Nagra Nagra-D User Manual

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IIII

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IIII

NAGRA-D

Setting

the

new

standard

in

digital

audio

recording

NAGRA

- jor

decades

the

quintessence

oj

technolo-

gical

innovation; a

classic

name jor perjection

in

analogue

recording.

The

NAGRA-D

continues

the

tradition

oj

leader-

ship

also

into

the

digital

audio

recording

domain.

NAGRA-D

is

notjust a

new

recorder,

but

the

beginning

ojthe

nell'

era

in

digitalaudio quality

Now,

projessio-

nal

sOllnd

recordists

can

have

the

quality and

reliabili(y

they

have

been

searchingjor.

NAGRA-D

has:

~

oren

reel

II

;'

tape

~

24

hits

per

sample

~

2

or 4 channels

which

bring

real

henefits

~

A

lifetime oj50

years

or

morejor

the

original master

recordings -especially

important jor

archives.

~

Important

extra

beadroom

-guarantees a tmel6

hits

dynamic

range

jor

the

jinished

product

.

~

PrOl'ides

the

versatility

demanded

by

projessiollals

e.g.

the

recording oja pair ojambience

microphones

jor post production mastering

~

Easy

editing ojtape.

~

A jactor 4

reduction

in

the

cost

oj

tape

and

tape

storage

space

compared

wit/)

analogue

recordings

~

Ajormat

which

will

allow

immediate

lise ojtbe

C01/ -

tinuing evolution

in

electronics

technology.

And

the

NAGRA-D

is

ready

to

operate

in

hostile

envi-

ronments.

NAGRA-D

.

More

than

just a

need.

V4"

tape

format

- a

truly

professional

approach

to

digital

audio

recording

NAGRA

chose

the

digital

Y4"

tape

format for

the

NAG RA-

D

to

give

you

the

performance you

have

come

10

expect

in

audio

recording.

TAPE

FOOTPRINT

direction

of

tape

travel

I

Three

all.1:iliary

tracks

have

been

created

to

give

you

more

information

nOw

and

in

the

fllture.

TheCU

E

track

can

receive

a mix ofthe

4audio

channels,

or

commen-

tary from

the

external

CUE

microphone;

the

TIME

CODE

track

hasfult SMPTE/EBUlimecodeinformation

for

both

I'ideo

and

cinema

applications;

whiLst

the

CONTROL

track

could,

in

the

future,

record

bursts

of

additional

data.

CUE

TRAcK

I

---------l

- -

--

-_.---+

TIME

CODE

TRACK

CONTROL

TRACK

ONE

FRAME

I' , , I " , I' , , I " , I' , , I ' " I' , , I' , , I' , , I' , , I' " I " I I' "

I'

, , I' , , I' , , I' , , I' , , I " , I' , , I

n I "

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)(

1)

....

....

ST,IRT

Bit

Numher

E,\[)

fR

·I)IE C

ol

nr Frame Bit

Drop-Frame

Bit

TIME

CODE

TRACK

Full

SMPTE/EBU

time

code

,

-!

l1lJL

H

--

- -------

---

-

-------=

fR

,I.

IIE

TIMF.----

~

The

four

channel

recording

system

consists ofpairs

of

tracks.

Dataforchannels I &2

are

on

one

track

; thatfor

channels

3& 4

on

the

other.

This

configuration

allows

simple

lockout

0/

either

pair.

Auxiliary information

such asfader positions,

drop

out files

etc.

are

recorded

in

the

48

samples/ track

reserved

for

this

purpose.

HELICAL

TRACKS

, _

.-.-.-.

_;;-

.-.

-.-

.-

.-.---t

.

0~

,

I

~

I

t

~~

j

\

/

/

The

Yi"

tape

format

has

several

important

features

which

make

it

especially

rugged

:

Azimuthed

recording

(±

6°) and

large

track

gap

(~/Oj.Jrn)

ensure

low

track-to-track

crosstalk.

Wide

tracks

(~70

j.Jrn)

reduce

tracking

difficulties

caused

by

vibration

.

