Blackmagic Cintel Scanner User Manual  Optional Audio and KeyKode Reader

The optional Audio and KeyKode Reader expands your Cintel scanner’s capabilities by capturing optical and magnetic soundtracks at any speed, from slow to faster than real time. It can also scan KeyKode information about the frame’s position in the reel and film stock used.

The reader has the following components.

1. Optical audio tracking knob 2. Magnetic audio head 3. Optical audio scanner
4. Capstan roller cleaning knob 5. Capstan roller
6. KeyKode scanner 7. Headphone port 8. USB firmware port

By lacing your film through the upper section of the reader, you can extract optical and magnetic soundtracks from your film.

When film is laced through the reader’s lower section, you can capture KeyKode information. KeyKode data is located near the perforation area on some negative film stocks and typically contains data about the position of frames within a reel, information to help identify the film roll, and additional details such as the type of film stock. The scanned information is saved as metadata within each Cintel Raw frame.

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TIP Your Cintel scanner can still capture optical soundtrack information without the Audio and KeyKode Reader attached. Simply use the extract audio feature in the DaVinci Resolve film scanner panel after you have scanned your film. For more information on extracting optical audio see the ‘extracting audio’ section in this manual.

Attaching the Audio and KeyKode Reader

The reader is powered by your scanner’s left options interface, which is the 6 pin accessory XLR connector underneath the feeding spool.

To attach the Audio and KeyKode Reader to your Cintel Sanner:

1. First make sure power is disconnected from your Cintel scanner.

2. On the reader’s upper adjustment knob, you’ll find a small retention screw recessed into one side. Use a 1.5mm Allen key to loosen this screw and slide the knob off its spindle. This lets you remove the reader’s upper cover. Use a 1.5mm allen key to loosen the adjustment knob’s retention screw, then remove the knob from its spindle

3. Remove the upper and lower covers from the Audio and KeyKode Reader by unscrewing the 6 x M3 screws with a 2.5mm Allen key. The screws are ‘captive’ so they remain attached to the reader. Removing the covers gives you access to the captive screws needed to attach the reader to your Cintel scanner. Remove the upper and lower covers from the reader by unscrewing the six M3 cover screws. As they are captive screws, you only need to unscrew them a short distance until they release contact, as shown in the image above.

4. Remove the four M4 screw plugs from your Cintel scanner using a 2mm Allen key. The correct screws are the top left screw, and bottom two screws located beneath the left options interface XLR connector.

5. Mount the reader to your scanner by plugging its male XLR connector into the female XLR left options interface connector on your Cintel scanner.

6. Fasten the Audio and KeyKode Reader to your scanner using the 3 x captive M3 screws, ensuring it is seated flat to the deckplate before tightening. Plug the reader into the left options interface XLR connector and fasten the reader to your Cintel scanner using the three captive M3 screws.

7. Reattach the Audio and KeyKode Reader covers and tighten the cover screws. Reattach the upper adjustment knob and lightly tighten the retention screw to the flat side of the spindle.

Reattach the reader’s covers by tightening the six captive M3 screws and reattach the adjustment knob by tightening the screw against the flat edge of the spindle.

Reading Audio

With the Audio and KeyKode Reader attached, your scanner can record optical audio information from 35 and 16mm film and magnetic audio information from 16mm film.

Lacing Film

To start recording audio information in real time, the first thing you’ll need to do is lace your film through the reader’s audio path. The correct lacing path is shown below.

Lace film through the Audio and KeyKode Reader’s upper section to read audio

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NOTE When scanning optical audio pay particular attention to the position of the 16mm and 35mm scanning LEDs. 35mm is closer to the Cintel chassis, while 16mm is further away.

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TIP When film is laced through the reader’s audio path, DaVinci Resolve will automatically record audio and add it to your clips. Alternatively, if it is laced through the lower path no audio will be recorded.

