2 Notes, Hints and T ips
SDDS Print Master Guidelines, Page
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2 Notes, Hints and Tips
2.1
Setting up the studio
T he dubbing theatre monitoring system should be equalised to the industry standard
I SO-2969 “X” curve, as used in cinemas. T he method used to achieve this is beyond
the scope of this text, but details can be found in the DFP-3000 Quick Start Guide,
available from Sony Cinema Products (SCP) office, details on page
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. T his is usually carried out before the project is begun.
I t is important to record the master at the correct level. T he audio is transferred
digitally into the camera, with no opportunity for level adjustments. A reference “test
tape” is available from the SCP office. Correct studio alignment can be achieved by
following these steps:
§
Play back the 1kHz section of the SDDS test tape. T his is recorded at exactly
-20dBfs.
§
T his should read house operating level at the console. T his is usually 0VU in the
USA and 0dBu in the UK. I t is also known as “Dolby Level”.
§
Play back the pink noise section of the test tape. Monitor each loudspeaker in
turn and set the monitoring levels using a SPL meter to the values shown in
section 1.4 on page 5.
§
Send 1kHz at house operating level to the master machine. T his should read
-20dBfs on the record machine meters. I t should also read operating level
(unity gain) through the machine at the console.
I f no test tape is available:
§
Send 1kHz at house operating level to the master machine, make sure it reads
–20dBfs at the machine meters.
§
Check for unity gain through the machine, back at the console.
§
Measure the output of this machine with a true RMS voltmeter, and then send
pink noise at the same level. For 0VU operating level this is 1.23 Vrms.
§
Use this pink noise to set the monitoring levels as in section 1.4.
2.2
Striping and syncing
DASH and DT RS tapes should be formatted and pre-striped with timecode before the
session. I t is imperative that the timecode and digital audio are locked together. T he
simplest way to achieve this is to stripe the tape from the machine’s internal
generator. T he optical transfer rooms are set up with a 25fps PAL or a 30fps B&W
NT SC video sync. T imecode is only used for positional information. T he speed sync
comes from the digital audio itself, which is locked to video, and transferred digitally to
the camera.
T he recommended set up for studios is to use a master video sync, to which
everything is locked; projector, playback and master machines. T his will give the best
results. However some old projectors run from the mains only, without provision for
video sync. I n this case, timecode must be generated from the mains-locked projector.
T his is usually OK, but it is particularly important to ensure the timecode to digital lock
is correct. Here we will have a situation where timecode is used for speed information
