Sound Striped Film

[johnnhud]

A client recently gave me some sound striped film to transfer and I have a few questions.

1. Is there any way to record the sound off sound striped film without a sound projector?

2. Would 20+ year old audio really come through that clearly?

3. Do I need to be extra careful when cleaning this film?

[ccortez]

A client recently gave me some sound striped film to transfer and I have a few questions.

1. Is there any way to record the sound off sound striped film without a sound projector?

2. Would 20+ year old audio really come through that clearly?

3. Do I need to be extra careful when cleaning this film?

I don't know about Super 8. I guess in 16mm you could use a squawk box and do it separately w/a magnasync or something. I've never done that and I don't think I've ever seen an S8 one of those. Maybe as part of a S8 Steenbeck or Movieola?

I use an Eiki SSL-0L sound projector for 16mm. It has 1/4" line out in addition to a good speaker and excellent volume and tone controls. We've been watching a bunch of stuff from the 50s and 60s that sounds (and looks) fantastic. The line out is just fine for basic recording of the audio track and syncing with the image in FCP or whatever.

[jaxshooter]

A client recently gave me some sound striped film to transfer and I have a few questions.

1. Is there any way to record the sound off sound striped film without a sound projector?

2. Would 20+ year old audio really come through that clearly?

3. Do I need to be extra careful when cleaning this film?

1:The only piece of equipment that I know of that would give you a decent playback,at speed,with decent quality besides a good sound projector would be a Goko sound editor.Don't know,though,whether or not there's a line out jack in it.

2:It should.As long as the stripe has not been damaged or been near a magnet.

3:Any commercial film cleaner should be safe.

[super8man]

In my experience, the sound stripe often is better than the film image at times. At least on store bought movies. Home movies, the sound is also pristine (well, you get my idea).

Just cause it's old, doesn't mean its not any good. Well, except for old people though! lol.

(PS - I think you get my sarcasm...)

[johnnhud]

In my experience, the sound stripe often is better than the film image at times.

I guess I'm just thinking about the old tapes I had back when I was a kid. I still have a few and the sound quality is quite horrible. This could be because I must have listened to them 1000+ times though.

[Mitch Perkins]

A client recently gave me some sound striped film to transfer and I have a few questions.

1. Is there any way to record the sound off sound striped film without a sound projector?

2. Would 20+ year old audio really come through that clearly?

3. Do I need to be extra careful when cleaning this film?

1. One of them S8 mag recorders [good luck finding one], rig something up yerself...shouldn't be too hard. Sync'll be a bitch.
Best to get a sound projector if you're doing this a lot...can't remember if you're a professional, damnit! One thing about using a sound projector for telecine is it's more likely to run at consistent speed [flywheel], for obvious reasons.

2. It's not so much the quality of the stripe itself, but rather the quality of sound recorded onto it; mostly we hear wind and distorted yelling. Kinda like what you hear on tape-captured home movies...

3. Clean as per usual.

HTH

Mitch

[jaxshooter]

1. One of them S8 mag recorders [good luck finding one], rig something up yerself...shouldn't be too hard. Sync'll be a bitch.
Best to get a sound projector if you're doing this a lot...can't remember if you're a professional, damnit! One thing about using a sound projector for telecine is it's more likely to run at consistent speed [flywheel], for obvious reasons.

I have an old Super 8 Sound Recorder I.The power supply is shot on it.I picked up the Sony reel to reel it was based on and had the idea of yanking out the power supply and putting it in the S8R I,but I have yet to finish it.It's sitting under my bed now in pieces collecting dust.Thinking about just pitching it unless someone wants it.

[johnnhud]

Sync'll be a bitch.
Best to get a sound projector if you're doing this a lot...can't remember if you're a professional, damnit!

Mitch

I use a workprinter xp to transfer, so I wonder if recording the sound off a sound projector will be a pain to sync in FCP. I think that it has some speed up slow down filters for audio, so it'll be interesting to see. I guess I'm gonna have to buy a sound projector.

Of course I'm a Pro! Just look at me! Everything about me screams "Professionalism"

Thinking about just pitching it unless someone wants it.

I would say yes, but my skill with fixing electronics is mighty low. I have several of the same types of stuff collecting dust, waiting for me to become inspired to fix it. I think I'm probably best off to get the sound projector

[Mitch Perkins]

Sync'll be a bitch.
Best to get a sound projector if you're doing this a lot...can't remember if you're a professional, damnit!

Mitch

I use a workprinter xp to transfer, so I wonder if recording the sound off a sound projector will be a pain to sync in FCP.

