DEITY Timecode Box TC-1 Wireless Timecode Expanded User Manual

DEITY Timecode Box TC-1 Wireless Timecode Expanded

Foreword

Thank you for purchasing the Deity Timecode Box TC-1.

Instructions

• Please read this product manual carefully.

• Keep this product manual. Always include this product manual when passing the products on to third parties.

• Heed all warnings and follow all instructions in this product manual.
  WARNING: Do not place the product near any corrosive chemicals. Corrosion may cause the product to malfunction.

• Only use a microfiber or dry cloth to clean the product.

• Operate carefully – dropping or hitting the product may cause damage.

• Keep all liquids away from the product. Liquids entering the product can short-circuit the electronics or damage the mechanics.

• Store the product in a dry, clean, dust-free environment.

• If your product malfunctions, please have it serviced by an authorized shop. The warranty does not cover repairs to devices that have been subjected to unauthorized disassembly, although you may request such repairs on a chargeable basis.

• The product is certified by RoHS, CE, FCC, KC and Japan MIC. Please adhere to the operation standards. The warranty does not cover repairs arising out of the misuse of the product, although you may request such repairs on a chargeable basis.

• The instructions and information in this manual are based on thorough, controlled company testing procedures. Further notice will not be given if the design and specifications change.

FCC Compliance Statement

• This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
  1. This device may not cause harmful interference
  2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
• Warning: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
• NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
  • Reorientate or relocate the receiving antenna.
  • Increase the distance separating the equipment and receiver.
  • Connect the device to a different power supply than that which the receiver is connected to.
  • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

RF warning statement:
The device has been evaluated to meet general RF exposure requirements. The device can be used in portable exposure condition without restriction.

Intended Use

Intended use of the Deity Timecode Box TC-1 includes:

• The user has read the instructions of this manual.
• The user is using the products within the operating conditions and limitations described in this product manual.
• “Improper use” means using the products other than as described in these instructions or under operating conditions which differ from those described herein.

Packing List

Package includes the following items:

1. **Timecode Box TC-1

**

2. **Timecode Box TC-1 Kit

**

Nomenclature

Connecting to Recording Devices

The Timecode box TC-1 can be used with nearly any recording devices: cameras, audio recorders, smart slates and more. Before connecting your synced TC-1 to each device with the prope adapter (included in the box), make sure to set the correct output volume. Depending on the input of your recording device, you can set it to LINE or MIC level. We also recommend a test shoot to check timecode compatibility and ensure a smooth shoot.

Functions and Operations

1. Function Control Wheel
   Rotate the wheel back and forth to select various options and short-press the function control wheel to enter the selected highlighted item.

2. MENU/BACK button
   Long-press the MENU/BACK button to turn the TC-1 on. Long-press it again and a pop-up window appears to let you select to turn off the TC-1 or not. It also functions as a “back” button while navigating the various menus and setup screens to return to the previous screen or menu item. Short-press the MENU/BACK button 3 times can Lock or unlock the screen.

3. Removable Cold Shoe Mount with Soft Hook-N-Loop
   The TC-1 can be attached to a camera or similar device with the included cold shoe mount or installed in a sound bag or other audio device using the backing hook-n-loop directly.

4. Charging

   • The TC-1 has a built-in, rechargeable Lithium-Polymer battery. The battery is charged using the included Type-C charging cable connected to a DC adapter (not included). The power LED glows green when the battery is in the clear. The color changes to red when there is about 30 minutes of operation left.
   • When charging, the power LED will flash between red and green.
   •  When fully charged, the power LED stays green.
   • Charging at temperatures below 10 degrees will cause damage to the battery.
   • A full charge takes 3 hrs for up to 24 hrs operation time. The battery is replaceable if performance has declined after years of use.

