Problem recording to mini dv w/ FCP 4.1

Baltimore Shooter

Well-known member
I posted this on Creative Cow and got NO responses, so I'm posting here.

I'm trying to record an approval copy for a client onto mini dv before the BetaSP copy and for some strange reason, I can't get it to record to the camcorder.

There must be a setting that's not correct because I haven't had this problem before. Typically, I plug the firewire cable to the media converter box but it wouldn't communicate to the camcorder so I plugged it into the firewire port of the Mac (G4), same thing. I went through the Audio/Video settings, the Preferences, etc and nothing worked. Then I thought maybe it's the firewire cable or the camcorder but that can't be it because I can get footage from my windows computer to and from the camcorder. So like I said, it must be a setting within FCP that's not correct. BTW, I never use the print-to-tape and such, I just hit the spacebar and play where I want to start and end, thought I did try PTT when nothing else worked.

Anyone have any ideas?

Warren
 

dhart

Well-known member
A couple of questions. Have you successfully transfered to mini-DV before? Are you using a mini DV camera or VTR to record your FCP output?

I just ran into something similar with my system where I had inadvertently (something I do all the time :) changed my setup on the sequence to "HD" instead of "HDV" FCP would not recognize the record device. Like you I tried everything and no luck. Finally I changed the timeline setup to HDV and the whole time line rendered into HDV and everything worked fine. I'm suspecting something similar in your situation.

Make a new track sheet (I mean sequence my first NLE was a VideoCube :), copy and paste the time line into it. Change the setup to "DV", render your timeline. Now your timeline is "DV" and your recording device is "DV" and I bet FCP will recognize the DV recording device.
 

Baltimore Shooter

Well-known member
Thanks Dennis, but I tried all that. I never had a problem dubbing to mini dv through the firewire cable before, either through the DA-Max box or through the Firewire output on the back of the Mac.

I can't figure it out. I wonder if a device driver got deleted. I'd like to put the FCP disc in and copy there driver over to the hard drive but I don't know what to look for (filename) and I don't know where I should place the file either.

Warren
 

dhart

Well-known member
Well at this point in time, I'd probably just render out to a Q.T. file to a portable drive, take it over to my local duplication house and have them make me a DV copy.

I think I might try and re-install FCP and see if that helps. It's been my experience that if something used to work and now doesn't it is often but not always a corruption issue.

Not sure lack of control over the camcorder function is really a OS "driver" issue. I think FCP handles camcorder control inside the program under A/V Settings "Device Control Preset". There are a number of possible presets and I suppose you've tried them all. Is your camcorder indicating it's receiving a "DV in" signal?
 

Baltimore Shooter

Well-known member
Is your camcorder indicating it's receiving a "DV in" signal?
Yeah, it says it's receiving a DV signal but that happens when I connect the DV cable, not necessarily if there's a signal coming to it or not.

It's strange because the audio is recorded to the camcorder with no problem at all. However, as far as a picture goes, there too but it's only a still image. When I hit stop on the FCP spacebar, the image changes to another still image.

I thought there might be an issue with the Firewire cable that goes to the DA-Max box but now that I think about it, when I tried the 6pin to 4pin Firewire cable that goes from the computer to the camcorder I got the same thing so like you say it might really be an issue w/ FCP.

I'm really nervous about uninstalling and then reinstalling FCP. If I F it up, I'm going to have to call in the company I bought the system in to fix it and get charged big bucks. Guess I'll have to make a Beta copy of everything I have on it just in case something goes wrong.

I'm going to try your suggestion, to make a QT file of the video, but I'm going to try to put it through this cheap editing program I have on my PC and see if I can record it to dv that way.

Warren
 

dhart

Well-known member
That's weird that you get audio but no video. Essentially what you are doing is transferring a digital "data" file (QT) from FCP to your digital DV camcorder. I would think it would be all or nothing. I have a program on my MAC called "SuperDuper" that allows me create something called a "Sandbox" and I can mess with anything and if it doesn't work out return it to its original state. Might be something like that for Windows. How about calling "The Video Guys"? They are experts on all things FCP and might have some ideas.
 
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