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TIMECODE SYSTEMS ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
between multiple timecode units over the uncongested sub-GHz ISM bands between 865MHz and 923MHz. Jon explains how the system works: “It’s low in the
timecode boxes and little timecode units on all the different cameras and sound recorders. You literally had to walk around with a cable and a timecode box and jam everything manually which is a very time- consuming process. With the :pulse in the tracking car, you just power the unit up and then you either program in the timecode or dial in the numbers for the time-of-day timecode, or you can cable jam it with an LTC timecode input – that tends to be what we do.” Russell Edwards, the sound supervisor, usually has the master timecode on his Sound Devices mixer and then they jam the :pulse and everything else is slaved from there. PROPRIETARY COMMS Timecode Systems uses BLINK, its own proprietary RF protocol, for sending timecode and other metadata between units. This creates a reliable, wireless two-way link
megahertz spectrum, which means you get much more range out of it. The other advantage of the network is that when using the SyncBac PROs on the GoPros you can control and monitor the camera remotely from the BLINK Hub app, so it replaces the GoPro app which was never reliable when the Wi-Fi range was poor. “When we were in Colorado we had eight GoPros on a Paris-Dakar vehicle; they were rigged all over it. They are such big vehicles getting to the cameras is tricky, but using SyncBac PROs, we can be in the tracking car and are able to group cameras and control them as one. For instance, you can put all the GoPros into a group, power them on as a group and then start record as
a group. You can see all the cameras come to life on the iPad and go red as they go into record. You can power them down too. The Timecode Systems SyncBac PROs have made the GoPros very popular with other shows like The Island with Bear Grylls ; SyncBac PRO embeds timecode directly into the camera’s MP4 file, which is fantastic.” In fact, Timecode Systems has just announced the release of the SyncBac PRO for GoPro® HERO6 Black cameras, a customised timecode-sync solution for the newest generation of action cameras fromGoPro.
TOP In-car with Sound Devices’ and Timecode Systems’ :mini trx+. ABOVE Timecode Systems’ SyncBac PRO. ABOVE LEFT Sound supervisor Russell Edwards and The Grand Tour sound team.
MORE INFORMATION: timecodesystems.com
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JANUARY 2018 DEFINITION
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