quick question for VVTR users

[Matt Chan]

Our testing of new video options continues.

Two primary functionalities we really liked about our AVXL were:
1) near-instantaneous playback of audio and video at the same time (less than one second required for lockup)
2) scrub picture by dragging cursor in the timeline

Do VVTR users get this kind of performance out of their systems?

Thanks,
Matt

(As a side note, we currently have a Doremi V1 unit on loan for testing and using various configurations of master/slave, serial tc vs ltc, we can only seem to get one of these functions at a time
- if we use serial machine control to control the v1, we get scrub-functionality but poor lockup
- if we have the v1 chase LTC, lockup is excellent but we lose scrub-functionality)

[FlorianE]

Working like this all the time.
We control VVTR via MTC/MMC from PT using a MIDI Interface on the MAC. (Check various Prefs settings)
(Had trouble getting the same functionality using SYNC I/O). Picture is G4, Audio DP G5

Lock-up time on play is 'not noticable'.
On Edit, Picture moves with the Insert point ('Scrub, 'Select', 'Resize').

Greetings
Florian

[Richard Fairbanks]

I do not own VVTW so please correct me if I am wrong, but I think you will lose the ability to have picture follow along if you click-drag a selection to the right of your insertion point. AVoption, AVXL, V10, and MOJO are the only choices (AFAIK) to allow it, if that is important to you.

[citysoundman]

Hi Guys,

VVTR does scrub, and locks up immediately. Really it is a fantastic product. I highly recommend it.

One minor limitation - if you're playing back in loop mode, while PT loops VVTR plays continuously (I think it's because MMC commands aren't sent from PT as it loops).

About Richard's comment - VVTR seems to always cue to and follow the beginning of a selection - whether you are moving a selection or extending its beginning or end point.

[Kuba Pietrzak]

Hi,
it is highly recommended to use gen-lock -able video hardware with VVTR to get tight sync in long forms;
the only feature I miss in VVTR is record/palyback loop mode (as mentioned above), which is very usefull in ADR and foley. but this is a limitation of MTC/MMC...
regards
Kuba

[Matt Chan]

thanks everyone

richard, any more progress on the mojo?

[Richard Fairbanks]

Yes and no! I had a working setup for two days with a loaner MOJO, and Express Pro. Once things are digitized and picture imported into PT 6.6, MOJO seems to function as nicely as AVXL, including the way it faithfully follows your cursor position! I have not done an actual session with it and so have not felt ready to post anything about it. Hopefully I will FINALLY have a working rig by the end of today. I am really embarrassed that although I live in one of the world's largest, busiest, richest cities, it has taken MONTHS for me to get to this point.

I can say four things so far. First, working with XPro is annoying but not SO bad. It requires learning another app, which is never good when one is under fire. XPro was not built for simple speed, for sure! Once you get the hang of it, digitizing with a tape's code is fairly fast, but not as handy as with AVXL. Exporting an AAF which links to the files is very fast, more time is spent launching apps! I'll be glad when Digi finally allows recording onto the timeline from within PT again, but at least the process works smoothly. Once you get the hang of it! Unfortunately, we are limited to recording audio through the -10 jacks on the MOJO! Forget about your interfaces for now, although a fix for this is rummoured to be in the works along with conforming audio. Also, XPro allows you to import/export to other codecs, something AVoption/XL could never do. I'm not yet certain how best to manage files from different jobs, but I think that is just my lack of experience.

--Edited by me--
Second, the scrub window that I feared so much is really not so bad! It would be bad except that you can turn it off, a VERY NICE FEATURE. It has a purpose, and I think I will have it pop up on my second monitor when I am doing heavy editing (unsupervised), then turn it off when clients pile into the room. Really, I thought I'd hate it, instead I am pleasantly surprised. Scrubbing responsiveness on the G5 is much better than I recall AVXL ever being, although I never had AVXL working on the G5.
--end of edit--

Third, picture sync is absolutely perfect (I am able to measure now that I've built a box to do so). That should be no surprise, but after my experiences with DV movies I am quite relieved to see it.

Fourth, I miss being able to have component and composite outputs simulaneously. My A room is designed to digitize and project component images while distributing composite to other monitors, such as the recording room. MOJO allows only one or the other. I can use s-video instead of component, I suppose, but it will require some re-cabling. The image is also slightly degraded, which is a shame. I have not found a cheap component to composite encoder. If anyone knows of one, would you pass it along?

[Matt Chan]

hmm yeah i don't think that would work for us as we definltely need simultaneous video output to our projector (sdi or component) as well as another monitor (composite) for our nearfield setup.

but please keep us updated, Richard. i work with The Cobbler and we always find your posts to be very insightful (and sometimes frustrating but only in solidarity! ) since we are running similar setups.

matt

[Richard Fairbanks]

Thanks for the kind words. i'm so glad i can pave the way...

Actually it is nice to know that SOMEONE reads this stuff, I think most folks do not particularly care, except for maybe my competitors who love to see me get beat up and learn, silently, from it!

[Richard Fairbanks]

The reference problem I was having with MOJO has been explained. MOJO is, apparently, more picky about what it will accept as a reference signal. I have been using an ESE-219A burst generator with no problems for about 4 years. (I needed something, anything! one morning to replace a failed generator, and that is all Sam Ash had in stock!) MOJO does not like it. Jordan Glasgow pointed me to this answerbase article . Even though it refers to the V10 Jordan thought it might be my problem. I did not want to believe it and spent many hours trying to resolve the problem some other way and have finally given in. There is a bright spot to this saga. I found a use for my old AVXL junk! I have temporarily connected my AVXL's breakout box as house sync, feeding whatever comes out of the composite outputs with no inputs or meridien card connected (only power). The whole facility is perfectly happy! Sometimes I get a chuckle over the darndest things.