new dig. audio recorder wi. time-code: work with EX-1?

[Malcolm Hamilton]

I've emailed Zaxcom to ask if one of their techies knows how to do this. If I hear back from them, I'll re-post.
Regards,
Malcolm

[Dean Sensui]

If I have more than two people on-camera I'll shoot "wild sync" with an Edirol R-44. That gives me four discrete tracks of audio with four people on wireless mics.

I also record with an on-camera mic as a backup of sorts and to give me a sync reference.

The recorder runs constantly to catch candid comments (this is a reality show). Both the camera and recorder use time-of-day timecode. In post I use SequenceLiner to provide a rough sync of the clips along the entire length of the audio clip. I can fine-tune sync by matching up the camera's audio track with the recorder's audio track.

Results have been just great. I get the flexibility of discrete audio tracks without too much additional work.

The only problem is that the recorder isn't monitored by anyone since I almost always work solo. I'm about to solve that with a small 2.5 GHz transmitter/receiver system. I'm hoping it won't interfere with the wireless mic system since the transmitter is just inches away from the mic system receivers.

[Chad Johnson]

Originally Posted by Dean Sensui

The only problem is that the recorder isn't monitored by anyone since I almost always work solo. I'm about to solve that with a small 2.5 GHz transmitter/receiver system. I'm hoping it won't interfere with the wireless mic system since the transmitter is just inches away from the mic system receivers.

Can you elaborate on this? What are you solving, and what is the "2.5 Ghz transmitter/receiver system"? YOu have 4 wireless units going to the R-44, but what does this other system do?

[Dean Sensui]

Chad...

The 2.4 GHz system sends the audio from the mics and recorder back to me so I can hear what the recorder is picking up. Otherwise it sits somewhere on the boat (or campsite) unattended.

It'll serve two purposes: Keep me informed about what's being discussed so I know when and what to shoot. It's noisy on a boat and I can't hear what's they're saying up on the fly bridge. And it'll also reassure me that everything is working properly. It's just me out in the field and I have to handle everything.

[Chad Johnson]

Cool Dean!

Got a link to one of these things? It would be nice to monitor from afar, as I am a one man band most of the time.

[Dean Sensui]

Here's the link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/638962-REG/E_MU_24_56094_PIPEline_Wireless_Audio_Transmitter_Receiver.html
Keep in mind that you'll have to order two of these. There's only one in the box. I found that out after it arrived. I don't know why they call it a "system" when it's just a "unit"!

I'm still waiting for the second unit to arrive so I haven't tested it yet. I can't say if it might spew RF or otherwise interfere with a wireless mic receiver. It's in a totally different band, but radio transmitters often emit RF noise on other frequencies.

[Andrew Stone]

Dean that looks really hot. Please report back in this thread once you get the other unit and have tried it out.

[John Peterson]

Dean,

What kind of wireless mics are you using?

John

[Dean Sensui]

John...

I'm using two Audio Technica ATW-1800 dual systems. They've provided me bulletproof service at reasonable ranges (50 feet or less). I've had them go more than a hundred yards with conventional omni directional antennas. I would assume they'll go even farther with less RF interference.

[Dean Sensui]

Originally Posted by Andrew Stone

Dean that looks really hot. Please report back in this thread once you get the other unit and have tried it out.

OK... so I finally got the second E-Mu Pipeline unit and can test it's ability to send and receive a signal.

I designated one of the Pipeline units as a "transmitter" and connected it to the Edirol R-44's audio monitor-out, where you'd normally connect headphones. You can also connect it to a device's RCA line output jacks.

FYI, the recorder, ATW-1800 receivers, batteries and antennas are all housed within a small Pelican case. It's designed to be used in an open boat where it gets drenched with salt spray. It's often operated sealed up. In other words, the receivers, recorder and Pipeline transmitter are in very close proximity to each other. Just a fraction of an inch. So interference is a serious concern.

Also FYI, at the end of the day, the Pelican case and antennas get washed down with something called "Salt Away". Anything made of metal is also treated with Corrosion-X.

So far my first test indicates the E-Mu Pipeline doesn't interfere with the wireless mic system or recorder. For this test, the body packs are about 30 feet away, transmitting through several sheet rock walls. Audio is clean with no detectable interference. Not too surprising as the Pipeline operates at 2.4 gigahertz in a totally different band.

As far as I'm concerned, the range of the Pipeline is more than enough for almost all boats I'd be aboard.

I connected the Pipeline to my iPod to check basic fidelity and the signal is clean enough. Doesn't seem to be much of a difference between listening to the iPod directly with earphones or via the Pipeline. If there were a quick way to do an A/B test, one might detect a difference. But for all practical intent it works very nicely.

So if there's a problem with the audio quality of a wireless system (hits, dropouts, loss of signal) it will become very evident, although you need to be aware that because the Pipeline is part of the chain it could also be the Pipeline and not the wireless mic.

Again, this is only an initial impression.

The next question is how long can it run?

[Andrew Stone]

Sounds promising Dean. I saw the photo of your Pelican jammed with the Edirol recorder and the A-T wireless receivers. very impressed with the handy work. The cable hardware from the A-T units to the exterior of the Peli is really well executed. Anybody with a good sense of gear lust would applaud your efforts.

With all the material you use in your show, do you find the lack of genlocked SMPTE timecode a workflow hindrance? I have been looking at getting a muti-track recorder but am hesitant to get a unit that doesn't offer timecode and the ability to lock to timecode. As you know, the Edirol 2 track unit does timecode but I don't think your does.

[Dean Sensui]

Andrew... Thanks for the kind comments.

I have the Edirol and the EX1 recording with Time-of-Day timecode, so that allows me to get a rough sync with SequenceLiner. I then fine-tune sync by looking at the audio waveforms in FCP and listening. Doesn't take long at all.

There is some drift. But it's still not a problem to make minor shifts further down the line, and that's a frame or two every half hour of material. Once it's all sync'd I can begin editing.

Would be nice to get it genlocked but the requirement for discrete tracks has more priority in my case.