LECTROSONICS MTCR Miniature Time Code Recorder User Guide

User Guide for LECTROSONICS models including: MTCR, Miniature Time Code Recorder, MTCR Miniature Time Code Recorder

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Quick Start Guide - Results from #20

Quick Start Guide

Quick Start Guide Fill in for your records: Serial Number: Purchase Date: This guide is intended to assist with initial setup and operation of your Lectrosonics product.

Quick Start Guide - Lectrosonics

Feb 5, 2023 — The audio input circuitry is the essentially the same as on Lectrosonics SM and L Series transmitters. Any microphone wired as Lectrosonics “compatible”.

File Info : application/pdf, 16 Pages, 1,016.68KB

QSG MTCR

Quick Start Guide
MTCR
Miniature Time Code Recorder

CAUTION: See card formatting warning
on page 6

Fill in for your records: Serial Number:
Purchase Date:

microSDHC Logo is a trademark of SD-3C, LLC
This guide is intended to assist with initial setup and operation of your Lectrosonics product. For a detailed user manual, download the most current version at: www.lectrosonics.com
31 March 2021

Features and Controls
Headphone jack

Audio input

Time code sync port

MicroSDHC memory card slot cover

The audio input circuitry is the essentially the same as on Lectrosonics SM and L Series transmitters. Any microphone wired as Lectrosonics "compatible" or "servo bias" will work with the MTCR. (See manual for details.)
If the unit is booted with an unformatted SD card, the prompt to format the card will be the first window to appear after the boot sequence completes. Follow the screen instructions to format the card. If the card has an interrupted recording on it, the Recovery screen will be the first screen to appear.
If there is no card or the card has good formatting, the first display that appears on the LCD after the recorder is turned on is the Main Window. Settings are accessed by pressing MENU/SEL on the keypad, and then using the UP and DOWN arrow buttons, and BACK button to navigate the menu items and select functions. The buttons also provide alternate functions as labeled by the icons on the LCD.

REC

TC00 : 01 : 33

i -40

-20 +0 LAST

Functions indicated by the icons on the LCD
are activated by pressing the adjacent buttons on the keypad

Icons in each corner of the LCD define the alternate functions of the adjacent buttons on the keypad. For example, in the Main Window shown above, recording is started by pressing the UP arrow button on the keypad, in which case, the display switches to the Recording Window.

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In the Recording Window, the functions of three keypad buttons change to provide the needed operations during recording.
i REC TC00 : 01 : 33 HOLD -40 -20 +0 HOLD
In the Playback Windows, the icons on the LCD change to provide the functions needed during playback. There are three variants of the playback window: · active playback · paused playback in the middle of the recording · paused playback at the end of the recording The icons in the corners of the LCD will change depending on the status of the playback.

TC00 : 01 : 33 -40 -20 +0

NOTE: Refer to the Operating Instructions section for details on the specific button functions and operations in the Main, Recording and Playback Windows.

www.lectrosonics.com

Battery Installation
The audio recorder is powered by a single AAA lithium battery, offering over six hours of operation. We recommend using lithium batteries for longest life.
NOTE: Although alkaline batteries will work in the MTCR, we strongly recommend that they be used only for short-term testing. For any actual production use, we recommend the use of disposable lithium AAA batteries. The battery status indicator circuitry requires compensation for the difference in voltage drop between alkaline and lithium batteries across their usable life, so it's important to select the correct battery type in the menu. Push inward on the release catches to open the door.
Battery polarity marking
Press tabs to open door
Insert the battery according to the markings inside the battery compartment door. The (+) pos. end of the battery is oriented as shown here.
CAUTION: Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type.

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Belt Clip
MTCR wire belt clip included

Lavaliere Microphone
M152/5P electret lavaliere microphone included.

Compatible memory cards
The card should be a microSDHC memory card, speed class 10, or any UHS speed class, 4GB to 32GB. The recorder supports the UHS-1 bus type,
marked on the memory card with an I symbol.
An example of typical markings:
Speed class
UHS speed class
UHS bus type

Installing the card
The card slot is covered by a flexible cap. Open the cap by pulling out on the side flush with the housing.

Pull up on this side of cap to open

Insert the card with the label
facing the keypad side of the recorder.

www.lectrosonics.com

Formatting the SD Card
New microSDHC memory cards come pre-formatted with a FAT32 file system which is optimized for good performance. The MTCR relies on this performance and will never disturb the underlying low level formatting of the SD card. When the MTCR "formats" a card, it performs a function similar to the Windows "Quick Format" which deletes all files and prepares the card for recording. The card can be read by any standard computer but if any write, edit or deletions are made to the card by the computer, the card must be reformatted with the MTCR to prepare it again for recording. The MTCR never low level formats a card and we strongly advise against doing so with the computer.
To format the card with the MTCR, select Format Card in the menu and press MENU/SEL on the keypad.
NOTE: An error message will appear if samples are lost due to a poor performing "slow" card.
WARNING: Do not perform a low level format (complete format) with a computer. Doing so may render the memory card unusable with the MTCR recorder.
With a windows based computer, be sure to check the quick format box before formatting the card.
With a Mac, choose MS-DOS (FAT).

