Pro Tools and DA-88 synch, how?

[Boom Chic]

I have to make dubs/stem mixes of a mix I did (back-up for TV) on Pro Tools onto DA-88.

I have the SY-88 Synch card installed on my DA-88 and I have a 888/24 and a USD, and Pro Tools vers 5.0 (no jokes please, it's just for video [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] )

I'm going analog out of my 888/24 into the DA-88 (can't afford the $500.00 Tascam AES/EBU-TDIF box). What would be the best way to synch, Pro Tools as slave, or DA-88 as slave?

What I ended up doing was slaveing Pro Tools to SMPTE out of the DA-88 but at first I was trying to have the DA-88 slaved to Pro Tools.
Couldn't make that work, so I went the other way, Pro Tools slaved to DA-88 via SMPTE.

Can I generate timecode from my Pro Tools Session and send it to my DA-88 for slaving?

What methods work and how do you make the connections i.e. AES/EBU, Word clock, MTC, SMPTE, this gets a little confusing to me and I have to go back and forth between three manuals, and none of them have an exact answer or setup for what I am trying to do.

Thanks. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[trakbytes]

The easiest way is to use MMC with your DA-88 connected to your Midi interface (if you have one; I don't think the USD by itself will act as an interface). Enable MMC in ProTools, and make PT the master. Put MMC online with your session, and the DA-88 will chase happily along.

You should be able to get the DA-88 to chase to timecode from the USD. Just enable timecode generation in the status window and feed timecode from the USD to the DA-88.

Bob

[Matt Stutter]

This is off topic, but - can I ask why you use vs 5.0 (just for video)??

[Boom Chic]

Thanks Bob,

I'll give that a try. I take it that to enable MMC (I have a Studio 5lx midi interface) I go to the peripherals box and enable MMC. In the Session Setup window I click on Generate TC using MTC and select my Studio 5 in the pulldown window? Is that right?

Hi Matt,

I don't really need to upgrade to the latest version of Pro Tools, I have 24 bit 48khz if I want, and since I'm doing TV post, getting into anything more is incompatible with what most video formats handle. Digibeta is 16 bit 48 khz audio.

I have no need for surround sound with 5.1, and in order for me to upgrade my system which is a 9600/350 with G3 500/250 upgrade card, Mix Plus system, Miro Motion, Adobe Premiere 5.?, and IX micro Dual monitor card, and System 8.6 mac os, I would probably have to invest a small fortune, not to mention the cost of the upgrade.

My system has reached it's upgradeability and I fear upgrading to a newer pro tools version will mean, updating my OS, then I have to upgrade/update all the drivers and software i.e. Miro Motion, Adobe, ixmicro (out of business). There are so many issues involved with upgrading my system, I'll just wait and get a new computer when I have a small fortune to spend.

I'm very happy with my system right now. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

If I were into high end audio for music production, that would be a different story.

The TV stuff I do is either mono, or stereo.

Maybe you could shed some light on why I might want to upgrade? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

Thanks.

[Matt Stutter]

I'm running a 9600 (with a G3|400) upgrade in it. PT 5.1 on OS 9.1 (though it worked fine on 8.6 too, although a little slow to display the "file open" box).

Using a d24, MIX farm and DSP farm. Miro DC-20 (talk about old!! - it works with QT2.5, so that's the version of QT I use), IXmicro (just a single head card), ATTO UW SCSI. I find PT5.1 excellent, lots of great features - editing hot keys, beat detective (actually useful for our kinda work too), tab to transient! Stereo tracks.. I never used PT5.0.1 - I stayed with PT4.3.1 until PT5.1 came out, for me I never saw enough features to warrant it.. Now, I do.

I think the DSP usage might be better under PT5.1 too, I know plugins share chips quite well...

From what I understand, you shouldn't need to upgrade any of your other drivers or software for PT5.1 (or a slightly newer OS) - depending on your G3 chip, I think the highest you can go to is 9.1 anyhow (I think 9.0.4 might be the recommended OS....)

If you have any other questions about it - drop me an email.

[Roger Stauss]

Just another suggestion on locking your DA to Protools. I use smpte out of the USD to my DA 88. And in the Session set-up enable "Generate Smpte". Make sure all the TC Foramts are the same and your locked to Vid. Hope this also may help. I lock-up both ways. Sometimes using the DA as a slave, sometimes PT.

Roger Stauss
Noteworthy Studios 802-767-4149 http://www.vermontrecording.com

[Boom Chic]

Thanks everyone,

Good info from everyone. I think I might upgrade when I get paid for my last gig! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Sounds like there are a lot of useful things for post in 5.1, I guess I'm just scared! [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

New OS, New version of Pro Tools, updating all my drivers and software versions etc., I'll have to hire a nanny for a week to get this all done [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] !

I hope there are no compatibility issues with my Newer Tech G3 500/250 upgrade card. They are out of business, as well as ixmicro (dual monitor card).

I think I understand better all my options for synching my PT and DA-88 and Digibeta, etc. together.

Thanks again!

[Michael Klinger]

Karen,

Do you have the machine control option? I see you are doing work to pix -- but not clear if you are doing machine controlled laybacks etc. It you do have machine control, you can certainly do machine control to DA88 - but only that alone. My preference would be to multitask and do a machine control lock of layback machine, and do a simo time code sync of DA88.

There are probably 30 useful enhancements in 5.1 Just a few (off the top of my head) reasons to upgrade to 5.1 for work to tv that has nothing to do with surround or high bit/sample rates:

All around health strength and stability
Stereo tracks
Being able to assign to more than one output per track at the same time (very handy for creating TV stems, while doing a simo comp track, etc).

And if you are doing a lot of OMF stuff -- moving to 5.13 and integrated digitranslator is very powerful. stable and a time saver.