Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product MX-4DV FOCUS Enhancements
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DISCLAIMER T elevision screens are simulated and subject to change without notice. This device is not to be used for the unauthorized copying of copyrighted material. TRADEMARKS MX-4 DV , the FOCUS Enhancemen ts logo, and MX-4 DV are trademarks or registe red tradem arks of FOCUS Enhancements Hi8 and i.
CONTENTS DISCLAIMER • 2 TRADEMARKS • 2 FCC Statement • 2 1I NTRODUCTION Major Features • 2 Common Uses for MX-4 DV • 4 MX-4 DV Package Contents • 5 About this User Guide • 6 2Q UICK S TA.
CONTENTS Changing the Routing • 74 Example: Changing the Routing • 75 Routing Audio Through Color or Background Channels • 76 Sub-Route Menus • 77 Learn • 78 Compose • 79 PIPs • 79 Audio.
CHAPTER 1 I NTRODUCTION W elcome to the MX-4 DV, and thank you for buying FOCUS Enhancements products. This chapter contains: • Brief descriptions of major MX-4 DV features • T ypical uses for the.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 1 2 M AJOR F EATURES MX-4 DV contains feat ures found on most vi deo mixers. In addit ion, it contains the sp ecial fea- tures described in this section.
I NTRODUCTION M AJOR F EATU RES 3 Connectivity — MX-4 DV p rovides mul tiple vide o/audio outp uts, includin g one DV ou tput, two Y/C Program outputs, two composite Program output s, one compo site Preview outp ut, two sets o f stereo audio out puts, and a Headphone o utput.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 1 4 C OMMON U SES FOR MX-4 DV Multiple-Sour ce V ideo Production — In a video production setup, you can connect one or more video sources (VCRs, camcord ers, video disc pl ayers, cameras, title generator s, computer graphics systems, and so forth) to MX-4 DV’ s four inp ut channels.
I NTRODUCTION MX-4 DV P ACKAGE C ONTENTS 5 MX-4 DV P ACKAGE C ONTENT S The MX-4 DV package contains the items shown below . Check yo ur package against the illustra- tion.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 1 6 A BOUT THIS U SER G UIDE This User Guide co ntains the c hapters, appen dixes, and ot her sections show n in the follow ing table. T able 1: User Guide Contents C HAPTER D ESCRIPTION Chapter 1 Introdu ction Basic overview of MX-4 DV features, description of package contents, description of manual.
I NTRODUCTION A BOUT THIS U SER G UIDE 7 Conventions The User Guide employs the conven tions described in this section. T ips, No tes, Caution s, and W arnings use the followi ng formats. TIP A tip pr ovides useful information for doing various tasks and procedur es.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 1 8 An Output displays or records a mixed signal (such as the video on one chann el, a transition, and the video on another channel) on an outp ut device. The output devi ce might be a recordin g VCR or a live broadcast signal.
CHAPTER 2 Q UICK S TA R T T his chapter conta ins brief instructio ns for setting u p MX-4 DV with basic equipment . The instructions do not go into detail. If you feel comfortable co nnecting vid eo and audio eq uip- ment, you can probably get started quick ly using th ese instruction s.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 2 10 Q UICK S T ART S TEP S Setting Up • Connect a COMPOSITE-type monitor to MX-4 DV’ s PREVIEW OUT jack. • Connect an Input Source (such as a VCR or ca mcorder) to the MX-4 DV’ s DV IN 1 jack. • Connect a second Input Source to the MX-4 DV’ s Y/C IN 2 jack.
Q UICK S TART T HE P REVIEW S CREEN 11 • Connect the MX-4 DV power supply to the power supply jack on the r ear panel. • Connect the MX-4 DV’ s power co rd to a suitable outlet. • T urn on al l devices (th e MX-4 DV power swi t ch is located on the right end of the unit) and let the tapes roll.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 2 12 Using the Rout e Function The Route function ensures that the MX-4 DV understand s where your input devices are connected on the rear panel. If you co nnect Y/C devices to the IN 1, IN2, IN3, and/or IN4 jacks, re-routing is not necessary .
Q UICK S TART C UTTING B ETWEEN S OURCES 13 Cutting Between Sources • Pres s CUT / A . The light below the A butto n comes on and the Ou tput monitor displays the signal fr om what- ever device is p lugged into t he inputs la beled IN 1. The y ellow highl ight above prev iew image A tells you it i s the currently ac tive input.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 2 14 Use LEFT and RIG HT ARROWS to move the selection horizontally . Use UP and DOWN ARR OWS to move the sel ection vertically : or , press 2 then OK to select the tra nsition by number . The MX-4 DV transitions between the two sources using the horizont al wipe transition with th e Output screen sh owing the results.
Q UICK S TART C HOOSING T RANSITIONS 15 Choosing T ransitions The Preview screen con tains the T ransitions Menu. This menu cont ains icons and other informa- tion for all MX-4 DV transiti ons. A blue highligh t indicates the tran sition selected for t he next transition .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 2 16 • Using the DEMO / DISPLAY button to change the cont ent of the Preview sc reen. • Freeze the picture, and compress it. • Separately control the sound. • Apply input e f fects, such as mosaic, paint (po sterization), n egative, and mo re.
