Videonics MXPro DV User Manual

MXPro

User Guide

STATEMENT OF WARRANTY

Videonics, Inc. warrants this product against defects in
materials or workmanship as follows:

For a period of TWO years from the date of purchase,
Videonics Inc. will repair or replace the unit, at our
option, without charge for parts or labor. After the period
of TWO years you must pay all parts and labor charges.

The limited warranty is extended only to the original pur­chaser and is valid only to consumers in the United States
and Canada. It does not cover damage or failure caused by
or attributable to Acts of God, abuse, misuse, improper or
abnormal usage, faulty installation, improper mainte­nance, lightning, or other incidences of excessive voltage,
or any repairs or tampering by other than a Videonics­authorized repair facility. It does not cover replacement of
batteries or other consumable parts, transportation costs,
or damage in transit. This warranty will become void if
the serial number or model number identification has
been wholly or partially removed or erased. Repair or
replacement under the terms of this warranty do not
extend the terms of this warranty. This warranty can not
be modified by any agent of Videonics, Inc. unless in writ­ing and signed by an officer of Videonics, Inc.

Should this product prove defective in workmanship or
material, the consumer's sole remedies shall be such repair
or replacement as provided by the terms of this warranty.
Under no circumstances shall Videonics, Inc. be liable for
any loss or damage, direct, consequential, or incidental,
arising out of the use of or inability to use this product.
Some states do not allow limitations on how long an
implied warranty lasts or the exclusions or limitations of
incidental or consequential damages, so the above limita­tions or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty
gives you specific legal rights. You may also have other
rights which vary from state to state.

DISCLAIMER

Television screens are simulated and subject to change
without notice. This device is not to be used for the unau­thorized copying of copyrighted material.

TRADEMARKS

MXPro, MXProDV, the Videonics logo, Thumbs Up, MX­1, and Videonics Video TitleMaker are trademarks or regis­tered trademarks of Videonics, Inc. Hi8 and i.LINK are
trademarks of Sony Corporation. FireWire is a registered
trademark of Apple Computer. VHS is a registered trade­mark of JVC. Other product and brand names might be
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
companies and are hereby acknowledged.

Videonics MXProDV User Guide, © 1999. No part of this
book may be reproduced in hard copy, electronically, or
by any other means without the expressed, written per­mission of Videonics, Inc.

FCC Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to
part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to pro­vide reasonable protection against harmful interference
when the equipment is operated in a commercial environ­ment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, might cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Operation
of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause
harmful interference, in which case the user must correct
the interference at his/her own expense.

To obtain warranty service, call or write Videonics Hel­pLine for a Return Authorization (RA) number. Please
mark the RA number clearly on the outside of the pack­age. Include a copy of your sales receipt, a brief descrip­tion of the symptoms, your name, address, phone number
and any special shipping instructions. Then deliver or
ship the product, postage or shipping costs prepaid, to a
Videonics-authorized repair facility. For the name of the
nearest repair facility, contact Videonics, Inc. HelpLine.
See “Contacting Videonics” on page 8 for instructions.

MANL-0771-01

Declaration of Conformity

Application of Council Directive(s)
Standards to which conformity is declared

Manufacturer's Name
Manufacturer's Address

Importer's Name
Importer's Address

Type of Equipment

Name of Equipment

Model No.

73/23/EEC, 89/336/EEC

EN60950, EN55022 Class A, AN50082-1

Videonics

1370 Dell Avenue

Campbell, CA 95008, USA

Videonics GmbH

Industriestrasse 2

90765 Furth/Bay, Germany

Video Mixer

MXPro DV

MX-3000 PAL

Serial No.

Year of Manufacture

Place

Campbell, California, USA

Date

1999

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that
the equipment specified above conforms
to the above directive(s) and standard(s).

March 25, 1998

(Signature)

Parminder Gillon

Full Name

Test Engineer

Position

NOTES

CONTENTS

NTRODUCTION

1I

Major Features • 4
Common Uses for MXProDV • 6
MXProDV Package Contents • 7
About this User Guide • 8
Contacting Videonics • 11

2Q

Quick Start Steps • 16

3I

Sources and Output • 26
Preview and Program Monitors • 28

Understanding MXProDV Connectors • 29

Cables and Adapters • 31
Installation Examples • 33

Using a Microphone with MXProDV • 40

4B

Starting and Stopping MXProDV • 44
Understanding the Keyboard • 44
Using the Preview Screen • 46

Using CURRENT and NEXT Sources • 49
Selecting Sources • 51
Using the Video/Audio Selector • 51
Swapping Sources • 52

S

UICK

Setting Up • 16
The Preview Screen • 17
Running the Demo • 18
Cutting Between Sources • 18
Borders and Solid Color Backgrounds • 18
Setting up a Transition • 19
Running Transitions • 19
Using CUT Transitions • 20
Choosing Transitions • 20
Using Transition Categories • 21
Other Features • 21

NSTALLING

Preview Monitor • 28
Program Monitor • 28
Number of Monitors • 28

Power Connector • 31

Correlating Inputs to MXProDV Jacks • 33
Using Headphones • 34
VCR Selector Switches • 34
General Notes • 35
Post Production Configuration • 36
Live Broadcast Configuration • 38

ASIC

Changing the Display Configuration • 47
Input Source Previews • 47
Active Source Highlights • 48
Color Selector • 48
Transitions Menu • 49
Selected Transition • 49

Simple Cuts • 52
Swapping Between Two Sources • 52

TART

MXP

PERATIONS

O

RO

DV

Working with Colors • 53

Identifying Colors • 53
Using Color Backgrounds • 54
Changing Colors and Styles • 54
Creating Custom Colors • 54

Using Borders • 55

Changing Border Styles • 56

5T

RANSITIONS

Basic Transition Concepts • 62
Transition Categories and Menus • 64

Basic Transitions Category • 65
Edges Transitions Category • 65
Trailing Transitions Category • 65
Shapes Transitions Category • 65

User Transitions Category • 65
Changing User Transitions Menu • 66
Selecting Transition Sources • 67

Setting the CURRENT Source • 67

Setting the NEXT Source • 67
Selecting Transitions • 68

Using the Transitions Menu • 68

Using Transition Numbers • 69
Adjusting Transitions • 70

Changing Transition Speed • 70

Changing Transition Direction • 70
Running Transitions • 72

Running Transitions Automatically • 72

Running Transitions Manually • 72

6I

NPUT

E

FFECTS

Input Effects Menu • 76

Special Key Combinations • 77
Using Input Effects • 78
B&W • 79
B&W Neg • 79
Posterize • 79
Flip Horizontal • 79
Mosaic • 80
Color Correct • 80
Color Neg • 81
Chromakey • 81
Flip Vertical • 81
Strobe • 81

CONTENTS

7F

UNCTIONS

Demo • 86

Running a Locked Demo • 86
Display • 87
Setup • 89

Force Field Freeze • 90

GPI Out Mode • 90

Comb Filter • 90

2/4-Channel Audio Output • 90

Black Level • 92
Route • 92

Defaults • 92

Changing the Routing • 93

Example: Changing the Routing • 95

Routing Audio thru Color/Background Channels • 95
Learn • 96
Compose • 96
PIPs • 96
Audio Mix • 96
Freeze • 97

Field and Frame Freezes • 97

Major Freeze Functions • 97

Freeze Examples • 98

Freeze and Transitions • 99

8 PIP

9C

S

Single PIP • 104

Background Tile • 104

Foreground Tile • 104

Using Other Effects with Single PIPs • 106
Multi-PIP • 107

Using Freeze Effect with Multi-PIPs • 108

OMPOSE

Basic Composition Steps • 112
Backgrounds • 112
Foreground Tiles • 113

Creating Color Tiles and Lines • 113

Creating Moving Video Tiles • 113

Creating Still Image Tiles • 113
Manipulating Tiles • 114

Positioning Tiles • 114

Sizing Tiles • 114
Composition Rules • 115
Creating a Composed Image • 115
Playing the Composition • 116
Exiting from Compose Mode • 117

12 W

ORKING

Audio Devices You Can Use • 138
Ways You Can Control Audio • 138
Controlling Audio Transitions • 138

VIDEO/AUDIO Selector • 138
Selecting Audio Sources • 139

Ways to Use Audio • 139

Audio Accompanies Video • 139
Continuous Audio • 140

Using the Audio Mixer • 141

Audio Mixer Controls • 142
Using Background Audio • 142

Using the Analog Audio Adjustments Function • 143

Selecting Automatic Adjustments • 143
Analog Audio Level Meters • 144
Selecting Manual Levels • 144
Selecting Audio Delay • 144

Using Headphones • 144

DVANCED

13 A

Using Titles • 148
Using Color Bars • 148
Performing Roll Edits • 149

Cutting Between Scenes • 149
A/A Roll Edits • 149
A/B Roll Edits • 150
Transitions TO and FROM Solid Colors • 151

Transitions to Modified Sources • 151
Operating in Live Environments • 152
Security Monitoring • 152
Using a GPI Device • 152

Instructions for Building a GPI Trigger • 152

Using a GPI Trigger Device • 154
Calibrating the T-BAR • 154
Resetting MXProDV Factory Defaults • 155

WITH

PERATIONS

O

A

UDIO

10 C

HROMAKEY

Preparing the Background Footage • 122
Preparing the Keyed Footage • 123
Preparing the Chromakey Footage • 123
Performing the Chromakey • 125

Fine-Tuning Key Colors • 125
Ending Chromakey • 125

11 L

Learned Environments • 130
Learned Scripts • 131
Using Learn Mode • 132
Other Useful Information • 133
Aborting a Playback Session • 133

EARN

M

ODE

Appendixes & Back Matter

CONTENTS

RANSITIONS

AT

Basic Transitions • 160
Edge Transitions • 167
Trailing Transitions • 168
Shape Transitions • 169
Default User Transitions • 172

BT

CV

DT

E MXP

B

IME

ASE

Dual TBC Mode • 173
Vertical Interval Data • 173
TBC Technical Information • 174

IDEO

Q

Preview Image Quality • 175
Video Scaling Artifacts • 176
Freeze Quality • 176
Upside-Down Video • 176
Video Processing Artifacts • 177

ECHNICAL

RO

DV D

DV Support Added • 181
Default Routing Changed / No Auto Detect • 182
Setup Menu Differences • 182
Route Menu Differences • 183

IST

L

C

ORRECTOR

UALITY

175

S

PECIFICATIONS

IFFERENCES

159

173

179

181

Index

NOTES

W

CHAPTER 1

I

NTRODUCTION

elcome to MXProDV , and thank you for buying Videonics products.

This chapter contains:

• Brief descriptions of major MXProDV features

• Typical uses for the MXProDV

• How to contact Videonics

• An inventory of package contents

• Description of the contents of this User Guide
Please take a few moments to read the material so you can take full advantage

of all MXProDV benefits.

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MXProDV contains features found on most video mixers. In addition, it contains the
special features described in this section.

FireWire

TM

In and Out — MXProDV has three FireWire (1394, i.LINK

TM

) connectors,
two for DV (Digital Video) input and one for DV output. Each FireWire connection
carries both audio and video data simultaneously. DV audio inputs can be either 32
kHz or 48 kHz: 44.1 kHz audio is not supported.

Fast Cuts —With two DV and two analog inputs, MXProDV can cut from one source

to another almost instantly.

Superb Video Quality — To ensure highest video quality, MXProDV uses 10-bit

(4:2:2) video technology for Y/C applications, and 8-bit 4:2:2 for composite applica­tions. DV inputs and outputs conform to the DV standard at 4:1:1 (NTSC) and 4:2:0
(PAL).

Four Input Synchronized Switcher — MXProDV provides four input channels and

can mix DV and analog sources. This makes MXProDV useful in live production set­tings where up to four cameras or other sources might be in use. MXProDV synchro­nizes the inputs, so picture disruptions do not occur when switching between
sources.

Picture-in-Picture (PIPs) — PIP allows

multiple pictures to share the screen in
various configurations. For example,
one source might take the entire back­ground while another image appears
inside a separate, smaller window, both
sharing the screen at the same time.
You can use up to 16 images in a PIP
configuration.

Effects Generator — Use a variety of effects to enhance a source or transition

between sources. Select from over 500 effects, including natural shapes (diamonds,
stars, and so forth), fancy edges, and borders. And, you can build your own custom
menu for quick access to those effects you use most often.

Time Base Corrector (TBC) — MXProDV automatically corrects the output’s time

base. MXProDV stabilizes the output signal even when the input sources are not sta­ble.

Chromakey — Keying replaces

parts of one picture with
another, based on their color.
Here the solid background
behind Kong is replaced by the
picture of the bridge. The chro­makey version shows Kong con­templating the bridge.

Frame Synchronizer and Digital Video Mixer — Mix any two input sources together

using a variety of transitions — wipes, dissolves, flips, and so forth. With the frame
synchronizer you can mix independent video signals.

NTRODUCTION

I

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F

Compose — MXProDV provides a video

painting system you can use to com­bine video stills, color shapes, and mov­ing video on one screen. You can create
a screen that contains a video still of a
football coach (with a surrounding red
border), combined with a moving video
of the players in action on the field.

Audio Mixer — MXProDV provides sophisticated audio control. You can change the

sound along with the video, or play a constant sound while the video plays. Audio
can come from a video source or from external audio devices.

Four-Channel DV Audio — MXProDV lets you input and output two-channel or four-

channel DV audio.

CD Quality Audio — With two-channel output MXProDV’s DV audio is 48 kHz, 16-

bit audio; four-channel audio is 32 kHz, 12-bit audio.

