HOW TO

Daniel and Donald Berube

How To: Tapeless Capturing with FireStore FS-4 and Final Cut Pro

Streamline your edit workflow by capturing to hard disk as you shoot with the FireStore FS-4 DTE Recorder. Save time and money by outputting faster and more efficiently.

DTE Technology in the Field

DTE (or "Direct To Edit") Technology means that the FireStore FS-4 Disk Recorder captures DV footage in most any native NLE file format you may need to fast "edit-ready" 5400 rpm hard disks. Here’s how the FireStore DTE process works with Final Cut Pro when working with DV footage shot with a standard DV camcorder.

Gear List:

- Focus Enhancements FireStore FS-4 DTE Recorder (http://www.firestore.com)

- Canon XL2 Digital Camcorder (http://www.canondv.com)

- G4 or G5 Mac running Final Cut Pro HD on Mac OS X (http://www.apple.com)

- 6pin-to-4pin FireWire cable, 6pin-to-6pin FireWire cable

 

 
Connect the FireStore FS-4 to your DV camcorder 

(INSERT IMAGE “img_001.psd”; Image Tag: FS-4 mounted to Canon XL2)

In this example, we’ll use a Canon XL2. Simply mount the FireStore FS-4 onto the metal backplate of the Canon XL2. Connect a FireWire DV cable from the DV In/Out port of the XL2 to the DV I/O port of the FS-4.

Set the Record Format on the FireStore FS-4 

(INSERT IMAGE “img_002.psd”; Image Tag: FS-4 "DV FORMATS" set to "QUICKTIME 24P")

Power ON the FS-4. With the front navigation keypad, navigate to the “HDD MODE” menu and select “DV RECORDER.” Next, navigate to the “DV FORMATS” menu. Select the DTE Record Format according to which NLE software you will be editing with.  With the Canon XL2 set to 24P WideScreen 16:9, select “QUICKTIME 24P” for editing the DTE clips with Final Cut Pro HD. Make sure to properly set up the Date and Time within the FS-4 "Setup" menu. This will ensure that the FireStore’s DTE capture files are named properly according to the actual time and date of your shoot.

Activate “DV Control” on your DV Camcorder. 

With the Canon XL2, simply scroll to the XL2 “System” page to “DV Control”, select “ON”. Tape is now optional because we’re connected to FireStore.

Choose between TAPELESS, SYNCRO SLAVE or LOCAL Control Modes 

(INSERT IMAGE “img_003.psd”; Image Tag: FS-4 "CONTROL MODE" set to "TAPELESS")

Navigate to the “CONTROL” page. Select “TAPELESS” to capture DV footage without using tape. You can capture up to 3 hours of DV (or HDV footage with the FS-4 HD upgrade option and an appropriate HDV camcorder) with the FS-4 40GB version, or just over 6 hours with the optional FS-4 80GB version.  For added recording confidence, shoot to both Tape and FireStore at the same time using “SYNCRO SLAVE” Control Mode. In either Tapeless or Syncro Slave Mode, the FS-4 is controlled by the REC Start/ Stop trigger of the attached DV camcorder via the FireWire DV I/O port. Your DV capture files will be a mirror image of what is being generated in-camera to tape. Even if your DV camcorder runs out of tape, the FS-4 will continue recording until you decide to press the Stop button. If you would like to directly control recording via the front FS-4 keypad, select “LOCAL” Control Mode.

(INSERT IMAGE “img_004.psd”; Image Tag: FS-4 "MAIN MENU" showing Recording in Progress)

Once you hit the REC Start trigger on the camcorder, you'll notice "REC" on the FS-4 display along with the clip number and time counter. Knowing that the FS-4 is capturing the same identical time code that is being recorded to tape via your DV camcorder only adds to the equation of Confidence Recording.

Activate Retro Cache for Additional Confidence Recording

Using the front navigation keypad, navigate to the RECORD menu and select “RETRO CACHE.” This activates a six second memory buffer that means that FireStore is always recording. Every time you press the REC Start/ Stop trigger, the FS-4 will append a full six seconds of “pre-roll” to the beginning of every shot. This provides an excellent backup in the event that you are a little late with the Record Trigger to record those magic moments. The optional FS-4 PRO version offers 10 seconds of RETRO CACHE as well as a RETRO DISK feature that allows you to extend the Retro Record time based on the remaining available space on the hard disk.

Connect the FS-4 to your Computer

The FS-4 hard disk is formatted as FAT-32 automatically by the FS-4 OS to be directly compatible with Mac OS X (or either Windows 2000 or Windows XP if you decide to edit in your favorite PC NLE with your preferred file format). With Final Cut Pro, connect the FS-4 COMPUTER I/O port to the FireWire 400 DV I/O port on your Mac with a 6pin-to-6pin firewire cable (6pin-to-4pin for most Windows PC's). On the FS-4, navigate to the “HDD MODE” page, select “DD DRIVE”, then select “ENABLE.” Once the FS-4 is connected to your Mac in "DD DRIVE" Mode, it will mount to the desktop and show up as a regular hard drive. Any DTE clips created with the FireStore will be immediately available. Now, it’s time to start cutting in Final Cut Pro.

 

 
Set your FCP HD Sequence settings  

Launch Final Cut Pro, create a new project, and open the Audio/Video Settings window under the FCP Studio pull-down menu (keystroke: Option/Command Q).

(INSERT IMAGE “img_005.psd’; Image tag: Sequence Presets Window)

For 24P WideScreen 16:9, click on the “Sequence Presets” tab and select “DV NTSC 48 kHz – 23.98” as the project’s sequence setting. The Sequence Settings Summary confirms the editing timebase is 23.98 fps, but there is one more setting to check before closing the Audio/Video Settings window. Click on the “Edit” button at the bottom to enter the Sequence Preset Editor window.

(INSERT IMAGE “img_006.psd’; Image tag: Sequence Preset Editor Settings)

Click on the “Anamorphic 16:9” button to turn it on. Now the sequence settings are properly set for editing 16:9 24P digital video.

 
Direct To Edit With FireStore FS-4. No File Transfer or Re-rendering  

You can immediately import DTE clips into Final Cut Pro directly from the FS-4 disk drive and begin cutting. No file transfer, file conversion or rendering is required. Save the FCP project and you’re ready to edit! Since you’ll most likely be back in the field to shoot more footage with your FS-4 later on, copy your DTE capture files from the FS-4 to your designated FCP Capture Scratch project folder as you normally would in capturing any media. Once you have backed up your DTE capture files you can then re-format the FS-4 disk drive with the easy Format Disk utility built in to the FS-4 and your FS-4 will be ready to capture more footage. Rinse and repeat. That’s DTE!

 

Daniel and Donald Berube are founders of noisybrain. Productions, LLC, a collaborative of established filmmakers who share the vision of creating compelling storytelling using the new tools for digital cinema. Both are world-traveled with over two decades of production and editing credits on public and network television. Daniel is an Apple Certified Trainer, founder of the Boston Final Cut Pro User Group (www.bosfcpug.org) and Co-Leader of the Final Cut Pro User Group Network. Donald is a Director Of Photography skilled in various SD and HD acquisition formats and is crafting a series of modules on the story of Formatt Filters UK. Together, Daniel and Donald are presently collaborating with wildlife filmmaker Art Smith on a documentary about changes taking place within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Daniel and Donald can be contacted at info@noisybrain.com.