CHAPTER 3 I NST ALLING THE MX-4 DV T his chapter explain s how to install (o r , set up) MX-4 DV to use with other eq uipment. Major topics include: • Understanding Sour ces and Output • Understan.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 3 18 S OURCES AND O UTPUT Sour ce and Outp ut refer to the way you use devices with MX-4 DV. Source — A source is an input device. Each sour ce provides a video signal, au dio signal, or both. Y ou use th e MX-4 DV to co mbine and (optionally) animate these signals.
I NSTALLING THE MX-4 DV P REVIEW M ONITOR 19 Preview Monitor The Preview monitor is your “working” mon itor . Most of the time it contains contro ls for manag- ing Sourc e and Output devices. Fo r example, it shows mi niature ve rsions of images coming from the attached VCRs and camcorde rs.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 3 20 U NDERST ANDING MX-4 DV C ONNECTORS T o prop erly setup the MX-4 DV, you need t o know how and where to connec t external compo- nents – such as VCRs, camcorders, and so forth. Use cables to connect video devices to the MX-4 DV’ s rear panel.
I NSTALLING THE MX-4 DV U NDERST ANDING MX-4 DV C ONNECTORS 21 MX-4 DV R EAR P ANEL Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the connections on the MX-4 DV Rear Panel befor e you begin setting up your equipment.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 3 22 Power Connector The MX-4 DV package contains the required transforme r and powe r cord for the unit. T o connect the power cord and transformer: 1 Connect the female plug on the powe r cord into the male sock et on the tr ansformer .
I NSTALLING THE MX-4 DV C ABLES AND A DAPTERS 23 CAUTION 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 Microphones Y ou can connect a microphone to any MX-4 DV input jack, but you ma y need a spe- cial adapte r to make the connectio n.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 3 24 I NST ALLATION E XAMPLES This section shows examples of two common MX-4 DV conf igurations, but does not descri be every possibility . Before proceeding, stud y the following diagram (MX-4 DV Insta llation Co ncept) that shows overall configuration conce pts.
I NSTALLING THE MX-4 DV U SING H EADPHONES 25 Using Head phones T o use headphones, connect them to the Headphone jack, wh ich is locate d on the middle of the unit. The jack accepts stand ard stereo headphon es with a miniature plug. If your headphones have a lar ge plug, yo u need an ada pter to switch i t to a miniature plu g.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 3 26 Post Production Configuration This configur ation is useful in a Post-Production environment—where you mix two or more pr o- grams togeth er . This installation example below sho ws the use of DV e quipment in co mbination with ana log equipment.
I NSTALLING THE MX-4 DV P OST P RODUCTION C ONFIGURATION 27 P OST P RODUCTION C ONFIGURATION 1 2 3 4 6 7 Program Monitor Preview Monitor 5 8 DV Out DV IN.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 3 28 Live Broadcast Configuration This configur ation is useful in a Live Broadcast environment. 1 Connect the VIDEO OU T from Camera 1 to VIDE O IN 1 (Y/C) on the MX-4 DV rear panel. Connect the AUDIO OUT s from Camera 1 to AUDIO IN 1 on the rear panel.
I NSTALLING THE MX-4 DV L IVE B ROADCAST C ONFIGURATION 29 L IVE B ROADCAST C ONFIGURATION 1 2 3 4 7 8 5 9 Program Monitor Preview Monitor 6 DV IN DV Out.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 3 30 U SING A M ICROPHONE WITH MX-4 DV • Professional quality mi crophone • Microphone cable (male-XLR to female-XLR connectors) • An audio direct box (which yo u .
CHAPTER 4 B ASIC O PERATIONS T his chapter describe s several basic M X-4 DV operation s, including: • Starting and stoppi ng the MX-4 DV • Using the MX-4 DV key board • Using the Pr eview scree.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 4 32 S T ARTING AND S TOPPING THE MX-4 DV Press the Power switch to start or stop the MX-4 DV. The swit ch, located on the ri ght-end o f the unit, is a rocker -type switch. U NDERST ANDING THE K EYBOARD Use the MX-4 D V keyboard to control ho w the unit o perates.
B ASIC O PERATIONS U NDERST ANDING THE K EYBOARD 33 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 7 9 10 11 14 12 13 MX-4 DV K EYBOARD.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 4 34 9 Control Buttons — Use these buttons to reverse transiti on direct ion, change transition speed, specify background and border colors, and set bord er styles.
B ASIC O PERATIONS U SING THE P REVIEW S CREEN 35 U SING THE P REVIEW S CREEN The Preview Screen is your control center for the MX-4 DV operations. This section de scribes individual items on the Preview screen. The Previe w screen appears on the monit or attached to the MX-4 DV PREVIEW OUT jack.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 4 36 • Next — ( SHIFT +4 ) Displays full-screen image of the NEXT input source. T ransitions menu not displaye d. • Current — ( SHIFT +5 ) Displays full -screen image of the CURRENT inpu t source. T ransitions menu not displ ayed.
B ASIC O PERATIONS C OLOR S ELECTOR 37 Color Selector The Color Selector shows current choi ces for backgrou nd color, border color , and border style. The selector shows the actual colors, and the numeri c values associated with each. This example shows a backgrou nd color 5, border color 7, and border sty le 5.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 4 38 Using CURRENT and NEXT Sources The concept of CURRENT and NEXT sources is fundamental t o MX-4 DV operations. As you go about creatin g productio ns, you always have a CURRENT and NEXT so urce.