Connectivity — MXProDV provides multiple video/audio outputs, including one

FireWire output, two Y/C Program outputs, two composite Program outputs, one
composite Preview output, two sets of stereo audio outputs, and a Headphone out­put.

5

Joystick — The joystick gives you fine control over color adjustments and positioning

of PIP (picture-in-picture), compose, and the chromakey cursor.

Color Correction — Apply true RGB color correction to any or all input sources.

Color correction parameters can be set separately for each channel.

Input Effects — Apply special effects such as flips, mosaics, and others to the signals

coming in from any input source.

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OMMON

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U

Multiple-Source Video Production — In a video production setup, you can connect
one or more video sources (VCRs, camcorders, video disc players, cameras, title gen­erators, computer graphics systems, and so forth) to MXProDV’s four input channels.
The Program output can then be sent to a VCR or directly to a monitor.

You determine what is sent to the output. While the original inputs play, you can
switch between any of MXProDV’s channels. You can use dissolves or other tran­sitions to go from one channel to another. You can add special effects to any
channel, and use advanced features such as compose and chromakey to enhance
the production.

Single-Source Use — MXProDV supports A/A roll, a method for creating interesting
transitions with a single source. Its digital effects (such as picture freeze, posteriza­tion, and mosaic) give added life to productions. You can use MXProDV with a titler
to mix and superimpose titles. Time base correction improves the picture (especially
when making multiple-generation copies) by removing the jitter common to most
VCRs.

Live Video — In live production setups, MXProDV processes events as they occur.
Good coverage requires seeing the events from different vantage points—which
means you need multiple input sources. MXProDV gives you the ability to connect
up to four sources simultaneously. For example, at a sporting event, camera one
might focus on the playing field, camera two on the team benches, camera three on
the announcer, and camera four on the scoreboard. Using MXProDV you can easily
switch between the sources whenever necessary.

MXProDV is not an edit controller — that is, it does not control VCRs, camcord­ers, and similar devices. You can control the sources manually, or use external
edit controllers such as those manufactured by Videonics.

INTRODUCTION MXPRODV PACKAGE CONTENTS

MXPRODV PACKAGE CONTENTS

The MXProDV package contains the items shown below. Check your package against
the illustration.

MXProDV

7

POWER ADAPTER AND CORD

If your package doesn’t

contain all of the items

shown here, contact the

dealer where you

purchased the MXProDV

for the necessary

USER GUIDE

Product registration card

and other information

replacements.

8

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 1

ABOUT THIS USER GUIDE

This User Guide contains the chapters, appendixes, and other sections shown in the
following table.

Table 1: User Guide Contents

CHAPTER DESCRIPTION

Chapter 1

Introduction

Chapter 2

Quick Start

Chapter 3

Installing MXProDV

Chapter 4

Basic Operations

Chapter 5

Transitions

Chapter 6

Input Effects

Chapter 7

Functions

Chapter 8

PIPs

Basic overview of MXProDV features, descrip­tion of package contents, description of man­ual.

Brief steps to setting up MXProDV with your
equipment. Provided for people quite familiar
with connecting video equipment.

Instructions for setting up MXProDV to work
with your video equipment.

Explains most common procedures and func­tions used with MXProDV.

Complete description of and instructions for
using MXProDV transitions. Also see Appendix
A, Transitions List.

How to use various effects with video input
material.

Descriptions of and instructions for using
MXProDV’s built-in functions.

Instructions for using the picture-in-picture
functions.

Chapter 9

Compose

Chapter 10

Chromakey

Chapter 11

Learn Mode

Chapter 12

Working with Audio

Chapter 13

Advanced Operations

Appendix A

Transitions List

How to create composed images consisting of
rectangles, lines, still images, and/or moving
images.

Instructions for creating chromakey images
where specific colors (such as a blue screen)
can be keyed out and replaced with a video
sequence or other image.

How to use MXProDV’s Learn Mode for
“recording” your mixing steps then playing
them back.

How to use audio sources (tapes, CDs, and so
forth) with MXProDV.

Descriptions of operations used infrequently,
but still of substantial use for mixing video
programs.

Complete list of transitions available with
MXProDV, along with their assigned code
numbers and descriptions.

INTRODUCTION ABOUT THIS USER GUIDE

TIP

NOTE

CAUTIONCAUTION

WARNING

Table 1: User Guide Contents (continued)

CHAPTER DESCRIPTION

9

Appendix B

Time Base Corrector

Appendix C

Video Quality

Explains the time-base corrector feature built
into MXProDV.

Discusses issues concerning the level of quality
in videos — that is, what to expect and what
you can do to improve quality.

Appendix D

MXProDV product specifications.

Technical Specifications

Appendix E

MXProDV Differences

Summarizes operational differences between
MXProDV, MXPro, and Videonics MX-1 Video
Mixers.

Glossary Definitions of terms frequently used in con-

junction with MXProDV and video mixing
procedures.

Index Standard index to topics in this manual.

Conventions The User Guide employs the conventions described in this section.

Tips, Notes, Cautions, and Warnings use the following formats.

A tip provides useful information for doing various tasks and procedures.

Notes contain information to supplement the other information contained
throughout the guide.

Cautions warn that if you continue with what you are doing there is a danger of
losing information.

Warnings mean stop what you are doing because there is danger of losing
information and, possibly, damaging your equipment.

MXProDV Buttons When referencing the various buttons (keys) and other controls on the MXProDV

keyboard, they appear in uppercase, boldface characters. For example, the keyboard
contains the

PLAY button and T-BAR.

10

SHIFT

PIPs

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 1

In some cases you use two buttons together to perform a function. This is normally
done using the shift button in combination with some other button. A plus (+) sym­bol indicates this. For example, you might be asked to enter
tiPIP mode. This means press and hold down the

SHIFT button, press the PIPS button,

SHIFT+PIPS to start Mul-

then release both.

Sources,

Channels, and

Outputs

The terms Source, Channel, and Output appear extensively throughout this guide. It’s
important to understand the differences between them.

A Source is a physical device, such as a VCR, that provides a video and/or audio sig­nal.

A Channel is an internal MXProDV video signal path. The video and/or audio signal
originating from a source travels along one of the channels.

An Output displays or records a mixed signal (such as the video on one channel, a
transition, and the video on another channel) on an output device. The output
device might be a recording VCR or a live broadcast signal.

INTRODUCTION CONTACTING V IDEONICS

CONTACTING VIDEONICS

Videonics provides technical and general support for all of its products. The follow­ing table provides information for contacting us with your suggestions, questions,
and problems.

Table 2: Videonics Contacts

DEPARTMENT CONTACT INFORMATION

Corporate Headquarters 1370 Dell Avenue

Campbell, CA 95008

Main Phone Number [phone]

Main Fax Number [phone]

Product Information [phone]

Information via E-Mail [e-mail]

Technical Support, North America [phone]

Technical Support via E-Mail, N.A. [e-mail]

11

Internet World Wide Web http://www.videonics.com

International Offices Contact Videonics for your local distributor

International Support Contact Videonics for your local distributor

NOTES

CHAPTER 2

QUICK START

This chapter contains brief instructions for setting up MXProDV with basic
equipment. The instructions do not go into detail. If you feel comfortable con­necting video and audio equipment, you can probably get started quickly using
these instructions.

If you are upgrading from the Videonics MXPro or MX-1, see Appendix E,
MXProDV Differences, for helpful information in setting up your MXProDV.

Skim the instructions in this chapter. If you have any questions about any of
the steps, turn to Chapter 3, Installing MXProDV, and follow the detailed
instructions for setting up your equipment.

16

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 2

QUICK START STEPS

Setting Up

Preview Monitor

This is a fairly

typical MXProDV

setup.

DV Inputs Y/C Inputs

DV DV Y/C Y/C

Y/C IN 4

Y/C IN 3

DV IN 2

DV IN 1

This setup has two

FireWire (DV)

inputs and two Y/C

inputs.

Output Monitor

PREVIEW OUT

OUT Jacks

Output Device

• Connect a COMPOSITE-type monitor to MXProDV’s PREVIEW OUT jack.

• Connect a DV input device to MXProDV’s DV IN 1 jack.

• To use a second DV input device, connect it to MXProDV’s DV IN 2 jack.

• To use a Y/C input device, connect it to MXProDV’s Y/C IN 3 jack.

• To use a second Y/C input device, connect it to MXProDV’s Y/C IN 4 jack.

MXProDV is set up, by default, to expect DV devices to be connected to the
DVIN1 and DVIN2 input jacks, and S-Video (Y/C) devices to be connected to the
IN 1 and IN 2 input jacks. If you connect a different assortment of input devices,
you must tell MXProDV this fact. See “Route” beginning on page 92 after com­pleting the following steps.

• Connect an output device to the OUT jacks on the MXProDV rear panel. This is

the device where you record the program.

QUICK START THE PREVIEW SCREEN

NOTE

Remember, a DV connector carries the audio signal as well as the video signal. It
is, therefore, unnecessary to make separate connections for these signals when
using a DV device as output.

• Connect a television or monitor to the recording VCR according to their instruc­tions. Having this monitor available lets you see exactly what is being recorded
(or, output).

These instructions assume a two-monitor setup. If you are using only one monitor,
connect it to PREVIEW OUT.

• Connect the MXProDV power supply to the power supply jack on the rear panel.

• Connect the MXProDV’s power cord to a suitable outlet.

• Turn on all devices (the MXProDV power switch is located on the right end of
the unit) and let the tapes roll.

For more detailed information about setting up your equipment, see Chapter 3,
Installing MXProDV.

The Preview Screen

17

NEXT Source

CURRENT Source

Previews

You should see the

Preview screen,

similar to this one, on
your Preview monitor.

Transitions Menu

MXProDV displays small previews of the sources you have attached. The images
are scaled down both in size and frame rate and, therefore, don’t play as
smoothly as they would in a single-source video monitor image. This does not
affect the quality of the video going to the output — it is always highest quality.

The PREVIEW screen contains the elements you need to run transitions:

CURRENT Source — The signal currently playing on the Output monitor.
MXProDV highlights the CURRENT source in yellow (just above the preview
images).

NEXT Source — The signal that will play on the Output monitor after the transi­tion runs. MXProDV highlights the NEXT source in green.

Transitions Menu — Rows and columns of icons representing some of the transi­tions available. MXProDV highlights the currently selected transition in blue.
The icons also show the speed and direction for the selected transition.

18

CUT

NEXT

A B C D COLOR

A B C D COLOR

When you press a CUT button, the
small light below the button glows
steadily to indicate it is the
CURRENT source.

When you press a

NEXT button, the

small light above the button blinks
to indicate it is the NEXT source.

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 2

Near the upper-right corner of the Preview screen is the color channel. The swatch
uses numbers to indicate the current background color, border color, and border
style.

For more detailed information about controlling the content of the Preview screen,
see “Using the Preview Screen” beginning on page 46.

Running the Demo

The demo gives you a quick look at some of MXProDV’s important features and
assortment of transitions.

Press SHIFT+DEMO.

•
You should see the two sources alternating, with a variety of transition effects in

between.

• Press any key to stop the demo whenever you want.

Cutting Between Sources

• Press CUT/A.

The light below the A button comes on and the Output monitor displays the sig­nal from whatever device is plugged into the inputs labeled IN 1. The yellow
highlight above preview image A tells you it is the currently active input.

•

Press CUT/B.

The light below the B button begins flashing (indicating B is both the CURRENT
and NEXT source) and the Output monitor displays the signal from whatever
device is plugged into the inputs labeled IN 2. The yellow highlight above pre­view image B tells you it is the currently active input.

• If you have anything plugged into IN 3 or IN 4, press

tively, to display their signals.

See “Selecting Sources” beginning on page 51 for detailed information.

Borders and Solid Color Backgrounds

• Press CUT/COLOR.
MXProDV highlights the speaker, headphone, or color block above the channel

indicator, but does not show the channel letter. The Output monitor shows a
solid color screen.

• To change the color, press

BG COLOR.

CUT/C and CUT/D, respec-

QUICK START SETTING UP A TRANSITION

Each time you press the button the color changes in the background color sam­ple and at the Output. Continue pressing the button until you see a color you
like.

• You can also define a border color and style to use at the edge of most transi-

tions and PIPs. Press
sample shows you the new choice. Press

BORDER COLOR and the color around the background color

BORDER STYLE to select from different

styles for the border.

See “Color Selector” on page 48 for more information.

Setting up a Transition

To set up a transition you need to select the sources you want to use and the transi­tion you want to use when switching between them. Here’s how to transition from
source A to source B using a horizontal wipe.

• Press CUT/A to set A as the CURRENT source. MXProDV shows a steadily glowing

light below the

• Press

NEXT/B to set B as the NEXT source (the one you want to see after the tran-

sition finishes running). The LED light above the button you press flashes to indi­cate it is the NEXT source.

• Use the ARROW keys to highlight the wipe transition in the transitions menu, as

shown in the following example.

CUT button you press.

19

Running Transitions

You can run transitions automatically or manually.

Automatic

Transitions

PLAY

Speed

• Press PLAY. MXProDV runs the transition at a pre-determined speed.

At the end of the wipe, B is on the OUTPUT monitor — it has become the CURRENT
source. The yellow highlight above the preview images has changed to reflect that.
Furthermore, A is now the NEXT source and the green highlight has been changed to
A.

• To wipe back and forth between sources A and B, press

• To change the speed at which a transition runs, press the

LEFT and RIGHT ARROWS to move the selection horizontally. Use UP and DOWN

Use

ARROWS to move the selection vertically: or, press 2 then OK to select the transi-

tion by number.

Selected Transition

The screen shows the desired effect—the horizontal wipe.

MXProDV transitions between the two sources using the horizontal wipe transi­tion. Both the Preview and Output screens show the results.

