Syncing Tascam P2 HD with Red

[Billy McCannon]

I'm all set to sync my Tascam P2HD with the Red camera using a Lemo to XLR cable. I've already tried using the information from the RED manual and Tascam manual but I'm not getting anywhere. Can anyone advise me on setup and settings?

 

[Dave Beard]

Bump for an excellent question. I'm looking to do the same workflow.

 

[Cail Young]

From the website:

HD-P2 Synchronization features:
SMPTE/LTC timecode input on locking XLR balanced jack

You'll need to ensure you have the TC output version of the Lemo-XLR cable (or be using the output plug of a I/O cable) then jam sync your Tascam to the RED ONE.

 

[Mike Paul]

If you are going to use the HD-P2 (and you don't want to be re-jamming TC every hour or so), I would recommend feeding it continuous code from the camera. This would entail either a hard-line cable, or a wireless feed. The HD-P2's TC clock is rated at .80ppm, which is a far cry from the .01ppm ~.02ppm accuracy found in most professional recorders. I'm not saying it is unusable, but the greater the accuracy of the TC clock, the less likely you are to notice drift over time. Hard lining the TC will eliminate this.

That being said, start off (like Cail wrote) with the correct cable. Timecode flows in both directions on the Lemo port, and single end cables are wired for one direction only. Ideally, this would be a Lemo to XLR Male connector. If you plug everything in, and it's still not working, take the TC cable and plug it into one of the audio inputs of the HD-P2 and see if you see any level (TC is an audible signal). If you see nothing, you either have the wrong cable, a defective cable, or your particular camera's build version does not support outputting TC.

On the HD-P2, you'll need to enable timecode in the Project Menu/Settings window. After that, in the Timecode Settings menu:
• Set the Clock Source to Internal
• Set the appropriate framerate (23.976, 29.97, 25, etc)
• Set Freewheel to Infinite
• Sett things like Trigger on Frame and Timecode Offset to OFF

 

[Dave Beard]

Mike, thank you very much or your response... it was very helpful. What options do we have for doing a wireless feed for the timecode?

 

[Mike Paul]

You can use pretty much any wireless transmitter/receiver combo, as long as it offers the following features:

1) Portability
You're going to want to be battery powered on both ends, because you'll want to be mobile (otherwise, you'd just use a hard cable, right?).

2) The Transmitter must be able to accept Line Level input
A timecode signal will line up at around -20db to -30db (depending on the source) when it is fed into a +4db Line Input. If yout transmitter only accepts Mic Level, you signal may be distorted. You could always have a custom cable made to pad the signal down if that is the case.

3) It should have fairly good range
I say "fairly", because your Receiver is probably not going to be 100 yards away from the transmitter, so you don't really need a high power system (unless you are, and then you will). Most RF "IFB" systems are adequate for the task. Wireless microphone systems can also work, but you would want one that has an adjustable output on the receiver end so you can output (or get close to) Line Level into the HD-P2.

Basically, no Bluetooth, Infra-Red, Zigbee...you get the picture.

Audio quality is not as important as range, because you'll want to avoid RF drop-outs, so you don't really need a hi-fidelity system.

The most common units used for the task are made by Comtek. If you can find a good used Comtek M-72 transmitter and PR-72b Receiver, you're in business (albeit you'll need some cables), but barring that - the newer Comteks perform and sound better (and they'll hold their value better if you ever want to sell them). These would be the Comtek M-216 Transmitter, and the PR-216 receiver. You can learn all about them here:

http://www.comtek.com/film.html

Unfortunately, you get what you pay for, and a set of these will set you back roughly the price of an HD-P2. You can try the Sennheiser G2 series, or Audio-Technica, Azden or others. With a little wrangling, they should all work.

One thing I should have mentioned was using a Lockit box to jam the code from the Red, and then feed that into your recorder. Ambient Lockits or Denecke SB-T's run close to $1,000 (give or take), but every Red owner should have one, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a dealer. They are invaluable tools. Every Genesis camera goes out with one. Sorry for using the G-Word here.

If you can't pop for a Lockit, try a Denecke SB-2A. They only do Timecode (no Genlock), but they're very accurate, run for a looooong time on batteries, and are a little north of $400 to purchase.

Another thing I should have mentioned about the HD-P2 is: If you are using 24hr "Time-Of-Day" code - don't roll past midnight as your recorder will stop. This would be bad, no?

 

[Obin Olson]

Can someone please provide a link for the hard line cable needed for the red/taskcam tc connection?

I want to buy one

 

[Billy McCannon]

This is the only one I could find.


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart&A=details&Q=&sku=327844&is=REG


It was easier, faster and cheaper to have one made up.

 

[Dave Beard]

Mike, thank you very very much! Your info was very helpful.