You guys always answer all of my questions so wonderfully. I am so grateful to this forum and it’s super generous and friendly members.
I was wondering if you guys could help me with what is probably a simple task but conceptually elusive to me. I have Cadet I and Cadet III and would like to take the camera input into Cadet III and sync its framerate with the video input in the Vidiot so I can cross fade them in Pendulum. Right now the master sync is presumably the Vidiotbecause it’s video input is stable while the Cadet video input scrolls left to right very fast. How would I sync the Cadet with the Vidiot?
Again, I am super grateful for all your help. Video synthesis is one of the most rewarding hobbies I’ve discovered.
Usually when you want to bring an external video source like a camera into your video synthesizer, that external video source is actually the source that everything else has to sync to. There are some cameras with a “genlock input” meaning that they can sync to something else, but more often than not cameras only have an analog output, so using the camera as your sync source is your only option.
Connecting sync on all your equipment is almost always a bit of a trial-and-error, but here is an approach that has worked for me in the past.
Camera → Cadet I sync input
Cadet I sync output → Cadet III video input
Cadet III video output → Vidiot camera input
This way the Cadet I can lock to the camera feed, but it gets passed along to the Vidiot, passing through the Cadet III, so the Vidiot can also lock to the same feed.
Hypothetically I think it ought to be possible to take the camera into the Vidiot first and then sync the Cadet I to one of the Vidiot’s outputs, but I don’t think I’ve ever managed to get this to work with my Vidiot and Cadet modules. Maybe with the loop thru jack / switch on the Vidiot but I think I’ve tried that too.
Thanks so much! I guess the easiest solution will be the TB2 thingy when it comes out. I really want to use Pendulum with two luma sources. Do you know the names of any cameras that have genlock? I imagine they’re pricey. I really appreciate your help.
The cheapest solution is probably used security cameras.
I have a couple Panasonic WV-BL200s. These are b&w, have a mains power connection already built-in, and have genlock capability. Pricing varies wildly but you can find them as cheap as ~$10-20 apiece if you’re patient, even sometimes with lenses (which tend to actually be the expensive thing). But you can also source cheap manual c-mount lenses new via Amazon and elsewhere, if they don’t come with a decent lens.
Second the suggestion of analog CCTV cameras - make sure you check the pics to ensure they have a lens, and that there is a Genlock/Sync socket on the back.
If you can only see one socket, for output only, it’s unlikely it’ll use genlock (those models will sync to the AC power instead, another layer of complexity we don’t need).
And if you find a buyer that has a few, consider purchasing one to test then maybe a few more… synced cameras can be used as a signal in to any input on an LZX system, ie a CV control or whatever - it doesn’t need to just go in to a video input
