Cloning Masters

My question is only tangentially FCP-related, in that we've used FCP to cut our piece. But I'm now having to clone the orginal master tapes and get them off in the mail immediately, and I know there are folks here who can help.

I've got to make exact clones (with original time code) of about twenty 60-minute mini-dv cassettes.

I've got two decks to work with: the Sony DSR-80 and the JVC BR-DV600U.

I've never done this.

Can someone please tell me what setting to use on the DSR-80 to generate the original timecode from the master tapes?

And which would be the best connecting cable? Can I use firewire?

Thank you so much!

Kevin

Both decks have to support external timecode--that is, timecode signal on a separate connector from everything else. Connect the two decks together.

The Big Kids use an interconnect of SDI for video and AES3 for the audio as well. Put one deck on full-tilt-boogie External Everything press record and play the other. If everything is healthy, you get an exact digital copy--a clone.

The smaller decks may be able to do this trick with a straight FireWire interconnect plus the TC cable. I don't know, but without that timecode cable, I believe it's not possible.

Check that. It's not possible to do it the way you think. You can capture an entire tape and edit back onto a new tape at the identical timecode. This presupposes you set up your frame offsets in the editing setup panel and everything goes OK for hours and hours with no interruption. Of course, that also sucks up a machine with lots of hard drive for all the hours you have--twice.

Mini-DV was never designed to do this.

Somebody argue with me.

Koz

Thanks so much for the information, Kozikowski.

Yeah, after talking to the vendor from whom we periodically rent machines, I gather that I need to hook up cables for a video connection, audio connection, time code connection and sync connection. I've got to figure out which cable to use for the sync. After connecting the cables, he tells me I need to go into the record deck menu and set it for proper sync.

I'm looking forward to learning how to do this correctly.

Thanks again.

Kevin

Well, I know the Sony DRS-25 can do duplication over firewire, but I think you need two Sonys and the footage must be DVCAM. Just join the two together with the firewire cable, do a couple of menu changes and press the 'dup' button. The rest is automatic.

<<<record deck menu and set it for proper sync. >>>

I don't think I agree with him there. Sync on a record machine should always come from the incoming video. Some very nasty problems can happen if you fail to do that.

There is the black generator thing. The best stability happens when you lock everything to a stand-alone reference generator--usually picture black with multiple copies. Each broadcast machine has a reference input [REF IN]. Most consumer machines don't.

The most work you should need to do is to tell each deck that external reference is available--usually a switch on the front--and let them take it from there.

I believe changing record references in a deep menu should be avoided.

Koz