Set Up Scopebox for Color Correction

How I Set Up Scopebox for Color Correction

December 14, 2013

In this video learn how a professional colorist configures the affordable software scopes, ScopeBox, for image evaluation to speed up color correcting.


Series
Day 14: 20 Insights in 20 Days Holiday Marathon

How I Set Up ScopeBox for Color Correction

This Insight is a follow up to ML0048 – where Robbie Carman demo’ed the ScopeLink feature in Scopebox… which gives you on-board scopes for Premiere Pro, After Effects and Final Cut Pro 10.

What Is ScopeBox?

ScopeBox is a software product from Divergent Media that, among other things, provides a fully featured set of Waveforms, Vectorscopes, Surround Sound decoding and more. Each of these features is contained in a Pallete – and it’s possible to have several of the same Pallete exposed but configured slightly differently.

At the low low price of $99, all of this adds up to a set of software scopes that is more configurable and more customizable than competitors 50 times it’s price.

I’ve been using ScopeBox as my primary scopes for several months now. It’s interface has been set up to several different configurations, but I’ve finally tweaked my ‘pallet configuration’ in a manner I like.

Setting Up ScopeBox
I this Insight, watch to learn how I set up Scopebox for Color Correction. We’ll go on a tour from my initial set-up, plus several different configurations to my current configuration – which I’m real happy with.

About ScopeBox 3.3.4
I want to point out two new features in the latest update to Scopebox:

  • Auto-detecting and auto-switching to the incoming frame-rate and frame size of the source signal. It’s only available on specific Decklink hardware – and since my ScopeBox setup is based around the Kona 3, I can’t demo this feature. But for those of you who might run ScopeBox on Decklink, this is a HUGE  feature you’d normally have to spend $2,000+ to gain.
  • 4K input support: On the Decklink 4K capture card.

Member’s-Only ScopeBox Discount

Divergent Media is offering a 20% discount for paid Mixing Light members.

If you have an active Mixing Light subscription then log in to see that discount on this page. Non-members can sign-up for our free 7-Day Test Drive.

Questions? Comments? Tips?

Do you have a favorite set of Scopes? Have you taken ScopeBox for a spin or are thinking about it? Is there another set of Scopes you’d like us to tackle? Use the comments below the video to ask questions, share your thoughts or offer a tip. Team MixingLight enjoys interacting with our members and we want you to share your thoughts.

 


Comments

Homepage Forums How I Set Up Scopebox for Color Correction

Page 1 of 3

  • BionicVincent
    Guest

    That was great Patrick. For Resolve you’ll still need a separate Mac to run scopebox, is that right? Can you also touch on the difference between ‘internal’ scopes (Like Resolve’s scopes) Vs. External scopes (Have I used the correct terminology to explain this?)


  • Patrick Inhofer
    Guest

    Vincent,

    Correct. On Resolve you need Video I/O to feed the image out of Resolve into ScopeBox. In my case, a Decklink card is going out from my MacPro via SDI, into an SDI Distribution Amplifier that has one input and four outputs. One output goes to my reference monitor, another goes into the SDI input of a 2nd computer (MacPro with Kona 3). But this is all possible using Thunderbolt or HDMI – if you’ve got the right combination of hardware. For instance, a Decklink Ultrastudio.

    RE: Difference between Internal vs External Scopes – Internal takes some real-time functionality away since the CPU has to generate and draw the scopes. External verifies that the signal out of the CPU being fed into the display is accurate… since both are getting the same signal.


  • Margus Voll
    Member

    HML just great tip!


  • Patrick Inhofer
    Guest

    HML rocks!


  • Margus Voll
    Member

    Oh yes. It took so much guess work out of the image in such short time. Really happy about my scopes.


  • Robert
    Guest

    I want the HML! I was thinking of getting a Mac Mini and running the SDI out from my Flanders into it (via the BMD Ultrastudio) to use Scopebox. Does this seem like a good setup? The one thing I’m worried about is lag, as even the built-in scopes on the Flanders are a little annoying to use because of the delay. (I work in Resolve and use a Decklink SDI to get the signal to my Flanders.)


  • Patrick Inhofer
    Guest

    The setup you describe is very common and should work very well. Any lag you’re seeing now in your external monitor will likely be replicated in Scopebox. I’d investigate the various tick-boxes that may help reduce lag from within Resolve’s Project settings.

    BTW – unless you need and Ultrastudio – you can take the output from your Flanders and feed that into the MacMini using the less expensive BM MiniMonitor which takes SDI and turns it into an input for your MacMini (just like the Ultrastudio, but only one way).


  • Andreas Urra
    Member

    Hi Patrick, thanks for this explanation. Do you set the scopes to “RGB” or to “Studio RGB”? How do you chose between the two?


  • Patrick Inhofer
    Guest

    Use RGB, which uses the full bit depth of the incoming signal and is the standard for digital video signal paths. Studio RGB is more appropriate for an analog signal path.


  • Christopher Kechichian
    Guest

    Hey Patrick, is it possible to run scopebox on the same machine as Resolve? Let’s say the configuration is a Blackmagic ultrastudio, a thunderbolt display and a Flanders display. Is it possible or I need something else? Many Thanks


  • Patrick Inhofer
    Guest

    Hi Christopher – At this time the only apps that ScopeBox can get a live feed out of and run on the same CPU is PremierePro, After Effects and Final Cut Pro 10. Outside of those apps, it has to run on a separate computer and you’d either loop out the Flanders to feed Scopebox or pull one of the additional outputs from the Ultrastudio to that second computer.


  • Chris Climer
    Guest

    I am about to make the change to scope box and I want to make sure I have my hardware right.

    I have a new Mac Pro which I am using the Decklink Studio 4K which I send one HDMI signal to my client TV. I took one of the SDI and used a blackmagic SDI to HDMI converter and that goes into my HP Dreamcolor. I have an old 2009 Mac Pro tower that is updated just sitting around. Can I add a decklink mini recorder to that old computer to use Scopebox or do I need a different piece of hardware?


  • Dan Moran
    Member

    Hey Chris,

    I’m not a scopebox expert but I think the Mini Recorder will work but make sure you buy the PCI express based version not the thunderbolt version! I actually didn’t know that the PCI express version existed until right now when I looked it up so hopefully it’s shipping!

    Robbie or Pat may be able to offer more on this area but I can’t wait to start using Scopebox myself.

    Dan


  • Patrick Inhofer
    Guest

    Chris – The mini-Recorder should work just fine. You’re talking the little box, right? Dan has a point about being sure ScopeBox can see the HDMI input for your graphics card. An email to the ScopeBox team should clear up any sticking points. But basically, this sounds correct.

    I will say – I decided to splurge on a new Mac Mini to save on power consumption… and save it does! Running just my base rig, my Power Conditioner and Battery Backup runs at 50% capacity with Resolve running. With my 2008 MacPro running ScopeBox, it’s running at 102% capacity. With the new Mac Mini, using the Mini Recorder and Scopebox? 54% capacity.

    That’s a lot of power savings and leaves headroom for something like an GPU expansion box for Resolve.


  • Robbie Carman
    Guest

    +1 on the mac mini. Chris – you’ll need the PCI version as Dan said NOT the ultra studio mini recorder which is thunderbolt.

Page 1 of 3

Log in to reply.

1,000+ Tutorials to Explore

Get full access to our entire library of over 1,100+ color tutorials for an entire week!


Start Your Test Drive!
Loading...