Help with wireless sync

Sound Chaser · 4th February 2010

I am recording a feature and need to run timecode with a wireless sync box. The camera is a F900 and I am thinking that I should set it up for record-run.
I have used this system once before a few years ago and it worked like a charm. The files just flew into Pro Tools and lined up like magic, which is great since I may be hired to do post.
Since I have never run untethered before I am a little nervous to be trying this out on a properly budgeted feature. I also don't remember exactly what I did the last time I used the F900 a few years ago.

So I am assuming that to record (record-run) I have to use the camera as the TC generator and lock the slate and recorder as slave. Since I don't want to interrupt the connection I am assuming I can generate a second source via the TC out of the recorder to sync the slate. Is that it; anything else to be concerned with? Any suggestions? Would it be better to run camera slave and just record normally since the TC should still line up all the files with the picture.

Karl_Lohninger · 6th February 2010

I can't quite follow your plans here. How are you actually recording sound?

tsvisser · 6th February 2010

Generally speaking, the sound department provides the timecode master and the cameras are locked to sound. What if you have to record some wild tracks, you won't have your timecode reference? There are ways to transmit timecode wirelessly, I use an Ambient ACD301RF slate for this purpose. The more trouble-free way is to simply use a number of lock-it boxes, occasionally jam-synching them to your master clock (normally the audio recorder, such as a Sound Devices 788T, Nagra VI, Zaxcom Deva, or the like). You shouldn't have to worry about locking the sound to camera for the purposes of synching. It is ok if the sound/cam do not speed up at the same time and file lengths are slightly different. As long as the timecode is intact, it will still synch up on the timeline.

4th February 2010	#1
Sound Chaser Gear nut Joined: May 2006 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 119 Thread Starter	Help with wireless sync I am recording a feature and need to run timecode with a wireless sync box. The camera is a F900 and I am thinking that I should set it up for record-run. I have used this system once before a few years ago and it worked like a charm. The files just flew into Pro Tools and lined up like magic, which is great since I may be hired to do post. Since I have never run untethered before I am a little nervous to be trying this out on a properly budgeted feature. I also don't remember exactly what I did the last time I used the F900 a few years ago. So I am assuming that to record (record-run) I have to use the camera as the TC generator and lock the slate and recorder as slave. Since I don't want to interrupt the connection I am assuming I can generate a second source via the TC out of the recorder to sync the slate. Is that it; anything else to be concerned with? Any suggestions? Would it be better to run camera slave and just record normally since the TC should still line up all the files with the picture.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Distributing sync via wireless?	Dustin Moore	Remote Possibilities in Acoustic Music & Location Recording	4	27th June 2008 02:39 PM
Protools HD, Sync I/O, Big Ben and House Sync !?	kwilliams	Post Production forum!	8	11th June 2008 12:54 PM
9 Pin Host sync cable for Digidesign SYNC?	razorz	Low End Theory	3	6th November 2007 02:53 PM
sync to blackburst vs sync to word clock	numrologst	Remote Possibilities in Acoustic Music & Location Recording	33	3rd February 2007 12:05 AM

6th February 2010	#2
Karl_Lohninger Gear nut Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 80	I can't quite follow your plans here. How are you actually recording sound?

6th February 2010	#3
tsvisser Lives for gear Joined: Feb 2007 Location: Honolulu HI Posts: 1,852	Generally speaking, the sound department provides the timecode master and the cameras are locked to sound. What if you have to record some wild tracks, you won't have your timecode reference? There are ways to transmit timecode wirelessly, I use an Ambient ACD301RF slate for this purpose. The more trouble-free way is to simply use a number of lock-it boxes, occasionally jam-synching them to your master clock (normally the audio recorder, such as a Sound Devices 788T, Nagra VI, Zaxcom Deva, or the like). You shouldn't have to worry about locking the sound to camera for the purposes of synching. It is ok if the sound/cam do not speed up at the same time and file lengths are slightly different. As long as the timecode is intact, it will still synch up on the timeline.