Genlock timecode drift question

[Brett Harrison]

A sound tech recently insisted it's still the case that genlock is required for audio sync on long takes on multi cam epic / dragon shows. Is this still the case?

It seems like it once was. But either way, in a practical sense is it ever a problem on typical drama-length takes anyway?

Could someone please confirm that the camera is constantly taking the timecode in during the take and not just at the head?

Many thanks!

 

[Nick Fury]

Hi Brett,

One thing that I have migrated to is the Zaxcom ERX (calibrated to Nomad) Zaxnet TC feed to each camera, which, after calibration has been doe for the crystals in the ERX's, keeps a constant feed to each camera and the Audio files as well. There seems to be no requirement for additional TC devices, with this system, although some will say they still favour that. I would think that the crystals in each RED camera, would not likely keep identical TC, after jammed, over long intervals, especially across cameras now (Weapon, Dragon, EpIC x, etc, etc..). That has been an issue intermittently and the Zaxnet system has been effective there as well.



Thank you very much

Fury

 

[Brett Harrison]

Hi Nick,

Good on you mate, thanks for the info I will forward it to my sound recordist.

Nice to have met you at the Freefly catchup at Ablecine LA during Cinegear 2013. I might be in LA soon again, perhaps I'll run into you! Also thanks for the recent tests with the Weapon.

Cheers,
Brett.

 

[Marc Wielage]

I believe that in a multi-camera project, you need both genlock reference and timecode reference to all cameras in order to ensure timecode phase accuracy. Without that, every once in a while, one camera may slip a frame here and there, depending on how the timecode is interpreted in the editing process.