PLAY repeatedly.

SPEED button. The

Speed indicator under the transition icon changes.

20

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 2

• Press the button again until the desired speed appears. 0 is the slowest speed, 9
is the fastest.

• Try this with various speeds: Change the speed and press

Manual Transitions Use the TAKE BAR to run transitions and control their speed and direction.

Set up the transition as you would normally. However, instead of pressing PLAY, sim-

•

ply move the T-BAR.

PLAY.

The transition begins running as soon as you move the
back and forth by moving the

Using CUT Transitions

Most video productions use simple cuts a majority of the time. To cut between any
two sources (for example, you could cut from A to C to COLOR to D), use the
buttons.

There’s a quick way to cut back and forth between two sources (such as A to B to A to
B) using just the
tons:

Press 0 to select transition 0, a simple cut.

•

• Press PLAY again and again.

A solid color screen can be used as if it were a separate source. Press the NEXT/COLOR

•

button and run any transition, or press CUT/COLOR.

Choosing Transitions

The Preview screen contains the Transitions Menu. This menu contains icons and
other information for all MXProDV transitions. A blue highlight indicates the transi­tion selected for the next transition.

• Select Transitions in the following ways:

T-BAR. You can even move

T-BAR in different directions. Give it a try!

CUT

PLAY button, instead of having to alternate between two CUT but-

ARROW keys – Simply use the arrow keys to highlight the desired transition.
NUMBER keys – MXProDV assigns a unique number to every transition. The num-

ber appears below the transition icon on the PREVIEW screen (in the following
example, the checkerboard transition is number 29). You can use the number to
select a transition. (When you select/highlight a transition in the menu,
MXProDV shows the transition’s speed and direction. At this point, the transi­tion number is no longer visible.)

Transition Number 29

•

Enter 106 using the number keys (press 1, then 0, then 6), then press X to highlight
the transition icon.

MXProDV replaces the current Transitions Menu and shows the one that con­tains the transition you selected.

Press PLAY or use the T-BAR to perform transition.

•

QUICK START USING TRANSITION CATEGORIES

USER BASIC EDGES TRAILING SHAPES

Using Transition Categories

MXProDV categorizes transitions into five major groups — User, Basic, Edges, Trail­ing, and Shapes. You can access any category at any time by pressing one of the

Transition Category buttons.

When you press one of the buttons, the content of the Transitions Menu (see “The
Preview Screen” on page 17) changes.

• Press the

set of transition icons.

• Use the

• Press
The USER transition category is slightly different from the others. It originally con-

tains a default set of transitions, each of which also exists in the other categories. You
can “tailor” the content of the USER category to your specific needs and preferences.
See “User Transitions Category” on page 65 and “Changing User Transitions Menu”
beginning on page 66 for detailed information.

TRAILING button. The Transitions Menu display a completely different

ARROW keys to highlight a transition you’d like to see run, then press OK.

PLAY or use the T-BAR to run the transition.

21

Other Features

See Chapter 5, Transitions, to learn more about using transitions.

Refer to the rest of this User Guide to learn about the many additional MXProDV fea­tures, including:

• Using the

DISPLAY button to change the content of the Preview screen.

• Freeze the picture.

• Separately control the sound.

• Apply input effects, such as mosaic, paint (posterization), negative, and more.

• Use chromakey to combine parts of one picture with parts of another.

• Compose your own pictures, made up of several stills, color rectangles, and a
moving picture.

• Rearrange the inputs so A, B, C, and D, and their audio channels come from dif­ferent rear panel jacks.

• Memorize a sequence of transitions and play them back.

NOTES

CHAPTER 3

INSTALLING MXPRODV

This chapter explains how to install (or, set up) MXProDV to use with other
equipment. Major topics include:

• Understanding Sources and Output

• Understanding Preview and Program monitors

• Understanding the MXProDV connectors

• Identifying Cables and Adapters you might need

• Installation examples

• Installing a Microphone
If you have experience with the Videonics MXPro or MX-1, see Appendix E,

MXProDV Differences, for information that will be helpful setting up your
equipment.

26

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 3

SOURCES AND OUTPUT

Source and Output refer to the way you use devices with MXProDV.

Y/C SOURCES

COMPOSITE SOURCESDV SOURCES

00:00

00:00

DV OUTPUT

MXProDV

ProgramPreview

Out Output

Y/C OUTPUTS

00:00

00:00

00:00

COMPOSITE OUTPUT

INSTALLING MXPRODV SOURCES AND O UTPUT

Source — A source is an input device. Each source provides a video signal, audio sig­nal, or both. You use MXProDV to combine these signals. Sources can be DV (Digital
Video), Y/C (S-Video) or composite video devices.

The preceding illustration shows that you can connect up to 10 input sources to
MXProDV at the same time. However, you can only use four input devices at any
given time.

Using the MXProDV Route function (see “Route” beginning on page 92) you can
select the input sources to use in a given situation. You can even use the Learn mode
to have MXProDV remember various configurations for you. When you want to use
a particular configuration, use the Learn function to select the one you want.

DV Sources — DV Sources can be camcorders, VCRs and some computer cards. The
camcorders and VCRs can be DV, miniDV, DVCAM, DVCPRO or Digital 8 devices
that output standard 25 Mb/s DV 4:1:1 (NTSC) or 4:2:2 (PAL). Digital-S, DVCPRO50
and other devices using 4:2:2 or 50 Mb/s sampling can NOT be used.

DV audio is delivered along with the video via a FireWire cable. DV audio inputs can
be 2-channel or 4-channel, 32 kHz audio or 2-channel, 48 kHz audio. 32 kHZ audio
may be called 12-bit audio in your camcorder/VCR documentation; 48 kHz audio
may be called 16-bit audio. 44.1 kHz audio cannot be used.

Output — An output is a device on which you record and/or broadcast a signal. The
signal might contain video, audio, or both. This signal is often a mix of signals com­ing into MXProDV from one or more sources. The output device might be a VCR
with an optional monitor attached, or it might be a live broadcast.

27

The preceding illustration shows that you can connect up to five output devices to
MXProDV at the same time. You can use all of these devices simultaneously for video
output; audio output will be limited to DV plus one or two analog devices, depend­ing on how you set the 2-channel audio output parameter in the Setup function.

DV Output vs. DV Sources — In the Setup function, select whether you want your
audio output to be 4-channel (default) or 2-channel. For DV, 4-channel audio is out­put at 32 kHz, 12-bit samples; 2-channel is output at 48 kHz, 16-bit samples. If you
select 2-channel output, your DV audio inputs must also be 48 kHz audio; 32 kHz
inputs will be muted or distorted. If you select 4-channel output, your DV audio
inputs can be 32 kHz or 48 kHz audio.

28

CAUTIONCAUTION

Preview Monitor Program Monitor

We use these pictures

to distinguish between

the Preview and

Program monitors.

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 3

PREVIEW AND PROGRAM MONITORS

MXProDV designates monitors as either Preview or Program to indicate how it’s used.

Preview Monitor

The Preview monitor is your “working” monitor. Most of the time it contains con­trols for managing Source and Output devices. For example, it shows miniature ver­sions of images coming from the attached VCRs and camcorders. The Preview
monitor also shows a menu of transitions and other effects from which you can
choose. See “Using the Preview Screen” beginning on page 46.

Program Monitor

The Program monitor shows the production exactly as recorded on the output device
or displayed in a live video environment. The Program monitor shows the program
complete with transitions and other effects. You normally connect the Program
monitor to the output device. The Program monitor can be a Digital Video, compos­ite, or S-Video device.

Number of Monitors

You can operate MXProDV with only one monitor connected to the Preview out.
However, to greatly simplify your work you should have at least two monitors — one
Preview and one Program. Instructions in this manual assume you have separate Pre­view and Program monitors.

The preview monitor must be a composite device with A/V inputs (separate audio
and video connectors). Do not attempt to connect any other type of monitor to the
PREVIEW OUT jack on the MXProDV rear panel.

INSTALLING MXPRODV UNDERSTANDING MXPRODV CONNECTORS

UNDERSTANDING MXPRODV CONNECTORS

To properly setup MXProDV, you need to know how and where to connect external
components – such as VCRs, camcorders, and so forth. You use cables to connect
video devices to MXProDV’s rear panel. See “Cables and Adapters” on page 31.

Remove MXProDV from its package and position it so you can see the rear panel.
Refer to the panel and the illustration on page 30 while reading this section.

The MXProDV rear panel has numerous connectors and they vary by type. You can
connect input sources in any combination – up to a maximum of ten – but you can
use a maximum of four devices at any given time. You can process just the video sig­nal from a device, just the audio signal, or both.

You can connect up to five output devices to MXProDV. You might, for example,
direct one output to a recording device and another to a live broadcast.

Note the labels associated with each and every connector on the MXProDV rear
panel.

POWER — An electrical power connector. Use the power cord and adapter in the
MXProDV package to connect the unit to an electrical outlet.

VIDEO IN (Y/C) — Connect S-Video sources to these connectors.

29

VIDEO IN — Connect composite sources to these connectors.
DV IN — Connect Digital Video sources to these connectors. Both the audio and

video signal are sent through these connections.
AUDIO IN — Connect audio devices to these connectors. Each set of connectors

has L (Left) and R (Right) jacks for stereo input. See“Audio Connectors” on
page 32.

MXProDV provides six output connectors — one Preview, one Digital Video, two
composite, and two S-Video.

PREVIEW OUT — Connect a composite video monitor’s video input to this
jack—you cannot use an S-Video monitor as Preview. This monitor serves as your
visual “interface” with MXProDV. It’s where you do most of your work.

DV OUT — Connect a Digital Video output device. You record productions on
this device, use it to display a live broadcast signal, or both. Both the audio and
video signal are sent through this connector.

OUT Y/C — Connect an S-Video output device. Same as above, but use this con­nector if your output device is S-Video (Y/C).

OUT — Connect a composite output device. Same as above, but use this connec­tor if your output device is composite format.

AUDIO OUT — Connect a suitable audio cable or cables from these jacks to the
audio inputs on your output device. See Chapter 12, Working with Audio, for a dis-
cussion of the dual audio output features.

HEADPHONES — See “Using Headphones” on page 34.
CONTROL (GPI) — Connect a General Purpose Interface (GPI) device to this jack

to control the MXProDV from an external device or remote location. See “Using
a GPI Device” beginning on page 152.

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 3

30

POWER

1

3

1

1

1234

2

L

R

L

R

L1

R1

L2

R23

2

4

2

4

VIDEO

IN (Y/C)

VIDEO IN

DV IN

AUDIO

IN

H. PHONE

PREVIEW OUT

DV OUT

OUT
Y/C

VIDEO OUT AUDIO OUT CONTROL

(GPI)

IN OUT

MXPRODV REAR PANEL

POWER

OUT Y/C

S–Video

AUDIO OUT

Left and Right

VIDEO IN (Y/C)

S–Video

VIDEO IN

Composite

AUDIO IN

Left and Right

PREVIEW OUT

Composite

OUT

Composite

CONTROL (GPI)

Please take a few moments to

familiarize yourself with the

connections on the MXProDV Rear

Panel before you begin setting up

your equipment.

VIDEO &

OUT

Digital

Headphones

Video &
Audio

Digital

AUDIO IN

INSTALLING MXPRODV POWER C ONNECTOR

RCA S

-

Video

Composite (Y/C)

Digital Video

Connector

Each type of device (composite, S-Video,
or Digital Video) has its own, unique type
of jack at the end of the cable

Power Connector

The MXProDV package contains the required transformer and power cord for the
unit.

Male Socket Female Plug

Power

Adapter

Plug

Transformer Power Cord

WARNING

USE ONLY THE POWER CORD AND TRANSFORMER PROVIDED IN THE PACKAGE. DO NOT USE

THIS POWER CORD AND TRANSFORMER WITH ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT. FAILURE TO OBSERVE
THESE CONDITIONS CAN DAMAGE YOUR EQUIPMENT AND VOID YOUR WARRANTY.

To connect the power cord and transformer:

1 Connect the female plug on the power cord into the male socket on the transformer.

Male
Plug

31

2 Connect the male plug on the power cord to a suitable power outlet.
3 Connect the power adapter plug on the transformer cord into the power connector

on the MXProDV rear panel.

4 Turn the MXProDV power switch (located on the right side of the unit) to the ON

position.

CABLES AND ADAPTERS

To connect video devices to MXProDV you need specific types of cables. You might
also need one or more adapters, depending on your equipment.

Look closely at the jacks on the MXProDV rear panel and note that they accept RCA
Composite, S-Video, or Digital Video (DV) cables.

32

OUT

IN

IN

OUT

OUT

IN

IN

OUT

When making connections, always
connect the OUT from one device to the
IN on the other device.

•

•

•

•

•
NEVER connect OUT to OUT or IN to IN

MXP

RO

DV U

SER

UIDE

G

Before connecting any device to the MXProDV, make sure the cable you are using
has the right type of fitting for the jack you intend to use.

WARNING

DV cables carry both an audio and video signal. Composite and S-Video cables carry
only video signals.

DV camcorders and VCRs normally have 4-wire connectors. Likewise, MXProDV has
4-wire connectors.

HAPTER

C

3

A computer with a DV FireWire card can serve as an input source to MXProDV. Some
DV FireWire cards use a 6-wire connector.

Microphones

You can connect a microphone to any MXProDV input jack, but you
may need a special adapter to make the connection. The type of adapter
needed varies depending on the type of microphone you want to use. If
you do not have the adapter you need, take your microphone to a local
electronics supply store to make sure you select the correct adapter. See
“Using a Microphone with MXProDV” on page 40 for further details.

