R16 sync with video??

[Guts Knucklebone]

Can the R16 be used like a field recorder, connected with a video camera with a sync track? If so how do you do this? Or can it interface with a Zoom camera like that? I'm considering buying a Zoom Q8, but I'm think 4-tracks is not always enough. So looking for alternatives that don't cost an arm and a leg. Thanks!

[Wulfraed]

You have to explain what you mean by a "sync track"?

Many years ago I ran an experiment using a slew of equipment: H2, HD16, BR-600, Superscope, Canon Optura-40 (or was it back when my -20 was functional), Canon XH-A1 -- in which I started all devices recording, performed a hand-clap (no clapper board <G>), then let them run for about 30 minutes. Performed another hand-clap, and stopped all the recorders.

Imported the camera video and the audio-only tracks into (then Sony) Vegas Pro. Adjusted the tracks so that the initial hand clap was aligned in all tracks. Moved to the 30minute mark and evaluated the ending hand-clap.

The two video cameras were essentially identical. As I recall, the Superscope was next in accuracy, being about 3 frames off. The H2 and HD16 were around 12 frames off -- or nearly half a second over a 30-minute session for 30 frame/sec NTSC video. Some devices were "short" (meaning their clock's ran slow, and they generated fewer samples than proper), others were "long" (faster clock resulted in capturing extra samples).

All would have required some time-stretch/-shrink to properly align the start and end claps to the video. NOTE: this test does NOT validate any clock hysteresis -- that is, if the clock speed was varying up and down during the recording. A varying clock rate would mean audio could be ahead or behind the video at different points in the 30 minute recording.