Copying Audio Sequence to solve Sync Problems FCP7

[Michael Gissing]

Quick and dirty fix. Mix the audio to a stereo file from the original. Drop mix into new graded sequence. Change speed to 100.1%

If the issue is the difference between true 24 and 23.98 then the sync adjustment is .1% which has no consequences for pitch.

Alternative approach is to change sequence settings from Color to 24 if it has come back as 23.98 when the original FCP send to was 24. Just to be clear, your HDV camera shoots true 24p not 29.97 with pull down?

[Jeff Mueller]

Thanks do much for the response.

Unfortunately my camera shoots 29.97 with pull down (Canon XLH1) which I think is the root of the problem. I imported directly from the camera (HDV) to ProRes 4:2:2 and my initial sequence was 23.98, my Color Frame Rate setting was 23.98 and the Sequence Setting for my new sequence back from Color is 23.98…I have double checked them all. The sync is fine in the original sequence, but I’ve read that this is a common problem with pull down material round tripping to Color. I have seen it once before, but managed somehow to replace the audio.

How do I make a stereo file out of my mix in Sequence 1?

Thanks.

Jeff Mueller
http://www.ApertureVideos.com
Santa Barbara, CA

[Michael Gissing]

File>Export>Audio to aif. Then in the config you can chose grouped tracks or stereo mix.

Another approach is to send to Sound Track pro and do a mix there but if you have a mix setup already then the export option is simple.

Finally the Automatic Duck export/ import software is now free and so you could try exporting an AAF and reimporting then pasting into your new sequence. It might clear the frame rate flagging that could be the issue. You didn’t say what the sync issue was – clips too long or short and the amount of sync drift so it is hard to guess if it is a 24 – 23.98 issue or 29.97 to 23.98 problem.

[Jeff Mueller]

Not so good update: so I exported the audio as a Quicktime movie through FCP (I think this is what Michael meant by making a stereo file). I imported the file back into the project and did an insert edit.

All of the In and out Timecodes are identical (on the original pre-color sequence, on the “from Color” sequence and on the new audio file), but it’s still out of sync. At about 25 seconds in it was 11 frames off, so I slid the video forward and the beginning looked good, but by 50 minutes in it’s still 2 seconds off). The sequences are all at 23.98 FPS, the audio file was at 100% speed. I then changed the speed of the audio to 100.1% (I did this in the timeline by locking out the video, selecting the audio pair and choosing change speed, is this the right way?). It’s still off by 2 seconds 50 minutes in.

Anyone have an idea?

Jeff Mueller
http://www.ApertureVideos.com
Santa Barbara, CA

[Michael Gissing]

Sounds like the error is around the .1% range so it is a 24 – 23.98 issue. It also sounds like the speed up of audio didn’t work because the video was locked.

If you try it with just the audio aif as explained in my last post it should work. If you have software like Audacity you can speed the audio up by .1% and not have a vari speed in the timeline.

[Michael Gissing]

Compressor will also do a .1% speed up and make a new file

[Jeff Mueller]

Thanks. Our earlier posts crossed, I have now made the aif file. 100% speed didn’t work nor changing speed in Timeline, but I’ll find a different way to do it and try that.

Jeff Mueller
http://www.ApertureVideos.com
Santa Barbara, CA