For the lab's editing schedule, click

Recording a control track onto the File Tape
Recording Bars/Tone & Countdown
Recording Narration onto the Narration Tape
Recording Narration onto the File Tape
Recording B-roll and nat sound
Recording B-roll next to sound bites on the File tape
Wait, there's more!!

Recording a control track onto the File Tape
Recording Bars/Tone & Countdown
Recording B-roll and nat sound
Wait, there's more!!

Editing a Package

Equipment: Player VCR, Recorder VCR, Edit Controller, Audio Mixer, Microphone, and TV monitors
Tapes: Raw tape (the tape you used to get your shots), File tape (4001-4012 or 5001-5006), and the tapes labeled Black, Countdown and Narration.

The following assumes you have turned on the power to the VCRs, the TV monitors and the Audio Mixer.

Recording a control track onto the File Tape:
Insert Black tape into Player VCR.
Insert File tape into Recorder VCR.

The Player and Recorder VCRs may be controlled using either the buttons on the machine itself OR by using the Edit Controller. To use the buttons on the machine, flip the remote/local switch to local. To use the Edit Controller, flip the switch to remote. For lengthy rewinding or fast-forwarding, use the local mode. In all other cases, remote and, therefore, the Edit Controller can be used.

Using the Recorder, find the last story archived on the File tape. Use the index card to find which story was taped last. On the Edit Controller, hit the button "Recorder," then hit play.
At the end of the last story (after it goes to black), turn the knob slightly which puts the tape in the Search mode.

There are four buttons in the upper left corner of the Edit Controller: Assemble, Video, Audio 1, Audio 2. Hit Assemble.
Now simultaneously hit Enter & In. Now your File tape has been set up to record.

On the Edit Controller, hit the button "Player," then hit play. The TV screen on the left should be playing only Black and no sound. If so, turn the knob slightly and put the tape in the Search mode. Now simultaneously hit Enter & In. Now your Black tape is set.

Hit Edit Start on the controller.

Record two minutes of black onto the File Tape. Use the counter on the Recorder VCR to measure the time elapsed. After two minutes of black have been recorded, hit All Stop on the controller. Five seconds later, hit the button Recorder on the controller and then use the knob to rewind the tape to the point where the Assemble edit began. Eject the Black tape from the Player VCR.

Recording Bars/Tone & Countdown:
Turn on both TV monitors.

Put the tape labeled Countdown into the Player VCR, and put the File tape (4001-4012,5001-5006) into the Recorder VCR.

Rewind the Countdown tape to the beginning (Hit Player on the Edit Controller and hit Rewind.) Hit Play. About 15 seconds into the tape the Bars will appear. Also, you will hear a tone.

On the Audio Mixer, turn #3 down to close the mike. Turn knob #1 up to 4-5 and then use the Master knob to set the tones at 100% on the VU meter.

Also, make sure the two Channel 1 knobs and the two Channel 2 knobs on the Recorder VCR are both set at 12 o'clock (straight up).

Now hit the knob on the Edit Controller to activate the Search mode, and then rewind to the beginning of the bars and tone.

On the Edit Controller, press Video and Audio 1 and Audio 2 for insert editing. For recording Black, you used the Assemble mode. For the remainder of your production, you will use the Insert mode to protect the control track.

On the Edit Controller, hit Enter-In simultaneously.

On the Edit Controller, hit the Recorder button. Find the last report to be archived on the File Tape and hit the reset button when you see the last frame of the video. Now let 10 seconds elapse before hitting the Edit Controller's knob, which activates the search mode. At this point, press Enter-In simultaneously.

Press Edit Start. The bars and tone and countdown will record followed by two graphics: "Start Video and 'nat sound' Here" and "Start Narration Here." After you see "Start Narration Here," hit All Stop.

Eject the Countdown tape from the Player VCR.

Recording Narration onto the Narration Tape:
Put the Narration tape in the Recorder VCR (right) and hit reset on the controller.

Put the Black tape in the Playback VCR (left).

Turn off both TVs to prevent feedback.

Place the microphone within four inches of your mouth. Speak to the side of the mike to avoid popping sounds.

Check sound levels. Two knobs on the Audio Mixer are critical. Knob #3 should be turned up to 4-5. Use the Master knob #5 to adjust your peak levels at between 80 and 100 on the VU meter. (This is important: In Room 304, Knob #3 and the Master knob should NEVER exceed 5 when recording narration. Anything higher produces overmodulation.) All other knobs on the Audio Mixer should at this point be turned down.

