[Martechnology]

If answers to this problem have already been posted, please forgive me for repeating the matter here. I have been Googling unsuccessfully for hours for a definitive solution to the problem.

The application is live mixing at school events such as speech days. Current usage is a Panasonic WJ-AVE5 mixer with 2 domestic camcorders as cameras. The cameras do not have a genlock facility, but this doesn't matter because the mixer incorporates 2 framestores for synchronisation. The limitation of the old AVE-5 mixer is that it will only handle 2 cameras.

We would like to use more cameras, and Pana WJ-5500 mixer has become available. Unfortunately there is no local knowledge of this bit of kit, but I have a strong suspicion that it will not be a "plug and play" job. I would guess that each input has to be synchronised before it arrives at the mixer. If this is the case then we would not be able to use the unit, because the extra cameras available to us are domestic items as before.

However, (and I get speculative at this point), if the mixer incorporates a framestore, then it may be possible to use the unit provided that when each camera is selected by button, the incoming signal is routed into the framestore before the "take" lever is operated.

Am I somewhere mear the truth, or is it all just pie in the sky?

Words of wisdom on this topic from all you knowledgeable people would be much appreciated.