Setting the Reader for Audio Scanning

Once your film is laced, go to DaVinci Resolve’s film scanner panel and set the ‘use film’ and ‘audio type’ settings in the reader accessory pane. The option you choose in the ‘audio source’ menu will change the options available in the ‘use film’ and ‘audio type’ menus.

These settings let you set which function you want your reader to perform, for example setting the reader to scan KeyKode information, or to different audio types, for example optical or magnetic audio.

The audio and KeyKode reader pane in DaVinci Resolve’s film scanner panel lets you change the ‘use film’ option between KeyKode and audio scanning

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TIP The available options will differ depending on the type of film you have loaded. For example, magnetic audio is available when 16mm is set as the film type in DaVinci Resolve’s film scanner panel.

Audio Source

Select the source for the audio to accompany the images you scan.

• None: No audio track. Options for ‘use film’ and ‘audio’ type are unavailable.

• Audio and KeyKode Reader: Read optical or magnetic audio from the film using the Audio and KeyKode Reader.

• External Audio: Select this option to accept analog audio or AES/EBU digital audio via the external XLR audio ports.

Use Film

Use these settings to determine the reader’s KeyKode or audio reading functions. For information on reading KeyKode data, refer to the ‘Reading KeyKode’ section.

The settings for the audio reader include:

• Optical Audio: Choose this setting when you want to scan audio from an optical audio track. You can tell if the audio track is optical by inspecting the film. If you’re scanning 35mm or 16mm film and see a continuous waveform or a long, tightly packed series of stripes down one side, your print has an optical soundtrack.

• Optical Audio Narrow Track: When scanning optical audio, film shrinkage and the variables inherent in printing will occasionally mean that your film’s optical soundtrack is smaller than the area scanned by your Audio and KeyKode Reader. This can result in the audio reader scanning perforations or image data on either side of the sound track, which causes interference in the audio. In this event, adjusting the reader’s tracking knob can help improve the audio, but if that is unsuccessful and the audio track is problematic, then you can select ‘optical audio narrow track’ from the ‘use film’ menu. This will reduce the area your reader scans by about twenty percent, limiting the unwanted areas around the optical track and improving the quality of the audio scan. For more information about the tracking feature on the audio reader, refer to the ‘tracking’ information later in this section.

• Magnetic Audio: If you want to scan the magnetic striped audio track on 16mm film, set the ‘use film’ setting to ‘magnetic audio’. You can identify magnetic striped audio audio track on 16mm film by looking for a black strip next to the frames. The black strip will be copper colored on the emulsion side of the film.
  
  NOTE When scanning magnetic stripe audio, we recommend setting your scan speed to 24 frames per second for proper equalization. Scanning at other speeds may require pitch adjustment in post.

Audio Type

• Stereo or Mono Audio: Once you’ve selected the appropriate ‘use film’ option, choose your audio type from the ‘audio type’ menu. You can easily tell whether optical audio is stereo or mono by inspecting your film. If you see two waveforms side by side, your film has a stereo soundtrack. If you only see one waveform, or the packed stripes of variable density audio, your film has a mono soundtrack. Magnetic audio is always mono.

Choose ‘stereo’ or ‘mono’ audio depending on the type of audio on the film

External Audio

From audio source, click on the pull down menu and select ‘external audio’.

When ‘external audio’ is selected, the XLR audio inputs on the side panel of Cintel Scanner can accept analog audio or AES/EBU digital audio. Select an appropriate option from the ‘format’ menu:

• Analog: Choose this setting if you are using balanced analog audio.

• AES/EBU: Use this option to receive AES/EBU audio, also known as AES3.

Flip Image

If the image is reversed when scanning audio from negative film types, tick the ‘flip image’ checkbox.

Enable the ‘flip image’ option to mirror the frame.

Sync Output

Use the ‘sync output’ menu to choose a sync standard if the scanner is connected via an XLR port on the side panel to external equipment that requires synchronization.