Audio Connectors To connect a stereophonic audio device to MXProDV, you need two separate audio

cables — one for the left channel and one for the right.

To connect a monaural audio device you need a Y-adapter cable (like the
one shown at the left). Connect the single end of the adapter to the line
input or output on the device. Connect the two remaining ends to the
left and right channel inputs or outputs on the MXProDV rear panel.

The Y-adapter cable does not provide stereophonic audio. It simply
directs the mono signal to or from both MXProDV channels.

You can also connect a mono audio device using a single cable. Connect
one end to the line in or out on the audio device, then connect the other
end to the left MXProDV channel connector using the IN 3 or IN 4 set of
inputs (only IN 3 and IN 4 can be configured for mono). Once con­nected, use the MXProDV ROUTE function to specify which connector
(left or right) you used. See “Route” beginning on page 92.

NSTALLING

I

RO

MXP

DV I

NSTALLATION

XAMPLES

E

33

NSTALLATION

I

This diagram illustrates

the overall concept for

installing equipment

with MXProDV. Please

study it before you begin

installing your own

equipment.

XAMPLES

E

This section shows examples of two common MXProDV configurations, but does not
describe every possibility.

Channel

A

Channel

B

SOURCES

Channel

C

Channel

D

IN IN

IN

HEADPHONES

Headphones

OUT

IN

Program

Preview

You can have up to four separate audio/video input sources active at any given time.
MXProDV designates them as sources A, B, C, and D. You can use any mix of devices
as necessary to complete your work so long as they are valid MXProDV devices. For
example, you can use VCRs, VTR’s, camcorders, laserdisc players, satellite tuners,
broadcast tuners/receivers, character generators (CG’s), video-equipped computers,
and audio devices (such as a CD player or tape deck).

MXProDV sends the output signal to a recording device (such as a VCR) and/or a Pro­gram monitor.

A second monitor, Preview, is used to display preview images of all input sources.
The Preview monitor also displays the on-screen controls you use to operate
MXProDV.

Correlating Inputs to MXProDV Jacks

IMPORTANT

INFORMATION

As stated above, MXProDV designates your input sources as A, B, C, and D. However,
as you learned earlier, you can connect up to ten different devices to use an input
sources. On the MXProDV rear panel, you find four jacks for Y/C (S-Video) inputs,
four jacks for composite inputs, and two DV inputs. The Y/C and composite jacks are
numbered 1 through 4, and the DV jacks are numbered 1 and 2.

OUT

Output

34

POWER

1

3

1

1

1234

2

L

R

L

R3

2

4

2

4

VIDEO

IN (Y/C)

VIDEO IN

DV IN

AUDIO

IN

H. PHONE

PREVIEW OUT

DV

IN OUT

Channel C

Channel D

Channel A Channel B

CAMERA
EXT
TUNER
AUDIO 2

TV / LINE

AUX

SC

TUNER

SOURCE SELECT

S-VHS

LINE

TUNER

INPUT SELECT

If a device has a switch
similar to one of these,

set the switch to the

LINE position.

MXP

RO

DV U

SER

UIDE

G

MXProDV is configured at the factory to expect specific types of devices to be
attached to certain rear panel connectors. This is known as the

default configuration

and it provides a starting point for setting up your own equipment. The following
illustration of the rear panel shows the MXProDV default configuration.

The DV 1 jack corresponds to MXProDV Channel A, DV 2 corresponds to Channel B,
Y/C 3 corresponds to Channel C, and Y/C 4 corresponds to Channel D.

What this means, in practice, is that if you connect ten different input devices to
MXProDV then turn the unit on, the unit routes the signal coming through the DV 1
jack to channel A, the signal coming through DV 2 routes to channel B, and so forth.
If you want, instead, to have a device connected to the composite video 1 jack routed
through channel A, you have to change the default routing. For more information,
see “Route” beginning on page 92.

HAPTER

C

3

Using Headphones

To use headphones, connect them to the Headphone jack (
on the rear panel. The jack accepts standard stereo headphones with a miniature
plug. If your headphones have a large plug, you need an adapter to switch it to a
miniature plug.

VCR Selector Switches

Many VCRs have an input selector switch that routes between Line (or AUX, EXT,
A/V, or S) and Tuner. Here are some examples.

See the manual for your RECORD VCR for details.
Some VCRs have more than one VIDEO IN jack (for example, one might be compos-

ite and the other S-Video). Set the switch to match the jack you are using as the con­nector to MXProDV.

H

.

PHONE

), which is located

NSTALLING

I

RO

MXP

DV G

General Notes

ENERAL

N

OTES

When connecting video and audio outputs from source devices, most of the time
you’ll probably connect to corresponding jacks on the MXProDV rear panel. For
example, if you connect the video to the VIDEO IN jack labeled “1,” you’ll most
likely connect the audio to the AUDIO IN jack also labeled “1.” However, this is not
a requirement. You might use non-corresponding jacks — for example, you might
connect the video from one source to VIDEO IN 1 but connect the audio from the
same source to AUDIO IN 2 if you want to control the audio and video separately.

Remember , DV devices carry the audio and video signal (as well as a machine con-

trol signal) on the same connection.

35

RO

SER

MXP

DV U

G

UIDE

Post Production Configuration

The configuration described in this section is useful in a Post-Production environ­ment—where you mix two or more programs together.

This installation example shows the use of DV equipment in combination with ana­log equipment.

Connect the Output from a DV VCR to DV IN 1 on the MXProDV rear panel.
Connect the Output from a DV Camcorder to DV IN 2 on the MXProDV rear panel.
Connect a Composite-type monitor to the PREVIEW OUT jack on the rear panel.
Connect a DV recording VCR to the DV OUT jack on the rear panel.
Connect an Output Monitor to the recording VCR so you can see the signal being

recorded.

OPTIONAL – Connect an audio source (CD player, tape deck, or microphone) to

AUDIO IN 4 on the MXProDV rear panel.
Connect the power cord and transformer to the MXProDV rear panel. See “Power

Connector” on page 31 for instructions.

Use the Route function (“Route” beginning on page 92) to make sure your devices
are directed to the correct MXProDV channels.

HAPTER

C

3

36

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

INSTALLING MXPRODV POST PRODUCTION CONFIGURATION

37

POWER

1

3

1

1

1234

2

L

R

L

R

L1

R1

L2

R23

2

4

2

4

VIDEO

IN (Y/C)

VIDEO IN

DV IN

AUDIO

IN

H. PHONE

PREVIEW OUT

DV OUT

OUT

Y/C

VIDEO OUT AUDIO OUT CONTROL

(GPI)

IN OUT

POST PRODUCTION CONFIGURATION

1

2

3

4

6

7

TEAC

Program

Monitor

Preview
Monitor

5

38

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 3

Live Broadcast Configuration

The configuration described in this section is useful in a Live Broadcast environ­ment. This installation example shows the use of analog equipment only.

1 Connect the VIDEO OUT from Camera 1 to VIDEO IN 1 (Y/C) on the MXProDV rear

panel. Connect the AUDIO OUTs from Camera 1 to AUDIO IN 1 on the rear panel.

2 Connect the VIDEO OUT from Camera 2 to VIDEO IN 2 on the MXProDV rear panel.

Connect the AUDIO OUTs from Camera 2 to AUDIO IN 2 on the rear panel.

3 OPTIONAL – Connect an audio source (CD player, tape deck, or microphone) to

AUDIO IN 4 on the MXProDV rear panel.

4 Connect a Composite-type monitor to the PREVIEW OUT jack on the rear panel.
5 OPTIONAL – Connect a GPI trigger device to the GPI CONTROL on the MXProDV

rear panel.

6 OPTIONAL – Connect a character generator (such as a Videonics TitleMaker or Pow-

erScript) to the OUT Y/C jack on the rear panel.
With this configuration you can superimpose titles from the character generator atop

the output signal.

7 Optional: Connect a recording VCR to the OUT Y/C jack on the rear panel.

If you are using the optional character generator (described above), connect the out­put from this device to the VCR input.

8 Connect an Output Monitor to the recording VCR so you can see the signal being

recorded.

9 Connect the Power Cord and Transformer to the MXProDV rear panel. See “Power

Connector” on page 31 for instructions.

Use the Route function (see page 92) to make sure your devices are directed to the
correct MXProDV channels.

INSTALLING MXPRODV LIVE BROADCAST C ONFIGURATION

39

POWER

1

3

1

1

1234

2

L

R

L

R

L1

R1

L2

R23

2

4

2

4

VIDEO

IN (Y/C)

VIDEO IN

DV IN

AUDIO

IN

H. PHONE

PREVIEW OUT

DV OUT

OUT

Y/C

VIDEO OUT AUDIO OUT CONTROL

(GPI)

IN OUT

LIVE BROADCAST CONFIGURATION

1 2 3

4

7

8

5

9

TEAC

Program

Monitor

Preview

Monitor

6

40

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 3

USING A MICROPHONE WITH MXPRODV

This section explains how

to connect a microphone
to MXProDV. You’ll need

the equipment listed

below…

• Microphone

• Microphone cable (male-XLR to female-XLR connectors)

• An audio direct box (which you can purchase from any professional audio equip­ment dealer)

• A 1/4 inch (phone jack) to RCA cable

• A female RCA to dual-male RCA “Y” Adapter

To connect a microphone:

Using the microphone cable, connect it to the XLR (balanced) input on the Direct Box.

1
2 Plug the 1/4-inch-to-RCA cable into the 1/4-inch (unbalanced) output on the Direct

Box.

3 Attach the RCA “Y” adapter to the 1/4-inch-to-RCA cable.
4 Plug the two male ends of the RCA “Y” Adapter into the Channel 4 R and L audio

inputs on the MXProDV rear panel. Connecting to this channel allows you to use the
microphone as a background source, if desired.

To control the volume of the microphone, use the Background Music slider on the
Audio Mixer screen (see “Using the Audio Mixer” beginning on page 141).

CHAPTER 4

BASIC OPERATIONS

This chapter describes several basic MXProDV operations, including:

• Starting and stopping MXProDV

• Using the MXProDV keyboard

• Using the Preview screen

• Using CURRENT and NEXT sources

• Selecting Sources

• Using the

• Cutting Between Sources

• Working with Color

• Using Backgrounds

• Using Borders

VIDEO/AUDIO selector

44

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 4

STARTING AND STOPPING MXPRODV

Press the Power switch to start or stop MXProDV. The switch, located on the right­end of the unit, is a rocker-type switch.

UNDERSTANDING THE KEYBOARD

Use the MXProDV keyboard to control how the unit operates.
This section briefly describes the button groups and, in some cases, individual but-

tons and controls. Additional information appears throughout this User Guide.
Some of the following descriptions provide a reference to the page where you can
find details. Refer to the illustration on the next page while reading this material.

1 T-Bar (or, Take Bar) — Use to manually control the way transitions run, tile size in PIP

mode, and audio levels in the Audio Mixer. See Chapter 5, Transitions, Chapter 8,
PIPs, and Chapter 12, Working with Audio, respectively.

2 Function Buttons — Provide immediate access to built-in functions, including

, SETUP, ROUTE, LEARN, COMPOSE, PIPS, AUDIO MIX, and FREEZE. You can also access

PLAY

DIS-

the built-in demo using these buttons. See Chapter 7, Functions, for details.

3 Source Selectors — Use to select the CURRENT (

CUT) and NEXT sources for a produc-

tion. Normally, you select the CURRENT and NEXT sources, select a transition to use
between the two, then run it. For example, you might select a camcorder as one
input source (CURRENT) and a VCR as the other (NEXT). You then select a transition,
such as a dissolve or wipe. When you reach the point in the CURRENT source where
you want to change to the NEXT source, press

PLAY or use the T-BAR to instruct

MXProDV to play the transition. The CURRENT source becomes the new NEXT
source, and the old NEXT source becomes the new CURRENT source. (See “Using
CURRENT and NEXT Sources” beginning on page 49.) Use the

COLOR buttons to cre-

ate solid colored backgrounds and other effects. (See “Working with Colors” begin­ning on page 53.)

4 Video/Audio Selector — Determines whether VIDEO, AUDIO, or both VIDEO and

AUDIO are affected when you run a transition. When set to
but the audio does not. When set to

AUDIO, the audio changes but the video does

VIDEO, the video changes

not. When set to both, the video and audio both change. See “Using the Video/Audio
Selector” on page 51.

5 Joystick — Provides an easy way to make fine adjustments to various components.

For example, when using PIPs, the joystick positions the various picture elements on
the screen. When using color correction, the joystick adjusts the color. The joystick
has other uses you’ll learn about in later chapters.

6 Power Switch — This component is located on the right-hand side of the unit, not

on the top. The Power switch is a rocker-type switch for turning the unit on and off.

7 Transition Category Buttons — Gives you immediate access to the five, major cate-

gories of transitions, including
transitions fall into one of these categories. After pressing a button, you can search
through the transitions in that category to find the one you want to use. See “Transi­tion Categories and Menus” beginning on page 64.

8 Play Button — Press to perform the cut or transition you have set up. In other words,

set up your CURRENT and NEXT sources, select a transition, then press
moment you want MXProDV to perform the step.

USER, BASIC, EDGES, TRAILING, and SHAPES. All MXProDV

PLAY at the

BASIC OPERATIONS UNDERSTANDING THE KEYBOARD

45

AUDIO

VIDEO

SHIFT

OK

B&W

COLOR NEG

INPUT EFFECTS

MOSAIC

FLIP

B&W NEG

FLIP

SPEED

REVERSE

BORDER COLOR

PLAY

BG COLOR

NEXT

CUT

EDGES

USER

BASIC TRAILING

SHAPES

COLORDCBA

COLORDCBA

0

123

456

789

COMPOSE

LEARN

DISPLAY

FREEZE

AUDIO MIX

PIPs

SETUP

ROUTE

SHIFT-DEMO

BORDER STYLE

CHROMAKEY

COLOR CORRECT

POSTERIZE

STROBE

1

2

3

4

5

6

8

7

9

10

11

14

12

13

MXPRODV KEYBOARD

46

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 4

9 Transition Control Buttons — Use these buttons to reverse transition direction,

change transition speed, specify background and border colors, and set border styles.

