Sync issues

[Bill Davis]

Have you checked the files with MediaInfo or a similar file info disclosure tool to see if both cameras had all the settings consistent? Typically, sync issues come when the time base of two streams are different. It’s also possible that your system is having problems keeping up with the streams. Whats your import codec? Did you let X do a ProRes transcode? Did you transcode to Proxy and try that?

Those are where I’d look first.

Good luck.

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[Jeremy Garchow]

Try turning off sync by timecode, but rather sync by audio.

[Eric Santiago]

Thanks folks.
Yes to most of the questions.
Ive tried all options at sync point.
I also checked the footage info and both are same format and framerate.
Only diff is that one starts later than the other.
Like I said, works great using the Sync option but not so good using Multi-Cam.
Ive never had this issue before with other cameras, just this EX-3 project is killing me.
The original NLE was FCP7.
Editor was eyeballing the audio to the clips.
I got tired of waiting so I took the original sources and started a new project in FCPX.
Since Ive had perfect success with Multi-Cam before, I thought I was going to power through and have it all ready in FCPX.

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Eric Santiago] “Like I said, works great using the Sync option but not so good using Multi-Cam”

This would seem to point to an option in multicam that is throwing the sync off.

What options are you using specifically?

I had a 3 angle multicam last week and supposedly the tc was jam synced, but it tunes out it wasn’t quite jammed properly and every angle was a few frames off of the master audio tc (sound devices).

I had to mess around with the sync settings until it all came together.

In your angle viewer, if you show the timecode, does the timecode match for all cameras and audio? If so, that may point to the problem.

[Eric Santiago]

No TC was used in this project so I had to use audio sync.
Which baffles me cause Sync option is bang on with the same clips.
Its not a deal breaker.
I think the originator will have to suck it up and finish in FCP7.
Ive been using 7toX to sync audio after final edits.
A pain to deal with and the works well if we both edit from zero to end.
A lot of copy and paste at specific time frames 😛

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Eric Santiago] “No TC was used in this project so I had to use audio sync.
Which baffles me cause Sync option is bang on with the same clips.”

I do think this problem could be solved with a little investigation.

I would doubt (and I could be wrong) that FCPX uses a different audio sync engine when creating synchronized clips vs multi clips.

What is different with multi clips is the amount of metadata and sorting that can aid in the sync and organization process. That is to say, what FCPX can use to sync, and then how it subsequently arranges the clips and angles, including the container format/frame of the multiclip itself, as well as a starting timecode. There are a lot more variables than a synchronized clip.

You can also simply move the clips back in to sync in the angle editor at any time, which might be handy if everything is only a few frames off.

If you aren’t interested, that’s cool, and maybe you found a bug, which would be good to know about as well.

If you are up for it, I’d like to see what sync settings you are using specifically.

Jeremy

[Michael Sanders]

This is why you should use Timecode! It solves all these problems.. I know its all very well after the horse as bolted but it really does solve a lot of time.

Michael Sanders
London Based DP/Editor

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Michael Sanders] “This is why you should use Timecode! It solves all these problems.. “

It can, but it doesn’t solve it if the tc is off.

On the last shoot that was handed over, supposedly, the tc was jammed. I told FCPX to sync by tc, and it did. Everything was off by a few frames. I resynced using audio, and everything matched perfectly.

[Michael Sanders]

mmm. weird. I’ve done loads of multi cam shoots and we’ve never had an issue.

Personally I try really hard to avoid Jam sync, and prefer to use lockit or Timecode buddy boxes that keep a constant TC ref. With Jam sync its all to easier for a hiccup to occur.

Michael Sanders
London Based DP/Editor

[Jeremy Garchow]

This is an honest mistake, but mistakes do happen.