DEITY TC SL1 Smart Timecode Slate

[@ChiefNonsense]

Don’t need. Want.

[@curtisjudd]

Ditto!

[@wkmpellucid]

Doing multiple takes shooting docs time code really comes in handy.

[@curtisjudd]

@@wkmpellucid agreed.

[@ChiefNonsense]

@@wkmpellucid agreed. I do mostly 3 camera interviews and with two tentacle sync boxes and a zoom F6, I can feed timecode to all three. Saves me a ton of time. I also have a couple of GoPros I use on some livestream work for big events. Kind of liking the idea that a slate visible to te GoPros would allow me to work them into my existing interview type workflow.

[@sereyratanakvann4391]

Many thanks, Curtis.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Love the simple explanatioms. Nicely done!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks, Kevin!

[@onocoffee]

When this was first announced at the price point for the slate, I was a bit skeptical - especially when the industry tested Denecke isn't considerably more. But learning more about it really makes it a compelling option. I just wish I was back in a situation where I truly needed timecode capabilities. Now, it's just KZbin for me and not quite needed for the shoots I'm doing. Great vid, thanks Curtis!

[@curtisjudd]

🙏👍

[@mathewcoulliette2233]

Hi Curtis, Just wanted to say “Hi”! I love your videos; they are always fun and informative. Keep up the good work. Thanks, Mathew

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks so much Matthew. Great to hear from you.

[@darrenorange2982]

I think that for most a standard slate is fine so long as you have timecode. I feel like most lower budget production can spend money else where and get more bang for buck use, but for bigger budget things for sure get it.

[@curtisjudd]

Yes, I agree.

[@oceangross]

Your videos are awesome. Love how refined they are! Thank you

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks!

[@andreimanilkin5339]

Perfect! As always. Thank you and a million likes!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@ekumusicYT]

We love your style, Curtis!🤗

[@curtisjudd]

🙏

[@SalsaBailaProductions]

Finally i understand time code thanks Curtis

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@AllenCavedo]

Curtis, Here’s something you could show us that I have never seen anywhere else. We always hear how useful a slate is for redundant syncing in post, or for syncing cameras that do not have TC ports like a GoPro. Please show us how to use a slate display in post to sync up to timecoded audio. I know many self taught editors and none of them have ever done this and I question if they could figure it out. My guess is you will make it look easy and that would be useful. Thanks.

[@markbernhardt6281]

I think you just have to bring in the audio channel for the camera with no TC and look for the huge spike the clap makes when it slaps down

[@AllenCavedo]

@@markbernhardt6281 You miss my point. What you describe is standard dumb slate syncing which has been done since talkies first appeared. I asked to see how a smart slate digital display is used to sync to a timecoded audio track.

[@petet66]

If you aren't using the timecode to automatically sync hen you cna do it by eye. The display on the slate freezes to show the exact frame that the clap happened. So you cna place a marker on each video clip at that frame in your editing software. Similarly you can find the timecode reference in your audio file and place a marker at that exact frame. Then you simply line up the makers on your editing timeline. Tnis is really useful as you can find that, in the audio clip, the sound of the clap goes across of couple of frames which makes precise sync harder to do "by ear".

[@spritual_enlightenment]

Expensive but worth it.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@ErynKnight]

Pausing the video, and using the "," and "." keys to frame skip, I must say, that frame sync with the LED display is perfect. Nice to see something that's a bit more dynamic than a traditional seven seg display too! Still far too pricey for a quartz clock and a display costing no more than $28.

[@curtisjudd]

👍 Do temperature compensated crystal oscillators only cost $28 USD?

[@physiqueDrummond]

the PCF2129AT from NXP is 6USD in quantity (±3 ppm from -15 C to +60 C) and this is a whole TCXO driven clock-calendar (RTC), not just the crystal

[@LearnLightAndSoundSessions]

@@physiqueDrummond Why do you suppose Timecode generators cost so much more than that, then? My product management experience suggests a bunch of other costs plus some margin are involved.