B ASIC O PERATIONS S ELECTING S OURCES 39 6 Select a transition to use this time to switch from CURRENT to NEXT sourc e, such as a slow dissolve. The CURRENT source (t he fighter plane ) continues running, and continues to appear on the outp ut device.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 4 40 Example… Y ou are pr oducing a documentary on hot air ballooning. Y ou wa nt to over-dub the video footage of hot air balloons wit h a narrative audio track.
B ASIC O PERATIONS W ORKING WITH C OLORS 41 T o switch sources using this method: 1 Press the CUT button for the source with which you want to begin — for exampl e, press CUT / A . 2 Press the NEXT button for the other source — for example, press NEXT / B .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 4 42 Identifying Colors The Color Selector appears in the upper -right corner of the Preview screen. It indicates co lors se lected for the ba ck- ground and bord ers as well as border style. The inner -most rectangle shows a sample of co lor assigned to the background as well as the color number .
B ASIC O PERATIONS C REATING C USTOM C OLORS 43 Creating Custom Colors Y ou can change any color other than color 0 (bla ck) (refer to T able 2 on p age 41) to create custo m colors. Y ou cannot add mo re colors, but you can change the exist ing ones.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 4 44 Y ou can also use borders to frame images in a pic t ure-in-picture (PIP) imag e, and so forth. What- ever purpose you use a border for , you can specify the co lor and style for the border . T o specify border color: • Repeated ly press BORDER COLOR to cycle through th e available colors.
B ASIC O PERATIONS C HANGING B ORDER S TYLES 45 The MX-4 DV automatically stores the border style so that it is available until and unless you change it again.
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CHAPTER 5 T RANSITIONS The MX-4 DV contains over 700 transitions from wh ich you can choose. Fu rthermore, you can manually control any transiti on to change the way it w orks, thereby cre ating your ow n versions of the su pplied set. T ransitions artistical ly switch from one scene t o the next in a productio n.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 5 48 B ASIC T RANSITION C ONCEPT S T ransitions create on-sc reen effect s used when switch ing from one so urce to another (t hat 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 fr om the CURRENT source.
T RANSITIONS B ASIC T RANSITION C O NCEPTS 49 Y ou can select the CURRENT source, the NEXT so urce, an d the transition in any orde r , and change them as many times as necessary before a ctually runn ing the tran sition.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 5 50 T RANSITION C ATEGORIES AND M ENUS T o help man age the 700+ tran sitions, the MX-4 DV sep arates them into five l ogical categori es — User , Basic, Edges, Shapes, and Misc. Use the T r ansition Category buttons to acce ss the different categories.
T RANSITIONS B ASIC T RANSITIONS C ATEGORY 51 The MX-4 DV color c odes the transition icons in the men u: Basic White Edges Blue Misc. Y ellow Shapes Red Basic T ransitions Category This category includes common tran sitions, such as wipe s and dissolves.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 5 52 TIP During pr oduction planning, determ ine which transitions you want to use, then set up the User category to contain those transitions. This gives you quick, immediate access to the transi tions without having to sear ch thr ough the other categories.
T RANSITIONS S ELECTING T RANSITION S OURCES 53 S ELECTING T RANSITION S OURCES An important step in setting up a transition is to identify th e CURRENT and NE XT sources. Use CUT and NEXT to ch oose the two sources. The MX -4 DV provides fee dback in a co uple of dif- ferent ways to confirm your choices.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 5 54 S ELECTING T RANSITIONS T o select a transition to use between the CURRENT and NEXT sources, do one of the following: •U s e t h e ARROW keys to select from the T ransiti ons Menu o n the Preview screen ; or , • Enter the transiti on’ s assigned numbe r on the MX-4 DV numeric keypad, then press OK .
T RANSITIONS U SING T RANSITION N U MBERS 55 Using T ransition Numbers Every transition has a number assigned for referen ce and identification. The number appears in the T ransit ions Menu just bel ow each transiti on icon. T o select a transition using transition numbers: 1 Enter the transition number on the k eyboard.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 5 56 A DJUSTING T RANSITIONS Every transition runs at a pre -set speed and directi o n. Symbol s appear below the transition icon in the T ransitions Menu indicating the current speed and direc tion. Use the SPEED and REVERSE buttons to change the speed and/or directi on of a transition.
T RANSITIONS C HANGING T RANSITION D IRECTION 57 T o reverse a transition: • Press REVERSE . Remember , all transitions run in reverse until you press REVE RS E again. Reverse has no ef fect on a simple Cut or Dis solve transit ion because reversin g those transitions prod uces no visible result.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 5 58 R UNNING T RANSITIONS After selecting the CURRENT and NE XT sources and the tra nsition to use, you can run the transi- tion either automatica lly or manu ally . •U s e PLAY to run transitions automatically , when you want t hem to run smoo thly and alw ays the same way .
CHAPTER 6 I NPUT E FFECT S T his chapter describe s MX-4 DV Input Effect s, that are availa ble in the foll owing butto n group on the M X-4 DV keyboard. Use Input Ef fects in the fo llowing ways: • Apply inpu t ef fects to any so urce. • Combine many dif ferent input ef fect s to create entirely new ef fects.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 6 60 I NPUT E FFECT S M ENU Press any input ef fects button to displa y the Input Effects Menu — or , press the EFFECTS button. When you press o ne of the inpu t ef fects buttons (su ch as POSTERIZE ), the MX-4 DV auto matically selects that ef fect in th e me nu.