5. Built-In Microphone
   The TC-1 has a small built-in microphone on top of the device. It can be used to record reference sound on DSLR cameras or devices with a stereo 3.5 mm mic input. The built-in microphone can only be used, when working at MIC level with plug-in power switched on at the camera side. By using the included 3.5mm TRS cable, the timecode signal will be recorded on the left channel and reference sound will be recorded on the right channel.

6. **OLED Display Overview

**

7. Lock/Unlock Setting
   • Enter the Lock/Unlock option in the main interface and you can select “LOCK” to lock the screen immediately. When the screen is locked, the buttons will not work.
   • This helps to prevent settings from changing during operation. Select ”AUTO” to follow the previous screen locking setting. You can also quickly lock or unlock the screen by short-pressing the MENU/BACK button three times.
8. TC-1 Mode Selection
   • Rotate the function control wheel to select the mode and short-press to select the desired working mode. There are three options:
   • Master Run: In this mode your TC-1 wirelessly outputs timecode to other TC-1 units in the same group in either Auto Jam mode or Jam Once And Lock mode. It can also be jam-synced via a 3.5mm cable.
   • Auto Jam: In this mode your TC-1 waits to be jam-synced by an external timecode source. The system default mode is Auto Jam.
   • Jam Once And Lock: In this mode your TC-1 locks after being synced once. The TC-1 will then not follow any commands from master TC-1 or Sidus Audio™ App.
   • You will need to change the mode to unlock.

9. FPS Setting
   Select “25” and you can set the frame rate for timecode as 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 29.97DF, 30. DF stands for drop frame. The system default frame rate is

10. We recommend setting a suitable frame rate in advance so the TC-1 can feed each recording device with timecode.

11. Channel Setting
    If you don’t have a mobile device at hand, you can synchronize TC-1 units with each other via wireless sync technology if they have the same channel setting. The system defaults channel is group A.

12. Out Type Setting
    Based on the TC-1 mode and the camera or audio recorder your TC-1 will connect to, you need to select the correct out type of timecode

    • L-IN: Requires Line level timecode input.
    • L-OUT: Outputs Line level timecode .
    • A-OUT: Outputs Mic level timecode to a DSLR device and timecode is recorded as an audio signal on one audio track.

13. TC Setting
    When the TC-1 working mode is set to “Master Run,” there are three options for TC setting:

    • SYNC: Feed timecode to other devices.
    • SET: Feed timecode to other devices starting from 00:00:00:00 or any custom timecode starting point.
    • EXT: TC-1 can detect and be jam-synced by an external timecode source through the 3.5mm jack.

13. BT setting

  * Select BT and you can turn the Bluetooth function on/off. Bluetooth is disabled by default.
  * Select RESET and YES to reset the Bluetooth.The ”SUCCESS “ message indicates that the reset is complete.

14. General Settings
15. Enter the “DID” option in General Settings to set a new device name by simply short-pressing the control wheel. Choosing different names for your TC-1 will help to better identify different TC-1 units in the monitoring screen of the Sidus Audio™ App.

2. Enter the “SCREEN” option in the General Settings menu to set the lock screen time (system default 15s). The are four options: Never, 15S, 30S, 60S. After first use, TC-1 will boot with your last screen lock setting.

3. Enter ”SYS RESET“ option in the menu to reset the system and restore the default settings.

4. Enter “FIRMWARE” option to see which FW version your TC-1 is running. Rotate the function control wheel , to view the MAC address of your TC-1.

5.  **Firmware Update**  

You can update the firmware with a U disk (exFat/Fat32 USB flash drive). Download the latest update from our website. Place the Firmware in the root directory of the U disk. Use the “USB-C to USB-A Firmware Update Adapter” to connect the U disk to the USB-C input port , select “UPDATE” option from menu, and update the firmware following the on-screen instructions. After the firmware update is completed, the ”SUCCESS “ message is displayed. The firmware version will reflect the update and you can enter FIRMWARE in the General Settings menu to check.

• TC-1 also supports firmware update via Sidus Audio™ OTA process.