Also, make sure the two Channel 1 knobs on the Recorder VCR are both set at 12 o'clock (straight up). Turn the two Channel 2 knobs on the Recorder VCR to zero.

Hit Player on the Edit Controller and hit Play (Black will roll). Then hit Recorder on the Edit Controller and hit Play and Record simultaneously.

Say "3-2-1" and then read your copy. Every section of your copy reading should begin with 3-2-1 to help with the editing later.

When finished, hit Player on the Edit Controller and hit Stop. And then hit Recorder on the Edit Controller and hit Stop again.

Rewind the Narration Tape in the Recorder VCR to 00:00 or to the beginning of the copy reading.

Eject both tapes: the Black tape from the Player VCR and the Narration tape from the Recorder VCR.

Recording Narration onto the File Tape:
Put the Narration tape into the Player VCR. The File tape remains in the Recorder VCR.

On the Edit Controller, select Audio 1 ONLY. Make sure Video and Audio 2 are not lit.

Now hit the Recorder button and use the Edit Controller's knob to rewind the tape to the first frame of "Start Narration Here."

On the Edit Controller, press Enter-In simultaneously.

On the Edit Controller, hit the Player button to listen to the narration. Hit Play.

Check your levels. Only Channel 1 will be used to edit the narration and sound bites. On the Audio Mixer, turn down Channel 2. Set Channel 1's knob at 4-5 and use the Master knob to set the peak volume levels at 80-100%.

Also, make sure the two Channel 1 knobs on the Recorder VCR are both set at 12 o'clock (straight up). Turn the two Channel 2 knobs on the Recorder VCR to zero.

Now using the Edit Controller's knob, again find the beginning of the narration (after the 3-2-1 cue) and then press Enter-In simultaneously.

Press Edit Start. After the first segment of the narration has been recorded, hit All Stop. Now find the beginning of the next narration segment on the Narration tape and the last part of the newly recorded segment on the File tape, press Enter-In on both the Player VCR and Recorder VCR, Edit Start and so on. Stop, though, when a Sound Bite needs to be inserted.

Recording Soundbites onto the File Tape:
Remove the Narration tape from the Player VCR and insert the Raw tape. On the Player VCR switch from remote to local and find the first soundbite. The File tape remains in the Recorder VCR.

Check your levels. Only Channel 1 will be used to edit the narration and sound bites. On the Audio Mixer, make sure Channel 2 is turned down. Set Channel 1's knob at 4-5 and use the Master knob to set the peak volume levels at 80-100%.

Also, make sure the two Channel 1 knobs on the Recorder VCR are both set at 12 o'clock (straight up). Turn the two Channel 2 knobs on the Recorder VCR to zero.

Now rewind the tape to the beginning of the sound bite.

Switch back to remote and use the Edit Controller.

On the Edit Controller, press Video (for insert editing) and make sure Audio 1 is still lit.

Hit Player.

Hit Enter-In.

Hit Recorder. Find the point on the File tape where the sound bite should be inserted.

Hit Enter-In.

Hit Edit Start.

When you hear the sound bite's outcue, hit All-Stop.

Now remove the Raw tape and reinsert the Narration tape to add the next segment of narration. Repeat the above process until all of your sound track has been laid. All of the narration and sound bites will be on Channel 1 and the audio levels will roughly match at 80-100% on the VU meter. The only video that's been recorded so far will be the bars, countdown, opening cue graphics, and the sound bites.

Recording B-roll and nat sound:
Put the Raw tape into the Player VCR.

Switch from remote to local.

On the Audio Mixer, turn down Channel 1 and the Master.

Rewind the tape and find the beginning of the footage where your logging of the tape started. Hit reset.

Now using your log, find the first shot of your video package.

When you find the shot, go to its beginning and count off 10 seconds. Thereafter, look for five or six seconds of usable video.
Also, listen to the nat sound. If it's especially loud, you'll have to turn it down using the two knobs for Channel 2 audio on the Recorder VCR. Usually these knobs are set at 12 o'clock.

When you find a good shot after the 10-second mark, hit Search on the Player VCR to stop the tape at the beginning of the shot to be used.

Switch back to remote.

On the Edit Controller, hit Player and then press Video and Audio 2.

Hit Enter-In.

