machine control etc

setup: HD1 on a quicksilver g4, with sync i/o dvc pro digital video deck. - video black from a generator to the deck and to PT - machine control from my sync i/o to the deck - time code from the deck to my sync i/o with this setup it works, but i HATE having to wait for the deck to cue, then wait for PT to lock (which only happens about 60% of the time) to play. i'd like to set up so that protools drives the deck. so when i hit play, PT plays and the deck follows me around and catches up. i've patched time code out of my sync i/o, still have the black patched, still have machine control going to the deck. i tell PT to generate code, hit play, and PT goes but the deck just sits there. am i missing a step? thanks. -a-

digi tech support? this is a simple "yes you're doing it right" or "no you've got it wrong." a little help? -a-

thanks mike - that helps on the situation of the deck being the master. but is there any way to run PT as the code master? just let it roll normally and have the deck chase me around? -a-

"You may also want to consider getting a KeySpan USA28X USB to serial adapter to use for Machine Control instead of the built-in ports on the Sync I/O." We have had lots of problems with MachineControl and (most of all) newer Sony IMX decks. Would Keyspan help? If so, what's the logic behind? Thanks in advance, Tarmo

I'm not sure if it's been changed with the SyncI/O, but with the USD, you can't generate code and chase code at the same time. If you want to generate code and have the tape machine follow, you would need something along the lines of a MicroLynx(or Adam Smith, or whatever). Then you could feed code into the MicroLynx from ProTools and the tape machine would follow in it's own sweet time. If you are working to picture a lot, you should really invest in some kind of digital picture playback. That would totally eliminate that pesky cue up time. Hope this helps. Ciao, NB

Tarmo, The Keyspan has proven to provide faster and more reliable deck control compared to the Sync I/O ports. regards, mike

Adam, Have you been to SETUP>PREFERENCES>OPERATION and set machine control to cue following edit insertion/scrub? This may help the cueing and then when you roll the machine won't have to cue before rolling with pro-tools. Hope this helps.