1. Laying Black to Tape
   
   1. Turn power on for overall edit system
   2. Switch betacam recorder to LOCAL mode (local/remote switch upper right corner of deck front panel)
   3. Press the "Fade to black" button once. This button is located on the lower right of the JVC switcher (see figure above).
   4. Lift Betacam recorder front control panel to upright position 8)
   5. Under the front control panel, on the top circuit board, the 4th switch is labelled regen/preset. This should be set at 'preset' mode. (If you want an assembly edit, set it to 'regen').
   6. On the front control panel hit the record button to display the existing preset time code value.
   7. To zero the preset value, use the reset button (to the right of the time code display).
   8. Hit the PRESET button to enter the zeroed time code (to the left of the time code control section).
   9. Finally hit Play & Record simultaneously on the recorder deck.
   10. Let it record as long as you want. You cannot speed it up or start and stop, so go for a cup of coffee and come back later. Make sure you leave a sign saying that you're recording...
   11. When finished, turn the TC Generator switch back to REGEN.

   
   

2. Recording color bars

   Color bars usually should be 45 secs long followed by 15 secs. of black before you start the main program.

   1. Select color bars on JVC switcher Program bus - either CBARS/Blk for NTSC bars or SMPTE (split) bars from NOVA 950

      NOTE: JVC switcher bars (NTSC) toggles between color bars and black. The NOVA 950 can output SMPTE bars, but CBARS must be selected on the NOVA950 control panel.

   2. Regardless of the type of color bars selected, the record monitor should show color bars when the recorder is 'stopped' (E-to-E mode)
   3. Set tone for video programs that will include audio. Otherwise, proceed with marking in/out points, etc.

   When dubbing or editing, you should check your color bars on the waveform, to actually adjust the signal to correct level:
   Split-field color bars: white should be at 100%;
   Regular bars: white should be set to ~80 ire. Black or 'pedestal' level should be set to 7.5 ire or 'cheated' to 5 ire for 'richer' blacks (black is a 'legal' broadcast signal if it is somewhere between 0 and 7.5 ire).

   
   

3. Recording tone

   Tone and color bars are recorded simultaneously.

   1. Turn tone generator 'on'. It is the 'microphone-like' device connected to Input 6 on the Mackie mixer. The power switch is located on the side of the tone generator; 'on' is when the switch is positioned towards the red dot.
   2. Adjust Mackie mixer tone level (input 6 and output sliders) to 0db
   3. Check audio level inputs on recorder. Adjust audio levels to 0db by pulling record control knobs out to variable position.
   4. Once the audio levels are set, proceed with marking in/out points to record.
   5. Do not forget to turn the tone generator off when you finish.

The tape is now ready for editing