[@physiqueDrummond]

@@LearnLightAndSoundSessions are we talking about TC generators in general or this slate in particular? This device seems over engineered, which is kind of a fashion statement for the owners who can afford them. But unibody aluminum case, really? I can understand the need of magnesium subframe for camera packing top notch CPU, sensors and all, but for a _clock_ and some wireless boards? So @ErynKnight is probably right, 30$ electronics, 170$ case and assembly, and X5 from BOM to COGS (BOM= Bill of Materials and COGS = Cost of Goods Sold) and voilà! 1000$ price tag. BOM to COGS factor varies from 5x to 10x depending of your fixed manufacturing cost (R&D, injection moulds, etc...) and the number of units you plan to sell. ex Apple is selling its iphone 12 at 4x. Surely there is a market for no-brainer slate and TC systems without fancy cases. I'll try to start a DIY FOSS community around those... 🙂

[@curtisjudd]

@@physiqueDrummond I don't know how much you've worked on sets, but my experience has been that over-engineered is desirable to stand up to the rigors of set work. This is not really a device aimed at KZbinrs or even low-budget corporate or commercial work. It looks to be aimed at bigger budget sets - probably at least $50,000 projects and up. To your point, however, I would say that there is probably a market for more affordable implementations and I'd love to see a DIY kit.

[@markbernhardt6281]

This clapper is crazy, you could even get a white balance measurement off it!

[@curtisjudd]

It is pretty handy!

[@themusicofguthrielowe1592]

I like this...much more affordable than the Denecke...you could get the slate and three pack of timecode generators for the same price as the TS-C or TS-3.... Any reason to lean one way or the other? I'd love a smart slate comparison vid. And as for those asking about the necessity and the price, for sound mixers, it's gear like this that bumps your day rate up from 300/day to 400-600/day and increases your kit fee in indie world. Majorly worth it

[@curtisjudd]

I’d love to do a comparison, just need the funds to do that. 👍

[@jimfoon]

If you're trying to bump your kit fee with just a slate then you could definitely get this one and for god sakes get timecode lockits immediately! I own a Denecke TSC and have been using the Deity SL1 on a shoot for a few weeks now so I'll share some quick thoughts. SL1 has some great modern features like the dual battery slot and Bluetooth sync, USB c charging and an app etc however, the build quality just simply isn't there IMO. It feels like if I dropped it maybe 10 times it'll break. My TSC is a tank and in reality the battery lasts for months worth of shoots and I just let a hot spare in the soft case with rechargeable NiMh loaded in there. ACs/PAswill drop this thing all the time and that's who is going to be using it 90% of the time. I think the TSC also has a much better brighter and dimmer blue backlight.

[@rreynolds1768]

I notified the finish is sort of a matte and not “glass” like the denecke. Curious with AC’s using p touch and also some people actually using sharpies, does this present an issue in getting a “clean slate” 😅

[@curtisjudd]

Possibly. I’m not using permanent markers on mine because I want it to last.

[@wkmpellucid]

The plan is to add the Deity Time Code Slate, DEITY TC-1 Timecode Boxes to work with Sony FX30 and Sound Devices MixPre 3 II.

[@curtisjudd]

Good plan and happy recording!

[@DaCarnival]

I would skip the slate (but get the timecode boxes), buy a normal slate and get a nice lens or mic instead...

[@wkmpellucid]

@@DaCarnival I've got the lenses and several nice mics.

[@genjii931]

@@wkmpellucid more lighting? Better craft services?

[@OH8STN]

Thank you for sharing 🙏

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for listening!

[@chakerian]

6:18 btw, I don't think you can jam using the 1/4 jack. You can use the slate to jam other things using that port, but for some reason it doesn't take a jam on the phono jack.

[@curtisjudd]

It is an output only so you can use the slate as a master and jam something else to it.

[@saidcisneros2933]

Awesome video, Thanks!

[@curtisjudd]

You're welcome!

[@cameranerdsmedia]

me thinking Curtis wears pink nail polish on the b -roll

[@curtisjudd]

LOL! That’s Emma in this case.

[@twotone3070]

A question. So if the clocks on consumer grade cameras are not stable enough to hold the sync, does this mean that the frame rate is varying in them as well? If this is the case then would a time code not match up with the actual frames as they are recorded?

[@curtisjudd]

Timecode is only used to mark the start point of the recording. If you need to ensure no drift, then genlock is the tool you’re looking for. But it is usually only pro level gear with supports genlock.

[@johnpaulporitz]

Nice overall look in this video. Were you using any filtration or simply reduced the sharpening? You mention in the video description Schneider Radiant Soft. Which filter intensity do you use? Thanks!

