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About Klaus

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    Customer Support and ACN Project Manager at Ambient Recording

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  1. Which basically rules out the vast majority of camera manufacturers - unless they start to consider implementing our module Nettime, not GPS but, like this?
  2. Well, the momant you sync, a 23/29 TC will slowly drift behind the continuously running real world time with a speed of - .1% roughly, which means after 1000 frames (or 42 seconds) you are already lagging 1 frame. So, say such super easy camera set to 23 (which, btw, is every Sony set to "24") comes on at 9:00 AM to for the day, and a second device fires up 10 minutes later, both units will already be 14 frames out of sync. This gets worse with every battery swap, scene rebuilt or similar. Well, one could possibly compensate for the timebase diversion of 1000ms to 1001.001001.... via PLL (what we did) and additionally try to approximate "NTSC real time" by recalculating the current lazy saturn time from 00:00 real world on reception, but if one unit has reception the other one doesn't and you just rely on this things will get hairy very rapidly. All I'm trying to say is the benefit of "not having to think about it" would not last longer than the first day you work which such a setup (if ever) until you get a phone call from post. But there's always proof to the pudding and as per @Bouke other time beases that are supossedly as accurate (NTP/network time etc.) If soemone has the ability to compare 2 timecode sources (e.g. with one of our Lockits with display on6.xx) just download a free app suhc as LTC Timecode generator for Android, launch it on 2 phones and compare the "real time" timecode on the headphone output - you will notice a considerable difference even on straight framerates. So,let me asure, we are not only in the position but we pursue this very actively. Actually we do have a software based solutionalready in the drawer but we definitely won't release anything that raises false expectations and does not live up to the quality standards that we are appreciated for just to compromise the bad reputation tc has already
  3. I had a lengthy conversation with Ari Krupnik, the guy behid "Dish" on our booth at NAB about GPS as your sole source of time and clock reference. And while he is clearly aware of the challenges and drawbacks, his system is clearly not meant for us, the pro-media people but rather the system camera filmer. Just to remind, we already offered a GPS solution since the mid 90s (funnily never sold too many of them) until we had to discontinue the ACC controller. So the idea is far from new to us. But, while GPS is a good reference to calibrate a system the idea of having this as your only set reference to rely on is not only ruled out as a majority of locations will leave you without reception, but also half of the world (read every region that shoots on 23.98/29.97) is left in the cold as GPS counts in real time (more or less, as per @Bouke) while NTSC lags behind, so there is no such ting as realtime over GPS in these regions and powering on equipment atr a different time of day will inevitably lead to a TC offset. As a result, "Dish" (at least at the time speaking) is concetped to output fixed time of day @ 24FPS, btw.
  4. That mirrors our experience witht eh Cantar - basically you're completely fine with jamming one Nano/Lockit once a day, press the green button to jam the others, and do not worry the rest of the day. If you want it all comfortable and absolute confidence, just leave the new Lockit permantently connected to your Cantar, once jamed via cable and set to master it will not only automatically c-jam all other ACN devices but constantly report the abberation (if any) to the source it was jammed from. This should be the closest to your initial request.
  5. Not exactly. The system is designed as reference as accurate as possible and as such it does notfollow the "clock" of an external source even more so of unknown accuracy 8actually we only can pull so far from absolute reference. TRX mode is rather a single jam after which the system runs on it's own reference whcih may lead to abberation to the ajmming source depending on its absolute accuracy - witht hat being said, in the intended applications (playback/ remote roll on short takes) this is not an issue. What would be your application?
  6. Klaus