15. Setup Sidus Audio™ App for IOS & Android
    You can download the Sidus Audio™ app from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store for enhancing the functionality of the TC-1. Please visit sidus.link/support/helpcenter for more details regarding how to use the app to control your Deity Timecode Box TC-1 (Kit).

16. Timecode Synchronization

• TC-1 uses a precision oscillator that generates timecode with a high degree of accuracy (approximately less than 1 frames per 48 hours). We recommend to feed every recording device with the timecode from a TC-1 to ensure frame accuracy for the entire shoot.
  1. Cable Sync

  * You can use the included 3.5mm cable or a suitable adapter cable to Jam the TC-1 to an external timecode. Follow the steps below:
  * Set TC-1 mode to Auto Jam or Jam Once And Lock and set out type as L-IN. When connected to 3.5 mm cable, TC-1 automatically detects and takes over incoming frame rate and timecode immediately on jam-sync.

2.  **Wireless Master Sync**
  * If you don’t have a mobile device at hand, you can synchronize TC-1 units with each other via wireless master sync.
  * Start one TC-1 in Master Run mode and all other TC-1 units in Auto Jam or Jam Once And Lock mode. Set all TC-1 units to the same channel (A group, for instance). Enter the master unit’s TC setting , and select SYNC to perform the wireless master sync using the timecode that master TC-1 is running. All TC-1 units will synchronize within a few seconds. You also can select SET to synchronize timecode starting out from 00:00:00:00 or custom starting point.

  *  **SYNC LED** slowly flashing red indicates that TC-1 is waiting to be syncronized or syncronization was unsuccessful.
  *  **SYNC LED** quickly flashing indicates that the syncronization is on-going.
  *  **SYNC LED** staying green indicates that TC-1 stays at Master Run mode or syncronization was successful .  

Note: During Master Run mode, TC-1 also can be jam-synced by an external timecode source or other TC-1 via the 3.5mm cable.

  * Set TC-1 mode to Master Run mode, enter TC setting, select EXT option and TC-1 will detects the external timecode and frame rate automatically. Press the function control wheel to select Jam and synchronize to an external timecode source.

3.  **Wireless Sync via Sidus Audio™**
  * The Sidus Audio™ App for the TC-1 allows you to wirelessly sync a number of TC-1s with each other via Bluetooth. (Tested with more than 20 units). You can synchronize, monitor, set up, perform firmware updates and change basic parameters of your TC-1 via Sidus Audio™ . This includes settings such as timecode, frame rate, device name, out type, TOD (Time of Day) timecode and more.
  * Sidus Audio™ communicates with your TC-1 via Bluetooth. Make sure Bluetooth is activated on your mobile device and TC-1.
  * To perform the wireless sync, just open Sidus Audio™ on mobile device and add all TC-1 units to the monitoring list. In that list you will find the button Set. Before wireless sync it is recommended to use the DID to set individual device names to better identify TC-1 units.
  * Tap Set Up and a window will pop up with a Sync All option. This will synchronize all TC-1 units to the ”master“ TC-1 timecode or TOD timecode it fetches from modile device.
  * Tap on SYNC for each TC-1 to synchronize to this “ master ” TC-1 individual.

You can download the detailed user manual of Sidus Audio™ here https://m.sidus.link/support/sidusAudio/index.

Specifications

Timecode Box TC-1

Timecode| SMPTE
Wireless Type| 2.4G RF & Bluetooth
Display Type| 0.96″ OLED Display
Battery Type| Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery
Battery Capacity| 950 mAh
Battery Charger| USB-C Cable
Built-in Microphone Polar Pattern| Omni-directional
TC-1 Net Weight| 41 g (not include shock mount )
TC-1 Dimensions| 53.4 mm 40 mm 21.8 mm (not include shock mount )
Temperature Range| –20 °C to +45 °C

Tips: The illustrations in the manual are only diagrams for reference. Due to the continuous development of new versions of the product, if there are any differences between the product and the user manual diagrams, please refer to the product itself.

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