DA88 RS422 Problem

[garret]

Hey,
Untill recently I was chasing the DA88 to timecode from protools and making my tapes that way. It works fine but I just hooked up the machine now from the rs422 to the protools nine pin, machine control. I set up a Machine track arming profile and all is well. I can rec enable tracks and playback etc fine. When I put protools online and go to ext trans and hit play, protools slaves to the DA88 perfectly (which is what i do everyday with a digibeta). But if i then go to drop into record on the DA88 protools stops playback, the DA88 goes into record but obviously theres nothing to record. If i then drop out of record protools jumps back into playback as normal. The problem only occurs when I try to drop into record. Is it not possible to do this?? Or is there something I'm missing?
I'd really appreciate some help on this one!
Cheers
Garret

[TVPostSound]

This issue hit me 3 years ago, and I have never forgotten it!!!!

Turn off "generate time code" in the session setup.

RS422 carries the timecode now.

[garret]

Thanks for the reply!
Unfortunately this isn't the problem. I have that turned off. Protools won't slave if it is generating timecode anyway so it wouldn't solve the problem as protools is slaving just fine its just when I go to record on the DA88 it drops out...

[Chief Technician]

When I put protools online and go to ext trans and hit play, protools slaves to the DA88 perfectly (which is what i do everyday with a digibeta). But if i then go to drop into record on the DA88 protools stops playback, the DA88 goes into record but obviously theres nothing to record. If i then drop out of record protools jumps back into playback as normal. The problem only occurs when I try to drop into record.

When you say Pro Tools stops, does it really stop? Does Pro Tools keep playing, but you hear no sound, or is it no longer locked with the DA-88 even though it continues rolling? What is your reference for the DA-88 (video or word)? If you are trying to use the timecode via RS-422 as your positional reference, you must have Pro Tools and the DA-88 locked to video. You must also enable the use serial timecode as positional reference option in Setups-->Peripherals-->Machine Control.

[garret]

HI,
Both are locked to video reference and use serial timecode for positional ref is checked. Protools does indeed actually stop. With protools online I switch to ext trans and then play the DA88. Protools slaves fine and if I switch back to protools its playing back fine. So I switch back to Ext trans. Then I drop into record on the DA88 and protools stops. When I switch from ext trans to protools the protools transport is stopped. If I then drop out of record on the DA88, Protools jumps back into playback in sync. Its like the DA88 stops sending timecode in the record state...

[Chief Technician]

Its like the DA88 stops sending timecode in the record state...

You aren't arming the timecode track and erasing the existing timecode are you? Sorry, gotta ask!

[garret]

Nope! Not that either!!
In session setup you can see the incoming timecode is working perfectly.

[Matt Chan]

hey garrett,

did you manage to get this working? and what did you use for machine track arming profile? i used the da88 profile with our tascam unit and only tracks 5-8 get armed. there was a thread from a while back that said you have to emulate another machine. is this what you were doing?

i also noticed some weirdness with the 9-pin cable hooked up but am in a rush to get these outputs done so i've just gone back to having pro tools chase the unit and an operator in the machine room... it would be great to do it all from the console though.

matt

[garret]

Hi Matt,
Unfortunately Matt i never got this problem sorted. I had the same problem as you regarding track arming so I made up my own Machine profile. That all worked perfectly and every function works as it should but as i said in earlier posts as soon as i drop into record PT stops slaving for some weird reason. I lay back a lot to digi,HD, SP so I am aware of all the little snags that can happen but I cannot solve this one for the life of me!! I have gone back to chasing the DA88 to PT with LTC and recording that way. It works fine but it would seriously streamline the process if i could get the other way to work. Feel free to chime in with a solution if anyone has one!
Garret

[smsjr]

It would be great if we could get a document that explains how to do this with a DA88/PCM800 with Pro Tools. I'm having all kinds of problems with it. We don't do too many laybacks to DA88.

Anyone know of such a document?

Thanks,
Steve