    Tentacle Syncs

    Well, not retuning exactly, it's more an instant re-clock
  7. Klaus

    Tentacle Syncs

    All true, but it also depneds wchich "ARRI" you are exactly referring to. Alexa "Classic" (which basically boils down to everything but Amira and AlexaMini - MiniLF to be seen, as this is a weird hybrid of Mini and LF (A.K.A "purchasable-65", so "Classic"): TC menu "Jam Sync" will, as Bouke said, "learn" TC and adjust internal reference - this requires a low jitter TTL TC signal and the better the signal the quicker the "learn" or "tune" (TC will blink while adjusting). As this will also drive the internal reference it is as good as having genlock as long the camera stays on. TC Menu set to "Regen" however, will regenerate the internal reference clock constantly clocked by incomming TC - so this literally is a "genlock by TC" Which means the signal must be constantly present like genlock, too. Again this may work unreliable with imperfect TC signals and put out errors. Alexa "CAP2" cameras (Amira, Mini and possibly MiniLF): TC Menu as above. Usually "Regen" does the job, due to the quality of circuitry. But as the Amira was initially designed towards the ENG market it also was planned to accept separate external sync and they merged it by giving the additional option in sytem/sensor menu to reference clock the sensor as per Wandering Ear to TC in and even Genlock (still, (by default, the sync In BNC is not connected to any electronics, btw.). Selecting TC In on top hardlocks the whole system witht he same effect as on the "Classic" range. Oh, and whoever really does need video sync: another contender of genlock spitting boxes was just announced at NAB
  8. No, but we do support C-Link Still, there is no app to control sound devices recorder but a interface running on the webserver of MasterLockit - the Lockit does not have this webserver nor WiFi or Bluetooth, so it's not feasible. And whatever we do in the future will consider Scorpio support as well which is beyond the capabilities of that tiny box.
  9. After more than a good 2 decades we finally decided it was time to give our trusted warhorse a small facelift and washed it a bit too hot.... find out more at https://mailchi.mp/ambient/long-live-the-lockit?e=[UNIQID] And, of course see it live in action in Las Vegas!
  10. Hi, can't see the video but I would gather we should have a look at it here, be aware though that stock on quite some parts for the ACD301 has been depleted due to obsolescence and we cannot fix everything anymore. In that case we offer special upgrade conditions as per repair.
  11. Ups, that's an interesting one. The fun fact is, that we saw quite some support inquiries that did so (apparently with display equipped larger Lockits) and complained about a "TC offset" between the displays. Refusing the expalnation of the obvious, that a camera primarily is a video capturing device with less priority on displaying frame accurate TC and the latency of ANY kind of display in general I had to console one team actually by proofing with a controller the TC was identical - we haven'T seen such complaints ever with the Nano. Still, we wre discussing the very isue in terms of future products. Currently we would be leaning towards an app, though. What's your take on this?
  12. It might be a different cable that (temporarily) scared the gremlin away. I was chasing his brother once and the actual problem is in fact within the recordewr, a blown choke on the TC ground path, to be exact. If a cable is wired without the shield connected on both sides (which is the technically correct way, as it eliminates ground loop, btw.) there is no ground connection and no siognal - whiich wpould explain the working slate. If a cable has connector to shield on both ends, the chassis will take care of signal ground and tc in will work. This may also be the case if signal ground is established in any other way e.g. a common power supply for recorder and TC box, which seems plausible in case of a Pulse (hey, am I actually doing TCS support here? )
  13. Rec roll is on a different pin of the SYNC port, so you can use both with the adequate cable. RED carries an accessory that splits up the 3 signals, TC, genlock, and roll, to 3 BNCs (http://www.red.com/store/products/3bnc-to-00-lemo-sync-cable) a well equipped rental that carries RED cameras should be able to supply. We also started to supply a special cable that uses SYNC and CTRL on RED DSMCs for TC and metadata and links remote roll trhough one BNC. Oh, and the upcoming PowerLockit will loop that signal as well. Still I wonder why ARRI takes TC input without making use out of it neither looping it through... cameras, a different world...
  14. As you know, not with 23.98, 29.97, and 59.94 ... so, you never ever want to switch between even and odd framerates (leave alone drop and non drop) without a rejam - otherwise you'll be losing (or, actually, completely running out of) sync. This may sound a stupid thing noone would ever happen to do, but regarding that some particular camera brand will actually do 23 when set to "24".... Within "region" again you can even mix and match (cross sync) units synced to different framerates. Formerly that was done when editing on early mediacomposer systems that were only capable of 25FPS. So, (film) cameras were shooting @24 while sound was on 25 (here in Europe, that is and I can only guess it was 23 and 29 in US) Anyway, as Bouke already layed out, steam age technology... It seems to be comon sense lately that the framerate adjusts automatically on jamming from external witht hese boxes (AFAIK Tentacle has implemetned this with the SyncE and I recently read TCS with the USO as well but couldn't find the time to confirm this on ours). So one headache less. Oh, and let me help you out on this one: it's all our units - and they accept wireless sync (well they would even stay on with the Nano being charged after 10 minutes to run the rest of the day). (I'm not the shameless plugger, I'm the shameless pluggers son...)
  15. Currently not through the LockitToolbox. However, if you jam with Time of day and set the userbits to MM.DD.YY.AD it wil acept the American Date scheme and set the RTC accordingly. Oh, and in Rome they use the EU scheme,IIRC
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