Videonics AB-1 Edit Suite User manual

AB-1 Edit Suite User Guide
Contents
Controls and Back Panel
Chapter 1 • Introduction
•Overview of Edit Suite
•A Few Words About Time Code
•The Edit Decision List
Chapter 2 • Overview of the Keyboard
Chapter 3 • Getting Started
Chapter 4 • Making a Production
•Assemble Editing
•Auto-Assemble Editing
Chapter 5 • The NEW Menu and Edit Suite Events
•New Menu
•Scene (A/B/C/D) Events
•Source (SRC) Events
•MX1 Events
•Mixer Events
•GPI Events
•Insert (INS) Events
•Split Insert (SPLT) Events
•Stop Events
Chapter 6 • Managing The Edit Decision List
Chapter 7 • Fine Tuning
Chapter 8 • Importing and Exporting
•Export
•Import
•CMX

Chapter 9 • Setup and Configuration Menus
Chapter 10 • Error Messages and Troubleshooting
Appendix A • VCR Tables
•PANA (Panasonic Control-M) Protocol
•LANC (Control-L) Protocol
•RS-422 Protocol
•RS-232 Protocol
•VCR Infrared Code List
Appendix B • Cables and Cable Pinouts
Appendix C • Equipment Hookup
Appendix D • Edit Control Chart
Appendix E • Key Reference
Appendix F • Off-Line Logsheet
Index
2.01 Addendum


Chapter 1 • Introduction
Edit Suite is a full-featured video editor that can simultaneously control up to four play VCRs/
camcorders, a record VCR, a mixer and a titler.
Edit Suite supports all of the primary editing control protocols–Sony Control-L (LANC), Panasonic 5-
pin (Control M), RS-232 and RS-422–so you can work with a wide variety of VCRs and camcorders
from a consumer level up to the professional level simultaneously. Edit Suite even supports record
VCRs with Infrared control!
Edit Suite reads all of the major time codes–LTC, VITC and RCTC–so you can get time-code accuracy
with all of your productions. If your VCRs do not support time code, Edit Suite will use the Real Time
Counter as its source for timing information.
Whether you have one play VCR and one recorder or a full complement of VCRs, camcorders, mixers
and titlers, Edit Suite will adapt to meet your needs.
How to Proceed
The remaining pages in this chapter provide a brief overview of Edit Suite, starting with how Edit Suite
fits in with the rest of your equipment, and ending with an introduction to the Edit Decision List.
Chapter 2 introduces the Edit Suite keyboard. Skim through Chapter 2, spending just enough time to
recall the primary functions and locations of the keys.
Next, proceed with Chapter 3, Getting Started. In Chapter 3 you will configure Edit Suite for use with
your equipment, hook up and test your connections, then create, preview and record an A/A Roll. If you
have a mixer and two play sources, Chapter 3 will also walk you through an A/B Roll.
Chapter 4 introduces assemble and auto-assemble editing, Chapter 5 provides detailed information about
each type of event you can create with Edit Suite, and Chapter 6 shows you how to manage the Edit
Decision List.
Fine Tuning is covered in Chapter 7. Use the fine-tuning procedures to adjust the timing Edit Suite uses
during an auto-record. Chapter 8 describes Edit Suite's import and export capabilities. Chapter 9
describes the Setup and Configuration Menus, and Chapter 10 describes the error messages you may
encounter. It also provides troubleshooting procedures for typical problems.
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An Overview of Edit Suite
Edit Suite is compatible with a wide range of VCRs, camcorders and editing equipment, such as video
mixers and switchers, title generators, video processors and audio mixers.
This figure shows a fairly typical configuration for Edit Suite. It includes two play sources (Deck A and
Deck B), a recorder, a Videonics MX-1 Mixer (left), a Videonics TitleMaker 2000 (right), and Edit Suite
in the middle to control the show. Up to two more play VCRs can be added to Edit Suite and the MX-1,
or you can even add noncontrollable sources like live cameraa or pattern generators to the MX-1 and
then just tell Edit Suite when you want to record video from those sources.
The Audio/Video Cables: No Video Passes Through Edit Suite

