Thaxter Clavemarlton
Forum Replies Created
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[Walter Biscardi] “Just spread a bunch of pillows around the floor beneath the drive.”
A tube of “Crazy Glue” is cheaper.
Just make sure your associate is sitting in a comfortable position before you stick him down.
🙂
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[melissa] “Is it true that audio reference level is at -20 to -18 when recording onto dv-cam?”
It CAN be. It all depends on who is setting the levels.
Most camcorders, if they are put into “Auto-Level” control will ride the levels much louder than this (say, -6 to even -3 dB peaks).If the recordings you have been posting about were recorded with a “manual-level” setting and the audio operator chose -18 or so as the “reference Zero” then that’s OK. At least you should be “safe”.
Because, as has been pointed out by, oh, a half-dozen responder’s to your myriad of posts about this on several COW Forums, 😉
once you have captured the clips, you can readjust them to any level you’d like.
Digital (with its low noise-floor) is more easily “forgiving” of levels that are a bit LOW… but it is “murder” on anything too HOT (distorted). -
[Klaus] “Could you substitute an ipod for an iriver? “
iPods don’t come with mic inputs.
There are extra-cost adapters that will let you use a mic and record on the iPod, but the expense of an iPod PLUS the adapter would be much more costly than an iRiver unit (and be much more bulky.) -
Wal-mart sells a nice little “off-brand” unit with FireWire input (as well as S-Video and Composite)
https://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3168469(BTW, you can see from the pics that the FW input is on the front of the deck, not the back.)
It burns to DVD+R and DVD+RW discs.I have seen several of these in the local Wal-marts’ electronics departments for… $139.95.
The good thing about buying from your local Wal-Mart is if the unit is no good, its easy to return.I have not bought one since I already have another “cheerful cheapy” (Sansui from Sears).
I paid $129 for a “demo” unit.My Sansui works absolutely perfectly… the DVD’s look just like my DV master (if I choose XP or SP speed) and it records to DVD-R, like the Mac’s burner.
I have had NO PROBLEMS with this Sansui using the CHEAPEST loss-leader “generic” blanks (which is NOT the case with the Mac’s burner).
I imagine its because the unit burns SLOWLY (real-time) and with a “set” compression-rate.
This means I can burn a cheap blank (say 15-25 cents each, in bulk) for client approval!!Yes, I have bought a lot of pricey PRO gear as well, but the little set-top DVD recorder is a gem for quick, reliable DVD dubs.
A thing to note is that, although these record in “real-time”, they take a “while” to “FINALIZE” the DVD after you finish dubbing.
If I only put a :30 spot or two on a new DVD, the unit still takes 14 MINUTES to “finalize”.
If I dub an hour or two (at SP speed, which is a 2-hour mode) it takes just a very FEW minutes to “finalize”.
So the shorter the dub, the longer the “finalize” step takes.
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Put the clip in the Viewer (Left) window.
Click on the Motion tab.
Click on the Crop setting.
Adjust the settings down to the edges of the smaller video.You will end up with a big black area with a little video playing inside it.
That’s what you asked, but I don’t know what you would do with it afterward.
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Try these:
https://www.partnersinrhyme.com
https://www.koumis.com/soundfx.htm (FREE)
BTW, you should try the SEARCH function here on the COW… lots of info, very quickly.
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[Klaus] “Why not just use a radio mic and record directly to camera? “
I can answer in general for this one (at least from my angle.)
There are many times that one needs more sources than can be recorded directly to one or two camcorders.
Those sources can be sent to a “live” mixer and the resultant mix sent to the camcorder.
But this method to be “reliable” really requires the employment of an additional crew-member whose full attention can be dedicated to the audio mix.And even with THAT scenario, the cost of a buying several additional RELIABLE wireless mic systems can be in the thousands of dollars.
And there are also the “headaches” associated with any non-wired technique (extra RF noise, interference, and even loss-of-signal.)So, for many operators, a good solution is to buy several reliable, (comparatively) low-cost self-contained recording devices to use for those “extra” sources that might be needed but that are not being fed to to “main” channels on the camcorder(s).
And, another benefit of stand-alone sources… if the “unthinkable” happened and the main audio track was “flawed” in some way, the stand-alone sources MIGHT even help “save” a really bad situation.
Yes, it may take a bit of “sliding” to get those sources synced to the video in post, but the cost-savings and other benefits can more than make up for this inconvenience.
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As far as the SIGNAL PATH is concerned, there is no difference between a 4-pin and a 6-pin FW connector.
The extra 2 pins on the 6-pin are just to carry DC voltage to operate any portable device that is built to run from the computer’s power supply.
Plus, the 6-pin plug is much larger and sturdier, so a lot of pro DV camcorders have a 6-pin FW jack instead of 4-pin just so it will hold up to rugged use better.To your specific problem…
A. you MIGHT have a “bad” 4-pin cable
B. one of the 4-pin connectors on the camcorder or computer is broken
C. the actual internal FW “board” in either unit is “fried”.Something to try:
Leave the camcorder connected via the FW cable and leave the camcorder in “VCR” mode.
Quit the software on the computer and then open it again.Sometimes that will “wake-up” and create a proper “handshake” between units.
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[melissa] “It’s set on remote, all the capture and video/audio presets are correct”
Make sure the remote setting on the deck is in the i.LINK (a.k.a. “FireWire”) position.
Depending on the options you have installed on the DSR-1500, the remote can be a “serial-type” (9-pin) as well as i.LINK so there should be a setting to tell the deck which kind of remote control you want to use. (May be a front-panel switch or in a menu setting.)
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[PK] “I’ve been told that the problem has been known to exist with Canon camcorders.”
Oh yes.
A possible solution is to play the tape(s) on the ORIGINAL camcorder and make a FireWire copy to a new DV tape in another deck or camcorder, then capture only from the COPY.
This is a standard “iffy tape” workaround and there is no loss in quality on the copy.