Alright. So I’ve had a gen3 system for about a year now. It’s dope, but I want to do more with it. So, in a blind attempt to run video feeds into the system, I have acquired a Cadet I and III.
I am trying to run a VCR or other video feeds into the Cadet I then pass the feed into Cadet III and monitor through the luma output. Just to test this, I am then running the video into an ESG3 from my gen3 system.
Is what I am doing possible? I feel like I’m missing some steps here.
If you have an ESG3 and a Cadet III, you don’t need the Cadet I. Just connect the RCA output (bottom RCA jack) on the Cadet III to the RCA sync input on the back of the ESG3. You may need to change the format setting on your ESG3 to match the video format you’re inputting to the Cadet III (probably PAL or NTSC, right?) and make sure you set it to take sync input. (You can’t input PAL/NTSC video and have it work with an ESG3 that’s set to an HD format.) On mine, though, I didn’t have to change any settings, since it was all NTSC from the start.
YES! THANK YOU SO MUCH. I feel like a doofus, but I have finally made some progress. You are right. It’s all NTSC. Now my next issue is that I have horizontal scrolling from my video input (the output from an edirol v-4). How do I rectify this?
Horizontal scrolling sounds like the ESG3 isn’t actually syncing to the video input? Are you sure you have the RCA output from the Cadet III plugged into the sync input of the ESG3? Is the cable a working cable? I thought there was a setting to turn sync on or off, but checking the docs just now it doesn’t mention it, so I guess it should autosync as long as you have sync plugged in.
One way to test if the ESG3 is syncing or not, if you’re sure you have the Cadet III’s RCA output plugged into the ESG3’s sync input: While it’s on, unplug that cable from the Cadet III’s RCA output and see if it changes the ESG3’s output at all. If not, then for some reason it’s not getting input from that cable or it’s doing anything with the input.
I have a V4 that scrolls when I power it up. After about 5-10 minutes, if I turn the power off and then on, it stops scrolling. TBH, I find that the glitchyness is a feature.
Alright. I appreciate the input. So I now have the RCA output from the Cadet III running into the sync in on the ESG3. Then I have the V-4 input going into the Cadet III RCA input. I still have the scrolling going on…
As for the cable… Is there some special RCA cable I should be using?
No, no special RCA cable needed, as far as I know. Who built your Cadet? It’s possible there’s an issue with the build that’s preventing that output from working.
If you check the schematic (lzxdocs/static/pdf/cadet-iii-video-input/cadet-iii-video-input-schematics.pdf at master · lzxindustries/lzxdocs · GitHub) the path in question is J3 (in top left) to J4 (middle of page). I’d carefully check all the components involved in that path, including all the resistors around U8.2. If whoever built it is fairly new to soldering, it might be a case of what’s called a “cold joint”, which means the parts that need to be soldered together weren’t properly heated so the solder didn’t bond/flow correctly, resulting in a poor electrical connection or no connection. In cases like that, simply reheating the joint can help.
Heard. I bought my cadet off of Reverb a while ago. Unsure of who built it. The faceplate is white?
As for the soldering issue, that sounds like a simple fix… for someone who is skilled in circuit boards and soldering. Unfortunately ive been exposed as a rookie.
Some people have complained about the quality of the modules built and sold by “Poisoned Modules” on Reverb. Specifically, the wrong components were used in the circuits. You might want to double check.
There’s also the fact that the seller was asked not to produce those modules by LZX, Teletect, Brownshoesonly, and Syntonie.
So, the ESG3 is similar in fuction (but better) to the combination of Cadet 1 and 2. They can either run with an internal clock, or with an external clock. To enable a Cadet or gen3 system to work with external video, they need to be genlocked together.
Some external devices have a genlock input - EG old CCTV cameras often do (I have a bunch of Panasonic WV-CP474 and WV-CP484 cameras). In this case you need the sync OUT from the ESG3 to go to the camera, video out from the camera to the Cadet 3, luma from cadet to your gen3 system.
But most other devices only have video out and you need to synchronise the ESG3 to the video source. Your VCR connects to the top RCA of Cadet 3. Cadet 3 splits the signal into luma (on 3.5mm jack) and sync out on the lower RCA. The most basic cheap RCA cables will be fine, doesn’t need to be a special cable.
If I connect the luma signal to Cadet 2, without connecting sync between Cadet 3 and Cadet 1, then the luma output is not genlocked with the Cadet system and the output will scroll. Based on this, you have the same issue with your Cadet 3/ESG3 setup. ESG3 is not genlocked to your video input. The bottom RCA of Cadet 3 needs to connect to the rear sync input on the ESG3. Cadet 3 cannot strip HD sync signals, so your ESG3 must be set to the same type of sync as your video input, which must be PAL or NTSC only.
Cadet 3 (should) use an LM1881 to strip the sync from your video input. Thing is, LM1881 is an obsolete chip. Poisoned Modules will have had to either have had some chips from an official distributor in stock (not likely). Or they might have bought some from Ebay/Aliexpress/etc. and potentially got some fakes.
I bought some LM1881 chips from Aliexpress to build my 4x Cadet 3s and it worked out fine, but I have had issues with fake opamps so I know fakes happen all the time.
Also, if you want to post a good quality image of the component side of the PCB, I could at least check for you if it looks like the right chips have been used
superior answer. Thanks for taking the time to actually explain all of that. It turns out I know more than I thought! YAY! (I at least understood everything you said.)
So I have tried running the modules all of the ways you said and it did not work.
I’ll open up my rig and take a picture for you this weekend. I appreciate the help!