Follow the path of the Audio/Video Cables. Audio and video signals are sent directly from each play
VCR/camcorder to the MX-1, from the MX-1 to the TitleMaker, and from the TitleMaker to the
Recorder. No video or audio passes through Edit Suite.
Edit Suite does not need to "see" the video–it just needs to know where the video is located. You provide
part of this information by locating and viewing the scenes you want to include in your production. Your
VCRs and camcorders provide the rest of the information by telling Edit Suite where on that videotape
the scenes start and stop. The start and stop locations are usually sent over the Edit Control Cables.
The Edit Control Cables
Trace the path of the Edit Control Cables. Each cable goes directly between Edit Suite and a VCR or
camcorder. The Edit Control cables are used by Edit Suite to send commands to the VCRs and
camcorders. The VCRs respond by changing operating modes, telling Edit Suite their current time code
or Real Time Counter position, and by telling Edit Suite what mode they are in (Stop, Play, Fast
Forward, etc.).
The GPI Cables
Trace the path of the GPI (general purpose interface) cables. One cable goes from Edit Suite to the MX-
1. A second goes from Edit Suite to the TitleMaker. For most devices except the MX-1, Edit Suite sends
a GPI trigger down the cable which causes a titler to play a screen of titles or a mixer/switcher to cut or
transition from one VCR to another.
With a Videonics MX-1, in addition to triggering the transitions, Edit Suite also sends all the setup
information the MX-1 needs to run the transition. It selects the MX-1's Current and Next sources
automatically, it tells the MX-1 which transition to use and at what speed and direction that transition
should be played, and it sets the color choices for the background and border.
A Few Words About Time Code
Time code is a digital code that is recorded on and identifies each frame of a video. When displayed,
time code is in an hours:minutes:seconds.frames format (hh:mm:ss.ff). Because the time code is a part of
the videotape, Edit Suite can search for a specific time-code value, and the video associated with that
value will be the same every time.
Without time code, Edit Suite must rely on the Real Time Counter in your VCR or camcorder to locate
your scenes. Because there is not a fixed relationship between the counter and the tape position, the
video that displays at a specific counter position may be slightly different each time you search to that
position. With proper care and setup, you can still create accurate productions, but they will not be quite
as accurate as when time code is used. Appendix D has a more detailed discussion of time code and edit

accuracy.
A Few More Words About Time Code
Some VCRs and camcorders provide the ability to both read and write time code, and many of these can
send the time code over the Edit Control Cable. For example, RCTC (rewriteable consumer time code),
or a variant of RCTC, is available on many LANC and RS-232 VCRs. RCTC is always sent over the
Edit Control Cable.
LTC (Longitudinal Time Code) is written in an audio track on the videotape. With most RS-422 and RS-
232 VCRs that support LTC, the time code is sent through the Edit Control Cable. If you play the tape in
a VCR that uses LANC or PANA protocol, the LTC will not be sent through the Edit Cable. Instead, it
must be sent from the VCR/camcorder through an audio cable that you connect to the Time Code IN
port on Edit Suite.
The third major time code–VITC (vertical interval time code)–is written in the video signal a little bit
above the video that normally displays on your monitor. As with LTC, if VITC is played on a VCR that
uses LANC or PANA protocol, it must be sent over a cable attached to Edit Suite's Time Code IN ports.
Since VITC is recorded in the video portion of the tape, you must attach a cable from your VCR's video
OUT port.
The Edit Decision List
When you play your videotapes and see the video you want to record, you create a Scene Event to tell
Edit Suite which VCR contains the footage you are viewing, where that scene starts, and where that
scene ends. You just push a few buttons–Edit Suite fills in the information for you. (Or you can type in
the time codes manually.)
Each time you locate a scene you want in your production, you create a new Scene Event. Edit Suite
stores the events in a list called the Edit Decision List, or EDL. You can store up to 250 events in the
EDL at one time.

After you have created a few Scene Events, you can tell Edit Suite to preview or record the events. It
will march down the Edit Decision List finding each of your scenes, controlling your recorder and play
VCRs, and creating your production.
Now leaf through Chapter 2 and follow the instructions in Chapter 3 so you can begin putting Edit Suite
to work.

