8mm Forum: GS1200...sync box....

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Topic: GS1200...sync box....

Evan Samaras
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 513
From: Queens, NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2015

posted January 28, 2016 03:32 PM

I know there are many posts on the subject, and I have read many (if not all) of them. I may be jumping the gun a little fast, but I am having a lot of fun =) I am interested in many films that were produced overseas, and may want to re-record some of the soundtracks. I understand this may require me to have a GS1200 & a sync box (from what I can tell Pedro seems to be the popular box, with the P1008GS model being the one that I would need in the states).

Therefore, I am considering selling my two projectors (ST1200, Euming 807D) and a camera I had converted for Color Infrared ( Canon 40D ), in order to have some funds to put towards an upgrade. Before I start selling my stuff it would be good to have a general idea at what my costs may be. I didn't post in the Wanted section so I can make sure I have the appropriate funds to buy when the time is right. So, I have two questions.

(1) I have seen the GS1200 sell from $500 all the way to 3,500 Euro (here on the forum!). The latter looked much more beautiful, but both machines working well. Perhaps the latter had some special work done to it, but how much can I expect to spend on a fair condition GS1200? I assume either model will allow me to use a sync box to rerecord audio. Correct me If I am wrong.

(2) IF someone were willing to sell a sync box (I understand the task may be much more difficult than I hope) how much could I expect to pay? From my understand they cost somewhere in the vicinity of ~$600 when they were first released. There's no telling whether the price of a used one is more or less expensive now.

Thank you!

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...When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth...

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 28, 2016 06:38 PM

I am not a tech guy, but what I read here with today's technology you can substitute the pedro box with our normal computer. So it saves a lot of money.

AFAIK Pedro has stopped production though.

[ January 28, 2016, 11:33 PM: Message edited by: Winbert Hutahaean ]

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Winbert

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Alan Rik
Film God

Posts: 2211
From: New York City, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 29, 2016 09:23 AM

For a properly working GS with no issues the going rate is $1200 and then the amount could go higher if the unit has original box and accessories. You may be able to find one at a deal but I have found that unless you know how to work on them the deal is usually no deal. I purchased one for $499 a while back and the little cogs for the rewind/take up reel were cracked. So the seller who did not know anything about this machine turned it on and it worked. But the motors weren't strong enough to rewind or take up any reels with film on them. Cost for the little cogs? $70 a side. I can install them but if you had them installed elsewhere the repair would have been an easy $300+.
If you purchase from a seller who really knows the machine and can guarantee that it will work when you receive it that is the best way.
Finding a sync box, one of Pedro's boxes will be very hard. To find one for use in the USA would be almost impossible. He may have only made one that I know of.
The difference is the USA model has a crystal sync framerate of 23.97 FPS which is our framerate for NTSC. In Europe and many other countries they use the PAL System and the framerate is 25 FPS. I had one of the PAL boxes but that means I had to transfer using PAL DVD's and then my GS would be locked in at 25fps.
Now I can use my computer and Logic to output a 23.97 Frame rate and lock my GS to that and do my re-records like that. But unless you want to do a lot of re-records it may be better to send out the films you want done. Lance Alspaugh on this forum does it and his re-records are truly incredible sounding. His Stereo Mix of Titanic Feature on Super 8 is very, very good. One of the best I've heard and I have to say, better than I could have done with my setup. I have heard he biases the heads on his recording machine to get the best possible sound and to my ears it works.
One last thing, if you are paying a premium price for a GS make sure to see if the Pulse Sync module is working. I had 2 of them where the module had to be replaced. $200-300 I think I paid.
Good luck!

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