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-   -   Stripping Mini DV tapes, Is it recommended? (https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/long-black-line/103535-stripping-mini-dv-tapes-recommended.html)

Jeff Mayne September 13th, 2007 08:19 PM

Stripping Mini DV tapes, Is it recommended?
 
I read in my editing book for Premiere Pro that you should strip the tape before you record on it. Stripping is the process of putting in a tape, recording all the way through it with the lens cap on and the mics off and then rewinding it and start recording from the beginning. Has any one done this and do you recomend it? I know it's gotta be hard on the heads, but if the book tells you to do it!!!
Jeff

Don Bloom September 13th, 2007 08:25 PM

I used to do that many years ago in the age of VHS, S-VHS and Beta but haven't done it since I switched to mini about 1996 with my then new and expensive VX1000 (state of the art at that time)-tapes were really costly as well.
I digress ;-()

Stripping really isn't necessary anymore so don't waste your time or put the extra wear and tear on your camera.


Don

Jeff Mayne September 13th, 2007 08:31 PM

Don, is there secrets to the time line in post then? I guess I am not quite sure what stripping does, the book just recommended it for time line purposes. I can get the book and see if I can get more info... Ok, it says "strip your tape with a full recording pass so that there is a continous run of timecode and data on your tape from beginning to end."

Ronny Hofsoy September 13th, 2007 08:32 PM

I used to do this on my Hi8 camcorder some 10 years back. Nowdays i just shoot HDV using the best tape around, without (almost) any problem. I guess the reason for doing this is to avoid drift caused by frequent starting/stopping the recording without pre striping the tape. That's my best guess.

Another thing. Be careful to use cleaning tapes, and stay within the brand. I have 'more often' experienced problems using one brand tape on another brand camera.

I guess the different brands use different 'lubricants' on the tape, so using anoter brand of tape will cause the head to maybe pick up more/less residues. But this has no scientific backing, it just feel that way.

If that makes any sense...

Ronny Hofsoy September 13th, 2007 08:35 PM

Yes, you are correct.

The striping was used to have a coherent timecode throughout the full length of the tape as well. Today, that is of no importance, it would in fact make it inferior to what we are used to today.

Don Bloom September 13th, 2007 08:39 PM

Not sure it's necessarily be inferior but it surely is hardly needed in todays world of NLE generated TC and if you run REGEN in your camera you shouldn't have any problem at all.
Acutally different tapes do have different lubes and it does seem to have some science behind it but regardless, you are right. Choose 1 brand and stick with it. Use that brand cleaning tape if you NEED to and ONLY if you need to and then sparingly and again don't keep switching tape brands or even line within a brand. Stick with one!
Don

Jeff Mayne September 13th, 2007 08:43 PM

Don, what is REGEN?

Don Bloom September 13th, 2007 08:46 PM

Regenerated TimeCode. Every time you put a new tape in the camera it picks up at zero. That way each tape starts at Zero and ends where ever the tapes ends. For me it's the simplest method of tracking timecode.
Don

Jeff Mayne September 13th, 2007 08:50 PM

How do I make sure my camera is set to REGEN? Canon XL1s?

Don Bloom September 13th, 2007 08:53 PM

There should be a switch somewhere on the camera,never used 1 or had one so I can't say exactly but I know on all of my Sonys and JVCs there's a switch to go from freerun to Regen.
check the manual or the control side of the camera -should be there.

Don

Ronny Hofsoy September 13th, 2007 09:17 PM

Don, I agree.

Inferior was definitely not the correct word. What I meant was that nowdays I am getting very comfortable by using the TC that show the actual time the clip was made and using that info to spread clips on the timeline based on their time in the real life at least when shooting multicam without sync.

I feel that striping of tapes are often beeing offered as a solution to avoid drop outs. I think the DV format overwrites what was previosly on tape, making striping totally unnecessary. Is this correct?

I am 'pretty' sure that if there are som gaps in between the clips that causes trouble, REGEN will probably not solve that specific problem.

But to make the tapes TC nice and linear, REGEN is a must..

Jeff Mayne September 13th, 2007 09:23 PM

I cannot find out anything about regen in my manual or on a google search! The only reason I ask is that Premiere Pro 1.5 Studio Techniques says that stripping a tape is a must!

Glenn Chan September 13th, 2007 09:30 PM

Striping tape avoids timecode breaks.

You can get timecode breaks if you review footage and stop the tape on a place with no timecode on it. You should avoid this by using the end search feature on your camera, or by manually cue-ing the tape.

2- If you do get timecode breaks, you can dub your tape with new continuous timecode.

There isn't much point in striping tapes IMO. It's unnecessary wear and tear on your equipment.

Don Bloom September 14th, 2007 05:45 AM

Yes, I should have been more clear. IF you shoot then rewind and preview in the camera (never have---never will) THEN you COULD get timecode breaks otherwise it is nothing to worry about. If for instance you are shooting an event there would be no reasin in the world to stop and review the footage. At least I never have in 25 years of doing this thing. I look at the footage later in my edit suite Theres nothing I could do about it before or now so why worry.
IF you are shooting scenes and the director wants to review then use END SEARCH as Glen suggested after you have reviewed the footage.
Again unless you want to double the hours on your camera there is no reason in todays world to stripe your tapes. As for finding switches on the camera the only thing I can offer is to double check the manual or ask here in the proper forum about the details of that particular camera.

Don

Glenn Chan September 15th, 2007 01:54 AM

Hmm I think you can potentially get a timecode break by turning the camera off/on... when it comes back on, it might not grab the old timecode (and therefore restart at 00:00:00;00). Anyways, you'll figure it out.

It's not hard to avoid timecode breaks. And if you do get them, make a note with/on the tape (in case you don't get rid of the TC breaks) and dub it.


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