10 Numeric Keypad — Use for various functions, such as entering the number of a tran-

sition you want to use, setting a precise speed for a transition, and so forth.

11 OK Button — Generally used to indicate to MXProDV that you have completed some

operation and want the unit to prepare for or perform it accordingly.

12 Shift Button — A modifier key that invokes special functions when used in conjunc-

tion with other keyboard keys.

13 Arrow Keys — Primarily used for selecting effects and functions. For example, use the

arrow keys to highlight a transition you want to use in the Transitions menu.

14 Input Effects Buttons — Provides access to effects you can apply to input sources.

The light below the
mode. See Chapter 6, Input Effects, for more information.

USING THE PREVIEW SCREEN

The Preview Screen is your control center for MXProDV operations. This section
describes individual items on the Preview screen.

INPUT EFFECTS button glows when MXProDV is in Input Effects

The Preview screen

appears on the

monitor attached to

the MXProDV

PREVIEW OUT jack.

PREVIEW MONITOR AND STANDARD PREVIEW SCREEN

Active Source Highlights

Input Source Previews

Color

Selector

Select

Transition

Transition

Number

MXProDV always processes the output at the highest possible quality. The Input
Source Previews, however, appear in reduced quality because MXProDV must reduce
the images to fit the smaller window. What you see on the Preview screen is not
indicative of what gets recorded or displayed on the output.

Transitions Menu

BASIC OPERATIONS CHANGING THE DISPLAY CONFIGURATION

Transitions

Transitions

Input

Source

Input

Source

Input

Source

Input

Source

NEXT Input Source CURRENT Input Source

Standard Two Channel

Next Current

(SHIFT+1)

(

SHIFT+4)(SHIFT+5)

(

SHIFT+2)

Full Display

(

SHIFT+2)

Changing the Display Configuration

Press the DISPLAY button to repeatedly cycle through five different configurations for
the Preview screen, or use the shortcut key indicated for each:

47

• Standard — (

SHIFT+1) Shows preview images for all four input sources and up to

30 different transition options.

• Two Channel — (

SHIFT+2) Shows only enlarged CURRENT and NEXT input source

Previews and two rows of the Transitions menu.

• Full – (

SHIFT+3) Displays only the input source Preview windows, each in a larger

size. Transitions menu not displayed.

• Next — (

tions menu not displayed.

• Current — (

SHIFT+4) Displays full-screen image of the NEXT input source. Transi-

SHIFT+5) Displays full-screen image of the CURRENT input source.

Transitions menu not displayed.

See “Display” beginning on page 87 for more information. Unless stated otherwise,
this guide assumes you are using the Standard preview.

Input Source Previews

A small, preview image from each input source appears in a separate window. Use the
previews to direct the action, position cameras, find a particular sequence on a video
tape, and so forth. The preview images do not show input effects (see Chapter 6, Input
Effects).

48

2

Background

Color

Border

Color

Border

Style

If you turn off the border (that is, set
the border style to zero), the border
color swatch and number do not
appear in the Color Selector.

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 4

Active Source Highlights

You can have up to four input sources. MXProDV labels the sources A, B, C, and D.
(There is also a fifth, built-in source — the mixer’s own background color generator.)
All transitions start with one source, called the CURRENT source, and end with
another, called the NEXT source.

Colored highlights help identify one video source from another. Yellow highlights
the CURRENT video source (above the preview image), and green highlights the
NEXT video source (below it).

Some sources provide audio only, others provide both video and audio. The
speaker icon (rather than a colored highlight) indicates the CURRENT and
NEXT audio selections.

Color Selector

1

The headphones icon identifies the channel to which the headphone output
is currently directed. If 4-channel audio output is selected, the icon is pre­ceded by a 1 or a 2 to indicate which pair is being played.

In addition to the highlights described above, indicator lights between the

NEXT buttons indicate the currently selected video sources.

A B C D COLOR

A steady light identifies

the CURRENT video

source. A blinking light

identifies the NEXT

video source.

CUT

NEXT

A B C D COLOR

CUT and

Brief descriptions of the Transitions Menu, Highlights, and Indicators follow. For
more detailed information, see Chapter 5, Transitions.

The Color Selector shows current choices for background color, border color, and
border style. The selector shows the actual colors, and also shows the numeric values
associated with each. This example shows a background color 5, border color 7, and
border style 5.

You can cycle through all available colors for each component using the

BORDER COLOR, and BORDER STYLE buttons. See “Working with Colors” beginning on

page 53.

BG COLOR,

BASIC OPERATIONS TRANSITIONS M ENU

Example…

USER BASIC EDGES TRAILING SHAPES

CURRENT NEXT

Source A Source B Source C

Transitions Menu

The Transitions menu shows up to 30 transitions at a time. MXProDV groups the
500+ available transitions into categories. To access any transition category, press the
appropriate transition category button.

See “Transition Categories and Menus” beginning on page 64 and Appendix A, Tran-
sitions List, for detailed information.

49

Use the

ARROW keys to navigate through the transitions in the current menu. If a cat-

egory contains more transitions than can appear in the Transitions menu at one
time, continue pressing

DOWN ARROW or UP ARROW to scroll the other transitions into

the menu. When the transition you want appears in the Transitions menu, use the

ARROW keys to select (or, highlight) it.

Selected Transition

When you select a transition in the menu, MXProDV highlights it in blue. It also
shows the current speed and direction for the transition. In this example, speed is 5
and the direction is forward (as indicated by the arrow).

You can change the speed at which a transition runs, and you can also change the
direction in which it runs. See “Adjusting Transitions” beginning on page 70.

USING CURRENT AND NEXT SOURCES

The concept of CURRENT and NEXT sources is fundamental to MXProDV opera­tions. As you go about creating productions, you always have a CURRENT and NEXT
source.

Suppose you want to create a sequence of transitions from Kong’s thoughtful gaze to
footage of a fighter plane contemplating take off and, finally, a shot of Stonehenge for a
mystic closing.

To identify the CURRENT and NEXT sources:

1 Begin with the footage of Kong. Press

source.

2 Press

NEXT/B to make the fighter plane (Source B) the NEXT source.

CUT/A to make this (Source A) the CURRENT

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TIP

CURRENT NEXT

Source B

Source C

Source A

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 4

3 Select a transition to use when switching from the CURRENT to NEXT source, such as

a right-to-left wipe.
Use the

ARROW keys to highlight the transition in the Transitions Menu. See “Selecting

Transitions” beginning on page 68 for additional methods of selecting transitions.

Roll the CURRENT source to the spot where the transition should run, then press PLAY.

4

Immediately upon completion of the transition, MXProDV makes the CURRENT
source (Kong) the NEXT source, and makes the NEXT source (the fighter plane) the
CURRENT source.

You can use this automatic swapping of CURRENT to NEXT and vice versa to your advantage.
When you want to cut back and forth between only two sources, the automatic swapping
always selects the next source for you.

For this procedure, however, you need to make Stonehenge the NEXT source so that
when transitioning out of the fighter plane, Stonehenge comes on screen.

Press NEXT/C to select Stonehenge as the NEXT input source.

5

6 Select a transition to use this time to switch from CURRENT to NEXT source, such as a

slow dissolve. The CURRENT source (the fighter plane) continues running, and contin­ues to appear on the output device.

7 To transition to Stonehenge, hold down the

bottom of its slot, release the

SHIFT key, then swing the T-BAR upwards at whatever

SHIFT button and move the T-BAR to the

speed you want the dissolve to happen.

T-BAR and the PLAY button run the same transition, except that the T-BAR lets you

The
manually control the speed at which the transition runs.

BASIC OPERATIONS SELECTING S OURCES

Example…

CUT

NEXT

A B C D COLOR

A B C D COLOR

Use to change the CURRENT source

Use to select NEXT source

SELECTING SOURCES

Now that you understand the distinction between the CURRENT and NEXT source,
you need to know how to select sources for each. Use the
the MXProDV keyboard to select sources.

CUT and NEXT buttons on

51

Use the

CUT buttons to cut to a new source. The four buttons labeled A, B, C, and D

correspond directly to the Input Source Previews on the Preview Screen (see page 47)
and to MXProDV’s four channels. Use the
ground rather than an image coming from a source device (see “Using Color Back­grounds” on page 54). When you press any
new source and the indicator light below the

Use the
the

NEXT buttons to select the NEXT source. The buttons are labeled the same as

CUT buttons. When you press any NEXT button, the indicator light above that but-

ton flashes. The output does not change until you use
the

NEXT source.

USING THE VIDEO/AUDIO SELECTOR

VIDEO

AUDIO

The VIDEO/AUDIO selector controls which parts of the input signal get used from any
given source.

You can set the

VIDEO/AUDIO selector to any of three positions — VIDEO only, AUDIO

only, or both. Press the button as required to turn on the Video, Audio, or both
lights.

VIDEO – Video changes, audio does not. Video light only is illuminated.
AUDIO – Audio changes, video does not. Audio light only is illuminated.

COLOR button to select a solid color back-

CUT button, the output video cuts to the

CUT button glows steadily.

PLAY or the T-BAR to transition to

both – Audio and Video both change. Both the video and audio lights are illumi-

nated.

Many sources (such as pre-recorded video tapes) carry both video and audio signals.
Other input sources (such as a compact disc player) carry only audio signals, and
some sources carry only video signals.

You are producing a documentary on hot air ballooning. You want to use video from
channels A and B, and audio from Channel C. Using the VIDEO/AUDIO selector you can
process only the video from the VCRs and combine it with the audio from an audio tape
containing the voice-over material.

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MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 4

To do this type of mixing:

1 Route the VCRs to Channels A and B.
2 Route the audio to Channel C.
3 Press the
4 Press
5 Press the
6 Press

source.

7 Start all the input devices rolling.
8 Press

Channel C.

SWAPPING SOURCES

This section discusses common ways to switch between source devices.

Simple Cuts

To switch to a specific source, press the CUT button for that source. The CUT buttons
cause the switch to occur almost immediately. For example, press
ately switch to that input. You don’t need to press
the

CUT buttons.

To immediately switch to a colored background, press
the currently selected background color on the output. Set the background color to
the color you want before pressing
on page 53 for further instructions.

VIDEO/AUDIO selector until only the AUDIO light is on

CUT/C to make channel C source for audio.

VIDEO/AUDIO selector until only the VIDEO light is on.

CUT/A to make it the CURRENT source, then press NEXT/B to make it the NEXT

PLAY to change video from Channel A to Channel B. The audio remains on

CUT/A to immedi-

PLAY or use the T-BAR when you use

CUT/COLOR. MXProDV displays

CUT/COLOR. See “Working with Colors” beginning

When you perform a cut, the Preview screen shows the cut, then holds the picture
for a moment so you can see the result on both the Preview and Program monitors.
You don’t have to wait for the Preview screen to reappear — you can switch to a dif­ferent source whenever you want.

Swapping Between Two Sources

To switch back and forth between two sources (for example, A to B to A to B, and so
on), use the

When using this back-and-forth switching process, you might find it helpful to use the two
channel mode (SHIFT+2) for the Preview screen. See “Display” beginning on page 87.

To switch sources using this method:

1 Press the

press

2 Press the
3 Use the

ber on the numeric keypad. Press

PLAY button to automatically switch between the two.

CUT button for the source with which you want to begin — for example,

CUT/A.

NEXT button for the other source — for example, press NEXT/B.

ARROW keys to highlight and select a transition, or enter the transition num-

OK.

BASIC OPERATIONS WORKING WITH C OLORS

Back

When you need a very quick switch between sources — such as when doing a live
broadcast of two individuals debating — use the Cut transition (zero).

4 Roll the input sources.

53

5 To run the transition, press

source A becomes the NEXT source, and source B becomes the CURRENT source.

6 To switch between sources A and B, press

WORKING WITH COLORS

Common uses for color include solid colored backgrounds and colored borders
around objects. So, you need to know how to choose colors and identify those
you’ve chosen.

MXProDV gives each color a unique number ranging from 0 (zero) to 9. The follow­ing table defines these colors and their code numbers.

Table 3: Default Colors and Numbers

CODE COLOR CODE COLOR

0

1 White 6 Bright Blue

2 Gray 7 Light Blue

3 Red 8 Purple

Black

PLAY. At this point, MXProDV switches the sources —

PLAY again.

a

5 Green

The maximum number of colors in the MXProDV palette is ten. You can change
nine of the ten colors. You cannot change color 0 (black).

Identifying Colors

4 Yellow 9 Medium Blue-Green

a. You cannot modify Black (color code 0).

ground Color

The Color Selector appears in the upper-right cor­ner of the Preview screen. It indicates colors
selected for the background and borders as well as

Border Style

border style.
The inner-most rectangle shows a sample of color

Border Color

assigned to the background as well as the color
number. The border around the rectangle shows
both the current border style and color and their
associated color and style codes.

54

TIP

BG COLOR

BORDER COLOR

BORDER STYLE

The following sections

describe the

BG

COLOR, BORDER

COLOR, and BORDER

STYLE buttons.

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 4

Using Color Backgrounds

Colored backgrounds have many uses. For example, to dissolve to a solid black back­ground when transitioning out of the CURRENT source, hold the black for a moment
or two, then dissolve from the black background into the NEXT source.

