Fostex FR2 with RED

[elevvin]

Doing a shoot with an FR2 with timecode card, and 2 Red Ones

My understanding is that the Red timecode syncs at 23.97?, is this correct?, and if so does anyone know if the FR2's timecode card supports this framerate?

My second question is whether the the FR2 and the RED ONE are able to run Time of Day, and therefore negate the need to even sync via cables
Has anyone done this before?,

Time of day is most appealing due to cable less...
but!, I worry how we might set both RED ONE and fostex to precisely the same time

Thanks a mill

Lev

 

[David Adamic]

FR2 does support 23.97.

I set the timecode on my FR2 to time of day. Then Jam sync that timecode to the Red. Red's should then keep time code well enough. Make sure they are jam synced again after they change batteries. Your need an RCA to BNC cable to do the jam sync.

I'm not sure how you're powering the FR-2. It's power hungry so you need to also re-jam after it's been powered off depending on the setting of how long it'll keep timecode after it's powered down.

The above applies to the FR2. The FR2-LE is a different beast.

 

[David Adamic]

You'll need an RCA to BNC cable to do the jam sync.

Scratch that, I think you'll need a 5 pin lemo connector for timecode on the red. Generally the FR-2's have an RCA female but I heard some may have bnc. Anyway, to jam sync, you'll either have the cable or need to get one. Otherwise you'll probably need to sync audio and video via slate.

 

[elevvin]

Thanks very much for your reply David,

One thing i'm still curious about is whether you can set both Red and FR2 to Time of day,
and not use any Jamming via cables at all,

since they'd both be on Time of Day, this should be a form of keeping them both in sync yeah?

Thanks

Lev

 

[David Adamic]

I have no idea about setting time code on red other than jam syncing it. I'd say you'll probably never get them the same without jam syncing. Then you've got to worry about a time offset and it all sounds like a bunch of bs that your post person won't want to deal with.

If you can't jam sync the time code, then just use a slate. In final cut pro it's simply a matter of then marking an in point on the audio file where the slate clapped and marking an in point on the video files where the slate claps. I think there's software that'll merge them together for you if you put a cheap mic on the red. I merges based on the audio of the slate clap. Pretty cool stuff.

 

[Keith Putnam]

Thanks very much for your reply David,

One thing i'm still curious about is whether you can set both Red and FR2 to Time of day,
and not use any Jamming via cables at all,

since they'd both be on Time of Day, this should be a form of keeping them both in sync yeah?

Thanks

Lev

This would only work if you could somehow guarantee that you started your FR2's clock and the RED's clock at the exact same time to within 1/24 of a second tolerance. This is a pretty difficult trick for a human body, but fortunately we have technology to help us and hence the process of jamming one timecode source to another.

In addition to needing to re-jam the camera after either your FR2 or the RED is powered down, be aware that even the best timecode clocks will drift by a couple of frames throughout the day, so it would be a good idea to re-jam after, say, lunch.