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DD8
plus Version 2.20 - September 1998
NOTE: YOU MUST SELECT ONE OF THE SMPTE/EBU+RS422 OPTIONS AT A FRAME
RATE APPLICABLE TO YOUR AREA WHEN USING RS422 MASTER.
These options are available at all frame rates. SMPTE/EBU from the VTR is still connected as
usual to the LTC option board’s input and the SYNC key must be switched on. The DD8 will
receive timecode information in playback from the LTC connection but, when working in slow
motion, it receives timecode over RS422 making locking of the two machines tighter.
Switching on the SYNC key engages the RS422 function. Because of the frame accuracy limit
imposed on the DD8 by the VTR over RS422, it is sometimes necessary to ‘isolate’ the DD8 for
greater editing accuracy. To do this, simply switch off the SYNC key - this will allow the DD8 to be
used ‘stand alone’.
As a practical example, let’s say you are trying to sync a door slam sound effect in the DD’s
project with the picture on video. You could, of course, do everything referenced to frame accu-
rate picture but, you just cannot get the door slam precisely in sync. By switching off the SYNC
key, you can momentarily disengage the VTR, ‘isolating’ the DD8 and you can place the sound
effect, nudging it backwards or forwards in sub-frame increments on the DD8 until you think it’s
at the right position. You can then re-engage the VTR by switching on the SYNC key again and
trying it out against picture. You can repeat this process until it’s perfectly in sync.
LAYBACK FUNCTION IN RS422 MASTER
LAYBACK is a process where you have material on the DD8 that you wish to ‘master’ onto a
VTR or other such RS422 equipped machine (such as an RS422 DAT machine). For example,
you may receive a video tape with just dialogue on it. This is sync-transferred to the DD8 where
it may be edited and tidied up if necessary and sound effects, music and other ‘sweeteners’ can
be added using the DD8’s multi-track capabilities. Finally, the whole thing is transferred back to
the VTR.
To use the LAYBACK function, press LAYBACK (F4/F5). You will see this screen:
The parameters are:
LAYBACK TO TRACKS
Here you may select which of the VTR’s tracks the material will be
recorded to. You may select VTR tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (mono)
or 1+2, 3+4, 5+6, 7+8 (stereo) or 1-4, 5-8 or 1-8.
TRACKS ENABLED
Here you may select whether the layback (i.e. the mixdown) will be
to the VTR’s analogue tracks or its digital tracks. You may also
select DIGITAL which will cause the layback to be re-
corded to both the analogue and the digital audio tracks of the
VTR.
SYSTEM - 8