Chapter 2 • Overview of the Keyboard
This chapter provides an overview of Edit Suite's LCD and keyboard. Take a few minutes to familiarize
yourself with the keyboard before proceeding with Getting Started. After completing the Getting Started
chapter,review this chapter again for reinforcement.
LCD
The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is located in the upper middle of the top panel.
The information in the display changes when function keys are pressed, scenes are created, or VCRs are
controlled. For example, the display above shows a Scene Event. Scene Events specify which VCR or
camcorder contains the video for a scene (VCR "B" in this case), and the starting (IN) and ending (OUT)
locations for the scene. The locations are shown in time-code format–hours:minutes:seconds.frames.
Another screen that is displayed often is the New Menu (below).
This menu provides one method of creating each type of event used with Edit Suite. To display the
menu, press the NEW function key.
Function/Numeric Keypad

Located at the left side of the top panel are the twelve Function/Numeric keys.
The function keys are used to add new events to a production, to cut, copy, and paste events that were
created previously, and to display or change the duration of scenes. The arrow keys (keys 2, 4, 6 and 8)
are used to move up, down, left, and right between fields and screens of information.
The change key [CHG] key temporarily switches the keypad to numeric-entry mode, the OK key
confirms entries and clears messages, and the SETUP key accesses the Setup and Configuration menus.
Always press [CHG] prior to entering data.
VCR/Source Selector Keys and LEDs
Located just below the LCD are six VCR/Source Selector keys and their associated LEDs (light emitting
diodes).
• Five of the six keys–A, B, C, D and R–are used to select the VCR to control. When a VCR is

selected, the LED above the selector key lights, indicating that you have control of that VCR.
If a Videonics MX-1 is attached to Edit Suite, pressing the A, B, C, or D key also changes the
MX-1's output to the corresponding VCR.
• The sixth key–COLOR–is available to MX-1 users only, and is used to select COLOR as the
MX-1's current source. This is often used to do fades to and from black.
The LEDs above the selector keys indicate which VCR Edit Suite will control when a transport key is
pressed or the jog/shuttle is turned. There are four states for the LEDs:
1. If only one LED is lit, that VCR will be controlled.
2. If two LEDs are lit–one steady and one blinking slowly–the VCR with the steady LED is the
current VCR and it will be controlled. The VCR with the blinking LED is the next source. If a
mixer or switcher is attached, the next source is the "B" source in an A/B Roll.
3. If two LEDs are lit and one is flashing rapidly, that VCR is the "B" source in an A/B roll, and
it will be controlled. (There is a key sequence you will learn later to make the next source
controllable.)
4. If the "R" LED is lit, the record VCR will be controlled.
Production Keys
Located in the center portion of the top panel are the seven main production keys.

These keys are used primarily to create events, mark IN and OUT times for scenes, trigger mixers (GPI-
M) and titlers (GPI-T), create Insert and Split Insert Events, and start an auto-record, preview or review
of your production.
Transport Keys
Located at the bottom of the keypad are five Transport keys. They are, from left to right, Rewind, Stop,
Pause, Play and Fast Forward.
The Transport keys (and the jog/shuttle) are used to control the currently selected VCR (except Record
VCRs using Infrared control).
Jog/Shuttle
The jog/shuttle is used to locate and mark the scenes you want to record. It can control all of your VCRs
(except record VCRs using Infrared control), and it can be used for both rough and fine positioning.
The amount of control you get from the jog/shuttle depends on the capabilities of the VCR. If the VCR
does not have any speeds between pause and play, then you will not be able to get them with the jog/
shuttle. If, however, the VCR supports both frame-by-frame control and speeds as slow as 1/30th x Play,
the jog/shuttle will provide this same level of control.

The Jog Wheel
For VCRs that allow frame-by-frame control, the jog wheel can advance or reverse the video one frame
at a time. Depending on the VCR table you select (Appendix A), turning the jog forward at a slow speed
will advance the video from three to seven frames per revolution. Turning the jog faster will advance the
video at speeds ranging from ±1/30th x Play to standard play speed.
Note: The jog can be used only when the shuttle is in the Pause position.
A secondary function of the jog/shuttle is to trim numeric values. As a general rule, anywhere you can
make a numeric entry in Edit Suite, you can use the jog/shuttle to change that entry.
The Shuttle Ring
Again, depending on the capabilities of the VCR, the shuttle provides for forward and reverse control at
speeds ranging from ±1/30th x Play to speeds greater than ±20 x Play. When the shuttle is turned you
will feel detents at five locations. The center detent is Pause; the middle detents are Play and Reverse
Play, and the outer detents are maximum forward and reverse shuttle.
ALL STOP
Located directly to the right of the Transport Control keys is the ALL STOP key.