I NPUT E FFECTS S PECIAL K EY C OMBINAT IONS 61 Special Key Combinations Use the following key combinatio ns while working with the Input E ffects me nu. When you are not working at the Input Effect s menu, use the following key combina tions. When the Ef fects LED light i s lit, Input Ef fects are enabled .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 6 62 U SING I NPUT E FFECT S T o apply a parameter value: 1 Press EFFECTS or one of the input effects button s to display the Input Effects menu. 2 If you haven’ t already done so, use the ARR OW keys or EFFECTS button to select the desired Input Ef fect to which you want to apply parameter va lues.
I NPUT E FFECTS B&W 63 B&W Changes the input picture to blac k and white. Removes all color fro m the image . Parameter V alues — Zero or on e.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 6 64 M OSAIC Divides picture into tiles. Parameter V alues — Zero throug h nine. Zero tu rns of f the effec t. Low values create nume rous, smal l tiles. High values c reate fewer , larger tiles. Highest v alues might ma ke image difficult to recognize.
I NPUT E FFECTS V IDEO A DJUSTMENT 65 V IDEO A DJUSTMENT Allows you to access the Brig htness, Color Saturati on, Contrast, an d Hue adjustment menu. Use the ARROW keys t o select this optio n, then press OK . The MX-4 DV then guides you t o the video a djustment me nu.
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CHAPTER 7 F UNCTIONS T his chapter describes the Function but tons, that give you ac cess to the MX-4 DV’ s built-in functions. The function bu tton group co ntains eight b uttons, but gi ves you acc ess to more than eight functions.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 7 68 D EMO Press SHIFT + DEMO / DISPLAY to run a demonst ration of several MX-4 DV tra nsitions and othe r effec ts. Demo works in conjuncti on with the C URRENT and NEXT sources. (If yo u have one source selected as CURRENT and NEXT , the demo wo rks with that source only .
F UNCTIONS D ISPL AY 69 D ISPLAY T o control what appe ars on the Preview monito r , use the DISPLAY function. Press DEMO / DISPLAY to cycle through the di fferent display configuratio ns.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 7 70 S tandard – SH IFT+1 T wo Channel – SHIFT+2 Full – SHIFT+3 Current – SHIFT+5 Next – SHIFT+4 For all examples on this page, assume sour ce A is CURRENT and sour ce B is NEXT . Input sour ces C and D show up only when using S tandard or Full options.
F UNCTIONS S ETUP 71 S ETUP The Setup function s control vario us aspects of the way the MX-4 DV oper at es, including Force Field Freeze, GPI Out Mode, Comb Filter , Dual Monitor Mo de and 7.5 IRE Pedestal . T o access the Setup func tions, pre ss SETUP .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 7 72 Force Field Freeze The Force Field Freeze optio n lets you specify whet her you want the MX-4 DV t o perform a fram e or field freeze. This option work s in conjunction with the Freeze feature (refer t o “Freeze” on page 79).
F UNCTIONS FTP 73 If you are working with equipment that requires 7.5 IRE, set Pe destal to 1 . NOTE This option is not available on P AL versions of the MX-4 DV. FTP The FTP function lets you networ k your MX-4 DV to a PC using the Ethernet connector on the back of you unit.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 7 74 Changing the Routing T o ch ange the routing, 1 Press ROU T E to display the Rout e menu. The MX-4 DV has four internal channel s: A, B, C and D. The route menu le ts you select which of the twelve inputs are conn e cted to each of the four channels.
F UNCTIONS E XAMPLE : C HANGING THE R OUTING 75 4 Select the Audio source to use with your selected channel. Use the DOWN ARR OW key to high- light the Au dio row , th en use the LE FT ARR OW / RIGHT ARR OW keys to selec t an audio source .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 7 76 2 Select the channel by pressing NEXT / C . V erify that chan nel C is high lighted . 3 Select the V ideo. Use the UP ARROW / DOWN ARROW keys to move the red highlight b ar to the V ideo row , then use the LEFT ARROW / RIGHT ARROW keys to select DV IN1.
F UNCTIONS S UB -R OUTE M ENUS 77 Sub-Route Menus Y ou can select Sub-Route menus for the following: • Input gra phics • Foreground grap hics • Background gr aphics Once you highlight th e selection on the Route Menu, press OK to continue into the selected su b- menu.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 7 78 Importing jpegs fo r background , input or f oreground use wi ll automaticall y replace what curren tly exists on your MX-4 DV. A factory reset will not re store the original 12 inch Design jpegs that are included on the MX-4 DV .
F UNCTIONS C OMPOSE 79 Once you activate the Learn feature, the MX-4 DV r emembers each step you go thro ugh in preparing a pro duction — including all tr ansitions, input effects, and other operatio ns. Y ou can play back this Learned Scri pt to automa tically perform all o f the steps and functions i t contains.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 7 80 Frame Freeze – Captures all horiz ontal lines, th ereby producing a higher resolut ion (better quality) image. Use Frame Free ze when working with still images, such as p hotographs. Usi ng Frame Freeze with images in motion normally produces jitter in the movie.
F UNCTIONS F REEZE E XAMPLES 81 Cr eating S till Montages Y ou can use the Freeze function to transition between a series of still image s to create a “still mon- tage.” Y ou can use from one to four so urces. T o create a still montage: 1 Route a video sou rce to Channel A .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 7 82 NOTES.