Stife

wavelength

(!.2IBfJrn)

avoids

self

demagn

eti

-

sation.

RUGGEDNESS

OF

THE

FORMAT

I

;%::;

,:%0

+--·----

-·-

"'·-·--·

-·-

·T

I

°0

0

;::::;:::

0:%:;;~0

-

---

--

- -----------

-----------t

}

I

Two-way

communication

Tbe

NAGRA-D

is

versatile

enougb

tiS

a

completely

self

contained

unit,

but

connect

it

to

Ibe

outside

world

and

tbe

potenNal

is

unlimited.

Tbe

extension

a1ul

reference

sockets

provide for

mul-

tiple

synchronisation

possibilities;

Video

(PAL,

SECAM,

NTSC),

EXT

(32

kHz

, 44.1

kHz,

48

kHz);

AES;

Time

Code

(SMPTE/EBU).

Tbe

RS

422

serial communication port

can

be

lIsed

to

connect a PC

for

extern£il

control

or

editing.

Tbe

four

analogue

audio

channel

inputs

011

XLR

carmec-

tors

are

indillidually

switcbable;line,

"]'"12

V,

Pb

+

12

T;"

Pb

+ 48

V.

Current(y

tbey

are

digitized

to

18

bit

resolu-

tion,

and

can

be

cbanged

to

20

bits

wben

lower

con

-

sumption

AI D

conl/erters

become

available

.

Tbe

NAGRA-D

also

incltldes,

as

stant/ard,

one

AES

INPllT/OllTPUT

for

eacb

pair

of

cbarmels

allowillg

24

bits

per

sample

/0

be

recorded.

External

monitoring

Continuous

selectable

monitoring

of

all jour

cbannels

or

tbe

CliE

track

is

made

possible

L'iaa

bigb

levelmoni-

torillg

amplifier jed

to

two

1,(

/"

beadpbone

jacks.

Four

cbannel,

symmetrical,jloatillg, and

tran~former

less

analogue

audio

outputs provide

practical

connec-

tion

to

external

analogue

equipment.

To

ensure a IOTig

life ojtbe

internal battery pack,

tbe

i\AGRA-D

CtII1

be

connected

to

an external

intelligent

NAGRA

current

control

cbarge1:

NAGRA-D

...

designed

jor

the

practical

sound

recordist.

Because

we

have

been

your partner

in

the

recording

oj sound jor many

years

we

understand your

needs

.

TRANSPORT

ACCESSIBILITY

}

The

rugged,

open

reel

NAGRA-D

format

gives

you

easy

access

to

the

tape

transport

mechanism.

Visual

checking,cleaning,

and

rough

scissor

editing

are

pos-

sible

.

ROTARY

HEAD

CONFIGURATION

The

scanner

is

equipped

with

four

heads, Iwo

for

recording

and

two

for playback.

Tbis

advanced

technology

gives

an

improvement

in

signal

level

compared

to

stationary head formats, and

allows

full

confidence

playback.

I

Portability

Not

all sound

recordings

can

be

made

in

the

comfor-

.j

table

environment ofa

studio

and

so

the

recorder

needs

to

be

able

to

go

to

the

source. This

can

mean

anytbingfrom

hot

and dusty

to

cold

and

dry

condi-

tions

.

The

NAGRA-D

is

designed

to

go

anywhere

you

can

go,

giving

the

possibility

to

make truly

professional,

4

channel,

digital

recordings

in

the

field.

~

weighs

only 7.5

kg

without battery

•

all

metal

case

with

corners

protected

by

rubber

shock

absorbers

•

protected

connectors

Tapes

INTERNAL
BATTERY

PACK

TAPE

QUALITY

SURVEILLANCE

The

NAGRA-D

uses

standard

1jq"

metal

oxide

tape

as

in

PD

and

DASHjormats.

Metal

oxide

tapes

are

jar

less

sensitive

to

corrosive

oxidation than metal

par-

ticles

, a

very

important jactor

when

tapes

are

to

be

stored

jor

long

periods.

