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Camera
First of all, in order to record AatonCode on film, you'll need to have access to a 16 or 35mm camera that is equipped with the AatonCode feature. This
feature is made up of two main components: Aaton timecode electronics (either
built into the camera base or, in some cases, in the form of a device called
AatonCoder) and a fiber optic / LED bundle assembly installed in the camera
gate. Here is a list of AatonCode capable cameras:
* Many early problems encountered in shooting AatonCode were technically solved in the XTRplus cameras. These improvements also became available as upgrades for XTRs. Before beginning a shoot with an early XTR, It is advisable to check that necessary upgrades have been done. Check with your local Aaton service agent to be sure that your specific XTR is equipped with a modern red LED fiber optic bundle and that the timecode software release has been updated to version MX3.6 or better. Green LEDs or a software release less than 3.0 should be scheduled for upgrade with an Aaton agent (allow several weeks).
** Some late 54LTR cameras were made with a rudimentary in-camera time code system which printed man-readable numbers on the edge of the film; this technology is incompatible with modern timecode devices and is no longer supported by Aaton or their agents.
The timecode electronics of Aaton cameras and AatonCoder incorporate a programmable read-only memory chip (PROM). This contains much of the software for the system and can easily be changed as improvements are made. It is recommended that the latest software release is utilized in order to take advantage of any improvements or modifications in the system. Here is a list of the current software versions for AatonCode cameras.
1 - XTRprod and Aaton 35Ill display the software version briefly at power up or after a momentary power disconnection.
2 - Older cameras must be opened to read the release number of the prom chip found in the electronic base of the camera. This operation can be performed by an Aaton certified service facility at which time a simple software upgrade can usually be done if necessary.
3 - The Aatoncoder program version can be observed by ??????
Audio Recorder
Under normal circumstances, the audio recorder you use will need to be a
timecode capable device. Any of the following 1/4" or DAT SMPTE timecode audio
recorders would be a good choice:
These recorders, as well as the other timecode devices on set, will ideally use a Lemo 5 pin 0B size connector for timecode interface, which has become a de-facto standard for film camera timecode. All Aaton products, the Nagra IVS-TC and late model HHB PortaDATs, as well as timecode equipment manufactured by Ambient Recording have adopted the Lemo5 interface. Other audio recorders such as the Fostex PD-4 do not provide a Lemo5 connection and must be adapted from three pin XLR audio connectors to Lemo5.
Since it is customary for Timecode In and Timecode Out to reside in two different XLR connectors, it may be necessary to use a Y-cable in some instances.
Communication
Both camera and audio recorder will need to be initialized with the same
timecode. Generally speaking, this can be carried out in two ways, depending on
the equipment used:
OriginCplus - Aaton's masterclock and timecode comparator is the recommended and most surefire means of timecode initialization. OriginCplus (OC+) is responsible for the initialization of all cameras and recorders on set at the beginning of the shoot day and, during the day, remains on and acts as a timecode drift comparator between these devices. OC+ can even act as a highly accurate SMPTE generator to drive less accurate audio devices.
L5 / L5 Cable - Technically speaking, this simple cable is all that is needed to sync camera to audio recorder. In this case, time-of-day timecode is generated first in the audio recorder and then jam-synced into the camera via the L5 / L5 cable. Using this method, however, provides no means whatsoever of monitoring the timecode drift between each individual device on set. Therefore, it is recommended to re-jam your camera(s) every two hours or so.
Furthermore, this method of initialization has no means of checking if the date order of your recorder is set to the Aaton-compatible Day / Month / Year. For a deeper explanation of the relevance of the date, see the section entitled, "Date Integrity - How Important is it Really?".
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Transfer Facility
In order to take advantage of the AatonCode that you have recorded on your
negative, you will need to have your film/tape transfer performed on a telecine
equipped with an Aaton Keylink system. Keylink's job is to read and correlate
AatonCode, keycode, video (house) timecode and other vital information recorded
in the field or input by the colorist during the transfer session. Keylink can
provide this info to you in many ways, including burn-in windows, recorded in
VITC and/or in database form.
Nowadays, most reputable transfer houses offer this service. Click here for a "list of Keylink facilities in the US".
If you want to take advantage of the InstaSync on-the-fly syncing option, which allows for syncing with no preroll, your chosen Keylink facility will need to also carry the InDaw digital audio sync station. Click here for a "list of InDaw facilities in the US".
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