Super8 and 8mm Sound Transfer

Purpose This describes the procedure to transfer audio from Super8 sound film and from 8mm sound film.

Space Connection

A 3.5 stereo cable should be plugged into the rear "line-in" jack (blue)(bottom row of jacks, corner nearest Jason's room) and the female 3.5mm end should be found between Space and Mac.

8mm Equipment Required

8mm/Super8 sound projector. Eumig Mark S 710D.

  • power transformer for 120v 60Hz to 220v 50Hz conversion.

Super8 take up reel.  Sankyo reel is a good one.

The PC called "Space" to record the audio onto.

3.5mm stereo male to 5 pin DIN cable to connect the PC's line-out  (rear) to the projector.

Super8 Equipment Required

Super8 sound projector. Yashica Sound P820.

Super8 take up reel.  Sankyo reel is a good one.

The PC called "Space" to record the audio onto.

3.5mm stereo male to male cable to connect the PC's line-out  (rear) to the projector.

Summary

Play the  sound film through the  sound projector and record the output audio onto the PC.  In post the audio files are merged with the video that was transferred using the Sniper units.

8mm Steps

  1. Set up the Eumig projector.
  2. Mount the take up reel on the projector
  3. Connect "Space" to the projector using the 5 pin DIN to 3.5mm stereo cable.  The 3.5 stereo plug should be plugged into the female 3.5mm plug and the 5 pin DIN plug should be plugged into the DIN socket labeled with a "play" symbol (side of the projector with the knobs and switches, nearest the front of the lens).
  4. Open Sony Vegas on Space and create a new audio track.
  5. Make sure the audio input is set to line-in..... a) Record input: "Line-in VIA High Definition Au (Default)" b) .... this is set  under options / preferences / audio device (tab) / Default audio recording device (field) c) If this is not set correctly on the track info, then you may have to change it under the preferences and you may have to delete and recreate the audio track to set it correctly. d) If you are not getting the audio...you may have to check the settings in VIA HD Audio Deck (found in icon tray) to make sure that the "line-in" is set correctly.
  6. Mount the film on the projector's long arm.
  7. Clockwise rotate the projector's run switch to the first position (load).
  8. Just below the lens is a black "push-switch"....push this and hold it.
  9. Feed the film into the front slot above the lens.  Once it catches it should start feeding through the film pathway.  Watch the film and make sure it does not jam or bunch up in the pathway.  IMMEDIATELY turn knob to OFF if jam occurs and then rewind the film.
  10. When the film reaches the take-up reel it may catch nicely or you may have to stop the film and manually make it catch.  You can also let go of the "push-switch" once the film appears at the back of the projector.
  11. Make sure the projector's volume control knob labelled with a Nike swoosh is set around 10:30 o'clock (you may want to test this setting).
  12. Test if Vegas is getting the audio by.... a) creating an audio track b) clicking the "arm for record" (in the track header info) and setting up where to record c) running the projector and watching for the audio bars in Vegas to react
  13. Once your satisfied with the audio levels in Vegas.... a) Rewind projector to start b) click the "record" button in Vegas c) start the projector
  14. Clockwise rotate the run knob to either position to run the film.
  15. When the film is done, hit the "stop" on Sony Vegas, and rotate the projector's run knob to the "off" position.
  16. Thread the film back into the original reel and rotate the run knob to reverse (first position - counter clockwise).
  17. Repeat the above for all the films.  It helps if the audio file numbering matches the film video numbering.
  18. Match up the audio to the video.

Super8 Steps

  1. Set up the projector.
  2. Remove Yashica cover off the projector (pull straight out) so that one can see the film's path
  3. Mount the take up reel on the projector
  4. Connect "Space" to the projector using the 3.5mm male-male stereo cable.  The 3.5 stereo plug should be plugged into the female 3.5mm plug coming from "Space" and the other 3.5mm plug should be plugged into the "MONO AUX-OUT" jack at the back of the projector.
  5. Open Sony Vegas on Space and create a new audio track.
  6. Make sure the audio input is set to line-in..... a) Record input: "Line-in VIA High Definition Au (Default)" b) .... this is set  under options / preferences / audio device (tab) / Default audio recording device (field) c) If this is not set correctly on the track info, then you may have to change it under the preferences and you may have to delete and recreate the audio track to set it correctly. d) If you are not getting the audio...you may have to check the settings in VIA HD Audio Deck (found in icon tray) to make sure that the "line-in" is set correctly.
  7. Mount the film on the projector's long arm.
  8. Make sure the projector control labelled "volume" is set around 12 o'clock.
  9. Clockwise rotate the projector's run switch to the first position (load).
  10. Just above the lense is a "PUSH" button on a white thing....push this once (this should stay down).
  11. Feed the film into the front slot on the white thing.  Once it catches it should start feeding through the film pathway.  Watch the film and make sure it does not jam or bunch up in the pathway.  IMMEDIATELY turn knob to OFF if jam occurs and then rewind the film.
  12. When the film reaches the take-up reel it may catch nicely or you may have to stop the film and manually make it catch.
  13. Test if Vegas is getting the audio by.... a) creating an audio track b) clicking the "arm for record" (in the track header info) and setting up where to record c) running the projector and watching for the audio bars in Vegas to react
  14. Once your satisfied wit the audio levels in Vegas.... a) Rewind projector to start b) click the "record" button in Vegas c) start the projector
  15. Clockwise rotate the run knob to the furthest point (play audio).
  16. When the film is done, hit the "stop" on Sony Vegas, and rotate the projector's run knob to the "off" position.
  17. Thread the film back into the original reel and rotate the run knob to reverse (first position - counter clockwise).
  18. Repeat the above for all the films.  It helps if the audio file numbering matches the film video numbering.
  19. Match up the audio to the video.

Editing And Syncing Audio - Super8

Found that the video and audio are never captured at the same speed and therefore the video and audio tracks will never match in edit.  The audio needs to be adjusted by doing a time stretch:

  • right click the audio track and select the properties.
  • "Audio Event" tab should open.
  • Under the "Time Stretch / pitch shift" update the Method: drop down to "Classic"
  • Check the Pitch change: Lock to stretch box and fill in the ratio with 1.45

Sometimes the ratio may need to be adjusted a little to fit perfectly.  One can also stretch the video a little to fit too (in addition to setting the ratio first).

Issue Existing With 8mm Audio

We still have a hum in the audio.  I tried moving the "disc"s around and optimized the hum but did not eliminate it.  The projector's power plug has been altered and the Euro plug replaced with a two prong America plug.  This plugs in the transformer.  The original plug had a ground and I thought this may be an issue for the hum and Peter Knight told me that a ground would NOT change the hum.