[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

[jaypep] “Is there a work around? Or a particular sync generator that you think would meet the need? Or do I just need a cheaper “proline” switcher that doesn’t require timing.”

As you’ve found you can not dissovle between non-gen-locked sources with a gen-lock switcher.

Yes, you just need to use a “digital” swithcer.
I recommend the DataVideo below.

Panasonic, Videonics (now called Focus) and DataVideo all offer these units.
The switchers can act as effective TBCs because they use internal digital clocks to “create” a stable video signal even from from various “un-sync’ed sources.
So you can feed a DV deck, computer output (that is NTSC compatible) or an unstable VHS (or other source) into the switcher and send the switcher’s “stable” output to a video screen, tape deck or other vdeio input.

Panasonic:
https://www.studio1productions.com/vid102.htm
https://www.studio1productions.com/vid100.htm
and others

Focus:
https://www.focusinfo.com/products/mx-4/mx4.htm
https://www.focusinfo.com/products/mx4dv/mx4dv.htm

And the best of the bunch, DataVideo:
https://www.datavideo-tek.com/products/se_800_main_page.htm

Certain of these video switchers can usually be rented from companies that set-up “Hotel Ballroom Events” in most cities.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

You need to buy another stand-alone microphone and plug it into the 2nd input on the Beachtek. The 1/8″ mic input plug on the camera is “stereo” (or 2-channel) and the Beachtek should handle two inputs and feed one-each to the separate camera channels.
You can attach the new mic to the top of the camera, or use it on the tripod, a mic stand or boom.

The current built-in on-camera mic cannot be adapted for this kind of use.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

There is a function in FCP that is often overlooked… and it can help with many audio and video “skipping”, “sticking” and “missing” problems.

You should “Mixdown” the Audio for playback before you dub out of FCP, or during the edit, if you have audio/video stuttering, drop-outs, sync-slippage, or freezes.

NOTE: Mixdown has even been demonstrated to help with slipping, skipping problems (or “missing” audio clips) for files being EXPORTED as QT (or similar) files out of FCP.

First, SELECT ALL of your audio tracks (highlight them) on the timeline, then:

Sequence Menu > Render Only > Mixdown.

You should see a dialog box telling you its rendering.

It might seem to make little sense that “Mixing down” even simple audio tracks will “fix” complex video “freezes” or random audio dropouts to tape or export, but it CAN.

NOTE: It does not matter of you only have one audio track, if there are random freezes during output, you should try the Mixdown.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

[Bret Williams] “I don’t buy that. Narration should be mono, but I think if you want to go to the trouble it makes the audio a lot more realistic if you pan a little bit but not completely.”

You are welcome to DO that, but virtually all present-day mixes (TV, Films, DVDs) have all dialogue dead-center mono and fed to the center “dialogue channel” in the 5.1 mix.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

Assuming you have only dialogue on certain tracks all the way thru and music on certain other tracks all the way thru and SFX of still OTHER tracks all the way thru…

Make a DUPLICATE of your timeline and on that dupe:

Use the “select all clips to the right” arrow tool to “select all clips to the right” on a specific track, then under the Modify menu, choose the “Pan Left” or Pan Right” and all the selected clips will do that at one time.

Continue for each track.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

First thing I’d stop dead, and never do again, is the pre-stripe black.
It serves no purpose whatsoever and wears the heads for no reason at all.

Its POSSIBLE that you have clogged heads from the Sony/Panny combo, but I don’t really buy that, as part of the time the A/V is fine.
The “no switching brands” warning is highly debatable anyway, as there are hundreds of users who do it all the time with no ill effects, and others who would “never do it.”

Most likely, in the camera with the bad drops during the final minutes of a tape, its badly-aligned tape-path guides and/or an improper “drag” on the supply hub (sticky spindle brake?) .

If you want to solve this, you may need to send the camera(s) back to service and be very specific as to the problems, and at what point on the tape they occur more frequently.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

In the first place, dialogue should be MONO in the CENTER in 95% of scenes.

SFX and music should be stereo.

Regardless, just “re-pan” your problem channels of audio, or, as was suggested swap the audio outputs on the DVD player.

BTW, I thought the “tell Peter to stand on the other side…” solution was hysterical!

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

There is a function in FCP that is often overlooked… and it can help with many audio and video “skipping”, “sticking” and “missing” problems.

You should “Mixdown” the Audio for playback before you dub out of FCP, or during the edit, if you have audio/video stuttering, drop-outs, sync-slippage, or freezes.

NOTE: Mixdown has even been demonstrated to help with slipping, skipping problems (or “missing” audio clips) for files being EXPORTED as QT (or similar) files out of FCP.

First, SELECT ALL of your audio tracks (highlight them) on the timeline, then:

Sequence Menu > Render Only > Mixdown.

You should see a dialog box telling you its rendering.

It might seem to make little sense that “Mixing down” even simple audio tracks will “fix” complex video “freezes” or random audio dropouts to tape or export, but it CAN.

NOTE: It does not matter of you only have one audio track, if there are random freezes during output, you should try the Mixdown.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

How are you MONITORING the audio and video?

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

[Les Kaye] “It was number 2 on the list that I’ve used before.
“

Maybe I should move it up to number ONE!

😉