Timecode?

Questions about ATEM Switchers, Camera Converter and everything live!
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Doug Johnson

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Timecode?

PostSat Feb 10, 2018 9:42 pm

I've been shooting (live switching actually) in a recording studio a lot recently, and we're trying to figure out a way to integrate timecode from my ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K switcher into the audio recordings. And if that isn't easy, at least give the recording engineer a screen where he can see timecode and manually mark his files so it's easier to match the recordings with the video later on.

As mentioned, my ATEM switcher is generating timecode and is outputting it over the SDI outputs, and I can see that timecode when recording on my HyperDeck recorders, but I can't seem to find anything else that will display it. Or convert it to something that Pro Tools can recognize.

(Oddly, I used to see timecode on my Teranex Mini converters with the LCD display option, but that doesn't seem to work any longer.)

I read somewhere else on the forums that the timecode jacks on the switcher don't do anything. Is that actually true?

TIA!
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Howard Roll

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Re: Timecode?

PostSat Feb 10, 2018 11:02 pm

The switcher should be giving you 2 flavors of TC output. RP188 over SDI and SMPTE/LTC from the XLR output. If you want to test the output of the XLR just plug it into a mixer, if the sound makes you want to rip your ears out, that's SMPTE.

Getting RP188 into ProTools is going to depend on the hardware IO, you may need a device that will convert RP188 to LTC. If your engineer can't get LTC into ProTools it's time to look for another engineer.
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Doug Johnson

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Re: Timecode?

PostSun Feb 11, 2018 7:47 pm

Thanks, Howard! I'll take the time to test the timecode output on my switcher. (It's buried and takes about 15 minutes of disassembly to get to it.)

Does anyone happen to know why my Teranex devices no longer recognize timecode over SDI from my switcher?
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videokadr

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Re: Timecode?

PostMon Feb 12, 2018 8:19 pm

You must to used deembeder BM 12G SDI to audio to take TC. And then you must conectet cable XLR from dembedder from out with TC to your audio input TC in audio recorder
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Doug Johnson

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Re: Timecode?

PostMon Feb 12, 2018 9:12 pm

For anyone following this topic, here's what I've discovered...

I'm passing video from my switcher to a BMD Studio Converter 2, and then sending the video over fiber into the facility, where it is converted back to SDI. Based on my testing, it looks like the timecode is stripped from the SDI signal by the Studio Converter, as it does appear on the input, but not on the fiber outputs.

To verify that it is the Studio Converter doing this, I also tried using an Optical Fiber converter, and it passes timecode just fine.

In other words, there won't be a way for me to convert to LTC inside the facility as long as I used the Studio Converter to do the fiber conversion.

I've contacted BMD support and am awaiting a response.
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Bob Baker

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Re: Timecode?

PostThu Jun 28, 2018 4:43 pm

can you tell me how the switcher generates timecode? Where in the settings can you set the clock for example? I've been using Ambient Timecode Nanolockits to generate and distribute TC on my 4k 4M/E fro about a year now
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Doug Johnson

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Re: Timecode?

PostThu Jun 28, 2018 4:57 pm

It's a Free Run timecode that starts automatically when the switcher is powered on, or the video format is changed. You can't set the start value -- it always starts at 0:00;00 or 0:00;02.
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Gary Adams

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Re: Timecode?

PostThu Jun 28, 2018 6:18 pm

FYI. The ATEM 1M/E 4K and the 2/4 M/E switchers generate time code from power up. The 2/4 M/E switchers are capable of locking to external LTC.

Regards, Gary
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Daniel Binder

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Re: Timecode?

PostFri Feb 15, 2019 7:39 am

If one locks the ATEM Broadcast 4M/E to external timecode (via XLR input), would that timecode be embedded in the program outputs AND the 6 AUX output signals?

Thanks,

Daniel
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Xtreemtec

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Re: Timecode?

PostFri Feb 15, 2019 9:48 am

Yes Daniel,

This is what we use now get Timecode into our Hyperdecks for synced data in the Edit.

But by this method we used up all our Aux lines.
Daniel Wittenaar .:: Xtreemtec Media Productions ::. -= www.xtreemtec.nl =-
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Daniel Binder

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Re: Timecode?

PostSat Feb 16, 2019 7:05 pm

Hi Daniel,

great, thanks for the info. Upgraded now from an ATEM 1M/E to the Broadcast 4M/E. Now feeding the timecode from a ConvergentDesign Apollo we use for recording into the ATEM with a custom made BNC to XLR cable (and from there to three Hyperdecks). Works like a charm. Finally matching timecode on all recorders.

EDIT: Follow-Up Question. Is there any way to pick a specific audio channel for one AUX line? (as in, not have Program audio on all AUX lines?)

Cheers,
Daniel
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Xtreemtec

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Re: Timecode?

PostTue Feb 19, 2019 1:32 pm

No all PGM and AUX lines only have PGM audio. There is no advanced audio routing possible in the Atem. It is a videomixer right :P ;)
Daniel Wittenaar .:: Xtreemtec Media Productions ::. -= www.xtreemtec.nl =-
4K OBV Trailer, ATEM TVS HD, 4M/E Broadcast Studio 4K, Constelation 8K, Hyperdeck Studio 12G, Ursa Broadcast 4K, 4K fiber converters with Sony Control
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djackson115

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Re: Timecode?

PostFri Feb 14, 2020 4:29 pm

I am looking at using an ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K with three Hyperdeck Sudio Pro decks for recording. Two of the Hyperdecks will connect to aux outputs via HD-SDI and the third to the program HD-SDI output.

From what I have read, the ATEM will generate and embedded TC out on the HD-SDI outputs to allow the three recordings to be lock together in post for editing? No external hardware is required to generate TC to input to the Hyperdecks?

Thanks,
Doug
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Roman Pytkin Pekarek

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Re: Timecode?

PostSat Feb 15, 2020 12:39 am

Record all from aux outputs and u get the same timecode ..
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Dave Del Vecchio

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Re: Timecode?

PostSat Feb 15, 2020 3:02 am

djackson115 wrote:I am looking at using an ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K with three Hyperdeck Sudio Pro decks for recording. From what I have read, the ATEM will generate and embedded TC out on the HD-SDI outputs to allow the three recordings to be lock together in post for editing? No external hardware is required to generate TC to input to the Hyperdecks?
Yes, the ATEM 1 M/E 4K will begin generating timecode at startup and will embed this timecode on the AUX and SDI Program outputs.

With ATEM software version 8.0 or higher you can set the starting timecode value (and restart the built-in timecode generator) through the ATEM Software Control Panel. Since this ATEM model doesn't have an external timecode input, that can make it difficult to sync to an external timecode source (such as the internal recording on a camera, a standalone audio recorder, or dedicated timecode generator).

But everything should work fine as long as the video you want to record comes from one of the ATEM's SDI Program or AUX outputs. You will just have to make sure that you set your HyperDeck Studio Pro's to use the SDI input as the timecode source (rather than the external timecode over the XLR connector that is also supported on these units).

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