Sync PT with a projector

[gordonotron]

Hey everyone.

IM starting some work on a number of film projects and need some help gettin it set up.

The studio is a ProTools HD2 system running 7.2 with a D-Control desk in it. It is not connected to the internet or a network for that matter so the ethernet ports are just for the ICON. The live room has a set of monitors attached that i can send the main mix to.

The plan is that i will be recording foley and some ADR and the live room is best for this. however i have no way of showing the film for them to sync it up. I do however have my macbook pro with 7.4 LE that i could hook up to the projector in the live room.

The main question is would it be posssible to sync the 2 machines running pro tools. the laptop just showing the movie but transport controlled with the other machine? That way i can get the film in the live room without drilling holes in the studio walls (they would not like that! :P )

I have heard the machines could be synced via ethernet, however what about wireless? or would i need to make an ethernet cable?

Cheers
G

[budster]

I need more info on your hardware set up and what format your movie is in.

Buddy

[gordonotron]

Originally Posted by budster

I need more info on your hardware set up and what format your movie is in.

Buddy

Sure,

The main studio is a macpro G5 with protools HD 7.2, 2 96i/0's. the network post is used soled for the D-Control desk. so no network access via cables.

The second is a macbook pro with Pro Tools LE 7.4 (upping to 8 in the next week) Final Cut Pro HD, Logic, and all the usual mac app's. with an MBox 2 attached if pro tools is needed.

The film is being edited in final Cut Pro so we have access to that, or we can export the video.

The aim is to have the HD system linked to the other machine. so if i play it in the control room the video will play in time too so we can record the foley and do a mix. The live room does not need to produce any sounds to and from the HD system as the monitors in the live room are already hooked up to the HD rig. This is just to play the video in sync.

Let me know if i have missed something.
G

[budster]

Why don't you just put the Quicktime movie in your main HD system and get a DA and output it into your recording space?

Buddy

[budster]

Another option is to update both rigs to PT8 and use PT Satellite. Your LE rig will chase your HD rig via ethernet. It works great!

Buddy

[Postman]

A really cool way to do this would be to upgrade to PT8 everywhere and use the LE system as a satellite. Video Satellite LE, specifically. You would not need a Blackmagic card although it would be even better to have one. One ethernet connection would allow you to start and stop and scrub PT from either computer. Unfortunately I don't think you could initiate HD record from the LE system, but otherwise it is a very cool and tight interface. This setup would also give you the option of using your LE system as an audio satellite to the HD system, but I'm not sure about audio sync, it might not be perfect.

There would be some software purchases required for Video Satellite LE and/or Satellite operation, but it would be very slick.

For Foley recording, though, your laptop would need to be super quiet.

Oh I see budster beat me to it.

[gordonotron]

hrmmm, what about asuming i cant upgrade software in the HD studio?
Since its probably what i would be told.

G

[mikevarela]

Although the satellite option would work, you might think about just splitting the signal from monitor card the mac and running 1 dvi to the second monitor in the control room, the other to the projector via dvi or vga, that way both the monitor and projector mirror each other. then go full screen. usually when doing adr foley you have an actor and a tech, so you need to people. if you only have yourself, try looking into the tranzport wireless transport controller.

[danijel]

Gordon,

I have a Cubase LE (that comes bundled with many audio interfaces) displaying my video on another computer, and I drive it using MIDI Time Code from either ProTools or Nuendo. The MTC travels over ethernet using MIDIoverLAN utility on my PCs, so I believe it would work with wireless as well (as it just sends small amounts of data, throughoutput shouldn't be an issue). This is a low-cost solution that works great, and I often wonder why people don't use it more often (and if I am the only one?)

OSX, as far as I understand, has MIDIoverLAN-similar functionality built into the OS itself. I don't know if PT can be your video-player, as I have never tried slaving it to MTC, but there is a chance either PT or Logic can be MTC-driven.

Aside from that, if there is a window between the live and the control room, you could try 'sending' the picture to the artists through a series of smart-positioned mirrors, to avoid the laptop noise in the foley track :)

[Postman]

I was wrong about one point, Satellite LE does not allow you to start/stop the system playback from LE.This can only be done from the HD system. I know you're not leaning toward this solution, but I needed to correct myself.