Bi-phase and timecode output options in the ‘sync output’ menu

‘Bi-phase’ outputs two single ended quadrature signals on the standard audio XLR3 differential pair, so direction and frequency can be sensed at the rate you select. ‘Timecode frame synchronized’ outputs a single timecode value per transported frame. ‘Timecode fps playback run’ outputs timecodes at a fixed rate determined by your project’s film frame rate. The voltage output automatically switches between 4.5V for Bi-phase and 1.5V for Timecode selections.

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NOTE Timecode output is supported for 24, 25 and 30 fps free running or frame locked. Timecode output is unavailable for other frame rates.

Capture speed

When the Audio and KeyKode Reader is installed and configured to capture audio, your Cintel scanner’s maximum scan speed will be capped to 125% of your film’s target frame rate. For example, when scanning film intended for 24 frame per second playback, your scanner’s maximum scan speed will be 30 frames per second. This ensures a 48 kHz sample rate.

Tracking

As the positioning of optical soundtracks can vary slightly from print to print, it is important to ensure that your reader is scanning the correct audio area on the film. The tracking feature on the audio reader lets you make fine adjustments to the position of the optical audio scanning head to ensure you are getting the best possible quality.

To use the tracking feature:

1. Plug a set of headphones or an audio analyzer into your reader’s 3.5mm headphone jack. Lift open the rubber dust cover to access the connector.

2. With headphones on, or an analyzer plugged in, use your scanner’s transport controls to shuttle to a place in the film where audio is present and play the film.

3. While listening to, or analyzing, the audio of your film, rotate the tracking knob clockwise or counterclockwise. The tracking knob is located on the upper section of your reader. As you adjust the tracking knob, the scanning head will move closer or further away from the film’s edge so you can refine its position over the optical track. You will also hear the loudness and clarity of the audio change as the tracking is adjusted. An audio analyzer will operate on the same principle, but with more precision, as you move the tracking knob.

For stereo tracks, simply make adjustments until you find the optimum position where both channels are equally strong and clear with no distortion.

For mono audio, it’s effective to set the audio type to stereo when adjusting the tracking. This lets you use the left and right stereo channels to center the track, which will ensure the mono track will scan at the best quality. However, don’t forget to reset the audio type to mono after you have optimized the tracking.

The Audio and KeyKode Reader’s headphone jack is behind a rubber dust cover at the bottom of the reader

Previewing Audio via HDMI and the Headphones Jack

Film soundtracks are printed several frames ahead of the images they sync to, therefore, your Cintel scanner automatically delays the audio so it is synced to the picture via the HDMI output and also synced in the scanned clip.

The headphones jack outputs real time, non-synced audio directly from the soundtrack.

This means that when you make tracking adjustments, you can hear the difference immediately without a delay.

Rotating the tracking knob adjusts the position of the audio head so you can improve the quality of the optical audio scan

When capturing optical audio, your reader will dim its LED light if the reader’s film roller is not turning. The reader conforms to the status of your scanner, so if the scanner enters sleep mode, the reader will too.

Tracking with Magnetic Audio

The Audio and KeyKode Reader’s magnetic audio head comes preconfigured from the factory and shouldn’t need adjustment. The nature of magnetic audio means that a small amount of overlap shouldn’t cause distortion as these areas don’t carry magnetic information. There is also typically less variation in the placement of magnetic soundtracks during the printing process, and the reader’s magnetic head is slightly oversize to help compensate for any misalignment.

Advanced Tracking

In addition to the tracking adjustments listed here, the reader also supports:

• Magnetic audio azimuth and tracking adjustment

• Optical audio azimuth adjustment

• Optical audio focus adjustment

For most users, these changes will never be necessary. For information on these advanced adjustments, contact your Blackmagic Support Center at www.blackmagicdesign.com/support.

Commencing your scan

Once you have set your audio type and adjusted the tracking, simply commence your scan as detailed in the section ‘Scanning One or More Sections of Film.’

