Tape edit timing

• Set the source deck as a Player.
• On the Player find a suitable scene change or cut point, do not use a camera flash or a dissolve as this will only lead to confusion.
• Mark, as an in point on the Player, the last frame of the scene prior to this point. This will make it easy to check the timing.
• Make sure that the Recorder is locally set to 2 field CF lock .
• Set the vtr's timecode mode is set to internal regen.
• On the Recorder, mark an in point on a piece of tape where you will be able to clearly identify the start of the edit, colour bars or black are always a good example to use.
• Set the record deck as a Recorder and set it to Assemble edit mode.
• Hit PERFORM to start the edit, do not worry about setting an OUT point, just hit STOP when a few frames have been recorded.
• Now rewind the record deck back to the start of the edit and make sure that there is only 1 frame of the scene prior to the cut point recorded onto the tape.

If there is more than 1 frame of the scene prior to the cut point then you need to increase the Room delay value by the appropriate amount. For example, if there are 3 frames of the previous scene recorded onto the tape, you need to increase the Room delay by 4 because you have 2 frames too many which equals 4 fields.

If the last frame of the scene prior to the cut has not been recorded, then you need to reduce the Room delay. It may be difficult to determine how many frames are missing, but decide how many you are out by, for example, if you think that you are 2 frames out, reduce the Room delay value by 4.

The Room delay value should always be an even number, as all equipment in the video path will delay the signal by a whole number of frames.

Now repeat the edit again at a different in point on the record deck and check the edit and adjust until timing is correct.

During normal editing, the In point is the first frame of the scene.