Pro Tools dropping out of sync ever since HD

[uno1234]

I am slaving HD to an SSL 9K for mixing. Ever since upgrading to HD, I've been getting increasing dropouts. The SSL is generating, and pro tools is online at 29.97. About 10 times a week (long week), all playback will stop, the SSL will keep generating, and Pro Tools will jump back into slave and continue playing back about a second later.

This has started happening since upgrading to HD, although I hear of this problem before that. Playback is fine when Pro Tools is not online.

[Boom Chic]

Are you making sure that you verify your sessions are 29.97df or 29.97nd (matching your source timcode)? In the Session Setup window did you set up the "Timecode Freewheel" to be on in case there are any errors from your source timcode generator? The PT manual says 8 frames is the recommended setting for most applications.

I have no idea where your source of timecode is coming from, or what computer or sync device your using, and I'm not familiar with HD, but I hope this helps. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[uno1234]

The SSL 9K is generating the time code. I could set the time code free wheel to 150 frames and it still will drop out of playback. My frame rates match (that's the first thing I checked).

This happens maybe 3-4 times in a 12 hour mixing day.

[beech]

Word has it that this is a problem for quite a few people. Last I heard was that it might be fixed in V5.3.1 I myself am a little put off by this as I was hoping to upgrade a mix+ and a mixcubed system. That comes to approx $15,000. It sure is hard to consider paying this for something that may or may not work.

Daire

[uno1234]

I've heard that this is a problem for a couple of years now. Pro Tools just doesn't slave properly for extended periods of time. It just seems to happen more now with HD, and I wanted to hear other people's experiences, and whether I was actually having the bug (who knows, it could be something obviously wrong I'm doing....)

[clarpark]

For the record--My Mix+ (USD) dropped out 10% of the time. But the worst was an intermittant failure to lock at the top of a session. If I had to transfer something at the top of a track, it take me 5-10 times before it would lock in time (20 sec pre-stripe). I began to pre-stripe 30-60 sec but it was a shame to use precious tape for that god-aweful sound. It was embarrasing when people were paying me money to do this. Made me miss the Synclav.

[oakman]

Hi, New to the forum….

I have always had this problem, with all versions, Mac and PC, when locked to tape via USD. During a project it happens at the same point on the time line repeatedly. Therefore, I always suspected a time code dropout on the tape, dirty heads, etc… After researching we discovered that is more a matter of time code signal level/voltage… whatever… dipping rather than dropping out.

I guess I am suggesting that some way to boost the level of the time code signal may be a fix for this. I am probably missing the boat. I have not tried this and don’t know enough about it to know weather it is possible, but it is a thought.

[deerock]

I have had this problem increase with the use of HD now. Sure, there were always problems with the older systems, as Digi seems slow on time code issues. But it is much, much worse on HD (using the Sync I/O). I have had dropouts when recording to DA88 (PT as slave), which was supposedly fixed with digital word clock release 5.3r4. Not much of a fix. How about that 5.3.1 Digi? If I could yell louder, I would...

Derek Sample
Post FX, Inc.

[Rail Jon Rogut]

Curious if the 9K is set to generate code while in stop? I'd turn that off.

I work online chasing a proprietary SSL/tach box hooked up to a G+ a lot... and only get dropouts about .1% of the time (about once every 3 days)... but this is with a Mix system.

Rail

[digitaltvguy]

The SSL 9K doesn't generate good timecode unless you have the newer SIO. Check the code in a destripelizer if you have it.