It’s worth noting that DaVinci Resolve will not begin writing a file until it has synchonized audio and video information being sent from your scanner. As audio information is printed a few frames ahead of its corresponding frame, this means there will be a brief pause of approximately one second between your scanner reaching speed and your scan appearing on screen.

Reading KeyKode

When scanning KeyKode data, lacing the film is exactly the same as lacing film without the reader attached. The film will naturally pass through the KeyKode reader as it travels between the rollers through to the skid plate. The correct lacing path is shown below.

Lace film through your Audio and KeyKode Reader’s lower section to scan KeyKode data

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NOTE When capturing KeyKode information make sure that the KeyKode section of your film passes over the scanning LED.

Setting the Reader for KeyKode Scanning

After you lace film through the KeyKode reader and tension it, you need to configure your Cintel scanner to read KeyKode. Go to the DaVinci Resolve film scanner panel and in the ‘use film’ menu select ‘KeyKode Perforations’ or ‘KeyKode Frames’. When you export a DPX file, KeyKode information will be represented in frames or perforations accordingly.

Select ‘KeyKode Perforations’ or ‘KeyKode Frames’ from the ‘use film’ menu to scan KeyKode data on negative film prints

Use Film

Use these settings to determine the reader’s KeyKode or audio reading functions. For information on audio reading, refer to the ‘Setting the Reader for Audio Scanning’ section.

The settings for the KeyKode reader include:

• KeyKode Perforations: Select ‘KeyKode Perforations’ to record KeyKode based on the perforation count.

• KeyKode Frames: Select ‘KeyKode Frames’ with any type of film to record KeyKode accurate to the frame count.

The reader will now scan any KeyKode information present on the film and save it as metadata in each clip. You can also see the KeyKode metadata displayed at the top of the viewer within DaVinci Resolve’s film scanner panel.

To view the information, simply click on the viewer options icon at the top right corner of the viewer and select ‘KeyKode’ from the menu.

Set the viewer to display KeyKode data by clicking on the viewer options in the top right corner and selecting ‘KeyKode’ from the menu

KeyKode information is often captured for inclusion in DPX digital intermediates, as detailed in the next section, but this metadata is also available for use in the ‘edit’ and ‘color’ panes of DaVinci Resolve just like any other metadata.

Transcoding to DPX including KeyKode Metadata

If you want to, you can also set DaVinci Resolve to transcode your scans to the DPX file format, which will retain all the KeyKode metadata.

To transcode your scans to DPX:

1. Go to the menu bar at the top of the screen and click on ‘File’, then select media management.

2. In the media management window, click on the ‘clips’ icon to transcode all clips individually, and select transcode.

3. Set your media destination by browsing to your chosen storage folder and click OK.

4. Enable the ‘transcode all media’ radio button to transcode all the media on your timeline.

5. In the video settings, set the video format to ‘DPX’ and choose your desired codec setting.

6. The resolution will automatically match your timeline resolution, but you can change the setting if you want to transcode to a different resolution. You can also set it to match your clips’ source resolution by enabling the ‘render at source resolution’ checkbox.

7. In the audio settings, choose the number of audio channels you want to include in your DPX files, or select ‘same as source’ to match the audio in the source clips. Also set your desired audio bit depth. The DaVinci icons at the bottom of the window will let you know the current size of your media, and the size of the media once it has been transcoded to DPX files.

8. Click ‘start’.

All the clips on your timeline will now be transcoded to DPX files with the KeyKode embedded. For more information about transcoding your Cintel Raw files to other formats, refer to the Media Management section of the DaVinci Resolve manual.

You can also render your Cintel Raw files as DPX files with embedded KeyKode by going to DaVinci Resolve’s ‘Deliver’ page and exporting your files as DPX files. Make sure you select ‘individual source clips’ in the ‘render’ settings to make sure each file is exported separately.