Use the solid color background to lay down ten seconds of black at the beginning of your
video.

Transition into and out of solid colored backgrounds basically the same way as tran­sitioning between sources. The difference is that you must select the background
color you want to use before running the transition.

To make the selection:

1 Press

BG COLOR until the color you want appears in the Color Selector.

2 To immediately cut to the colored background, press

To transition into the colored background, press
the

T-BAR to switch to the colored background.

Changing Colors and Styles

Use the BG COLOR, BORDER COLOR, and BORDER STYLE buttons to change colors and styles.
In each case, press the button repeatedly to cycle through all of the available options
for that particular setting.

If you already know the color number of the color you want to assign:

1 Press and hold either

change.

CUT/COLOR.

NEXT/COLOR, then press PLAY or use

BG COLOR or BORDER COLOR, depending on which you want to

2 Enter the color number on the numeric keypad. For example, press and hold

COLOR, then press 6 to specify bright blue.

Creating Custom Colors

You can change any color other than color 0 (black) (see Table 3 on page 53) to create
custom colors. You cannot add more colors, but you can change the existing ones.
Once you create a custom color, it stays permanently in the MXProDV unit until and
unless you change it again.

BG COLOR and BORDER COLOR share the color palette. Therefore, changing any color

affects both the background and border colors.

BG

BASIC OPERATIONS USING B ORDERS

NOTE

Red

Cyan

Yellow

Green

Magenta

Blue

Wipe Transition

No Border

Wipe Transition

White Border

To create a custom color:

55

1 Press

BG COLOR or BORDER COLOR until the color you want to change appears in the

Color Selector.

2 Press

LEARN+BG COLOR or LEARN+BORDER COLOR (depending on which one you want to

change).
These key combinations activate Learn Color mode. MXProDV blinks the

VIDEO/AUDIO

selector lights to indicate you are in the proper mode.

3 Use the

a Move the
b Move the

4 When the color you want appears in the Color Selector, press

Color mode and the
If you decide you don’t want to change the color after manipulating the

T-BAR, press SHIFT+0 (zero) to revert back to the original color. MXProDV restores the

original color and exits from Learn Color mode (the

JOYSTICK and T-BAR in combination to define the new color.

T-BAR up and down its slot to adjust luminance.
JOYSTICK to adjust color.

OK. You exit from Learn

VIDEO/AUDIO lights cease blinking.

JOYSTICK and

VIDEO/AUDIO lights cease blink-

ing).

USING BORDERS

Borders have many uses, such as providing a distinct separation between two sources
while running a transition.

You can also use borders to frame images in a picture-in-picture (PIP) image, and so
forth. Whatever purpose you use a border for, you can specify the color and style for

the border.

For the two following procedures, note that not all border styles can be applied in all
cases. Single PIPs as well as edge and shape transitions accept any border style. Basic
transitions accept only color borders. You cannot apply border styles to trailing
transitions, nor can you use them in compose or multi-PIP modes.

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MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 4

To specify border color:

È Repeatedly press BORDER COLOR to cycle through the available colors. The Color Selec-

tor shows the current color.

BORDER STYLE+0 (zero) to immediately turn off the border.

Press

To specify border style:

È Repeatedly press BORDER STYLE to cycle through the available styles. The Border Style

indicator in the Color Selector increments by one each time you press the button. You
can specify ten different styles (0 through 9).

Table 4: Border Styles (Defaults)

NO. RESULT NOTES

0 Border and Edges Off

1-3 Soft Edge Border

4-6 Colored Border

7-9 Drop Shadow Border

Changing Border Styles

This section explains how to specify different edges, color borders, and drop shadows
to use in conjunction with border styles.

To change a border style setting

1 While the Preview screen is displayed, enter

from 1 to 9 (inclusive) and is the number of the border style you want to change, as
shown in the preceding table.

2 Select the shape or edge to which you want to add a border or shadow by selecting

an appropriate transition.

Try using transitions 300-305 for edges and 554-562 for shapes.

Use LEARN+UP/DOWN ARROW keys to soften and harden
border edges.

LEARN+RIGHT/LEFT ARROW keys adjust border width.
LEARN+UP/DOWN ARROW keys soften the border.

LEARN+ARROW keys reposition drop shadow.

BORDER STYLE+# — where # can range

3 Move the T-BAR to its mid point.
4 Press

LEARN+BORDER STYLE to cycle between soft edge, color border or drop shadow.

Make note of the border style number you are changing for future reference.
You can also use PIP to select and modify border styles for shapes.

5 Use LEARN+ARROW KEYS (as indicated in Table 5, “Keys for Changing Border

Attributes,” on page 57, below) to specify what you want to change – width, soft­ness, or position.

6 Return the

T-BAR to its full up or full down position.

BASIC OPERATIONS CHANGING BORDER STYLES

MXProDV automatically stores the border style so that it is available until and unless
you change it again.

Table 5: Keys for Changing Border Attributes

FUNCTION KEY COMBINATION

57

Toggle through Soft Edges, Color Border,
and Drop Shadow

Soft Edges

Increase Softness

Decrease Softness

Color Border

Increase border thickness

Decrease border thickness

Increase border softness

Decrease border softness

Drop Shadow

a

Move shadow right

Move shadow left

Move shadow up

Move shadow down

LEARN+BORDER STYLE

LEARN+UP ARROW

LEARN+DOWN ARROW

LEARN+RIGHT ARROW

LEARN+LEFT ARROW

LEARN+UP ARROW

LEARN+DOWN ARROW

LEARN+RIGHT ARROW

LEARN+LEFT ARROW

LEARN+UP ARROW

LEARN+DOWN ARROW

a. Drop Shadows created for edges do not translate well to shapes, and vice-versa. Therefore,

you should specify one set of drop shadow styles for shapes and another for edges.

NOTES

CHAPTER 5

TRANSITIONS

MXProDV contains over 500 transitions from which you can choose. Further­more, you can manually control any transition to change the way it works,
thereby creating your own versions of the supplied set.

Transitions artistically switch from one scene to the next in a production.
MXProDV transitions range from simple cuts, dissolves, and wipes to sophisti­cated zooms, fly-ins, and flips. You can change the speed (either manually or
automatically) at which transitions run, and run them in reverse. Combine
these features for many different variations.

In this chapter you’ll learn about:

• Basic transition concepts – what is a transition and how to use it

• Transition Categories and Menus

• Selecting Sources to use during Transitions

• Selecting Transitions

• Adjusting Transitions

• Running Transitions

62

NOTE

Transition
in Progress

CURRENT NEXT

ab

Highlights above and below the source previews
indicate CURRENT and NEXT sources, respectively.

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 5

BASIC TRANSITION CONCEPTS

Transitions create on-screen effects used when switching from one source to another
(that is, one scene to another). The most basic type of transition is the cut, where the
first frame from the NEXT source immediately replaces the last frame from the CUR­RENT source. Cuts produce abrupt changes. Other types of transitions use special
effects to produce a smoother, more artistic change from one source to the next. The
following illustration shows a horizontal wipe transition.

When discussing transitions, we use the letters a and b to differentiate the beginning
scene (a) from the ending scene (b). These letters often appear in the transition icons
to indicate the direction in which the transition travels. These letter indicators have
no relationship to the A, B, C, and D letters used to differentiate between MXProDV
channels.

The following basic steps explain how to run a transition with MXProDV. Each step
is described in more detail later in this chapter.

To run a transition:

1 Display the CURRENT source on the output screen. For example, press

CUT/A to make

A the current source.

2 Select the NEXT source — the one you want to appear on the output following the

transition. For example, press

NEXT/B to make that the next source.

3 Select a transition to use. For example, press the

then select a wipe transition from the menu.

4 Prepare the sources (such as VCRs and camcorders) and let them roll.
5 At the right moment, use either the

BASIC Transition Category button,

T-BAR or the PLAY button to run the transition.

TRANSITIONS BASIC TRANSITION CONCEPTS

CURRENT NEXT

NEXTCURRENT

Before

After

As you can see, you first set up the transition, then execute it. Nothing happens until
you use the

T-BAR or PLAY button to run the transition. So, you set everything up,

then run the transition at the precise moment you want it to occur. As soon as one
transition finishes, immediately set up the next one so that all you have to do is
press

PLAY or use the T-BAR to proceed.

You can select the CURRENT source, the NEXT source, and the transition in any
order, and change them as many times as necessary before actually running the tran­sition.

At the completion of the transition, the CURRENT and NEXT sources swap places —
that is, CURRENT becomes NEXT, and NEXT becomes CURRENT.

63

At this point, you can do one of the following:

• Leave the CURRENT and NEXT sources as they are and switch back and forth
between them; or,

• Select a new NEXT source and, optionally, a new transition, then repeat the pro­cess.

64

NOTE

USER BASIC EDGES TRAILING SHAPES

TRANSITION CATEGORY BUTTONS

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 5

TRANSITION CATEGORIES AND MENUS

To help manage the 500+ transitions, MXProDV separates them into five logical cate­gories — User, Basic, Edges, Trailing, and Shapes. Use the Transition Category but­tons to access the different categories.

When you press a Transition Category button, MXProDV displays the transitions
available in that category in the Transitions Menu. The content of the menu differs
depending on which category you select. However, the menus have a common struc­ture and always appear in the same place.

The content of the Transitions Menu differs depending on the Category selected.

Transitions

Menu

The Transitions Menu does not appear when you work with the Full, Current, or Next
Preview screen. See “Display” beginning on page 87 for more information.

Use the ARROW keys to navigate the Transitions Menu. If the category contains more
transitions than can appear in the menu at one time, use the

UP and DOWN ARROW

keys to scroll through them. You can scroll through only those transitions in the cur­rent category.

MXProDV color codes the transition icons in the menu:

Basic White
Edges Blue
Trailing Yellow
Shapes Red

TRANSITIONS BASIC TRANSITIONS CATEGORY

TIP

Basic Transitions Category

This category includes common transitions, such as wipes and dissolves. The transi­tions in this category are color coded white. See page 160 for samples.

65

MX-1

Compatibility

If you are upgrading to MXProDV from the Videonics MX-1 Video Mixer, the transi­tions in the basic category are the same as the MX-1.

MXProDV provides a set of hot keys that directly correspond to the MX-1 effect but­tons. Using the hot keys (in the following table) causes the MXProDV Preview screen
cursor to appear at the beginning of each section within the basic (MX-1) category.

Table 6: MX-1 Compatibility Hot Keys

MX-1 FUNCTION MXPRO HOT KEY

Fades and Dissolves
(Positions cursor at transition 160)

Wipes
(Positions cursor at transition 30)

Zooms/Bounces
(Positions cursor at transition 188)

Flips
(Positions cursor at transition 210)

Edges Transitions Category

These transitions move a curved or jagged edge across the screen when transitioning
to a different picture source. Transitions in this category are color coded blue. See
page 167 for samples.

SHIFT+BASIC

SHIFT+EDGES

SHIFT+TRAILING

SHIFT+SHAPES

Trailing Transitions Category

The transitions in this category leave a trail of images on the screen as a change
occurs. The trailing images go away once the transition finishes. Transitions in this
category are color coded yellow. See page 168 for samples.

Shapes Transitions Category

These transitions occur as a wipe in the shape of a geometric object, such as a heart,
a five-pointed star, and so forth. Transitions are color coded red. See page 169.

User Transitions Category

It’s unlikely you’ll use all of the available transitions — but it is likely that you’ll have
a limited set you use most of the time. With this in mind, MXProDV makes it easy
for you to access your favorite transitions by creating your own personal menu — the
User menu. MXProDV comes with a default set, but you can add and remove them
to tailor the User menu to your preferences and needs.

During production planning, determine which transitions you want to use, then set up the User
category to contain those transitions. This gives you quick, immediate access to the transitions
without having to search through the other categories. See the following section (“Changing
User Transitions Menu”) to learn how to tailor the menu to your preferences.

66

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 5

CHANGING USER TRANSITIONS MENU

The first time you power up MXProDV and press the USER Transitions Category
button, the default transitions appear in the menu. The default set contains a variety
of transitions from the other four categories, as defined by Videonics at the factory. If
you are satisfied with the default set, there is no need to change them.

USER category does not contain distinct transitions – that is, all transitions in the

The

USER category actually exist in other categories (basic, edges, trailing, and shape).

Think of the

USER category as a collection of references to other transitions.

Restoring Default

User Transitions

You can change as many transitions in the

USER menu as you want.

To change a transition in the User menu:

1 Decide which transition you want to add to the

USER category. Refer to Appendix A,

Transitions List, for a list of valid numbers and their associated transitions.

2 If necessary, press

DISPLAY to set the Preview screen to Standard or Two Channel

mode.
In the other Preview modes (Full, Current, or Next), MXProDV does not display the

Transitions Menu. See “Display” beginning on page 87.

3 Press the
4 Use the

USER Transition Category button to display the menu on the Preview screen.

ARROW keys to highlight the transition you want to replace in the USER cate-

gory.

5 Enter the number of the transition you selected in step 1, above. You can enter the

number of any transition from any category.

6 Press

OK.

You can easily restore the default set of transitions in the User category.

To restore the default set of transition to the User menu:

1 If necessary, press the

USER Transition Category button to display that menu on the

Preview screen.

2 Enter

SHIFT+0 (zero). This restores the default set of transitions for this category.

TRANSITIONS SELECTING TRANSITION S OURCES

CUT

NEXT

A B C D COLOR

A B C D COLOR

The lights between the rows of
CUT and NEXT buttons act as
indicators. A steady light
identifies the CURRENT source
(A) – a flashing light identifies
the NEXT source (C).

