Online and Layback from FCP - peripherals needed

Hey guys,

I need to set up one of our FCP systems as an online bay for an upcoming show. We're going to be doing our own online and layback in house this time around (we did the online and mix out of house last season).

It's a kids game show on Discovery's Hub network, which didn't even receive any color correction for the first season except for going through a limiter on the way to HDCAM.

So my question is this: besides the sync generator, hardware legalizer, HD broadcast monitor and F-500, what else to I need? We already have a Kona LHe interface, so we'll be sending it out HD-SDI, which will carry our four channels of audio. If the network, makes us do a 5.1 mix and master to HDCAM SR this season, what kind of interface would we need to rent to send the 8 channels of audio? I suppose we could just do four tracks with the video and then do an insert edit to tape with the other four channels of audio, but that makes me nervous about something going wrong.

It would be nice if we could save some money and just rent the extra outboard gear without having to rent the whole system, since we already have the CPU video monitors, speakers, etc. Also, besides Wexler, GoEdit and VER, does anyone have any other suggestions for reliable rental houses in the Hollywood/Burbank area? I always rent decks from Visionary Forces, but they don't have the peripherals for on-lining.

You need the Kona card, you have that. Then a good Broadcast monitor (I recommend the FSI monitors) and the AJA Gen10 Sync generator. That's about it. I've never used a hardware legalizer. Nor an F-500. What's that?

The 5.1 surround will have to be done by a mix house, or someone familiar with it. Because the 5.1 surround is embedded into two audio channels, and is just LOUD WHITE NOISE that peaks the meters when you output.

What deck will you be outputting to? How many channels of audio minus the surround? The LHe only does 8 channels, so if you need more, then you need the Kona 3, MXO2 or Decklink Extreme 3D.

Need help with the first output or two? I'm available. I've done this solid for the past 2 years.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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Shane Ross Wrote:
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> You need the Kona card, you have that. Then a
> good Broadcast monitor (I recommend the FSI
> monitors) and the AJA Gen10 Sync generator.
> That's about it. I've never used a hardware
> legalizer. Nor an F-500. What's that?

Sorry, the Sony HDW-F500 is the HDCAM record deck I usually use. I think there's another HDCAM (non-SR) record deck out there, but I have never really used it, and I'm more familiar with the F500.

Do I need to be using an HD 59.94 ref signal or can I get away with using an SD 29.97 ref signal. We just used a regualr black burst generator when digitizing from the AJHD-1400's last season, but I suspect that some of the little issues that we were having may have been due to our use of an SD ref while digitizing HD footage.

The only reason I didn't think it mattered was because the ref is just there to keep the deck running at a consistent speed -- whether it's 29.97 or 59.94 shouldn't matter because it's all still based on 60 Hz, right? I mean, if we were doing a PAL show it would be a different story.


> The 5.1 surround will have to be done by a mix
> house, or someone familiar with it. Because the
> 5.1 surround is embedded into two audio channels,
> and is just LOUD WHITE NOISE that peaks the meters
> when you output.
>

We'll still be doing our mix out of house. Whether we do it at the same place or somewhere else, they'll still be giving us BWAV stems so that we can do the layback in-house.

> What deck will you be outputting to? How many
> channels of audio minus the surround? The LHe
> only does 8 channels, so if you need more, then
> you need the Kona 3, MXO2 or Decklink Extreme 3D.

If we get the special dispensation again to just do a stereo mix and an M+E on the HDCAM master, then we can get away with just sending the audio along with video through the HD-SDI. When you say that the LHe does 8 channels, do you mean that the HD-SDI signal will carry 8 channels? That might be enough, but I'd have to check their original spec sheet.


> Need help with the first output or two? I'm
> available. I've done this solid for the past 2
> years.

I probably will need help because it seems like every time I rent a deck and have to do outputs, I always end up having to pull close to an all-nighter getting the thing to work. It's the one area where I've had more luck with Avid than Final Cut. On the last season of this show when I had to output the animation sequences to DVCPro for playback on the stage, it took me almost an entire day to get the sequence to output. It wasn't working for hours and then all of a sudden it just decided to work. Very weird.

Ah, the deck. Gotcha.

And yes, you need a different Sync Gen. You need a tri-sync gen like the Gen10. Regular black burst, SD black burst, will not work for HD decks. Including DVCPRO HD decks. But you don't need sync going from the deck to computer, just from computer to deck. That is moat likely the cause of your issue outputting. But I know outputting to DVCPRO HD 59.94 can be difficult.

Contact me if you want to hire me for a day or two to help make sure things run smoothly.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Shane Ross Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ah, the deck. Gotcha.
>
> And yes, you need a different Sync Gen. You need a
> tri-sync gen like the Gen10. Regular black burst,
> SD black burst, will not work for HD decks.
> Including DVCPRO HD decks. But you don't need sync
> going from the deck to computer, just from
> computer to deck. That is moat likely the cause of
> your issue outputting. But I know outputting to
> DVCPRO HD 59.94 can be difficult.
>
> Contact me if you want to hire me for a day or two
> to help make sure things run smoothly.


You're in LA, correct, Shane? If it's more convenient, TeamViewer is always an option.

I'll see if we can spring for a couple tri-level syncs this season. I've seen them used for around $100.

Yup. LA based. One of the very few LAGCPUG mods that is.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]