CHAPTER 8 PIP S PIP ( P icture- I n- P icture) provides a way t o combine im ages on the same screen. For exa m- ple, one image appears inside a small rectangl e, and the other image fills the remainder of the screen as shown by Single PIP , above. Y ou can freeze the background or foreground, or make either one a soli d color .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 8 84 S INGLE PIP In a single PIP config uration, one til e fills the backgrou nd while anot her tile and it s mask float atop the background. The CURRENT so urce always serv es as the background tile; the NEXT source always serves a s the PIP image.
PIP S F OREGROUND T ILE 85 Manipulating the Foreground Tile This section explains how to change the posit ion, size, shape, and so forth of the foreground ti le. In each case, do the steps a fter pressing PI PS , as de scribed in the precedin g steps.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 8 86 Y ou can apply the follo wing shapes to PIP tiles. T o select a shape, press the numeric key ( 0 through 9 ) that corresponds to th e shape you want, as indicat ed below . Additional shapes can be selected for PIP mode using the SHAPES button.
PIP S M ULTI -PIP 87 M ULTI -PIP In Multi-PIP , as many as 4 separate images can share the screen at the same time. Each image appears inside a separate tile . Y ou can use any of the four inp ut sources to pr ovide the images that appe ar in the tiles.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 8 88 4 If this is the Mul ti-PIP configurati on you want to use, move on to the next step: otherwi se… a Press the number on the keyboa rd that corresponds to the PI P configuration you want to use. (Refer to T able 1 1, “Multi-PIP Sc reen Config urations,” on pa ge 87, at t he beginning of this section.
CHAPTER 9 C OMPOSE C ompose provides a way to cr eat e screens conta ining pictur e ele ments, solid colors, and rectangles. A composed screen consists of a backgr o und and one or more ob jects (called t iles ) placed atop the background . The background fills th e entire screen.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 9 90 B ASIC C OMPOSITION S TEP S This sequence shows how the composition at the beginni ng of this chapter was produced.
C OMPOSE F OREGROUND T ILES 91 As you’ll lea rn later in this chapter (unde r “Cr eating a Composed Ima ge”), you must establish the background befo r e entering Compose mode. F OREGROUND T ILES Creating Color Tiles and Lines Color tiles can be rectangles of a ny size and shape.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 9 92 Sizing Tiles Y ou can make foreground tiles any size you want , from covering the entire screen to a thin hori - zontal or vertical line. Always establish th e size of the t ile befo r e filling it with a solid color , moving video, gradie nt, or jpeg image.
C OMPOSE C REATING A C OMPOSED I MAGE 93 C REATING A C OMPOSED I MAGE T o create a composition: 1 Create or choose the back ground, foreground, grad ient, or still frame jpeg i mage on the Route screen.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 9 94 6 Repeat steps 3 through 5 unt il your compositi on is comp lete. 7 Use the PLAY butt on or T - BAR to send your compositio n to the program output. P LAYING THE C OMPOSITION T o play a co mposition on the outpu t device: • Press PLAY or use the T - BAR .
CHAPTER 10 C HROMAKEY Y ou’ve probably seen the chromakey effect used in television weather repo rts. The weather person stands in front of a “blue scre en” (a solid blue background) an d the weather map then keys onto the background from some other source.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 10 96 • The color used for the backg round must not ap pear elsewhere in the image. For example, if Kong’ s head (in the example above) contains colors close to the chromakey backgrou nd, the picture of th e bridge wo uld ap pear in those a reas.
C HROMAKEY P REPARING THE K EYED F OOTA GE 97 P REP ARING THE K EYED F OOTAGE Preparation of the keyed footage presents a challeng e. It is th e most importan t and most di ffic ult step, because the soli d colored background is so crucial to the success of t he illusion.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 10 98 The Preview screen displays a fu ll-screen picture of the keyed fo otage from source C. A cursor (a small flashing circle ) a ppears atop the image. Once you activate the Chroma Key , it stays in ef fect until you specifically deacti vate it (which you’ll learn to do l ater in this procedu re).
C HROMAKEY P ERFORMING TH E C HROMA KEY 99 P ERFORMING THE C HROMA KEY When the preview scre en shows the desired chroma key results: • Press PLAY . The output monitor shows th e chroma key image. Press PLAY again to cut ba ck to the backgrou nd source.
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CHAPTER 11 L EARN M ODE I n Learn Mode, the MX-4 DV “rem embers” most of what you do, such as which tran sitions you used and ho w you used them . Y ou can subsequent ly instruct the MX-4 DV to replay those steps, at which time the MX-4 DV creates t he production on the outp ut device.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 11 102 L EARNED E NVIRONMENT S A Learned Environmen t can be thought of as a “snapshot” of yo ur current the MX-4 DV config u- ration, inclu ding input effects, function s, styles, and so for th, that are i n effect when you cre ate the Learned Environment.
L EARN M ODE L EARNED S CRIPTS 103 T o create a Learned Environment: 1 Set up the MX-4 DV the way you want for this parti cular environment . This includes setti ng any input ef fects you want , selecting the init ial CURRENT and NEXT sou rces, defining col or , defining borders , and so forth.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 11 104 TIP Using ARR OW keys to select a transition consumes one st ep for each key pr essed. In most cases, to fit as many transitions as p ossible into a Learned Script , use the numeric keypad to enter tra nsition numbers rather than using the ARROW keys.