[@curtisjudd]

Yes, thanks. Radiant soft 1 - just a touch.

[@johnpaulporitz]

@@curtisjudd Thank you!

[@digitten]

Would you use a timecode generator on your audio recorder/mixer like the MixPre 10 or use it as the master to jam the rest of your boxes?

[@curtisjudd]

You could go either way. But If you want the ability to rejam wirelessly and you have the budget, you could attach one to your MixPre and keep it attached through the filming session.

[@markowens8255]

This is off topic but here goes, Hi Curtis, my question is I have the Zoom F3 recorder (it is on it's way) and have purchased the Atomos ultrasync blue for time code ,can I sync the Ultrasync blue as a slave from my Zoom F6 or Zoom F8n Pro and then sync the timecode to the Zoom F3, I don't want to purchase the ultrasync one just for this recorder as I already have some tentacle Sync's

[@curtisjudd]

Hi Marc, I have to confess I'm not sure as that's a workflow I've never tried. Might be best to contact ATOMOS support who should be able to confirm for you.

[@thatcherfreeman]

I honestly am not sure I understand the specific use case where a timecode slate + timecode sent to your camera is better than a normal slate with timecode sent to your camera. My best guess is if you've somehow botched the timecode signal sent to your camera, then you can use the timecode slate to type in the corrected timecode at the point of the clap, but arguably you could fetch the correct timecode from your audio device at that point in time and shift your camera timecodes by the delta to correct the error. Just not sure what scenario the screen on the slate protects you from.

[@curtisjudd]

It is another cue that can be used to identify the video clip (eg if you set timecode to time of day) and troubleshoot issues if the timecode to the camera didn’t work for whatever reason (cable pullout, dead battery, etc)

[@thatcherfreeman]

@@curtisjudd Troubleshooting is a good point, didn't think of that!

[@JimRobinson-colors]

We used to have the playback for music videos on an IPAD and just held it up to all the cameras after starting them, just for that reason.

[@thatcherfreeman]

@demarsman2 But beyond "just the looks of it", I guess the question is what functionality does the timecode slate add to your production? For you, it just for redundancy if the various TC boxes to your cameras go out of sync?

[@curtisjudd]

@@thatcherfreeman Editorial uses it to have all the information in one place, visually, at the start of each clip. Same for the team which puts together and views dailies.

[@skakdosmer]

Fascinating. I think I'll get one .... when the price comes down to, say .... $40. Until that happens, I'll just use my analog slate.

[@curtisjudd]

Good. 🎬

[@driftwoodtv]

Is it drop proof? Has it been tested being dropped from handling height on to concrete? What kind of protection is available?

[@curtisjudd]

I haven't dropped my copy. I think it will depend on how it lands.

[@RustyTube]

Impressive.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@JonathanSeni]

Probably a stupid question as I'm new to this timecode thing: If there's no need to rejam every few seconds is it possible to use may be one TC1, then jam every camera then leave it on the recorder, and only rejam cameras whenever you stop and start?

[@wkmpellucid]

You might get away from not re-jamming. I will test with the setup mentioned above and see.

[@curtisjudd]

Cameras drift so unless you’re just looking to “get in the ballpark” and then manually fine-tune each clip, you’ll want a timecode generator for each camera.

[@curtisjudd]

@demarsman2 Exactly - and most of the sets I've worked on were Sony and RED. 🤪

[@SoundSpeeding]

Cameras are in general SH*T at keeping time accurately. You MUST have a timecode box on every camera at all times.

[@SoundSpeeding]

@demarsman2 even ARRI has been known to have timecode issues... such as with the early AMIRAs. Do you want to be the first person to discover a new bug with ARRI's timecode? Nope! Put a timecode box on them.

[@baekmedier]

is it possible to use it with 2x tentacle sync track E? and 2x tentacle sync? or does people who invested in those have to sell it and buy all diety?

[@curtisjudd]

Yes, but you’ll have to jam sync via cable, not wirelessly.

[@baekmedier]

@@curtisjudd okay, fair enough

[@Harshaw007]

@@curtisjudd Do you feel it's needed to keep your timecode box hardwired to the slate or can I jam and unplug?

[@curtisjudd]

@@Harshaw007 no, the slate has an in-built generator so you should jam and disconnect external generators.

[@northislandnow8858]

Too bad this can't work on 120 fps.

[@curtisjudd]

Set it to 30 which is a multiple of 120.

