The Blackmagic Design Audio and KeyKode Reader is a critical peripheral that expands the Cintel Scanner's functionality from a high-resolution film digitizer into a complete film restoration and archival workstation. It operates by integrating two specialized capture systems directly into the film scanning path. First, a precision optical sensor scans the film's edge to detect and decode the latent KeyKode or edge numbers. This automated process generates a digital data file that meticulously logs the unique identifier for every single frame as it is scanned. This metadata is vital for any workflow requiring a return to the original negative, such as conforming a digitally edited feature film or locating specific frames for restoration, providing an undeniable link between the digital file and its physical celluloid source.

Second, a high-fidelity magnetic playback head reads the analog audio tracks (typically a magnetic stripe) on the film. It converts this analog signal into a high-quality, uncompressed digital audio file that is automatically synchronized to the picture on a frame-by-frame basis. This eliminates the historically tedious and error-prone process of separately transferring film audio and then manually syncing it to the picture. By capturing pristine image data, perfectly synchronized audio, and frame-accurate KeyKode metadata simultaneously in a single pass, this accessory ensures a holistic and efficient digitization process. For film archives, post-production houses, and restoration specialists, it is an indispensable tool that preserves not just the visual content of film, but its complete audiovisual essence and its critical physical provenance.