Subject: Re: Sound Question
  From: [email protected] (Super8mm) 
  Date: 1999/04/09 
  Newsgroups: alt.movies.cinematography.super8 
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April 9, 1999 

  Hi, 

You posted to the Super 8 newsgroup:
>Is it possible to fool a sound camera into thinking that it has a sound cartridge in it, so
that sound monitoring is possible.

---> Yes it most certainly is! All you have to do it use some strong tape and tape over the
sound cartridge activation button which is usually located to the left of the soundhead stage in
the film chamber. Sometimes though, tape will work itself loose, so you can always take a small
piece of hard plastic or wood and tape that over the button. Or you can tape down a piece of
material that is equal in high to the thickness of a film cartridge, and that way the cartridge
film chamber door will help hold it firmly in position.

---> Fooling the camera can be beneficial in several ways: (1). For purposes of running the
camera accurately at speed. Many sound cameras default and operate at anywhere from 16fps to 20
frames per second if there isn't a sound cartridge present. Some will operate at 20fps, without
a sound cartridge. Why? It might be because it was thought that silent films when converted to
video would be better matched at the 20fps which is the standard if using a 3 bladed projector
shutter when transferring to video (for NTSC standard), or it's part of the camera design, since
once the capstan isn't putting the drive system under load, the system tends to run a bit
faster. This is more evident in sound cameras that didn't use a separate capstan motor.

(2). For doing sound checks for camera noise, subject sound level checks, microphone impedence
variations, monitoring for audio delay variations if using more than one microphone in the
single-system sound setup (many cameras allow more than one audio input via a microphone, often
up to two mics if necessary and another aux input as well).

(3). For attempting some special camera effects since a few cameras made would only do dissolves
or superimpositions with sound cartridges. Although here you'd have to check the reason
why.....since some such as the Beaulieu 3008S or 5008S cameras, film rewind is possible ONLY
with sound cartridges, since the camera has no de-clutch button or mechanism to create film
slack. The silent cartridges have to be used with a declutching mechanism owing to the design of
their internal rachet mechanism. The sound cartridge's rachet mechanism is different and will
allow film rewind with some minimal reverse tension. Note: this can also be done with silent
cartridges if you are willing to break the builtin rachet by turning the film core
counterclockwise for one turn to bend the internal rachet. Only one turn or a half of a turn is
necessary since you don't want to break it off only bend it. Then the silent cartridge will
behave in a similar fashion to the sound cartridge for purposes of film rewinding for lap
dissolves and/or superimpositions.

(4). For operating a given camera in any of of its given features that are intended to work only
with a sound cartridge present for whatever reasons the manufacturer chose.

---> Hope this helps. Best wishes, Martin W. Baumgarten

Subject: Re: Sound Question 
Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 20:14:17 -0700 
From: Clive Tobin [email protected]
Newsgroup: alt.movies.cinematography.super8 

Krusty wrote: 
Is it possible to fool a sound camera into thinking that it has a sound
cartridge in it, so that sound monitoring is possible. 

Yes. I haven't owned a super-8 sound camera in years, but as I recall 
there is a little pushbutton switch on the plate that has the takeup 
drive. It is positioned so that a sound cartridge will push it but a 
silent cartridge won't. 

It would be a good idea to test this before filming anything important, 
as the switch not only turns on the recording amplifier but may also set 
the mechanism so it free-runs at 20 FPS instead of 18; normally another 
little sensor will detect the size of the loop between the film gate and 
the capstan and control the rate through the film gate, so it equals the 
18 FPS being pulled by the capstan. With no capstan pulling the film, 
you might end up filming at 20 FPS. Actually this wouldn't be all bad if 
you plan to transfer the film to video; 20 FPS with a 3-blade shutter 
will give a flickerless video transfer using a variable speed projector. 
You could conceivably get other camera problems also, however. 

Clive Tobin 

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