ProTools and VTR Deck Control for Live Event / TV Broadcast

[NathSteeley]

Hi all,
Just completed my registration to write this thread, hopefully I can get some answers!

I'm currently working on a Christmas Show where I'm mixing audio for the television broadcast and recording multitracks into ProTools 10HD via a HD-MADI with a SyncIO locked to the house master word-clock, LTC Time-Of-Day Timecode and video reference.
I'm wanting to record program video onto a Hard Disc Recorder, in this case the only thing available is a Sony XDCam taking discrete LTC & ref feeds, and have it be controlled by tools with the SyncIO RS422 Deck Control. Purpose being that I want to record audio and video during the rehearsals and then afterwards play back each song from tools to do final tweaks on the console along with having the visuals on my video monitor.
Recording onto a HDR, transferring files and importing video files onto the timeline isn't an option in this case.

A few weeks ago I tried hooking up the XDCam deck and have it chase tools however it only comes up as a separate machine in the transport window to be controlled independently and will not chase the same time-code when hitting play.
If I hit the 'online' button in tools I think the XDCam deck does in fact chase playback however as I'm running T-O-D time-code into the SyncIO it jumps to the incoming code, as you would expect, which is fine when I want to record but when I want to play it back again it jumps to the current TOD code instead of playing back from a few hours earlier...
The only thing I can think of is to unplug LTC going into the SyncIO when playing back so that I can use the online function without it chasing time-code...
Any other ideas?
Cheers,
Nath


I'm using the venues broadcast/post rig for this event which includes:
Apple MacPro 6,1? (2012 model)
Avid ProTools v10HD
Avid ProTools HDX & HD-MADI
Avid SyncIO (original blue model) + Avid USB to DB9 Serial Keyspan

Avid Euphonix System5 Fusion
Avid Euphonix SC264 System Computer
3x Euphonix ML530 24ch Mic PreAmp
3x Euphonix AM713 Analogue-MADI Converter
2x Euphonix MA703 MADI-Analogue Converter + Monitor Controller

[Chief Technician]

I do not know of any VTR (or in this case video disc recorder) that will chase LTC. Every VTR I have used needs to be the time code master.

If you enable Machine Control, put the Pro Tools transport online (Command+J) and have transport=machine (Command+\), then you can control the VTR and Pro Tools will chase the time code coming from the VTR.

[njrsound]

Hi Nathan,
we do a similar thing, ( including on a somewhat larger Christmas show out of Melbourne). I've not been able to find a hardware VTR solution that works in the way you and I require, so we use NCH Debut software on a Mac laptop to record video, with a TC burn-in from the Sync i/o, then play back in sync using VideoSlave chasing Midi Time Code from the Sync I/o. Video is low-res via a Canopus, but fine for the purpose. VideoSlave follows PT transport perfectly, even short loops. If it was capable of recording as well it would be ideal. Even with the need to transfer the video between programs (no need to copy), I can get video up in the time it takes the Artists to get from stage to the truck for a replay, and the ADs can be doing something else with 'tools while I'm syncing up the video.