Selecting Sources and Getting Feedback

Yellow highlights the CURRENT source (A)

Green highlights the NEXT source (C)

SELECTING TRANSITION SOURCES

An important step in setting up a transition is to identify the CURRENT and NEXT
sources. Use CUT and NEXT to choose the two sources. MXProDV provides feedback
in a couple of different ways to confirm your choices.

67

MXProDV identifies the CURRENT source by a yellow highlight on the Preview
screen and a steady light beneath the corresponding
NEXT source by a green highlight on the Preview screen and a flashing light above
the corresponding

If you make CURRENT and NEXT the same source, the source light (between the two
rows of buttons) flashes as though it were just the NEXT source.

Setting the CURRENT Source

Setting the NEXT Source

In many cases you don’t need to select the CURRENT source because the ending
source from the previous transition automatically becomes the new CURRENT
source (see the diagram on page 63). However, if you want to change the CURRENT
source, press the corresponding
CURRENT source, and the Program monitor immediately displays D’s signal.

To specify the NEXT source, press the corresponding NEXT button. For example, to
make D the next source, press

NEXT button.

CUT button. It identifies the

CUT button. For example, pressing CUT/D makes D the

NEXT/D.

68

NOTE

1

4

7

2

5

8

0

3

6

9

OK

Preview
Screen

Numeric
Keypad

Use

ARROW keys to select a

transition from the
Transition Menu on the
Preview Screen…

or

…enter the transition
number on the keypad…

then press

OK.

…

Blue highlights the selected transition

Each icon in the
menu represents
one transition.

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 5

SELECTING TRANSITIONS

To select a transition to use between the CURRENT and NEXT sources, do one of the
following:

• Use the

• Enter the transition’s assigned number on the MXProDV numeric keypad, then press

OK.

ARROW keys to select from the Transitions Menu on the Preview screen; or,

When selecting from the USER category, you must always use the ARROW keys to select a
transition from the Transition Menu on the Preview screen. Entering a transition

number and pressing OK replaces the current transition with the one you select.

Using the Transitions Menu

The Transitions menu appears just below the preview images on the Preview screen
when you set the Preview to Standard or Two Channel mode (see “Display” begin­ning on page 87 for more information about Preview modes).

TRANSITIONS USING TRANSITION N UMBERS

NOTE

The transition number…
in this example, number 14

To select a transition from the Transitions Menu:

1 If necessary, press the appropriate Transition Category button to display the set of

transitions containing the one you want.

69

2 Use the

Blue highlights the currently selected transition. Use the
move the highlight horizontally. Use the
vertically. When you reach the bottom row of icons in the current menu, press
arrow to display additional transitions in the category, if present.

3 Do one of the following:

a Press
b After highlighting the transition you want, press

Using Transition Numbers

Every transition has a number assigned for reference and identification. The number
appears in the Transitions Menu just below each transition icon.

To select a transition using transition numbers:

1 Enter the transition number on the keyboard.
2 Press

OK.

To immediately play back the transition, press

ARROW keys to highlight the transition you want to use.

LEFT and RIGHT ARROWS to

UP and DOWN ARROWS to move the highlight

DOWN

PLAY to select and play the current transition, or

OK.

PLAY rather than OK.

Refer to Appendix A, Transitions List, for a complete listing of transitions and their
assigned numbers.

If you make a mistake entering a number, press
press

OK again.

OK, enter the number correctly, then

When you highlight a transition in a Transitions menu, the highlighting obscures
the transition number. The number below the transition icon represents the speed at
which the transition plays. The following section, “Adjusting Transitions” discusses
this.

70

NOTE

TIP

Transition Speed Transition Direction

Transition Icon

REVERSE

SPEED

Transition Direction

Transition Speed

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 5

ADJUSTING TRANSITIONS

Every transition runs at a pre-set speed and direction. Symbols appear below the
transition icon in the Transitions Menu indicating the current speed and direction.

Use the

SPEED and REVERSE buttons to change the speed and/or direction of a transi-

tion.

When you change a transition’s speed and/or direction, the change applies to all
other transitions until you specifically change it. For example, if you set the speed
of the current transition to 4, all subsequent transitions run at this same speed until
you again change the speed factor. This also applies to transition direction.

Changing Transition Speed

Transition speed values can range from 0 (slowest) to 9 (fastest).

To change the transition’s speed:

È Press SPEED. Each press increases the speed by one unit. Press SHIFT+SPEED to decrease

the speed by one unit.

MXProDV changes the Transition Speed indicator below the transition icon to the
currently selected value. You can change the speed any time either prior to running
the transition, or while it runs (which allows you to make adjustments “on the fly.”)

To directly set the speed to a specific value, press and hold the SPEED button while entering a
value from 0 to 9 on the numeric keypad.

Changing Transition Direction

Transitions can run in two directions — forward and reverse. If you use the PLAY but-
ton, transitions run, by default, in the forward direction. If you use the
it up runs the transition forward; moving it down runs it in reverse. For example, a
simple wipe transition might move a vertical border across the screen from right-to­left or left-to-right, replacing scene a with scene b.

T-BAR, moving

TRANSITIONS CHANGING TRANSITION DIRECTION

NOTE

Forward Reverse

Auto-Reverse Forward Auto-Reverse Backward

Example…

Suppose you’re producing a video showing renovations to a building. Occasionally you
want to go back and show how the building looked originally. When going back in time,
use a wipe transition that moves from left-to-right. When going forward in time (to
show the new modifications), reverse the wipe so that it moves from right-to-left.

To reverse a transition:

• Press

REVERSE.

Remember, all transitions run in reverse until you press

REVERSE again. Reverse has no

effect on a simple Cut or Dissolve transition because reversing those transitions pro­duces no visible result.

MXProDV changes the Transition Direction indicator below the transition icon to
the currently selected direction. When the arrow points right, the transition runs in
its normal direction. When the arrow points left, the transition runs in reverse.

71

Using

Auto-Reverse

The Reverse function does not change the relationship between the sources. For
example, a vertical wipe from source A to B moves from the top of the screen to the
bottom, replacing source A with B. If you apply the Reverse function, source B still
replaces A, but the transition wipes from the bottom of the screen to the top.

Mosaic, dissolve, and trailing transitions work in only one direction at all times,
including when you press FREEZE before running the transition.

You cannot run Trailing-type transitions in a reverse direction. If you select a
Trailing-type transition, then move the T-BAR from its up position to the down
position, MXProDV performs a simple dissolve (transition 160).

Auto-Reverse automatically reverses the direction of transitions each time they run.
In the previous building renovation example, you press

REVERSE at the conclusion of

each transition to alternate between left-to-right and right-to-left wipes. When you
use Auto-Reverse, MXProDV handles switching automatically. For example, if the
transition is set to run from left-to-right, it automatically alternates between left-to­right and right-to-left each time it runs.

To invoke the Auto-Reverse feature:

È Enter SHIFT+REVERSE.

With Auto-Reverse activated, MXProDV displays a distinct arrow below the transi­tion’s icon in the Transitions Menu. To manually reverse the current direction even
with Auto-Reverse activated, press

Auto-Reverse remains active until you press
way transitions. Auto-Reverse has no effect on dissolve and trailing transitions.

REVERSE at any time.

SHIFT+REVERSE again to go back to one-

72

NOTE

NOTE

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 5

RUNNING TRANSITIONS

After selecting the CURRENT and NEXT sources and the transition to use, you can
run the transition either automatically or manually.

• Use

• Use the

Running Transitions Automatically

PLAY to run transitions automatically, when you want them to run smoothly

and always the same way.

T-BAR to run transitions manually, when you want fine control over the

way it runs. For example, you can make the transition speed up, slow down, or
even reverse itself at any point.

If you apply the strobe effect to a source, MXProDV automatically turns it off while
the transition runs (see “Strobe” on page 81).

Running a Trailing-type transition to either the Color channel or a channel with no
video source executes a simple dissolve (transition 160).

To run a transition automatically at a predetermined speed:

PLAY

È Press PLAY.

You can pause an automatic transition by pressing
the button, the transition alternately stops and starts until you finally allow it to fin­ish. Although the transition pauses, the video continues to play.

Compare this procedure with FREEZE function (see “Freeze” beginning on page 97),
which freezes the entire picture, transition, and video image.

Running Transitions Manually

Use the T-BAR to manually control transitions. You can change a transition’s speed
and reverse its direction.

Operating the

T-BAR

The T-BAR operates as follows:

• Moving the

• Moving the

T-BAR from the DOWN to UP position runs the transition forward.
T-BAR from the UP to DOWN position runs the transition in reverse.

• Holding down the
this method to reposition the

PLAY again. Each time you press

SHIFT button while moving the T-BAR disables T-BAR operation. Use

T-BAR without running a transition or effect.

CHAPTER 6

INPUT EFFECTS

B&W COLOR CORRECT

B&W NEG COLOR NEG

POSTERIZE CHROMAKEY

FLIP FLIP

MOSAIC STROBE

You can use Input Effects in the following
ways:

• Apply input effects to any source.

• Combine many different input effects
to create entirely new effects.

• Apply input effects to some, none, or
all sources, in any combination.

You cannot use Input Effects:

• With trailing transitions.

• With multi-PIPs.

• In compose mode.

• On the key source in a chromakey.

INPUT EFFECTS

This chapter describes MXProDV Input Effects, which are available in the fol­lowing button group on the MXProDV keyboard.

76

NOTE

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 6

INPUT EFFECTS MENU

Press any input effects button to display the Input Effects Menu — or, press the INPUT

EFFECTS button.

MXProDV does NOT

update the preview

images to show Input

Effects when you set the

Preview mode to

Display Next.

B&W

B&W

NEGATIVE

0 0

POSTERIZE

00

0

0

0

FLIP

VERTICAL

0

0

MOSIAC

COLOR COLOR FLIP STROBE

CORRECT NEGATIVE

When you press one of the input effects buttons (such as
matically selects that effect in the menu. When you press the
MXProDV selects the first item in the menu —

The menu does not contain an icon or settings for the chromakey option. When you
press the CHROMAKEY button, MXProDV takes you directly to the chromakey screen.
See Chapter 10, Chromakey, for details.

B&W.

HORIZONTAL

POSTERIZE), MXProDV auto-

INPUT EFFECTS button,

INPUT EFFECTS SPECIAL K EY COMBINATIONS

Special Key Combinations

Use the following key combinations while working with the Input Effects menu.

Table 7: Input Effects Mode Key Combinations

KEY COMBINATION RESULT

77

ARROW keys

Moves cursor (or, highlight) between the different Input
Effects.

Numeric Keypad Directly sets the parameter value for the highlighted

effect.

INPUT EFFECTS or OK

EFFECTS buttons

Exits from Input Effects mode.

Moves the cursor directly to that effect – for example,
press POSTERIZE to highlight that effect: press MOSAIC to
highlight that effect: and so on.
If the selected effect matches the currently highlighted
one on the Input Effects menu, pressing the EFFECTS but­ton increments the effect’s parameter value by one.

SHIFT+0 (zero)

Resets all effects to 0 (off) for the selected channel.

When you are not working at the Input Effects menu, use the following key
combinations.

Table 8: Main Mode Input Effects Key Combinations

KEY COMBINATION RESULT

SHIFT+EFFECTS button

Increments the parameter value by one for the selected
effect and applies it to the CURRENT source.

SHIFT+INPUT EFFECTS

Temporarily disables and re-enables Input Effects from
being sent to Program out. See the following paragraph.

When the Input Effects LED light is lit, Input Effects are enabled. MXProDV applies
the effects according to the parameter values for each effect.

When you use the

SHIFT+INPUT EFFECTS key combination to disable Input Effects,

MXProDV turns off the LED light. It does not change any effects parameter values,
but it does prevent the current Input Effects from being used. Press

EFFECTS again to enable them.

SHIFT+INPUT

78

NOTE

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 6

USING INPUT EFFECTS

Input effects aren’t visible in the small Preview thumbnails. To make them visible:

1 Make the channel to which the input effects are applied the NEXT source. That is,

press

NEXT/A, B, C, or D.

2 Press the

on page 87); or use the shortcut

DISPLAY button to display the NEXT Preview option (see “Display” beginning

SHIFT+4.

Once you apply an input effect to a channel, it remains in effect at all times (even
during transitions) until you specifically change it, with these exceptions:

• Some effects do not apply to the foreground image while using PIPs, chromakey,
and compose.

• MXPro color correction turns off during transitions if it is enabled on more than
one channel. See “Color Correct” on page 80 for more information.

• MXProDV turns off Strobe during transitions.

• MXProDV turns off all Input Effects during trailing transitions.

Each input effect has associated with it a “parameter” value. In some cases, the value
can be either 0 (zero) or 1. In others, it can range from 0 to 7 or 0 to 9. The Color
Correction option also works a little differently: see “Color Correct” on page 80.

Although the chromakey button is included in the Input Effects group, it is not an
input effect.

To apply a parameter value:

1 Press

INPUT EFFECTS or one of the input effects buttons to display the Input Effects

menu.

2 If you haven’t already done so, use the

ARROW keys or INPUT EFFECTS button to select

the desired Input Effect.

3 Use one of the

For example, press

NEXT buttons to select the source to which you wan to apply the effect.

NEXT/B to apply the effect to channel B.

4 Type the parameter value on the MXProDV numeric keypad, or continue pressing the

corresponding effects key until the parameter value you want appears in the menu.

5 Press

OK or INPUT EFFECTS to exit from Input Effects mode.

MXProDV stores the most recent set of input effects. Therefore, when you turn the
unit off, then turn it back on again, the most recent selection of input effects is still
active.