IMPORTANT
The formatting of the MTCR SD card sets up contiguous sectors for maximum efficiency in the recording process. The file format utilizes the BEXT (Broadcast Extension) wave format which has sufficient data space in the header for the file information and the time code imprint.
The SD card, as formatted by the MTCR, can be corrupted by any attempt to directly edit, change, format or view the files on a computer.
The simplest way to prevent data corruption is to copy the .wav files from the card to a computer or other Windows or OS formatted media FIRST. Repeat COPY THE FILES FIRST!
Do not rename files directly on the SD card.
Do not attempt to edit the files directly on the SD card.
Do not save ANYTHING to the SD card with a computer (such as the take log, note files etc) - it is formatted for MTCR use only.
Do not open the files on the SD card with any third party program such as Wave Agent or Audacity and permit a save. In Wave Agent, do not IMPORT you can OPEN and play it but do not save or Import - Wave Agent will corrupt the file.
In short - there should be NO manipulation of the data on the card or addition of data to the card with anything other than a MTCR. Copy the files to a computer, thumb drive, hard drive etc that has been formatted as a regular OS device FIRST - then you can edit freely.
iXML HEADER SUPPORT
Recordings contain industry standard iXML chunks in the file headers, with

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the most commonly used fields filled in.

Operating Instructions

Quick Start Steps
1) Install good battery and turn the power on (see p. 4, 7).
2) Insert microSDHC memory card and format it with the MTCR (p. 5-6) 3) Sync (jam) the timecode source (p. 9, 10). 4) Connect microphone or audio source. 5) Set input gain (Mic Level p. 10-11). 6) Select record mode (see p. 12). 7) Set HP (headphone) Volume (p. 11). 8) Begin recording (p. 10-13).

Powering On
Press and hold the Power Button until the Lectrosonics logo appears on the LCD.

Powering Off
Power can be turned off by holding the Power Button in and waiting for the countdown. The power off will not work while the unit is recording (stop recording first before powering down) or if the front panel has been locked out by the operator (unlock the front panel first).
If the power button is released before the countdown reaches 3, the unit will remain turned on and the LCD will return to the same screen or menu that was displayed previously.

Main Window

The Main Window provides a view of the battery status, current timecode and the input audio level. Icons in the four corners of the screen provide access to the Menu, Card Info (available recording time if SD card installed, MTCR info if no card in unit), and the REC (record start) and LAST (play last clip) functions. These functions are invoked by pressing the adjacent keypad button as shown on page 2.

Battery status

Record Start

Clock Time
Card Info

REC

Audio Input Level

TC00 : 01 : 33

i -40

-20 +0 LAST

Press the keypad button next to each icon to operate the functions indicated
by the icons
Play Last Clip

www.lectrosonics.com

Recording Window
To start recording, press the REC button in the top right corner of the Main Window. The screen will switch to the Recording Window.

NOTE: The headphone output will be muted when recording.

Record icon blinks
i

Recording info

REC
TC00 : 01 : 33 HOLD -40 -20 +0 HOLD

Press the keypad button next to each icon to operate the functions indicated
by the icons

Press and Hold BACK and DOWN arrow to stop recording
About the "Slow Card" Warning: If any samples are lost during recording, a warning screen will appear displaying "slow card." Typically the lost audio is less than 10 milliseconds and is barely noticeable. The unit will still be recording while this screen appears. Press the BACK button (OK) to return to the recording screen.
When this happens, there will be no "gap" or brief silence in the recording. Instead, the audio and timecode will simply jump forward. If this happens repeatedly during the recording, it is best to replace the card.

Playback Window
Icons in the Playback Window provide button functions used for playback on a recording device. The icons will change depending on the status of the playback: active playback, paused in the middle, or paused at the end.
Blinking icon changes from Play to Pause

Main ...
Press the keypad Menu

button next to each

icon to operate the

functions indicated

TC00 : 18 : 21

by the icons STOP

-40 -20 +0

View Timestamp
Progress Tracker Play/Pause

All files created are given a time stamp. See File Naming for options.
8

002A .WAV
02/05 05:01 [MTCR-HD24] Len 00:00:11
TC00 : 18 : 11
HOLD
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Navigating Menus

Timecode...