L EARN M ODE O THER U SEFUL I NFORMATION 105 O THER U SEFUL I NFORMATION When the MX-4 DV comes to the end of a Learned Sc ript, it sto ps. Y ou can re-in itiate the sa me or any other Learned Script by enter ing SHIFT + LEARN +< LEARNED SCRIPT #> for the script you want to run.
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CHAPTER 12 W ORKING WITH A UDIO The MX-4 DV provides flexibl e control for audio so urces. Y ou can: • Easily switch b etween devic es. • Record vid eo and/or audio from a device, in any combination. • Allow or disallow transitions to af fect audio.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 12 108 A UDIO D EVICES Y OU C AN U SE Y ou can: •U s e dedicated audio input sources, suc h as audio casset te players, co mpact disc pla yers, and even live microphones. (Refer to “Using a Mi crophone with MX-4 DV” on p age 30 for instal- lation instruc tions.
W ORKING WITH A UDIO S ELECTING A UDIO S OURCES 109 Selecting Audio Sources Select audio so urces the same w ay you select v ideo sources, us ing the CUT and NEXT button s and the highlights at the top of t he Preview screen. Remember , the MX-4 DV highlight s the CURRENT video source in yello w (above the Preview window).
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 12 110 2 Press VIDEO / AUDIO until both the VIDEO and AUDIO lights are on. 3 Press PLAY or use the T - BAR to run t he transition.
W ORKING WITH A UDIO U SING THE A UD IO M IXER 111 U SING THE A UDIO M IXER The MX-4 DV Au dio Mixer provides extensive co ntrol over al l audio chann els. Y ou can, for example, subdue the audio on on e channe l (such as backgrou nd music) and pu mp up the audio on another (such as the na rrative).
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 12 112 Audio Mixer Controls The following tables ex plain how to operat e the Audio Mixer controls fr om the MX-4 DV key- board. Using Background Audio T o control the level of th e musi c, use th e Background M usic slider in the Audio Mixe r .
W ORKING WITH A UDIO U SING H EADPHONES 113 U SING H EAD PHONES Y ou might find head phones helpful for monit oring audio input sig nals. Y ou can plug a set of head - phones direc tly into th e MX-4 DV by conn ecting them to the hea dphone ja ck locat ed on the rear panel of the unit.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 12 114 T o display the Audio Ad justment screen, press SHIFT + AUDIO MIX . The four slider gro ups repre- sent the four analog and DV audio inputs on the rear of the M X-4 DV: IN1, IN2, IN3 , and IN4. DV audio adjust ment can b e applied to each input by adjusting he second “DELA Y” slid er .
CHAPTER 13 A DVANCED O PERATIONS T his chapter discusses o perations you might not use very often, but are qui te helpful when you need them. They include: • Using T itles with the MX-4 DV •U s i .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 13 116 U SING T ITLES In Chapter 3, Installi ng the MX-4 DV , you learned how to instal l a c haracter generator ( CG ) to use with the MX-4 DV (refer to “Live Broadcast Con figuration” on page 38).
A DVANCED O PERATIONS P ERFORMING R OLL E DITS 117 P ERFORMING R OLL E DIT S T wo types of roll edits are commonl y used in video editin g — A/A rolls and A/B rolls. Y o u can do both types of rolls wi th the MX-4 DV. A/A rolls can b e accomplished with rela tive ease.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 13 118 A/B Roll Edit s A/B roll editi ng involves edi ting scenes from mu ltiple sources. When doing A/B ro ll edits, you must manually sy nchronize th e sources so that t hey are time d correctly .
A DVANCED O PERATIONS T RANSITIONS TO M ODIFIED S OURCES 119 4 Press BG COLOR as many times as necessary to make the bac kground black. 5 Press PLAY to run the tran sition and fa de to black . 6 Assume your NEXT sou rce (the one you are transitioning into) is on Chann el C — press NEXT / C to make that the next source.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 13 120 U SING A GPI D EVICE Y ou can connect a GPI ( G eneral P urpose I nterface) device to the MX-4 DV. The GPI device can trigger an e vent from an exte rnal source , such as a push-button swit ch or an edit controller with GPI output.
A DVANCED O PERATIONS I NSTRUCTIONS FOR B UILDING A GPI T RIGGE R 121 I NSTRUCTIONS FOR B UILDING A GPI T RIGGER This section contains a diagram of the GPI T r igge r Button you can build and all associa ted instruc- tions.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 13 122 11 Solder the wires of th e other end of th e cord to the pol es from the tip and ba se of the stereo mini-pin plug ( F ). If you aren’ t sure which poles are whic h, ask at the store whe n you make the purchase.
A DVANCED O PERATIONS C ONNECTING WITH E THERNET 123 C ONNECTING WITH E THERNET Network your MX-4 DV to a PC or a M acintosh using the included crossov er cable.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 13 124 5 The MX-4 DV is now networked, and it sho uld be visible as an FTP device. IP Setup for a Computer or Laptop T o set up your PC to communica te with the MX-4 DV .
A DVANCED O PERATIONS IP S ETUP FOR A C OMPU TER OR L AP TOP 125 b Select TCP/IP and click Pr operties . 3 On the Internet Pr otocol (TCP/IP) Prop erties screen or identified as the Networ k screen fo.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 13 126 The subnet mask information sho uld be automatica lly filled in the b lank space. If not, fill in the subnet mask blank sp ace with the fo llowing: 25 5.
