[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

No. But you can use the CLIPS.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

[David Rowan] “Get a used Mini DV camera from a pawn shop and just use it for your firewire deck. When it wears out just get another one.”

DITTO.

I have several used home video-type camcorders that I have bought for under $125 each (that’s a pretty good price!)

They work with the same quality as a deck.
And, I have yet to “wear one out” 😉

If you buy a Panasonic or Sony brand home video camcorder, they will ALSO play DVCAM-recorded tapes perfectly.

[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.

AND… If you are still having problems with PtV, just don’t use it.

Make sure you have fully rendered everything at the best quality, hit “record” on your deck or camcorder and PLAY the timeline.
Quality is identical to PtV.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

Once you edit a 4:3 clip into your timeline, just double-click it back into the Viewer and choose the Motion tab.

Choose “Distort” and its bottom setting of “Aspect Ratio”.

Adjust that control until your 4:3 image is the correct shape.

If you need to reposition or crop the clip, you can also do that in the Motion tab settings.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

It COULD be the CASE’S ELECTRONICS have gone bad and not the Drive itself (it has happened to me).

If you can mount the drive in another case (on internally) you can see if the drive is still operating.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

[mode_media] “i wanted to know if this is going to cause any problems for me as far as getting the full sound of the band, or will the other mics pick up things like the toms and cymbals?

and if so…whats the best way to remedy this or do i postpone the shoot until this particular band plays at another venue where everything is mic-ed”

Yes, it WILL be a big problem.

If you can wait until you can get a proper full mix, do so.

[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]

If you are trying to add a DISSOLVE…

(do not use the “Fade-In/Fade-Out” Filter at the HEAD of a timeline or section, unless you have a very specific “need” for it)

you need the clip to have enough “extra” footage so that the dissolve has the frames that it needs to “mix”.

At the HEAD of a clip (coming from BLACK) you could change the Dissolve to “Start on Edit” if there not enough “pre-clip handle” frames for “End on Edit” or “Center on Edit” to work.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

[Steven Galvano] “I just bought a CD that Disney produced with Christmas Readings on it. Each track is a celebrity narrating without music.
Te reverb is subtle and elegant.”

I’m going to guess that much of that “great reverb” is Epcot’s outdoor “America Gardens Theatre’s” natural ambience.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

Be sure (after the Mixdown) to Export a “new” QT from the project with which to burn a DVD.