Major Sync issues

[Michael Hardwick]

Curious - possibly check to see if sound is recording a different timebase timecode than your project settings in the Epic? Heard of a similar issue when sound was generating a 29.97 clock reference, and it was used to jam cameras shooting in a different timebase.

[Greg M]

Possibly a bad cable?
I assume you have one on each camera?

Just so we are clear, is the problem a visual match with the slate or have you tried actually syncing in post?

Have you selected jam sync in the menu?
Do you have the green sync indicator in camera?

[Simon N]

Possibly a bad cable?
I assume you have one on each camera?

Just so we are clear, is the problem a visual match with the slate or have you tried actually syncing in post?

Have you selected jam sync in the menu?
Do you have the green sync indicator in camera?

Hi. The issue is a post problem. We are synchronising timecodes in the avid and without changing any setting some takes are in sync and others are one frame out. We have all green lights on the epic. Tc sync & gen

[Greg M]

please be very specific in describing what you are doing, its hard to help without knowing.
Is it all one camera, or both cameras. If you are testing two cameras, could one be off and one on (are the inconsistencies specific to one camera)? How are you syncing in avid?
are both cameras recording on pix240's(2 pix 240's) if so, is the problem associated with one or both recorders? Have you tried syncing the r3d's?

I would start there. Try syncing to the r3d and this will tell you if the camera sync is off or the Pix240 recording. You will first need to sort out where the source of the problem is coming from.

BTW- are you aware the PIX240 has an offset adjustment, has it been adjusted?

[Simon N]

Hi

My Internet is completely screwed. I will try to elaborate tomorrow with screen grabs but we have had 4 of the top techs from the post house scratching their heads. What we are trying to achieve is no different to what multiple other productions do on a daily basis but the inconsistencies still prevail.

[Greg M]

Well I can assure you syncing cameras is easy and rock solid on the Epic. So you are either doing something wrong or you have a bad piece of cable or gear in the mix. Isolating the source of the problem is your only hope.
Until you determine if the problem is the PIX240, the master clock, the cable or the Epic its hard to offer much more advice.

You should also read pages 24-31
http://www.sounddevices.com/download/guides/pix_en.pdf

[Simon N]

Thanks. Appreciated. We will test more tomorrow and Internet permitting report back, but like I said earlier the issue is more to do with intermittent takes being OOS rather than nothing syncing at all. If we could understand why 5 out of 25 takes don't sync we'd be on our way to finding a solution. Please keep suggesting solutions.

[Greg M]

Its important that you have a single master clock, and that no other device is doing the same. Intermittent OOS issues are not un-common when something is not connected correctly or you have the wrong settings/dip switches on lockit box, camera, SD, etc etc.. Ive even seen guys hook up the lockit backwards and swear the camera was faulty. I hate to say it, but from my experience 90% of the tc sync issues are operator error. So dont get hung up on the fact that its not consistent, double check each device in the chain, something is not set up correctly.

[Paul Nordin]

Greg said it perfectly. Just like in the Highlander movie, with Timecode THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!! Master clock reference that is. And in your scenario, THE reference should be the Sound Devices 788t. Dont daisy-chain timecode the way you have described (SD 788 to Epic to Pix). Make it a spoke and hub model, with the 788 at the center. Jam sync all devices from the 788. That will give you the best result.

[Simon N]

This is what is great about Reduser... if you have an issue, someone has experienced it before, if not it is an amalgamtion of experience to solve a problem. It is late on a Saturday nght in the Uk now, so I will not try and solve the problem without a clear head. I will test tomorrow and report back on where I am at and maybe ask a few more questions. Thanks for the help to date.