camera, just like the ones used on that Beach Tek piece you mentioned.
– Don
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You can use the ethernet connections of the two Powerbooks to connect them. Probably the easiest way. Or you can buy an ethernet hub and plug them in that way too. Once you’re connected then go to the ‘Go’ menu and choose ‘connect to server’. Follow the onscreen instructions and you’ll be good to go.
– Don