SEL BACK

TC Jam

SEL BACK

TC Jam JAM NOW

Plug in time code source and sync

SEL BACK

Frame Rate

SEL BACK

Frame Rate 30

SEL BACK

Use Clock

SEL BACK

LOADING TIMECODE
FROM CLOCK

30 29.97 25 24

23.976 30DF 29.97DF

Use arrow keys to select frame rate

Mic Level HP Volume

SEL BACK
SEL BACK

28 -40 -20 +0
HEADPHONE

Use arrow keys to select level
Use arrow keys to select headphone volume

Scene&Take

SEL BACK

Scene: 1 Take: 1

Press

to choose

scene or take

SD Card...

SEL BACK

Format Card

SEL

Format Card?

BACK

Use arrow keys to set scene or take number

(files lost) No
Yes

Use arrow keys to select No or Yes

SEL BACK

Files/Play

SEL

#.wav

BACK #.wav

Use arrow keys to select Press

file number

function

to set

SEL BACK

Takes/Play

SEL

S 1T 1

BACK S 2 T 1

Use arrow keys to Press

to select

choose take

take and play

SEL BACK
SEL BACK

File Naming

SEL BACK

Sequence Clock Time Scene/Take

About Card

SEL BACK

[MTCR ]
E.........................F 0/ 14G

Max Rec Time

Use arrow keys to select Press file naming preference function

to set

Fuel gauge Storage used

(For information purposes only.)

Storage capacity Available recording time (H : M : S)

Settings...

SEL BACK

Record Mode

SEL BACK

HD Stereo Split Gain

Use arrow keys to select Press

record mode

function

to set

SEL BACK

Bit Depth

SEL

BACK 32

Use arrow keys to select Press

bit depth

function

to set

SEL BACK
SEL BACK

Date & Time Lock/Unlock

SEL

2017/01/15 Press

to select

BACK 11:03

date and time options

Use arrow keys to make changes

Locked?

SEL

Yes

BACK No

Use arrow keys to select Press key pad locking preference function

to set

SEL BACK

Backlight

SEL BACK

Always On 30 Seconds 5 Minutes

Use arrow keys to select Press

backlight duration

function

to set

SEL BACK

Bat Type

SEL BACK

Alkaline
Lithium
1.41 volts

Use arrow keys to select Press

battery type

function

to set

About MTCR

SEL BACK

Remote

SEL BACK

Remote enabled?
Yes No

SEL

Rev: v2.00

BACK

(For information purposes only.)

Use arrow keys to select Press

analog or digital

function

to set

Default

SEL BACK

Restore defaults?
No Yes

Use arrow keys to return to default settings

www.lectrosonics.com

Timecode...

TC Jam (jam timecode)
When TC Jam is selected, JAM NOW will flash on the LCD and the unit is ready to be synced with the timecode source. Connect the timecode source and the sync will take place automatically. When the sync is successful, a message will be displayed to confirm the operation.

NOTE: The headphone output will be muted when entering the TC Jam page. Audio will be restored when the cable is removed.
Timecode defaults to zero at power up if no timecode source is used to jam the unit. A timing refrence is logged into the BWF metadata.

Frame Rate

The frame rate affects embedding of the timing reference in the BWF file metadata and display of timecode. The following options are available:

· 30 · 29.97 · 25 · 24

· 23.976 · 30DF · 29.97DF

NOTE: While it is possible to change the frame rate, the most common use will be to check the frame rate which was received during the most recent timecode jam. In rare situations, it might be useful to alter the frame rate here, but be aware that audio tracks many not line up correctly with mismatched frame rates.

Use Clock
Choose to use the clock provided in the MTCR as opposed to a timecode source. Set the clock in the Settings Menu, Date & Time on page 9.

NOTE: The MTCR time clock and calendar (RTCC) cannot be relied on as an accurate time code source. Use Clock should only be used in projects where there is no need for the time to agree with an external time code source.
er circuit in the input provides 30 dB of clean limiting, so an L symbol will appear at the onset of limiting.

Mic Level

Use the UP and DOWN arrow buttons to adjust the

input gain. When the audio level meter reading

exceeds the zero at the top, either a "C" or an "L"

Gain in dB

icon will appear, indicating respectively clipping

Audio level

in the non-safety track (Split Gain mode) or limiting (HD Mono mode). In HD Mono mode, the

-40 -20 +0

limiter compresses 30 dB of input level into the top 5 dB, reserved for "overhead" in this mode. In

C or L appears here

Split Gain mode, the limiter would rarely be

engaged, but it will engage if necessary (with no

graphical indication) to prevent clipping of the safety track.

