Talkback with 2ME, Studio Fiber converter & SDI cameras

So, I'm pretty heavily invested in the BM workflow and I have a 2ME, Studio Fiber converter, camera converters, BM Studio cameras & Micro Studio cameras.

Depending where we are some cameras are connected via fiber and some via copper SDI.
There's a few annoyances with the setup that I wonder if there are some options I'm missing.

I have producer talkback plugged into the 2ME, this allows talkback to cameras on copper cable. The Studio converter is connected to the 2ME, however it seems that the Studio converter is stripping the talkback off the output to replace it with it's own. So I also have to have producer talkback plugged into the front panel of the Studio converter.

The other problem is that every power up of the studio converter I have to push all the TX lock buttons. Really in our setup this device should be housed in an engineering rack and not looked at normally. It's another item on our startup check list that's really unnecessary.

If there is not currently an option, BM could you make the device startup state configurable?
And could you make TB audio from incoming SDI configurable also?

Maybe I just missed the options for these?

I assume your 2ME is the 4k version. are you shooting in 4k or 1080?

which studio converter do you have? Studio converter 2? or TalkBack converter 4k?

there may some options for you...

2ME 4K with the XLR audio in/out for talkback.
Studio converter 2
Shooting in 1080i50 / 1080p50 / 720p50

Cheers

The Studio converter does indeed strip the audio from the incoming SDI program feed. And applies it's own audio to it..
This is since the first models.. And i find it disturbing that this still isn't solved by a option in the software..

On the other hand.. They probabbly do this to prevent user error?! As somebody that set that function will have no working audio on the unit.. And so will return the product as defective....
But yes i wish they could make that switchable..

And about those buttons yes i feel you again.. They designed it so that the fiber unit will be in front of the director / switcher all the time..
Maybe i small setups it will..

But in a proffesional envoirement it wont.. There is a simple solution tho.. Sell the Studio converter and buy 4 (or how many you need) mini converters sdi fiber. And buy a SDI splitter. Connect all outgoing sdi's to the splitter and feed the splitter with the PGM feed from your mixer. As you will have intercom, tally and shading by your 2ME..

This will solve the strip issue and the buttons.. As it sound like you don't need the whole intercom system that is embedded into the Studio converter.

Danielle beat me to it, but that's exactly what I would have suggested. At least if you insist on using the built in talkback. Personally, I don't like their talkback at all, and use a separate system.

[Gary Adams]

Hello Matt. As has been stated, the Talkback system in the 2ME and the Talkback converter are two separate systems. The 2ME interface is designed for interface to 3rd party intercom systems. The Talkback Convertor is designed as a base station for the director/producer to talk to cameras either individually or all. They are not compatible for complicated reasons. You can use either one method or the other but not both. We tried to do this originally but it is not trivial. I hear that you want the buttons on during power up which we can look into as a feature request. If you want to do something slightly different, use a Camera Converter for the director/producter connected to the Talkback Converter and leave that microphone on. It's a workaround.

Regards, Gary

well actually, here's another thought...

if you convert the 2 M/E XLR talkback to AES, you could connect this AES audio into the BNC connections on the studio converter for mic and headphone. Then the headset connected to the studio converter would talk to all cameras, regardless of connections to fiber on studio converter, or SDI connected to 2M/E. if your buttons are turned on

[Gary Adams]

Hello Greg. It's an interesting thought but before my head explodes trying to figure this out, I would think there will be feedback one direction and it would still need side tone nulled. But like I said, it's not trivial. I do like creativity in working out problems.

Gary

Thanks for all the replies.

A few comments....
I have been through using a stack of mini converters, yes it works fine.

I 'upgraded' to the studio converter as being a professional outfit it's just not reasonable to stack up 8 of these in a rack, with 8 power supplies that all face sideways requiring 2x 8 way powerboards to plug them in. Powerboards are dodgy as we all know, using a stack of mini converters is a pain, to return SDI to all the cameras it requires an SDI D/A.

I also needed to peel out the audio from the cameras for sending to a mixer.

At the moment I fail to see how using a camera converter is going to assist with the cameras on copper connections to the 2ME. Is the talkback in/out present on the copper interfaces of the camera converter? Using a $800aud device as a PTT button for comms is kinda nuts.

My talkback is controlled completely by an x32 with custom built button panels to allow users to talk to each other [excluding cameramen on BM equipment]. I can output an analog XLR to send audio to the ATEM, but the xlr on the input of the studio converter is mic level. It required a DI to get the input into it without distorting. But now I have an XLR hanging out the front of this rack. So next I will try the AES3 input on the back of the unit. Lucky x32 has 1 AES3 output. However x32 has no AES3 input, and the studio converter has no analog audio out on the back for talkback. I'll forever have to have a 6.5mm plug in the front to collect it's audio.

So...
Could a startup state be set to have all talkback lock buttons on?

Is it a software or hardware limitation in regard to the talkback pass through from copper?
IF it were possible, I would have an option like 'Internal Talkback or ATEM Talkback'. This would completely disable all the talkback functions of the studio converter, buttons, mic input, speaker etc and simply pass audio channels 15/16 on the required in/outputs.