Let's just call it a labour of love. OTOH, you could very well get lucky and have the whole thing just sync right up; happened to me with a continuous 3-minute take for a music video. Maybe you could do 'em all one roll at a time...

I think that it has some speed up slow down filters for audio, so it'll be interesting to see. I guess I'm gonna have to buy a sound projector.

While you're at it, why not throw the sound projector up on the chain and see what you think. If you get an Elmo, they have speed pots in the back to get you to 20fps - with no film, eyeball the flicker out, add diffusion behind gate, and use the same kind of lamp as with WP. Then you just need to slow the whole file [sound & pic pre-sunk] down 10%. In fact you may not need to slow it at all; even the sound cams ran quicker than 18fps sometimes.

Of course I'm a Pro! Just look at me! Everything about me screams "Professionalism"

My bad, sir - I must have had squirrels on the brain.
I caught two of the young 'uns with the old box+stick+string trick [peanut butter as bait], and drove them all the way across town to a park near my folks place. They can track back 10 miles, you know...
My heart was breaking as I drove away; we had given them the room with the torn up floorboards for a week to scamper about in, and the boldest would run right up to me when I entered - I was in love. Devilishly cute little things, but they had to go...no sign since of the mother and remaining youngster. I don't think they like living in a house where family members just up and disappear...

Mitch

[Ericus]

I use a workprinter xp to transfer, so I wonder if recording the sound off a sound projector will be a pain to sync in FCP. I think that it has some speed up slow down filters for audio, so it'll be interesting to see. I guess I'm gonna have to buy a sound projector.

I use WP XP to transfer sound films with Pedro´s sync box P1008GS-U and Elmo GS 1200. Everytime in perfect sync 8)

He has sync boxes to Bauer projectors also.

Check http://www.super8sync.com/English/P1008GS.html

Ericus

[johnnhud]

I just bid on a Eumig sound projector on Ebay. The bozo had it listed as "NO RESERVE" but after final bidding it says "Reserve not met." This type of stuff pisses me off.

Which type of sound projector do you prefer and why? I have heard that the Eumig and the Elmo are both good. But which is better?

[Mitch Perkins]

I just bid on a Eumig sound projector on Ebay. The bozo had it listed as "NO RESERVE" but after final bidding it says "Reserve not met." This type of stuff pisses me off.

Which type of sound projector do you prefer and why? I have heard that the Eumig and the Elmo are both good. But which is better?

The GS1200 has lots of room in the lamp area to put a lower-watt telecine lamp, but they're not cheap projectors. They also do optical sound, should you ever have the need .
As I say, the Elmos have speed pots to get you to 20fps, and then an exterior speed control for fine-tuning. This is of course only an advantage if you're going to put it on the chain.
I don't understand what Ericus is doing. Is he using two projectors? Is the GS1200 playing back one frame of sound at a time? That would be odd...

Mitch

[Ericus]

I don't understand what Ericus is doing. Is he using two projectors? Is the GS1200 playing back one frame of sound at a time? That would be odd...

Mitch

I just transfer the film with WP, then transfer the sound with Elmo+sync box. Usually (here in Finland, at least) the sound films are/were shot with 24 fps, then it is easy to just use the sync box (with 24 fps) and Elmo to transfer the sound to your computer. Then the film and sound is "joined" together in an editing software. Easy. And it works, everytime.
If the film is shot 18 fps, you have to do some fixing with the film speed, but it works great also!
As we live in a PAL area, so the 24 fps/25 fps is not a problem.

Ericus

[Mitch Perkins]

I don't understand what Ericus is doing. Is he using two projectors? Is the GS1200 playing back one frame of sound at a time? That would be odd...

Mitch

I just transfer the film with WP, then transfer the sound with Elmo+sync box. Usually (here in Finland, at least) the sound films are/were shot with 24 fps, then it is easy to just use the sync box (with 24 fps) and Elmo to transfer the sound to your computer. Then the film and sound is "joined" together in an editing software. Easy. And it works, everytime.
If the film is shot 18 fps, you have to do some fixing with the film speed, but it works great also!
As we live in a PAL area, so the 24 fps/25 fps is not a problem.

Ericus

Thanks for clarifying, Ericus.

Mitch

[BonnutFilmStudio]

In my experience, the sound stripe often is better than the film image at times. At least on store bought movies. Home movies, the sound is also pristine (well, you get my idea).

Just cause it's old, doesn't mean its not any good. Well, except for old people though! lol.

(PS - I think you get my sarcasm...)

I've noticed that too. I've got some old film with mag stripes commercial and non commercial. I've even got some film shot GAF's stock. The image is god aweful but the sound is great!