A DVANCED O PERATIONS IP S ETUP FOR A C OMPU TER OR L AP TOP 127 9 T ype th e following i n the comma nd line: ping 192. 168.1.2 . (Make sure there is a sp ace between ping and 192.) Press the ENTER key and a ping test is executed. The repl y messages should appear similar to the following screen.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 13 128 T o set up your Macintosh computer to communica te with the MX-4 DV (S tatic IP address): Macintosh OS 10.2.8/OS 10.3.6 1 Plug in the included crossover cab le to the MX-4 DV Ethernet port and your computer’ s Ethernet port.
A DVANCED O PERATIONS IP S ETUP FOR A C OMPU TER OR L AP TOP 129 Now you are ready to import new , updated soft ware or jpeg images to and from your MX-4 DV. Details ab out how to tra nsfer files are descri bed in furthe r detail i n “T ransferring Files TO or FROM the MX-4 DV” on page 130.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 13 130 Additions DHCP Tips If your MX-4 DV is connected to a network and t he IP address is aut omatically assign ed to your computer , perform the follow ing procedure: 1 Hook up a standard straight network cable between the rout er or hub and the MX-4 DV unit.
A DVANCED O PERATIONS U PDATING S YSTEM S OFTWARE 131 Up dating System Sof tware The hidden file softwar e is the MX-4 DV’ s operating soft ware. This file resi des in the t op level directory , but isn ’t d isplayed by co mmunications software. W ithout this file, the MX-4 DV wo uld power up with mi nimum functionality .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 13 132 6 Click To o l s and select Disconnect. Upon exiting this FTP program, the software will transfer to the MX-4 DV. Y ou can also select File and select Upload and go to the directory of deskto p and select the previousl y saved software.
A DVANCED O PERATIONS I NFORMATION A BOUT FTP C LIE NTS 133 NOTE An example of an FTP program to upgrade the MX-4 DV’ s software and the transfer of files is FTP Explorer . It can be found at t he following site: h ttp://www .ftpx.com/download.html for W indows.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE C HA PTER 13 134.
APPENDIX A T RANSITIONS L IST This append ix shows the icons a ssigned to each MX-4 DV transition, an d identifies them by number . Some transition descrip tions use spec ial terms and abbrev iations to describe how th e transi- tions work. (A) — The CURRENT sourc e: the one on the screen before the t ransition be gins.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPE NDIX A 136 B ASIC T RANSITIONS.
T RANSITIONS L IST B AS IC T RANSITIONS 137 Basic T ransitions (continued) The Basic T ransitions category co ntains transitions numbered from 0 through 299. The cat egory contains a wi de assortment of e f fects. T ransitions 0 through 29 serve as the default assortment in the T ransitions Menu.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPE NDIX A 138 T able 1: Descriptions of Basic T ransitions # D ESCRIPTION # D ESCRIPTION Default T ransition Assortment 0 Cut 15# H Comp. (A) alongside (B) in motio n; Exp. (B) 1 Dissolve 16 Comp. (A) to 1/2; roll R to (B); Exp 2 H W ipe 17 Slide in slice (B) from L at T ; Wi pe slice to full 3 V W ipe 18 V Comp.
T RANSITIONS L IST B AS IC T RANSITIONS 139 44 H Exp. (B) from L Ctr/Comp. (A) to R Ctr 45 H Exp. (B) from L Ctr/Slide (A) to R 150 Diagonal W ipe (B) from BRC 46 H W ipe (B) from R Ctr 151 Diagonal Exp. (B) from BRC 47 H Exp. (B) from R Ctr 152 Diagonal Comp.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPE NDIX A 140 71 * V Comp. (A)/ W ipe (B) 17 6 Ctr Wipe (B) with Slide from B L 72 * V Slide (A)/W ipe (B) 177 Ctr W ipe (B) with Slide from B R 73 V W ipe (A)/Exp. (B) 178 Ctr W ipe (B) with Slide from T L 74 V Comp. (A )/Exp.
T RANSITIONS L IST B AS IC T RANSITIONS 141 101 V W ipe 1/2 slice (B); H W ipe 1/2 slice (B); V wipe (B) to B 206 * Comp. (A) to R ; CW spiral out to R 102 * V Comp. (A) T to 1/2 sc reen slice; Slide slice to B 207 * Comp. (A) to R ; CCW spiral o ut to R 103 * V Comp.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPE NDIX A 142 127 Diag. Slide (B) from TLC/Comp. (A) to BRC 232 H stripe-wipe 128 * Diagonal Comp. & Dissolve (A) to TLC 233 V stripe-wipe 129 * Diagonal Slide & Dissolve (A) to TL C 234 Checkerboard w/middle dissolve 130 Diagonal W ipe (B) from TRC 235 Checkerboard w/start to finish dissolve 131 Diagonal Exp.
T RANSITIONS L IST B AS IC T RANSITIONS 143 259 H slide in (A) to BRC; CCW Exp Spiral into Ctrt. 280 Comp slide (A) from B to T ; Comp slide from T to B with H flip. 260 Ctr Exp (A); Slide from T to B with Exp to full screen. 281 Comp h flip (CA) from Crt to B; Exp H flip from T to B.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPE NDIX A 144 E DGE T RANSITIONS Edge transitions move a b order across the screen between the outg oing and in coming images. Edg e transitions group i nto sets of six.
