This will go fine unless someone asks, “Why?”.
The reason is, I just want to see if it can work… here goes:
I have a Nagra IV-STC currently recording timecode from a Zoom F8n Pro (as master) via a Deity DC-1 system.
There are two cameras also recording timecode quite happily.
What I want to try to do now is sync the Nagra playback with—well, with anything really. If I can get the tape to playback in sync with video playback (in camera, Final Cut, DaVinci) I would consider my experiment a success.
I have also in my cupboard somewhere a Motu Digital Timepiece which can handle timecode conversion if necessary.
I’ve read the Nagra manual but it’s not much help in this regard.
Thanks in advance,
B

If you want to do a ’live’ playback, where all equipment follows and stays in sync I’d have to disappoint you. But maybe I didn’t understand the question. Let me explain:

Timecode can be seen as a signalling system, saying: ‘I’m here’ (in time). And it does so every frame:
I’m here, I’m here, etc. - be it at 25, 30 or different frame rates. Every frame is ‘stamped’ with timecode. Nothing more, nothing less.

Timecode by itself will not control the speed of the material that holds timecode.
To lock devices together, you’ll need something else. With audio equipment, this is called Word Clock. In the video world it is called Genlock.
Only Wordclock & Genlock capable devices can control each other by taking over the internal clock, where it uses samplerate or video signal as a reference.

In your case none of your equipment is capable of handling Genlock or Wordclock, so you can’t sync those devices together to do a synchronised playback.
What you can do however, is transferring all evenly timecode-stamped materials to your video editing software, and have it played in sync, because then one clock (the computer) is responsible for sync.

You could also read this: https://newsandviews.dataton.com/gen...do-i-need-them
And watch this video I posted before made by Ambient, one of the industry leading brands on synchronisation:

Thank you for taking the time to write such an informative reply.
You are one of the people who make the internet worthwhile.
B

To make the IVS-TC behave sync-wise you need the external resolver that Cooper built for it, or the 2-box TC resolver solution that Kudelski made to do the same thing. As was said, just playing the tape back on the Nagra without these external synchronizers will not do what you need, which is to exactly re-create the original time-orientation of the recording. You may still be able to rent those resolvers from rental houses like Trew that specialize in film sound, or you may have to find a private party who will rent them to you. You can transfer the audio off the tape to a computer without using the resolvers, but the transfer playback will introduce errors into the timing of the audio if the recordings are longer than just a few minutes, These errors can be compensated for by various manual and automatic means in various audio and video editing apps.

Thanks Philper,
Have you had any experience with the Motu Digital Timepiece?
I read recently on another forum that with the Motu unit it’s possible to slave a DAW to the timecode on tape.
I haven’t had a chance to attempt it yet (need to find and study the manual), but it was seen as a bit of a do-all in its day in terms of syncing to timecode with various devices.

I used to own and use a DTP, it worked quite well getting various DAWs to follow TC on a VHS or 3/4" video tape. However, we were feeding those decks video sync, so their playback was pretty steady, vs what you are talking about with the Nagra IVS TC playing back "wild" (unlocked). What will you attempt with the DTP? Trying to make the picture playback in an edit app follow the Nagra TC? If you have the Nagra, the DTP and have already gotten the DTP working with whatever apps you are using using other TC sources then it's worth a try I guess. My advice would be to try and get the audio off the 1/4" tape and then work with it as a digital file vs trying to get anything to sync to the Nagra running unlocked. If you have the picture files in Premiere (for instance) and the camera files have sound on them you could use the "Pluraleyes" feature of Premiere (or Pluraleyes itself) to try to sync audio to audio (between the Nagra files and the camera sound). This is commonly done nowadays and works pretty well as long as everything started out running pretty close to the correct speed.

You’re right of course, I’m just in the habit of choosing the path of MOST resistance—I do learn a bit this way, but it is time consuming…
But yes, if I import the digitised Nagra audio into DaVinci I can auto sync to the camera scratch track.
Seeing as the Nagra is recording timecode synced to the cameras anyway, I may even be able to auto sync that way, but plain audio sync works pretty well now, just takes a little longer.
Thanks again Philper

That is very kind. Thanks!