External monitor/audio not quite in sync?

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

[Walter Biscardi] “Nope, it comes into play with all settings.”

Sorry, but this is just not the case on my systems that just use the FW sent to a DV deck for external A/V monitoring.

Maybe with your Kona card it works differently, but here, the only effect that the delay has is so I can sync the Canvas monitor to the same timing as my EXTERNAL audio and video monitor.
I checked this with a series of 1-frame cuts of Bars & Tone.
I adjusted the timing until the Canvas and the External “poped” at the same time (5 was my magic number).

BUT, no matter how far off I set the delay, it has NO EFFECT on the timing/sync when:
A. I am ONLY judging the EXTERNAL A/V together (they STAY locked, regardless of the setting).
B. I am ONLY judging the COMPUTER Canvas and Mac internal audio together (they STAY locked, regardless of the setting).

Again, It DOES only affect the timing of the Canvas sync in relation to the External monitor.
(I guess you could check this on your end by making a quick hook-up to a camcorder via FW.)

And I’ll bet that’s why iMan can’t “fix” his problem with this setting.

[Walter Biscardi]

[iMan] “Does the Audio/Video settings with the playback output and mirror on desktop etc have anything to do with it, what should they be set to?”

does both your audio and video come down one Firewire cable to the Canopus or are you monitoring two different sources? You should have one FW cable coming from the G5 to the canopus. From that you should have video going to the external monitor and your audio should go directly to the Mackie. Your A/V settings on FCP should be set for DV-NTSC output (or PAL depending on where you are)

If this is the case, then about 4 or 5 should be your offset, not 0. 0 is only used for capture cards, such as the Kona 2, as they are fast enough to stay in sync with the Canvas.

it sounds to me like your listening / watching two different sources or your have your audio or video looped through one too many devices.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

G5 Dual 2.0, AJA Kona 2, Medea FCR2X

[Paul Huppe]

Sorry to piggy-back on someone else’s thread, but I’m havin a similar problem. The exception being that on output, my video/audio are in sync; and the video progressively drops frames as the print goes on. During a half-hour show, my video gets out of sync by 10 frames at the end of it.

I’m running FCP Pro 5 on a G5 with a Kona 2 card and a fiber-optic Huge Systems media tower (2.5 tb). I’m printing to a Sony PVW 2800 BetaSP deck.

What’s strange is that this is the first time its happened; I tried to thrash the prefs, but no change.

Thanks
Paul

[Walter Biscardi]

[Zeeton] “The exception being that on output, my video/audio are in sync; and the video progressively drops frames as the print goes on. During a half-hour show, my video gets out of sync by 10 frames at the end of it.”

that’s a strange one. Do you have FCP set to abort the mastering if it drops frames? If so, then you’re not really dropping frames. What happens when you simply play the timeline to the external monitor / speakers. Does it stay in sync through the entire show?

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

G5 Dual 2.0, AJA Kona 2, Medea FCR2X

[Nigel]

Okay, I have just one FireWire cable from G5 to Canopus, then a phono lead to my monitor and audio phono leads to my Mackie. I did work perfectly on version 4.5HD and I have not changed a single lead or setting, just installed FCP5 Studio suite. My settings are as before.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

In order to make SURE that you do, in fact, have an A/V sync “problem” try this.

Open a new project (call it “Test” or similar).

In the Viewer choose Bars & Tone.
Set B&T to be one frame long.

Edit a frame of B&T to the timeline, jump forward 15 frames…
Edit a frame of B&T to the timeline, jump forward 15 frames…
Edit a frame of B&T to the timeline, jump forward 15 frames…
Edit a frame of B&T to the timeline, jump forward 15 frames…

Repeat this until you have several seconds worth of 1-frame edits with 15 frames of black in-between.

Then Save the project.

Set “External Video-All Frames”
Now play the timeline and observe if the Audio and Video are in sync on your external monitor and speakers.

Then set “External Video-OFF”
Now play the timeline and observe if the Audio and Video are in sync on your Mac monitor and Mac internal audio.

I don’t know if its POSSIBLE, but you MIGHT have a problem with your Canopus Converter.
Try unplugging it from the wall and let it “cool down” for a few minutes, then re-plug it and test again.

[Nigel]

Will try your test in the morning Matte, I’m in the UK and it’s nearly bedtime. I know I don’t have a problem with Canopus as I have owned and been using it for 2 years with Final Cut, as I’ve already mentioned this set up was working fine, FCP4.5HD, G5, Canopus, Mackie, Tannoy speakers, JVC monitor. Only when I upgraded to FCP5 last week did the sync problem occur.

Also, the system is only ever on for 2 hours max, then it is all switched off at the mains. The Canopus and the rest of the system had only been on for minutes.

I’ll post back here tomorrow after doing your bars/tone test.

Thanks.

[Nigel]

Okay, did the bars/tone test and it is still out of sync on external by around 5 or 6 frames. Mac is perfectly in sync on monitor when All Frames are off, or when All Frames are on and the offset is set to 0. If I adjust the offset of the frames in the audio playback preferences then the Mac monitor becomes out of sync by the same amount as the external.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

Process of elimination.

Since the problem coincided with the UPGRADE (you did upgrade QT, right).
Its a long-shot and a dissimilar issue, but have you tried THIS:

https://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301852

Can you indulge me on checking the Canopus as being part of the issue?
(I’m just trying to make SURE we ELIMINATE any “outside FCP” issues.)

Try disconnecting from the Canopus and then plugging your FW into any camcorder that will accept a FW input (I know you’re in Europe).

See if the timing is off when viewed on the camcorder’s screen and audio.

At some point, I suppose a re-install of FCP and QT (basically, do the upgrade process again) would make sense.

[Nigel]

Thanks Matte, I’ll check all that this evening and post back soon. I’m in the UK, England. I think my Sony DSR390 has FireWire in.