T RANSITIONS L IST M ISC . T RANSITIONS 145 M ISC . T RANSITIONS T able 3: Misc. T ransition s N O . I CON D ESCRIPTION N O . I CON D ESCRIPTION 400 Rectangle bounces off bottom of screen 415 A circle.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPE NDIX A 146 S HAPE T RANSITIONS Shape transitions use various geomet ric and custom sh apes (stars, hearts, and so forth) to transition from one image to the next.
T RANSITIONS L IST S HAPE T RANSITIONS 147 Ctr Wipe 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 Ctr Wipe (B) with Hori zontal Slide from T 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 Bounce off edges/Wipe 572 573 574.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPE NDIX A 148 Horizontal Curtain Expand (B) fr om Ctr to full 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 Horizontal Compress (A) to Ct r line; Expand (B) fr om line 626 627 628 629 63.
T RANSITIONS L IST S HAPE T RANSITIONS 149 685 686 687 688 Horizontal Wipe (A)/Expand (B) 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 Horizontal Compress (A) to L edge; Expand (B) from edge 698 699 700 701 70.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPE NDIX A 150 Bounce off edges/Wipe 747 748 749 750 751 Ctr Wipe (A) to 1/16 scr een; CC W spiral reveal 752 753 754 755 756 Random Sizes Flips (B): fills screen at end 757 758.
T RANSITIONS L IST D EFAULT U SER T RANSITIONS 151 D EFAULT U SER T RANSITIONS The User T ransitions category co ntains a default set of tra nsitions compile d from the o ther catego- ries. Y ou can tail or the User category to your part icular needs — refer to “Changing User Transi- tions Menu” beginning o n page 52.
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APPENDIX B T IME B ASE C ORRECTOR The MX-4 DV contains a T ime Ba se Corrector (TBC) that ensures top qu ality results in yo ur productions. The TBC operates automat ically at all times .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPE NDIX APPENDIX B 154 TBC T ECHNICAL I NFORMATION The following in formation might b e useful to vide o technicia ns. • The MX-4 DV’ s TBC h as no control options. The MX-4 DV always appl ies TBC to the entire signal, including t he horizontal and vertic al intervals.
APPENDIX C V IDEO Q UALITY The MX-4 DV meets the highest vide o quality standards. However, video artifacts can appear in vid eo production s, es pecially when you use sophisti ca ted ef fects and transition s. This appendix describes some of the video artifact s that can occur .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPEND IX APPENDIX C 156 V IDEO S CALING A RTIFACT S Reducing a video image’ s size can create artifact s because some picture information must be dis- carded to reduce the number of pixels in the image. In some ca ses, picture information mi ght dis- appear when eliminat ing pixels.
APPENDIX D T ECHNICAL S PECIFICATIONS The MX-4 DV is a four -input vi deo product ion switcher , mixer , frame synchronizer/TBC (T ime Base Corrector), Manual Color Corr ector , and special effec ts generator .
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A P PENDIX APPENDIX D 158 Digital Outputs 1x6 pin IEEE 1394 (Firewire, i.Link) connectors, Audio and V ideo Ef fects EFFECTS Vi d e o 700 + T ransitions Input Effects Strobe, Mos .
APPENDIX E H ELP FOR MXP RO DV U SERS This appendix help s V ideonics MXPro DV users make an easy transition to the MX-4 DV. It highlights key operat ional commands from the M XProDV that have change d with the MX-4 DV. The MX-4 DV offers ma y new features an d expands th e capability of some MXProDV oper- ations.
MX-4 DV U SER G UIDE A PPE NDIX APPENDIX E 160 Refer to “Operating the T -Bar” on page 58. Chapter 5, T ransitions , contains several sections explaining use of the T - BAR .
GLOSSARY Some terms defined in this glossary might not appear in the body of the User Guide. A/A Roll A term originating in the film world. No rmally describes rol l- ing a single source into an ef fects device, such as t he FOCUS Enhancement s MX-4 DV, and creating transition s between the indi vidual sc enes.
GLOSSARY PA L P hase A lternating L ines. The dominant color t elevision format in W e stern Europe, Au stralia, most of Asia, and parts of South America and Africa. P AL is characterized by each frame being composed of 625 horizontal scan- ning lines occurring 2 5 times per second.
INDEX A adapters 22 arrow keys 34 audio accompanies video 109 adjust sliders 112 continuous 110 control 108 devices 108 fade 110 monaural 23 source 109 highlight 109 speaker icon 109 stereo 23 transit.
INDEX function buttons 32 , 67 G GPI build 121 trigger 122 GRADIENT COMPOSE 93 green highlight 14 H headphones 25 icon 109 jack 109 I input effects 59 source highlight 36 preview image 36 INPUT EFFECT.
INDEX STROBE 65 S-Video 22 system software, updating 131 T T-BAR 32 , 40 , 42 AUDIO MIX 110 CHROMA KEY 99 color correction 64 COMPOSE 93 , 94 LEARN 103 transition 48 tile 84 background 84 foreground 8.
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An important point after buying a device FOCUS Enhancements MX-4DV (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought FOCUS Enhancements MX-4DV yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data FOCUS Enhancements MX-4DV - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, FOCUS Enhancements MX-4DV you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get FOCUS Enhancements MX-4DV will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of FOCUS Enhancements MX-4DV, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime FOCUS Enhancements MX-4DV.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with FOCUS Enhancements MX-4DV. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device FOCUS Enhancements MX-4DV along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