NOTE: See Record Mode.

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HP Volume
Use UP and DOWN arrows to adjust headphone volume.
Scene & Take
Each time recording is started, the MTCR automatically begins a new take. Takes can run up to 999. The scene numbers can be manually entered and are limited to 99.
SD Card...
Format Card
This item erases all files on the card and prepares the card for recording.
Files/Play
Choose to play the files based on their name. Use the arrows to scroll, MENU/ SEL to select the file and the DOWN arrow to play.
Takes/Play
Choose to play the files based on scene and take. Scene and take numbers can be manually entered, and are embedded in the filenames and iXML headers of recordings. Take number automatically increments each time the record button is pressed. When browsing by scene and take, recordings that span multiple files are listed singly and played as one long recording.
File Naming
Filenames of the recordings contain industry standard iXML chunks in the file headers, with the most commonly used fields filled in. File naming can be set as:
· Sequence: a progressive sequence of numbers
· Clock Time: the time of the internal clock at the beginning of the recording; recorded as DDHHMMA.WAV. DD is the day of the month, HH is hours, MM is minutes, A is the overwrite-prevention character, incrementing to `B', `C', etc. as needed to avoid a naming conflict A final character serves as the segment identifier, being absent in the first segment, `2' in the second segment, `3' in the third and so on.
· Scene/Take: the progressive scene and take automatically cataloged each time a recording is begun; S01T001.WAV. The initial `S' is meant to suggest "Scene" but also serves as the overwrite prevention character, decrementing to `R', `Q', etc. as needed to avoid a naming conflict. The "01" after the `S' is the scene number. `T' means take, and the "001" is the take number. An eighth character is used only for the second and subsequent (4 GB) segments for very large recordings. Scene numbers are entered manually. Take numbers increment automatically.

www.lectrosonics.com

About Card

View information about the microSDHC memory card. See storage used, storage capacity and available recording time.

Storage used
Available recording time (H : M : S)

E.........................F 0/ 14G
Max Rec Time

Fuel gauge
Storage capacity

Next File 0002A

Next file name

Settings...
Record Mode
There are two recording modes available in the menu, HD Mono, which records a single audio track and Split Gain, which records two different tracks, one at the normal level and another at -18 dB as a "safety" track that can be used in place of the normal track in the event that overload distortion (clipping) has occurred on the normal track. In either mode, long recordings are broken into sequential segments so most recordings will not be a single file.
NOTE: See Mic Level.
NOTE: The headphone output will be muted when recording.
Bit Depth
MTCR defaults to 24-bit format recording, which is a more effecient space saving format. 32-bit is available if your editing software is older and won't accept 24-bit. (32-bit is actually 24-bit padded with zeros, so more space is taken up on the card.)
Date & Time
The MTCR has a real time clock/calendar (RTCC) which is used for timestamping the files it writes to the SD card. The RTCC is able to keep time for a minimum of 90 minutes with no battery installed, and can keep time more or less indefinitely if any battery, even a "dead" battery, is installed. To set the date and time, use the MENU/SEL button to toggle through the options and the UP and DOWN arrow buttons to choose the appropriate number.
WARNING: Since the real time clock/calendar can be manipulated and/or stop with loss of power, it should not be relied upon for accurate time keeping. Only use this option when a time clock is not available.
Lock/Unlock
The LOCKED mode protects the recorder from accidental changes to its settings. When locked, menu navigation is possible, but any attempt to alter settings will prompt a "LOCKED/can use menu to unlock" message. The unit can be unlocked using the Lock/Unlock setup screen. The "dweedle tone" remote control will still work.

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Backlight
The recorder backlight can be set to turn off after either 5 minutes or 30 seconds, or to stay on continuously.
Bat Type
Choose either Alkaline or Lithium battery type. The voltage of the installed battery will be shown at the bottom of the display.

NOTE: Although alkaline batteries will work in the MTCR, we strongly recommend that they be used only for short-term testing. For any actual production use, we recommend the use of disposable lithium AAA batteries.
Remote
The recorder can be configured to respond to "dweedle tone" signals from the PDRRemote app or to ignore them. Use the arrow buttons to toggle between "yes" (remote control on) and "no" (remote control off). The default setting is "no."
About MTCR
The MTCR's firmware version and serial number are displayed.
Default
To return the recorder to its factory default settings, use the UP and DOWN arrow buttons to choose Yes.

Available Recording Time
Using a microSDHC memory card, the available recording times are as follows. The actual time may vary slightly from the values listed in the tables.

HD mono mode; 24-bit Split gain mode; 24-bit HD mono mode; 32-bit Split gain mode; 32-bit

Size Hrs:Min

8GB