[Steve Kownacki]

I don’t have an X70 or 702t, but I see the cam has no TC in. Wondering if it sends TC out on SDI that you could get a black box to strip off TC to send to the 702t which can chase external TC in reader mode. I thought AJA had such a box but I couldn’t find it.

Depending on the video editing software you are using, you can also use a Lockit box for TC fed to the 702t and to your camera as an audio signal. Here’s a workflow for BlackMagic using Resolve, pretty sure Avid will convert an audio channel to TC too.
https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4849

Steve

[Steve Kownacki]

I use G3s all the time with next to no issues. Have you scanned new lists to find clear frequencies?

Steve

[Steve Kownacki]

I like to take along at UPS. A lot of times hotel power isn’t that great, plus the security of the battery is always a plus. the wattage output simply depends on how much you’re actually plug into it. You have to calculate that by adding up all the wattage requirements of each individual piece of equipment.

Steve

[Steve Kownacki]

Well, I don’t give my clients the option – their scope of work says “Archive all materials” and it’s usually about 30 min to an hour of editing time. I use LTO5 now, but was mainly drives, CDs and DVDs & BD data in the past. LTO tapes now are only a few dollars that I don’t directly charge unless the job is huge and requires their own set. And as part of that “Old Guys Club,” it was easier to have a Media100 file and a few graphics on a CD along with a few physical videotapes on a shelf, rather than 600gigs of data.

It all goes back to relationships – I assume my client will be with me for life and we’ll need something from a prior project at some point. This might be grabbing a DVD authoring template, an AFX file, or logo to make the next project that much more efficient. They’re hiring a professional and the archiving is part of the process an amateur does not give consideration to.

Steve

[Steve Kownacki]

Not that specifically Todd, but it doesn’t surprise me that many of these “features” are turned on automatically and you have to be very observant to turn them off. QB customer support is lacking and “fast ones” come more frequently. We switched to QB Online a few months ago – horrendous. They have miss-billed us for for the service and payroll fees nearly every month. They have corrected the errors, but each time it takes my office person an hour on hold to have it corrected. We’re trying to download our file and go back to the desktop version but have yet to receive a file – probably so they can bill me another $45 for the online service, which will require another hour on the phone to get a credit. Sad.

Steve

[Steve Kownacki]

do a search for “hitch mounted camera pole”

here’s one https://floatograph.com/telescoping-masts/index.php

How long does it need to be in place? You may want to buy a utility pole (telephone pole) & have the contractor install it.

Or buy/rent one of these babies
https://www.skywaysecurity.com/netv-msu-4128-emg-camera-and-light-tower-trailer/

Or you could write a script that automatically sends your drone out at scheduled times and then returns back to home base. 🙂

Steve

[Steve Kownacki]

Pretty cool Todd! Not to mention you can pick up your free tape measure, tarp, LED light, screwdrivers, and more with the influx of coupons they send.

Steve

[Steve Kownacki]

AFAIK, v1.3 is the latest for the EX1 & 3. I had my EX1s updated earlier this year and they had to be done by SONY. I usually send my gear to Macie Video and they’re the ones who gave me the sad news that this update can render your camera a brick and even Macie would not perform the update.

Seems like other versions are on the Sony site.
https://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/micro-xdcam/resource.downloads.bbsccms-assets-micro-xdcam-downloads-XDCAMSoftwareDownload.shtml

Steve

[Steve Kownacki]

Hi Ned
Thanks for the reply. (Please read my response as though we just had a beer and we’re talking about a fishing trip and the one that got away. Simply answering questions, not a rebuttal.)

The same setup was used the same week at another gig, except that one was 5 days, 30 hours, had 16 wireless, larger Presonus console feeding to Macbook Pro running Audition. Flawless all week. The particular gig I’m referring to had a smaller Presonus console running into Presonus dedicated software. This guy and I had done this setup many times without issue; he’s a seasoned guy who let one slip. It’s a case of simply not being observant. For corp stuff like this I utilize more of a recording studio setup rather than a location sound attitude. 1 setup, 1 location, moderate room control, wall power, etc. Had I known there was an issue, I have no problem with asking a client to restart if necessary. (Embarrassing, but possible.)

Client not sure if any editing will be done with this, the cameras were secondary. The key point is for a group of people to review the table conversations to gain insight on the subject matter that was discussed. Other than trying to salvage the audio I have, there is no point in trying to woo or wow them with mini-edits. They’ll get an honest assessment from me and I will keep the relationship. It’s what I do. Your mentor is correct.

Steve

[Steve Kownacki]

Thanks for all the thoughts.

Some follow up:
A1 tells me that the laptop simply “stopped recording” about 10 seconds after it started and there’s no media in the cache. He was also manning camera 1 but the laptop was right in front of him. What kills me more is that in building the multicam sequences, he is adjusting the mixer at 57 minutes in and still didn’t notice it wasn’t recording – ha! Could have been an opportunity to only lose 1 hour of material.

So in retrospect, while I have just begun to trust people to me not second-guessing their job, I will continue my nature of anal retentive, obsessive, over-the-shoulder-watching, paranoid tech-boy… just seems to work out better sometimes. So Walter, yes, what you suggest is our typical workflow. Silly me. Well, in this case even redundancy of non-existent data wouldn’t have helped.

I even said at a meeting last night “audio is 75% of any video production.”

For the good news: This was a 3-camera shoot with the cams relatively close to the tables. Ch1 was mix out, ch 2 was ambient cam mic on each camera. Sooooo…. I do have some salvageable audio of the individual groups (that was the purpose of the shoot in the first place, not the presenters. It was a lot of discussion at 5 tables of 7 persons; more focus group type of content). Although not perfect, I can have my editor sort out some of it and it’s not all lost.

So back to my original query: What to do with the soundperson? I am not being billed for the work – their suggestion (my acceptance, along with Rolaids), and I will be billing him for my editor’s time to sort the nat sound mics for usable content.

And in relation to not/reduced billing to my client, they will get my verdict on Wednesday after we have time to fully analyze what we have. But to the point of E&O-type insurance: Here’s an event where they brought in nearly 30 high-level executives, lodged and fed them. So on the extreme end of doomsday thinking (which I don’t subscribe to), if they deem the content unsatisfactory, can they claim that the production company would have to reimburse any of those expenses/salaries? I don’t imagine this would happen, but I’m throwing it out for discussion.

I shall now enjoy a Magic Hat Elder Betty
… or 2.
Steve