Hit Recorder.

Cue the File tape to one frame before "Start Video and Nat Sound Here."

Hit Enter-In.

Press Edit Start and record 5-6 seconds of B-roll onto the File tape, then press All Stop.

Now use the Edit Controller's knob to rewind the tape to the beginning of the newly inserted video.

Hit reset.

Make sure the graphic "Start Video and Nat Sound Here" has been recorded over and cannot be seen.

At some point, no later than four seconds into a static shot, hit the Edit Controller's knob to stop the tape.

Hit Enter-In.

Hit Player and then find your next shot on the Raw tape and go through the process again.

Recording B-roll next to sound bites on the File tape:
It's important to avoid erasing the video portion of a sound bite when you insert B-roll near the bite. This can be accomplished by using the Enter-Out buttons on the Edit Controller. Use the technique described below when you are within 3-6 seconds of your sound bite.

On the edit controller, press Video and Audio 2.

Cue the File tape (Recorder, Enter-In) at the end of the B-roll that's already been recorded.

Now cue the File tape one or two frames after the sound bite begins. Hit Enter & Out simultaneously. This will cause the VCR to stop recording where you marked Out.

To check and make sure the edit will work as planned, hit Preview on the Edit Controller. If all looks well, press Edit Start.

There's no need to press All Stop when the editing is complete, because the VCRs will stop automatically.

After the edit has been recorded, hit Recorder and fast forward to the end of the sound bite.

Keep inserting shots until the narration ends and then hold the last shot of the package for a few extra seconds as buffer for the technical crew, OR if the last shot is a standup, add another shot at the end and hold it for a few seconds.

Editing a Voice Over

Recording a control track onto the File Tape:
Insert Black tape into Player VCR.
Insert File tape into Recorder VCR.

Hit Edit Start on the controller.

Record one minute of black onto the File Tape. Use the counter on the Recorder VCR to measure the time elapsed. After two minutes of black have been recorded, hit All Stop on the controller. Five seconds later, hit the button Recorder on the controller and then use the knob to rewind the tape to the point where the Assemble edit began.

Recording Bars/Tone & Countdown:
Put the tape labeled Countdown into the Player VCR.

Rewind the Countdown tape to the beginning (Hit Player on the Edit Controller and hit Rewind.) Hit Play. About 15 seconds into the tape the Bars will appear. Also, you will hear a tone.

On the Audio Mixer, turn #3 down to close the mike. Turn the knobs #1 and #2 up to 4-5 and then use the Master knob to set the tones at 100% on the VU meter.

Now hit the knob on the Edit Controller to activate the Search mode, and then rewind to the beginning of the bars and tone.

On the Edit Controller, hit Enter-In simultaneously.

Eject the Countdown tape from the Player VCR.

Recording B-roll and nat sound:
Put the Raw tape into the Player VCR.

Switch from remote to local.

On the Audio Mixer, turn down Channel 1 and the Master.

Rewind the tape and find the beginning of the footage where your logging of the tape started. Hit reset.

Now using your log, find the first shot of your voice over.

When you find a good shot after the 10-second mark, hit Search on the Player VCR to stop the tape at the beginning of the shot to be used.

Switch back to remote.

On the Edit Controller, hit Player and then press Video and Audio 2.

Hit Enter-In.

Hit Recorder.

Cue the File tape to one frame before "Start Video and Nat Sound Here."

Hit Enter-In.

Press Edit Start and record 5-6 seconds of B-roll onto the File tape, then press All Stop.

Now use the Edit Controller's knob to rewind the tape to the beginning of the newly inserted video.

Hit reset.

Make sure the graphic "Start Video and Nat Sound Here" has been recorded over and cannot be seen.

At some point, no later than four seconds into a static shot, hit the Edit Controller's knob to stop the tape.

Hit Enter-In.

Hit Player and then find your next shot on the Raw tape and go through the process again.

Wait, there's more!!

Be sure to do the paperwork.
a) update the adhesive label that goes on cart case
b) update the index card that goes in the cart case
c) prepare a pink sheet with c.g. (character generator) information on it.
d) write two versions of the script (teleprompter in .txt and 4 hard copies in .doc)

Submit the finished File tape (in its case) to one of the teaching assistants or the instructor.
Put the Countdown, Black and Narration tapes back into their cases.
Turn off all of the machines (except the Audio Mixer in Room 304) and the lights.
Lock the door.