URSA Mini 4.6K timecode jam

So sorry for the dumb question... I'm trying to jam timecode with an SDI cable connected to the sound guys mixer. The SDI cable is plugged into the TC in jack... now what do I do? It isn't syncing to the sound guys mixer.

Thanks so much!

Kyle

We've done several multi camera shoots wit our 4.6K and TC has never worked. Sometimes it never gets the TC, sometimes it syncs and then jumps wildly all over the place, sometime it appears to be in sync and then drifts throughout the shoot even with a wireless TC box attached. We gave up and just use slates for critical stuff. Maybe two URSA's would play nice together but ours has never liked the various stuff our sound guys have Brough to the party.

I've used the TC function daily on set over many weeks of shooting on multiple shows.

The most reliable way is to use an external clock fitted all the time. I use the Moze TIG but there's a new ambient clock that also looks promising.

I really like the TIG and have found them to be exceptionally accurate and reliable.
https://www.mozegear.com/tig-q28-series

These seem like they'll be good too
http://ambient.de/en/product/nanolockit/

When ever I've had issues with TC jamming it's been the cable. I had some issues on the first few weeks of the show I just wrapped, but once we swapped out all the cables, it worked great.

If you're taking a 5pin Lemo TC out of a mixer into SDI there can also be differences in the way it's wired. In some cases the cable can be wired as a TC IN--> Lemo, so it's never going to work in that scenario.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... cable.html
And
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... cable.html

Looks the same, but are used for different outcomes. It's easy to confuse them.

Also, it's not helped by the fact that the jam process can take a few seconds on the Ursa Mini 4.6sometimes and it APPEARS as if nothing is happening. And then suddenly the EXT shows up after up to 10 seconds of it being connected.

But yeah, once I got cables that worked and just left it alone, I found it was mostly very reliable in daily use with multiple cameras across many weeks of shooting.

JB

Thanks so much, John! That is super helpful! Perhaps I just needed to wait longer.

But just to be sure, I don't need to hit a specific menu item or anything else but nice I connect to the mixer's mixer?

Thanks again!
Kyle

Thanks so much, John! That is super helpful! Perhaps I just needed to wait longer.

But just to be sure, I don't need to hit a specific menu item or anything else but nice I connect to the mixer's mixer?

Thanks again!
Kyle

If you have a correctly wired cable, then I've seen it take 5 seconds or a bit more before it changes to EXT.

There's nothing else that you do. It just detects the code.

I do also believe that the UMP has a more accurate internal clock. Perhaps Tim can weigh in on that one. This in theory means you can jam the camera and remove the source and it would hold sync for longer, but I'm not sure of just how long one could expect that.

My experience is that the Ursa Mini 4.6K is good for only a short amount of time before the internal clock drifts without an external presence...Like maybe within an hour.

JB

I made good experiences using the TentacleSync, it's very light and cheap (and german ;o) )

http://tentaclesync.com/

[Tim Schumann]

Since our 4.0 software release the camera should be able to latch on to external code very quickly (less than a second generally). It does need to be the same frame rate as the current project frame rate your camera is set at or we ignore the external code.

This in theory means you can jam the camera and remove the source and it would hold sync for longer, but I'm not sure of just how long one could expect that.

URSA Mini Pro's new internal clock is rated much higher. As long as your camera is continually running it should hold your code to within a frame for over 8 hours.

Rebooting the camera, jumping between record/playback, and changing formats can cause this to shift so it is recommended that if you are doing this you re-jam afterwards or have the external source permanently connected to ensure you maintain TC lock.

On set and timecode won't jam to UMP. Software 4.9 and setup menu set to external timecode source. Tried using Zaxnet generated by ZMT3 to ERX3TCD on-camera and jamming directly from SD633. Cables are properly wired, as two Mini 4.6k jammed without issue. I can't figure out what is different about the UMP...

I use tc on every shoot without any problems. The tc syncs instantly with lockit boxes or tentacles. We had one issue with a time code buddy - the tc signal wasnt at a high enough level to be picked up. We contacted tc buddy and they confirmed, much to the chagrin of the disgruntled sound recordist, that he needed to do a firmware upgrade on his kit and it was not in fact, my crappy camera! There was one other sound guy, cant remember the tc sender but had the same issue, the level was too low, he adjusted the output on his tc sender and it was all fine. Tentacles are my fav, super small footprint, run all day problem free, cheap and unlike the dreaded zaxcom are not a huge power hungry blob on the camera.

I would love for our Tentacle Sync to jam with the UMP (4.9 firmware). We make sure the FPS is the same, tried playing with the level out in the Tentacle app, we've tried external, program and internal on the UMP and even let the camera run for long periods of time to see if would magically jam. We have also tried many cables (even the KVS cable: iPhone - Android BNC timecode Output adapter - 3.5mm TRRS Male to BNC Male that was suggested by BM) and we still cannot jam. So we now lose an audio channel and use channel 2 for jamming TC.

We've even tried going from a Roland R-88 into the UMP as the Roland can output TC but to no avail....

Maybe the UMP needs to be sent back. It has less than 20 hours on it....

Try resetting the camera software to factory default. Then try and sync the tentacle to the camera again. If you have another camera that takes timecode, test the tentacle sync on it. Just to make sure the tentacle is not the issue. Process of elimination

Yup, tried all that including firmware on UMP. Have another Tentacle as well and neither work...

Ok, then its time to send the camera into blackmagic support. I have 3 tentacle syncs One on each Ursa (Mini pro, mini 4.6k and Big ursa V1 and they all work fine. So it may be your camera

Ok, then its time to send the camera into blackmagic support. I have 3 tentacle syncs One on each Ursa (Mini pro, mini 4.6k and Big ursa V1 and they all work fine. So it may be your camera

I did send support a message a week ago but haven't heard back yet. I've also tried it with an Ultrasync One and it still doesn't work. Camera is going back.