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BAVC Resources

Cleaning Decks 

- Ensure deck is powered off
- Moisten a cloth with alcohol
- Clean entire tape path, making sure that all points of contact with tape are wiped clean
- Hold the cloth with gentle pressure against the side of tape drum and rotate the drum, cleaning heads
- Clean edges of tape path and area between heads (though not heads themselves) with cotton-tipped applicators moistened with alcohol
- Clean difficult to reach areas with cotton-tipped applicators moistened with alcohol
- Clean rubber rollers with Rubber Roller Restorer applied to cotton cloth (wear gloves and ensure room is properly ventilated when using this fluid)
- Repeat above processes as often as necessary to remove all signs of dirt, grease, and dust from tape path
- Clean deck before setting levels, after setting levels, and after every capture
  • Creating Digibetas

Museums, archives, and libraries will sometimes request an additional Digibeta copy of the digital master file. Part of the Digibeta mastering process is laying down 30 seconds of black, 1 minute of bars/tone, and 30 seconds of black before the picture begins. Set-Up - Clean heads and tape path carefully; use swab to clean the rollers. - Thread a BNC cable out of DIGITAL I/O Serial V/A input directly into the Blackmagic Capture Card - Set Remote part of patch bay from Kona to Digibeta. - Video Patch - Digibeta–>VDA1 - Audio Patch - Digibeta –> RANE Mix - Find a blank tape of the right length. They are stored in a filing cabinet in the tape closet. - Open Media Express and import the file you are mastering to tape. - Pack the tape by fast-forwarding and rewinding. - Ensure the tape is wound to the beginning before laying down timecode.

Lay Black and Timecode - Switch deck to “Setup 1” by opening the control panel to reveal advance settings. Turn the deck off and back on again to activate. - Set the “TG Generator” to “interior” and “preset.” - Press the “hold” button that is underneath the timecode panel. - Set timecode to 00:58:00 - Press “Jog” and use the knob to move between the sections of the timecode. Set the numbers by pressing “Jog” at the same time as the knob is turned. - Press “Set” button under timecode. - Test by pressing REC - Pres REC + PLAY to record black and let run past 01:00:00 - Stop

Lay Bars and Tone - Switch deck to “Setup 2” by opening the control panel to reveal advance settings. Turn the deck off and back on again to activate.
- Set the “TG Generator” to “interior” and “regen.” - Rewind tape to 00:58:30 - Under “INSERT” press “video” and all four audio channels - Press “Entry” and “In” at the same time - Forward tape to 00:59:30 - Press “Entry” and “Out” at the same time - Identify Audio and Video - Press and hold SIF/CH1 on the Audio Input section until all audio channels light up. - Press and hold SIF in the Video Input section until all video channels light up. - Press Auto Edit

Mastering - Follow the procedures in the “Setup” section of this page. - Switch deck to “Setup 1” - On the Digibeta deck, Turn on Remote 1(9P) on - In Media Express–>Edit to Tape, set In Point to 1:00:00. You shouldn’t have to set out point (if you do, use time code on file). - Click Assemble button - When ready to go, click the “Master” button. The tape will automatically stop when the file ends. - Check to make sure blacks, bars, and file all begin at the established in/out points.

Labeling tba

Tips/Troubleshooting - Do not use Media Express at the same time as you are recording blacks. You might accidentally record the file prematurely. - The file should be imported from the computer’s local storage drive, not the presraid. Importing from the presraid will result in dropped frames.