Hi, our studio has 2 120volt AC "Quiet Please" signs that we want to
hook up. We want to have them turn on whenever a SMPTE LTC signal (even
rectified into a DC signal, if necessary) is generated from our
recorder. Does anyone know where I could find a compatible relay to use
for this purpose?
Thanks!

On 14 Jan 2006 12:58:45 -0800, wrote:

Hi, our studio has 2 120volt AC "Quiet Please" signs that we want to
hook up. We want to have them turn on whenever a SMPTE LTC signal (even
rectified into a DC signal, if necessary) is generated from our
recorder. Does anyone know where I could find a compatible relay to use
for this purpose?
Thanks!

It needs to turn on rather earlier than that, doesn't it? Unless
your studio is inhabited by loads of undisciplined hangers-on who
nevertheless have their eyes glued to the sign.

"Laurence Payne" wrote in message
...
On 14 Jan 2006 12:58:45 -0800, wrote:

Hi, our studio has 2 120volt AC "Quiet Please" signs that we want to
hook up. We want to have them turn on whenever a SMPTE LTC signal (even
rectified into a DC signal, if necessary) is generated from our
recorder. Does anyone know where I could find a compatible relay to use
for this purpose?
Thanks!

It needs to turn on rather earlier than that, doesn't it? Unless
your studio is inhabited by loads of undisciplined hangers-on who
nevertheless have their eyes glued to the sign.

The sign is a great idea. I rather liked the old fashioned discipline that
a bell and "Quiet Please" lighted sign imposed on actors, crew, clients,
etc. I believe it was usually accomplished with a two-way paddle switch:
Up was bell, center off, down was light on. On "Roll Sound" the bell rang
for a couple of seconds, which snapped everyone to attention. Nowadays,
everything is often loosey-goosey, "Gee. Let's do a take. Okay with
everybody? Okay, well... here goes. Oh, we're rolling? We are? Okay, go
ahead." Film with a separate recorder for sound sort of demands a ritual to
get everyone on the same page. That ritual, even for video tape, is still
useful. I use it on my shoots. At first, new crew members sort of look at
me funny. But, quickly they come to appreciate the certainty of the ritual.

Steve King

"Steve King" wrote ...
The sign is a great idea. I rather liked the old fashioned discipline
that a bell and "Quiet Please" lighted sign imposed on actors, crew,
clients, etc. I believe it was usually accomplished with a two-way
paddle switch: Up was bell, center off, down was light on. On "Roll
Sound" the bell rang for a couple of seconds, which snapped everyone
to attention. Nowadays, everything is often loosey-goosey, "Gee.
Let's do a take. Okay with everybody? Okay, well... here goes. Oh,
we're rolling? We are? Okay, go ahead." Film with a separate
recorder for sound sort of demands a ritual to get everyone on the
same page. That ritual, even for video tape, is still useful. I use
it on my shoots. At first, new crew members sort of look at me funny.
But, quickly they come to appreciate the certainty of the ritual.

Indeed. Few things focus the mind and bring people to attention
like the AD or Floor Director yelling "Rolling!"

wrote:

Hi, our studio has 2 120volt AC "Quiet Please" signs that we want to
hook up. We want to have them turn on whenever a SMPTE LTC signal (even
rectified into a DC signal, if necessary) is generated from our
recorder. Does anyone know where I could find a compatible relay to use
for this purpose?

Rectifying and filtering LTC isn't a bad idea, but it probably wouldn't
produce enough power to reliably control a relay directly. I would
probably apply the recitfied/filtered signal to a comparitor whose
output would control a driver transistor that in turn controlled the
relay. The trouble with this is that it complicates an otherwise simple
idea with a power supply, layout issues, etc.

Assuming the recorder has no tally outputs (Otherwise you probably wouldn't
have asked.) you might do better to derive a tally output from a transport
lamp circuit or such.

Anyway, the direct answer to your question is that I obtain the parts and
components I seek from Jameco, DigiKey, and Mouser.

If your recorder also happens to output MMC (MIDI Machine Control), I just
happen to have exactly what you need. One of the "custom" applications of
my MIDI merger, The Urge To Merge, decodes MMC to generate tally ouutputs.
Check it out at http://home.comcast.net/~mrkesti/

The same code also runs on my Generic MIDI I/O board that you can see at
http://home.comcast.net/~mrkesti/stuff/genmidi

Thanks!

HTH

--
================================================== ======================
Michael Kesti | "And like, one and one don't make
| two, one and one make one."
mrkesti at comcast dot net | - The Who, Bargain