TC Sync Problems Build 30.5 MX Fostex PD6

[Chris Falkowski]

Hey,

So using a Fostex PD 6 on a RED MX camera Build 30.5 and having problems syncing. So far the camera does not except sync via slate or mixer. It will not jam nor will it output TC to the mixer to do some sort of reverse sync. There is really only one TC menu that I know of to specifically jam TC and/or output. Unless there is another menu/option that I am missing. Called RED up and went through step by step as to sync and still no go. We've switched cables, rebooted who knows how many times still no sync.

Previously using this minus the MX upgrade (also build upgrade) we were able to sync with a 788t recorder however it was buggy and after a while the camera would stop recording expressing TC sync problems.

Please help and advise thank you.

 

[Mattias D. Valenca]

Is the PD-6 TC-out switch set to "REPRO" and have you switched "Pause TC" (in the TC Setup Menu) to "ON"? If you have, then it should be outputting a fixed TC as long as the PD-6 is paused, and as soon as you hit rec the TC should start running. You need to have a DVD-RAM disk inserted in order to do this.

If this doesn't work, try setting the TC-out switch to "GEN". This however, will record the GEN TC, which is not the same TC as you will get on the disk, so it's pretty useless...

What TC GEN are you using? 24H, REC, FREE or EXT?

Please give info if you succeed doing this, since I'm shooting a feature with the RED MX for the first time soon. It would be nice to know that it can work properly.

 

[Chris Falkowski]

burned out port

burned out port

Hey man,

Thnx for the help but it turned out to be a burned out pin in the tc out port. Kinda makes it hard to output tc when that happens but we sent it out to RED and they fixed it for us.
But good lookin out.

Peace,
Chris

 

[Mattias D. Valenca]

Was it a burnt out port on the PD-6 and RED fixed it for you? That's amazing service if anything. Or was it a burnt out on the RED?

But it worked out then? Could you tell what settings you used? Would be nice to have som guidance before the shoot.

 

[Jeff Barklage]

I'm having a similar issue with my main Red One body. I've had this camera since early 2008...always wooed fine. Have literally shot several hundred days of Jam sync shoots, zero problem.
But, last mont, it simply stopped Jamming.
I bought my own Red TC cable to try it out with several sound mixer that have always had no problem with this particular R1 body...they all had the same situation: no Jams.
So, today on a shoot we reloaded the Firmware (build 36) and the cameras internal TC out worked great, but the TC in doesn't work...thus no Jam.
Is this possibly a bad or broken pin?
Is there another possibility?
Any advice would be great

 

[Marc Wielage]

Chris, are you trying to jam the Fostex to the camera, or the camera to the Fostex?

In my experience, the latter works a lot better. Typically, the best way to go is:

1) get a Denecke SB-T or Ambient Lockit box

2) jam the box to the sound recorder

3) attach the box to the camera

4) jam the camera to the box

5) jam the timecode slate to the recorder.

You should be good to go. Re-jam the camera whenever you power down or reboot. I usually also try to re-jam everything on a lunch break, about 5-6 hours into the shoot. The TCXL circuits in the Denecke boxes are really, really stable. They also have a new timecode box that's very, very tiny, the GR-2. Fantastic little box, damn near the size of a matchbox.