Timecode From Audio

[Han Vogen]

I’m trying to record timecode to an audio channel on my Komodo. However, for whatever reason it does not seem to be recognized in Davinci Resolve. Has anyone run into this issue? If so what’s the trick to getting it to work? Is there a recommended input level, or is there some setting that needs to be adjusted?

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Did you right-click on the thumbnail in the Media Page and select Update Timecode From Audio Track?

 

[Han Vogen]

Yes, the Timecode updates to 00:42:01:21 while the actual timecode which is displayed on the front panel of the audio recorder clearly reads 00:03:01:10

I’m using a Zoom F6. I am recording the front panel of the zoom using the Komodo. I’m not sure how such a large discrepancy is possible. I retested several times, outputting timecode as audio to my Sony A7S3 and the timecode is being displayed correctly when using the “Timecode from audio” feature in Resolve with the Sony footage. So far it has failed every time with the Komodo. Regular audio is recorded as expected. But for whatever reason, timecode is read incorrectly.

Have any of you had success inputting timecode as audio and converting to metadata/Timecode in Resolve? This feels like a software bug. Can anyone test?

Thoughts are welcomed.

 

[Han Vogen]

Hey fellow Komodo owners... can one of you perhaps confirm this issue? I’ve tried two different Timecode generators with two different cameras, with the same results. I’m leaning towards this being a Davinci Resolve issue, Timecode is clearly being read... it’s just the wrong Timecode. Has anyone else tried to run Timecode to audio in? Did it read the audio Timecode correctly in Davinci Resolve?

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Could you try it in AVID?

 

[Michael Hastings]

snip:

I retested several times, outputting timecode as audio to my Sony A7S3 and the timecode is being displayed correctly when using the “Timecode from audio” feature in Resolve with the Sony footage. So far it has failed every time with the Komodo. Regular audio is recorded as expected. But for whatever reason, timecode is read incorrectly.

Have any of you had success inputting timecode as audio and converting to metadata/Timecode in Resolve? This feels like a software bug. Can anyone test?

Thoughts are welcomed.

Audio time code is just audio - albeit very rapid highly modulated tones - so it seems like if Resolve reads the Sony audio correctly that was from the same generator it is likely some problem with the Komodo audio, maybe levels or noise/poor connection from a bad cable or a bad 1/8" Komodo input.

 

[Han Vogen]

Audio time code is just audio - albeit very rapid highly modulated tones - so it seems like if Resolve reads the Sony audio correctly that was from the same generator it is likely some problem with the Komodo audio, maybe levels or noise/poor connection from a bad cable or a bad 1/8" Komodo input.

Did you try to reproduce this issue? If so, did it work? What were your gain settings?

 

[Han Vogen]

Could you try it in AVID?

Sorry, I do not use Avid.

 

[Michael Hastings]

Did you try to reproduce this issue? If so, did it work? What were your gain settings?

I don't have a Komodo (yet, maybe). You put a link to this thread in the other thread so I checked it out and threw in my analytic 2 cents.

You tried it with the Sony and Resolve and it works so I think @Patrick meant to see if someone with Avid or some other software would let you try it to see if it's just a Resolve thing.

 

[Alex Zeder]

Just recorded with the F6 and Komodo set to Audio Source External, both channels not linked and at 0 dB gain. After Update Timecode from Audio Track on the video clip, it works for me. Resolve aligns the clips as expected and shows the adjusted TC in the Clip attributes.

 

[Han Vogen]

Just recorded with the F6 and Komodo set to Audio Source External, both channels not linked and at 0 dB gain. After Update Timecode from Audio Track on the video clip, it works for me. Resolve aligns the clips as expected and shows the adjusted TC in the Clip attributes.

Thanks for the test. Good to know. I’m going to retest and post what I find. :beer:

 

[Brian Roberts]

Is there any reason you wouldn’t want to just use the tentacle boxes? Ever since I started using them I honestly won’t go back to anything else. They’re just so easy, and cheap as well. I use one with the F6 all the time...you just have to define the clock on the F6 as an external source and it recognizes it. I use the other unit(s) with lemo to DSMC2, audio (3.5mm) to Pocket 6K which through the mic jack automatically recognizes it as time code and syncs, and as time code over audio on A7S3. The Sony takes the most work as then you have to run the files through tentacles software to embed time code from the audio, but it’s fast and stable. The others snap right together though.

 

[Han Vogen]

Is there any reason you wouldn’t want to just use the tentacle boxes? Ever since I started using them I honestly won’t go back to anything else. They’re just so easy, and cheap as well. I use one with the F6 all the time...you just have to define the clock on the F6 as an external source and it recognizes it. I use the other unit(s) with lemo to DSMC2, audio (3.5mm) to Pocket 6K which through the mic jack automatically recognizes it as time code and syncs, and as time code over audio on A7S3. The Sony takes the most work as then you have to run the files through tentacles software to embed time code from the audio, but it’s fast and stable. The others snap right together though.

Sure, it’s additional hardware. Extra things to charge, connect etc. Sometimes it’s just quicker/easier to run the Timecode directly into the camera from the recorder. If I were running multiple cameras I would use Timecode generators on all of them.

 

[Christopher A. Bell]

We’ve gotten so used to Tentacles and they’re so ridiculously easy(and small and light), we run them even on single cam shoots with a recorder. And you can get two to three average days off of a charge(rated for 35 hours of use per charge).

 

[Han Vogen]

I already have Ambient TC generator, so not really looking to change. They also have great battery life, but again sometimes I prefer not to need to worry about charging them.

 

[Han Vogen]

Well I had the chance to sit down and try to resolve this issue again. Setting audio inputs to 0db did not help, and indeed was way too hot of a signal to have any hope of working... which it did not. This makes me wonder if production cameras are using a different audio chip, as @Alex Zeder reported that he was able to successfully record the Timecode using this setting. As there is no way to adjust the Timecode output level on the Zoom F6, I would imagine all things being equal, this output would have been way too hot for a 0db setting; Which of course was clearly not the case with his Komodo.

I’ll point out again, when I use the “Timecode from audio” command, DR does update the Timecode... but whatever signal it is updating from is different than what is being fed to the audio channel.

Has anyone else tried this? Anyone with a production camera?

One more thing... I tried to use Tentacle Syncs software to do this also... and it failed. Even though the Timecode is clearly recorded to the audio track.

 

[Christopher A. Bell]

It's probably spitting the TC signal out at line level(+5dB).