[@JimRobinson-colors]

Even at that price - it looks to be something that is way overpriced. Not sure why a company that makes the add ons ( Tentacle ) Don't just produce one of these slates for people that don't have the budget? It can't cost that much to make. This looks like many other fine products in the industry, to be overpriced because there will be a market that buys it. With some of these products if they lowered the prices to something reasonable, they would sell thousands instead of hundreds. The return on investment is always a gamble and is probably an indicator as to why it is 1k instead of 3 or 4 hundred dollars. Where I live they built a toll bridge that people just drove around it ( longer way ) because the toll was too high. The government then looked at that and decided that the answer was to raise the toll to make up for the lack of use. Next election, new government took the toll off the bridge as a campaign promise. Now everyone uses it.

[@curtisjudd]

If it is not worth $1000 to to a person given their work, they should not buy it. This is true in my mind for any product. The TCXO clock, aluminum unibody, and walnut sticks probably push the cost above $300. There’s also the engineering time - remember that the cost of a product is never just the cost of the parts. Timecode smart slates are super niche and if they made one that was priced at $300, I’d be super wary of it, in terms of quality.

[@JimRobinson-colors]

@@curtisjudd I know that the costs include all facets of the product. I personally think that the price factor stops them from selling to masses- I was referring to return on investment. Over the years I have watched company after company go into bankruptcy, taking the high road on film gear. It is probably top notch for quality, but again, a 1000.00 is pricing it to a niche customer base. Selling thousands of product over selling hundreds, will get that return faster for engineering and marketing etc. With the tech of today, the actual practicality can be developed at a way lower price - especially in quantities. It seems to me we always seem to have to decide on really expensive or complete crap. The ones that hit the middle are the ones that seem to stick. Case in point - a follow focus can be well over a thousand dollars and you can buy a crappy one for 40.00 - Of course it is easy to see how much better the top end one is and how crappy the cheap one is. But given the mechanism in a follow focus ( gears etc. ) one wouldn't expect to pay that high of a price to get a good one. So sorry about not agreeing with you. Price point has always been a topic of discussion for any product. -Over price and you get less sales, but you make larger profits, but risk the loss in sales. lower the price and every filmmaker at any level might buy your product and have it in their bag.

[@curtisjudd]

@@JimRobinson-colors understood. I’m just saying that neither of us know the true cost of this product. As far as I’m aware, it is the least expensive smart slate available on the market today. How much of that $1000 price is margin? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t assume that it is large.

[@JimRobinson-colors]

@demarsman2 i was referring to the simple mechanical follow focus where it turns on manual pull.

[@SoundSpeeding]

How on earth can you call this "overpriced" when it is cheaper than all of its competition?? That's totally irrational.

[@willvazquez3218]

Piece of junk, terrible customer service. After two months the small screen on the back stopped working. I emailed support which took forever for them to get back to me, and now I've been waiting for nearly a month as to when they will ship replacement. I keep on getting the runaround and excuses like supply chain issues, etc, meanwhile everyone has this slate in stock, including distributors. People need to know that if they buy this and it stops working, they will not get professional customer service. You're just gambling $1000. I feel as if I will never get my replacement slate. They won't give an answer as to when. Everything is up in the air. Sucks. I'm bummed.

[@curtisjudd]

Sorry to hear, but thanks so much for sharing. Customer support is a big part of the overall experience and your experience with them is not sounding promising.

[@JeffBourke]

This is neato but my $15 mini slate is so much better than clap sync.

[@curtisjudd]

Yes, it provides more info, for sure.

[@rawcam16mm57]

I made a film and I didn't need this. This if you have money to waste no need for a slate if you have timecode anyways.

[@curtisjudd]

What was the budget for your film and how many paid actors and crew?

[@rawcam16mm57]

@@curtisjudd it was around 8.6k and we had 3 crew (shot during pandemic) 12 paid actors.

[@rawcam16mm57]

@@curtisjudd 92% of sync was done automatically thanks to the auto sync function on davinci resolve. Gotta love scratch audio.

[@curtisjudd]

@@rawcam16mm57 nice. In the video I suggested that a tool like this makes most sense in the context of bigger productions.

[@rawcam16mm57]

@@curtisjudd some times it dosn't i was in a big production for a movie they where using a similar timecode slate they wern't using timecode just the slate old school way.