ALL STOP is used to stop the motion of all connected VCRs and camcorders. If an auto-record,
preview, or review is in progress, it is terminated. Depending on the VCR, when ALL STOP is pressed
the VCR will be placed either in STOP or in PAUSE.
Modifier Keys
Located below the AUTO REC key are three function modifier keys.
The Modifier Keys–Delete, Go To, and Shift–are used in combination with the Function, Selector,
Production and Transport keys to access many of Edit Suite's functions. In all cases where two or three
keys are required to access a function, the first one or two keys will be modifier keys.
When you see a reference to two or three keys, such as–
[SHIFT]+[UP ARROW] or
[GO TO]+[SHIFT]+[UP ARROW]
all keys must be pressed to start the function.
Modifier keys must be pressed and held down first, followed by the function key. In the first example
above, press and hold the [SHIFT] key, then press the [UP ARROW] key. In the second example, press
and hold both the [GO TO] and the [SHIFT] keys, then press the [UP ARROW] key.

Getting Started
This chapter provides the information required to add Edit Suite to your existing
setup, configure Edit Suite to work with your VCRs, and to create, preview and
record a single-source and an A/B Roll production.
1. Check for Correct Edit Control Cables and GPI Cables
• Determine the type of Edit Control cable needed for each of your VCRs
and camcorders—but do not attach the cables to Edit Suite yet. Your
VCR/camcorder manuals and the figures below should help you
determine which cables you need. (Note the difference in pin positions
between the Control-L 5-pin and the Panasonic 5-pin. These cables are not
interchangeable.)
Edit Suite comes with three Control-L submini cables, three Panasonic 5-
pin cables and one IR (infrared) wand. If you need different or additional
cables, follow the instructions on the Cable Exchange Card or contact the
distributor in your conutry.
For customers with RS-232 or RS-422 VCRs who wish to make their own
cables, a cable pin-out chart is provided in Appendix B. Most RS-232 users
will also need a 9-pin to 25-pin adapter and, for most RS-232 VCRs [except
Panasonic], a null modem. These are available at any computer parts
store.
• A stereo GPI (general-purpose interface) cable is provided to connect Edit
Suite to your mixer or titler. If you have both a mixer and a titler, you will
need a second GPI cable. This is a standard stereo mini-jack to stereo mini-
jack cable available from most audio or computer parts stores, from your
Videonics dealer, or direct from Videonics.
Edit Suite to Sony LANC (Control-L Submini)
Edit Suite to Sony LANC (Control-L 5-pin)
Edit Suite to Panasonic 5-pin (Control-M)

Edit Suite to RS-232/422 (DB-9)
Edit Suite IR to Infrared Wand (mounted near VCR's IR window)
Edit Suite GPI-M/GPI-T to Mixer/Switcher/Titler GPI
2. Set Up and Test VCRs/Mixer/Titler Without Edit Suite
• Edit Suite will be an add-in to your existing video editing setup, so if you
have a mixer or switcher, set up your equipment (VCRs, camcorders,
titlers and monitors) as described in your mixer/switcher manual.
• If you do not have a mixer, connect the audio and video outputs from
your play VCR/camcorder to the corresponding inputs on your record
VCR (via a titler, if applicable). Connect the audio and video outputs from
the record VCR to the inputs on your monitor. Make sure both the
monitor and the VCR are set to receive audio and video inputs.
• Verify that your sources display, play and record as expected. If you have
any problems, refer to Appendix C, Equipment Hookup.
3. Connect Power to Edit Suite
• Connect the Edit Suite power supply to the POWER input jack (back panel
of Edit Suite) and plug the power supply into a working power outlet.
Edit Suite will turn on, run through its startup routine, and then display
either the New Menu or the Demo messages (shown below).
The Demo is a scrolling list of Edit Suite's features. The list will play over
and over again, so move to Step 4 whenever you are ready.
MX1 A B C D SRC GPI
MIXER SPLT INS STOP
Videonics . . .
Edit Suite
New Menu Demo: Scrolling Feature List
Note: If you have used Edit Suite previously and created any events, either the
Demo or the first event in your list will display.