One

hour

aruJ

jortyjive minutes continuous

recording

in

the

jield

is

achieved

by

use

oj

a

"Betacam

nt"

baltery

pack.

Most

recording

units

will

already

have

chargers

jor

this

battery

aruJ

it

has

the

added advantage that,Jorvideo

applications,

only

one

type ojbattery pack

is

needed

on

location

.

During

recording

or

playback, continuous

tape

quality

surveillance

takes

place. A drop

out jile

is

established

and

recorded

on

the

tape

(overloads,

drop

outs

etc.).

Later

consultation ojthis

injorma-

tion

will

give

the

operator

vital

details

about

tape

l

recording

quality.

Playback Signal ProceSSing

From Read After

Write

Management Processor

To Tape

Error File

SPECIFICATIONS

TAPE

FORMAT/TRANSPORT

Recording

system:

Monitoring

:

Tape

type

:

Tape

speed:

Recording

time:

Variable

speed:

Search

possibilities:

Start

up

time

:

Winding

speed

:

Rotary

head and 3Longitudinal

tracks
Read

after

write

Y.,

"

(635

mm)

Digital

tape

49

.6 mm/ s for 2

channels

99.2 mm/ s for 4

channels

5"reel{j60m}

2Ch=2h
4

Ch=

1h

7"

reel

(720 m) 2

Ch

= 4h

4 Ch=2h

±10

%

Using

longitudinal analogue

CUE

track

From

"READY"

to

"REe"

< 2

secs

~

90

secs

(for 5"

reel)

AUDIO

PERFORMANCE

No ofchannels:
Sampling

frequencies:

Analogue IN/

OUT

Signal/noise

ratio

:

Frequency

response:

Total

Harmonic
distortion:
Channel

separation:

Digital IN/

OUT

Error

correction:

2

or4

32

kHz,

44.1

kHz

and

48

kHz

18

bits

> 98

dB

20

Hz

to

20

kHz ± 0.5

dB

(48 kHz samplingfrequency)

<0.

05

%

>

80

dB

24

bits

(AES)

Reed

Solomon

(38, 34, 5) (12,9, 4)

INPUTS/OUTPUTS

Analogue inputs:

Switcbable

Line

or

Microphone

Microphone:

4

XLR

(switchable,

12

V "r';

Phantom +

12

V,

Pbantom +

48

V,

dynamic microphones can

also

be

used lor

high

sound level)

Line:

Symmetrical,

translormerless

(Zin>8kO)

Analogue

outputs:

Symmetrical, transjormerless on
XLR

C01mectors

3.1

Vmax

(Zoul=500)

Digital

I/O:

AES

{standard mode)

Time

code

1/0:

SMPTE/EBU

External

sync

:

PAL/ SECAM/NTSC/EXT

(32

kHz,

44.1

kHz,

48

kHz)/AES/

TC

Serial communication:

RS4229pin

Headphone

outputs:

2 x

Stereo

with stepped level

adjustment

GENERAL

Power

requirement:

Internal battery pack

Battery

type:

BetacamTM

(4.5Ah

12

V)

Autonomy:

Ih45min

Consumption:

24 W "STOP"

mode

29 W

"REC"

mode

External dimensions

13

!iJ

6x

131!1Jx

55;;,"

(LxDxH):

(332

x

347 x 143

mm) without

. handle

13

~

x 1]'+

J6

x 5

Ya

"

(350x351x 143mmJ with handle

Weight

(without battery): 15.81bs (7.2 kg) witbout handle

16.5

lbs

(7.5 kg)

with

handle

©

Copyright

reserved

for all countries.

NAGRA,

KUDELSKl,

NEOPILUt,

NEOPILOTTON,

NAGRASTATIG,

NAGRAFAX,

NAGRAVISJON

are

registered

trade-marks, property

of

KUDELSKl .S:A.,

NAGRA

Tape

Recorder

Mamifactllrer.

The

specificati-Ons

contained in this publication

are

subject

to

change
at any time without prior notice following improvements and
mOdifications

of

tbe

equipment.

Printed in Switzerland,

Octobc>r

199

2.

KSA

PIN 20/0002141