INPUT EFFECTS B&W

TIP

B&W

Changes the input picture to black and white.
Removes all color from the image.

Parameter Values — Zero or one.
0 = Off: 1 = On

B&W NEG

Reverses all black and white values in the image. If
applied to a color image, reverses all black and white
values but does not change any color values in the
image.

Parameter Values — Zero or one.
0 = Off: 1 = On

79

POSTERIZE

FLIP HORIZONTAL

To create a black and white negative effect, also turn on the B&W effect.

Reduces picture’s continuous tones to fewer levels.
Creates a “painted” look.

Parameter Values — Zero through nine. Zero turns
off the effect.

High values produce an extreme paint effect: low
values create a subtle effect.

Flips picture left-to-right, creating a mirror image.
Parameter Values — Zero or one.
0 = Off: 1 = On

80

CAUTIONCAUTION

TIP

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 6

MOSAIC

COLOR CORRECT

Divides picture into tiles.
Parameter Values — Zero through seven. Zero turns

off the effect.
Low values create numerous, small tiles. High values

create fewer, larger tiles. Highest values might make
image difficult to recognize.

Adjusts overall color values throughout the entire image. You cannot,
however, apply color correction to PIP tiles.

You can set Color Correction values separately for each channel.
Parameter Values — Zero or one.
0 = Off: 1 = On

Apply color correction BEFORE going live or rolling tape. Because of the way
MXProDV implements color correction, the program output might be affected
temporarily.

To use Color Correct:

1 Press

2 Press the

COLOR CORRECT to display the Input Effects menu, or press INPUT EFFECTS then use

the

ARROW keys to highlight the Color Correct icon.

NEXT button that corresponds to the source you want to correct. For exam-

ple, to apply color correction to channel C, press

NEXT/C.

3 Turn on the Color Correct option. That is, either press 1 on the keyboard, or press

COLOR CORRECT so the parameter value equals 1.

4 Move the

JOYSTICK or T-BAR and MXProDV replaces the Input Effects menu with a pre-

view of the color corrected image.

5 Use the
6 Use the
7 When the image looks the way you want, press

Color creation is applied to only one channel at a time. If both the current and next sources are
color corrected, the next source is not corrected during transitions. For this reason you should
use cuts only if both channels are color corrected.

JOYSTICK to adjust the RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) values in the image.
T-BAR to adjust the luminance of the image.

OK to exit from Input Effects mode.

INPUT EFFECTS COLOR N EG

COLOR NEG

Inverts all colors in the image.
Parameter Values — Zero or one.
0 = Off: 1 = On

CHROMAKEY

Chromakey replaces all occurrences
of a color in an image with a differ­ent image. In this example, (1) the
block of color in the first image (the

12

3

area behind Kong’s head) gets
replaced with the image of the
Golden Gate Bridge (2). The result­ing image (3) is Kong superimposed
over the bridge. See Chapter 10,
Chromakey, for complete details.

81

FLIP VERTICAL

STROBE

Flips picture top-to-bottom.
Parameter Values — Zero or one.
0 = Off: 1 = On

Slows down the picture’s video frame rate. Motion appears halting, or
jerky — like that produced by a strobe light. MXProDV automatically dis­ables all strobe settings during transitions.

Parameter Values — Zero through nine. Zero turns off the effect.
Higher values increase the effect. Setting 1, for example, produces the

look of film: setting 2 makes video look like an old movie. Strobe is dis­abled during transitions.

NOTES

CHAPTER 7

DISPLAY

SHIFT-DEMO

SETUP

ROUTE

LEARN

COMPOSE

PIPs

AUDIO MIX

FREEZE

These buttons give you

access to several different

built-in functions.

FUNCTIONS

This chapter describes the Function buttons, which give you access to
MXProDV’s built-in functions. The function button group contains eight but­tons, but gives you access to more than eight functions.

86

DEMO

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 7

Press SHIFT+DEMO to run a demonstration of several MXProDV transitions and other
effects. Demo works in conjunction with the CURRENT and NEXT sources. (If you
have one source selected as CURRENT and NEXT, the demo works with that source
only.) The demo shows many of the effects you can produce with MXProDV.

The demo runs automatically and, upon reaching the end, starts over from the
beginning.

To run the demo:

1 Select the CURRENT and NEXT sources to use for input to the demo.

To use a single source (such as channel A), press
ent sources (such as channels A and B), press
then press

NEXT/B to make it the NEXT source.

CUT/A and NEXT/A. To use two differ-

CUT/A to make it the CURRENT source,

2 Press
3 To exit from the demo, press any key.

Running a Locked Demo

You can run the demo in locked mode, which prevents it being stopped by pressing
any key on the keyboard. This might be useful for running the demo in a kiosk, a
trade show, or anyplace where someone might interrupt it.

To run the demo in Locked mode:

1 Select the CURRENT and NEXT sources to use for input to the demo.

To use a single source (such as channel A), press
ent sources (such as channels A and B), press
then press

2 Press
3 To exit from the locked demo, press

SHIFT+DEMO (or, SHIFT+DISPLAY) to start the demo running.

CUT/A and NEXT/A. To use two differ-

CUT/A to make it the CURRENT source,

NEXT/B to make it the NEXT source.

LEARN+DISPLAY to start the demo.

LEARN+DISPLAY again.

FUNCTIONS DISPLAY

DISPLAY

To control what appears on the Preview monitor, use the DISPLAY function. Press

DISPLAY or use the shortcut keys described here to cycle through the different display

configurations. See samples of these configurations on the next page. The
illustrations show the key combination you can use to directly access any display
configuration.

87

Standard (press

SHIFT+1)– Provides most extensive display. Shows preview images

of all active input sources and a menu of up to 30 different transitions from
which you can choose.

Two Channel (press

SHIFT+2) – Displays preview images for the CURRENT and

NEXT sources. Preview images increase in size, but the Transitions Menu shows
only 20 transitions.

Full (press

SHIFT+3) – Divides preview screen into four sections. Each section

shows a preview image of the currently active input sources. The Transitions
Menu is not available.

Next (press

SHIFT+4) – Displays only a full-screen preview image of the NEXT

source.

Current (press

SHIFT+5) – Displays only a full-screen preview image of the CUR-

RENT source.

When you run a transition, the Preview screen shows a full-screen image, running at
full frame-rate — the same as the signal going through the output channel.

88

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 7

DISPLAY CONFIGURATIONS

Standard – SHIFT+1 Two Channel – SHIFT+2

Transitions

Transitions

Flashing white border

Full – SHIFT+3

Input

Source

Input

Source

indicates CURRENT source,
unless that source is the
COLOR channel.

Input

Source

Input

Source

NEXT Input Source CURRENT Input Source

Current – SHIFT+5Next – SHIFT+4

For all examples on this page,

assume source A is CURRENT and

source B is NEXT. Input sources C

and D show up only when using

Standard or Full options.

Use the shortcut keys or

press

DISPLAY to cycle

through the display options.

FUNCTIONS SETUP

SETUP

The Setup functions control various aspects of the way MXProDV operates, including
Force Field Freeze, GPI Out Mode, Comb Filter, 2-channel Audio Output, and Black
Level.

89

Force Field

Freeze

To access the Setup functions, press

10101

SETUP.

DV

Black
Level

(NTSC only)

GPI Out Mode 2-channel/4-channel Audio Output

Comb Filter

Table 9: Setup Menu Navigation Keys

TO DO THIS FUNCTION: ENTER NOTES

Select a menu option

Enter specific option value

Restore setup values to factory
defaults.

Exit from Setup menu

LEFT or RIGHT ARROW

NUMBER keys

SHIFT+0

OK

Wraps through all
options

If value entered is not
valid, MXProDV sets
to nearest valid value.

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CAUTIONCAUTION

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 7

Force Field Freeze

The Force Field Freeze option lets you specify whether you want MXProDV to per­form a frame or field freeze. This option works in conjunction with the Freeze feature
(see “Freeze” on page 97).

Frame Freeze produces best quality, but it might produce a jittering effect when trying
to freeze objects in motion. In such cases, use a Field Freeze.

GPI Out Mode

This setting determines whether MXProDV provides a GPI output to an external
device, such as a character generator, thereby allowing you to trigger an external
event based on an action from the MXProDV. Set the value to 0 (zero) to use
MXProDV with an edit controller, such as the Videonics Edit Suite or Video ToolKit.
Set the value to 1 to enable GPI output to trigger a character generator, such as the
Videonics TitleMaker.

Field Freeze – MXProDV freezes only every other line of the image. This produces a
fast freeze, but image quality degrades somewhat. To use Field Freeze, set the
Force Field Freeze option to 1.

Frame Freeze – MXProDV freezes every line in the image. The freeze takes slightly
longer, but the image quality matches the original because it uses all of the video
signal. To use Frame Freeze, set the Force Field Freeze option to 0 (zero).

MXProDV also accepts values 2 through 4 for this option. However, using any of
these values might cause your equipment to malfunction and should not be used.

See “Using a GPI Device” beginning on page 152 for relevant information.

Comb Filter

This option can be used in some cases to affect the quality of the video coming from
an input source. Normally, you should leave this set at the default – 1 or On. Change
it only if asked to do so by a Videonics Customer Support Representative.

2/4-Channel Audio Output

Specifies whether the audio output of MXProDV will be 4-channel or 2-channel. The
default is 4-channel (field value = 0). To select 2-channel audio output, change the
field value to 1 (one).

For DV, 2-channel audio output provides the highest quality output (48 kHz, 16 bits).
However, if you select 2-channel output, your DV audio sources must be 48 kHz, too;
32 kHz DV audio sources cannot be used. Any analog audio inputs can be used. If
you select 2-channel output, you get two pairs of analog audio outputs on the
MXProDV rear panel: L1 + R1 and L2 + R2.

Selecting 4-channel audio output provides high quality DV audio (32 kHz, 12 bits)
and lets you use both 32 kHz and 48 kHz DV audio inputs. Any analog audio input
can be used. The analog audio outputs on the rear panel of MXProDV will play chan­nels 1 and 2 on the L1 + R1 jacks and channels 3 and 4 on the L2 + R2 jacks.

FUNCTIONS 2/4-CHANNEL AUDIO OUTPUT

Select 2-channel or 4-channel output based on your recorder capabilities and on
your quality needs. The choice you make for this option affects several other
MXProDV choices/displays:

Table 10: MXProDV Audio Channel Options

FEATURE PARAMETER VALUE = 0 PARAMETER VALUE = 1

91

2-channel / 4-channel
Output

DV Audio Output 32 kHz, 12-bit samples 48 kHz, 16-bit samples

Analog Audio Output Provides one 4-channel out-

Usable Audio Input Input can be analog audio

Route Menu The Audio 2 section of the

Audio Mixer The volume sliders are seg-

4-channel output 2-channel output

Provides two pairs of out­put (Output jacks L1+R1=
pair 1; L2+R2=pair 2).

(IN1-4) or 32 kHz DV or 48
kHz DV.

44.1 kHz DV audio can
NOT be used; it will be
either muted or distorted.

Route menu is enabled.
This is where you select the
audio to be routed to chan­nels 3 and 4 (pair 2).

mented. Left segment
adjusts volume for channels
1&2; right side adjusts
channels 3&4; middle
adjusts all four channels.

puts (Output jacks L1+R1

and L2+R2 each carry the

same pair of signals)

Input can be analog input

(IN1-4) or 48 kHz DV.

32 kHz and 44.1 kHz DV

audio can NOT be used. If

used, the audio will be

muted or distorted.

The Audio 2 section of the

Route menu is disabled

(since channels 3 and 4 are

not used).

The volume slider is not

segmented. Channels 1&2

are adjusted to the same

level.

Headphone audio and
icons

Toggling the headphones
(SHIFT+AUDIO/VIDEO) alter­nates the headphone audio
between current audio
(channels 1&2), current
audio (channels 3&4), next
audio (channels 1&2) and
next audio (channels 3&4).
The headphone icon is pre­ceded by a 1 or a 2 to indi­cate whether you are listen­ing to pair 1 (channels 1&2)
or pair 2 (channels

3&4): ,

2

1

Toggling the headphones

(SHIFT+AUDIO/VIDEO) alter-

nates the headphone audio

between the current and

next audio sources.

92

NOTE

MXPRODV USER GUIDE CHAPTER 7

Black Level

ROUTE

NTSC Video equipment commonly uses one of two black level settings:

• 7.5 IRE – The traditional black, which is the MXProDV default setting.

• 0 IRE – A darker black level used in Japan.
To use the darker black (0 IRE) for the MXProDV background and border colors, set

Black Level to 0 (zero).
If you are working with equipment that requires 7.5 IRE, set Black Level to 1.

Black is 0 IRE in PAL systems; there is no 7.5 IRE choice.

The Route function determines which audio and video inputs are connected to
which channels of MXProDV.

MXProDV has four audio/video channels (A, B, C and D), a color channel and a
background audio channel. You can route any of your audio/video inputs to any
audio/video channel, and you can route any audio input to the color and back­ground audio channels.

Defaults

MXProDV ships from the factory with the following defaults (see the illustration on
page 93):

• DV IN 1’s video and audio (channels 1 and 2) are routed to channel A.

• DV IN 2’s video and audio (channels 1 and 2) are routed to channel B.

• Video IN (Y/C) 3’s video and analog Audio IN 3 are routed to channel C.

• Video IN (Y/C) 4’s video and analog Audio IN 4 are routed to channel D.

• No audio is routed to the Color channel (mute selected).

• Audio IN 4’s analog audio is routed to the background audio channel.
Unless your VCRs and camcorders are connected as described above, you may not

see any video on the preview or output screens. If this occurs, or if you want to
change which sources are routed to which channels, you will need to change the
default routing.