4. Display the Configuration Menu
Before Edit Suite can control your VCRs, it needs to know the type of VCR
that will be attached to each VCR Control Port, the type of time code (RCTC,
VITC, LTC)—if any—that will be used, and other information that customizes
the way Edit Suite communicates with each VCR. You specify this
information by selecting a VCR port to configure and then entering values in
configuration parameters.
Start by displaying the Configuration Menu—
A. Press to display Setup Menu 1.
LCD CONFIG NEWVCR
IMPORT EXPORT CMX
VCRA VCRB VCRC VCRD
VCRR GPI-M GPI-T
Setup Menu 1 Configuration Menu
B. Press to move the cursor to CONFIG.
C. Press to display the Configuration Menu.
The Configuration Menu is used to select the VCR or GPI ports to
configure and to display the parameters for that port. VCRA is used to
configure Edit Suite's VCR Control Port A, VCRB configures VCR Control
Port B, and so on. VCRR configures the Record VCR, GPI-M configures
the GPI-M port, and GPI-T configures the GPI-T port.

5. Select and Configure the VCR Ports
• If you have a mixer or switcher, Edit Suite's VCRA port must match the
mixer's input A or input 1; VCRB must match the mixer's input B or input
2, and so on. VCRR is for the record VCR.
• If you are not using a mixer/switcher, configure VCRR for your record
VCR and any of the other ports for your source VCR(s).
To configure the ports—
A. Press and
to move the cursor to the VCR port you want to
configure, then—
press
to display the first screen of Configuration Parameters for that
port.
VCRA VCRB VCRC VCRD
VCRR GPI-M GPI-T
PROTO=NONE
VCR=001 PREROLL=05
Configuration Menu Configuration Parameters

B.Use the information below to determine and set the values for the PROTO,
VCR, TCSRC and TC parameters.
PROTO Type of control protocol. Your choice here should match
the type of cable you identified in Step 1. The choices are:
NONE Either this port is not used, or a noncontrollable source—
such as a live camera—is connected to the corresponding
port on your mixer/switcher. In either case, no cable is
attached to this Edit Suite control port and no other
parameters need to be specified for this port.
IR Infrared is used (record VCR only [VCRR]).
LANC Sony LANC (Control-L) protocol is used.
PANA Panasonic 5-pin (Control-M) protocol is used.
232 RS-232 protocol is used.
422 RS-422 protocol is used.
To select a protocol, with the cursor in the PROTO field press
repeatedly to cycle through the list of choices. Stop when
the value you want is displayed.
If RS-232 protocol is selected, choices for baud rate and character
format display. Check the manuals for your VCR to
determine these values. To change values, press the
left/right arrow keys to move the cursor to the field, then
press [CHG] repeatedly until the correct choice is
displayed.
NOTE: If your record VCR uses IR, after configuring all of your play
VCRs, skip to Step 6.

VCR VCR Table Number. The table below lists several of the
VCR numbers available with Edit Suite. Start with a value
from this table. Additional VCR numbers and detailed
descriptions are listed in Appendix A.
PROTO VCR #
LANC 001 for VCRs (121 if RCTC is used*)
002 for Camcorders (122 if RCTC is used*)
007 for CCD-V5000 (124 if RCTC is used*)
012 for Canon (125 if RCTC is used*)
* if RCTC is used, the time code may not be passed to Edit
Suite during Rewind or Fast Forward. If your VCR/
camcorder counter goes blank or skips values during
Rewind or Fast Forward, use these table numbers.
PANA 001 for VCRs and Camcorders
232 001 for Sony; 005 for UVW-1400
003 for Panasonic
004 for JVC
422 001 for VCRs with 1/30th X Play shuttle speed
002 for VCRs with 1/10th X Play shuttle speed
IR Skip to Step 6.
To enter a VCR table number, use the left/right arrow keys to move
to the VCR field, then press [CHG] once. The cursor will
change to a blinking block and the numeric keys on the
keypad are activated. Type the three-digit value from the
table. After the last digit is entered, the blinking cursor
reverts to an underline and the keypad reverts to its non-
numeric functions. If you make a mistake, press [CHG]
again and reenter the number.
No change to the PREROLL value is needed at this time.
To display the next group of parameters, press . One of the
following will display.
TCSRC=INT TC=NONE
TCSRC=INT TC=NONE
INS=0 SPLT=0
VCRA ... VCRD VCRR
TCSRC Time Code Source. Specifies whether time code—if used—
is sent via the Edit Control Cable or via an audio or video
cable attached to Edit Suite's Time Code IN jack.
Choices are INT (internal: sent through the edit control cable) and
EXT (external: sent through an audio or video cable). INT
should be used in all cases except when LTC or VITC time
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