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Syncing audio in a multicam shoot: line versus mic
Hi, I did a multicam shoot of a concert and got my usual feed off the audio desk in one XLR input and then an ambient XLR input from my on camera mic. I recorded them as separate channels with Mic on the left and Line on the right.
On the timeline, I notice that the line audio arrives about 1 or 2 frames earlier than the ambient. I deduce that I am getting sound to the camera quicker and that the theatre audio system is perhaps taking longer to process. Does that mean I should sync all my other cameras up to the Line audio?
My system specs: Intel i7 970, GTX570, 12GB RAM, ASUS P6T, Vegas Pro 12 (x64), Windows 7 x64 Ultimate, Vegas Production Assistant 1.0, VASST Ultimate S Pro 4.1, Neat Video Pro 2.6
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4 Replies
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I record a lot of plays with the same audio setup and what you’re hearing is normal. I sync everything up to the audio desk feed and use my shotgun mic to add some room ambiance to the recording. Sometimes I leave it at the original delay and sometimes I line it up to match. It all depends on the play.
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I agree with Mike. Sound speed is slow (roughly 1,126 ft/s) compared to what the cameras are capturing and if you have the line feed it is what is going to likely be most in sync with video.
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[Mike Kujbida] ” Sometimes I leave it at the original delay and sometimes I line it up to match”
This is a contemporary choir group with soloists and the delay does sound good with the choir (adds ambiance) but slightly odd with the soloists, so I have gone with the sync audio to sound feed option. One thing I did was add 25% right pan to the sound feed and 25% left pan to the mic audio and it actually balances up and sounds really well. The shotgun mic on the Z1 is my trusty Sony electret condenser ECM 674 which has faithfully recorded the auditorium sound and lifts the line audio which sounds a bit flat due to the lack of ambiance.
I don’t usually bother this much with audio for plays, but the musical director was very particular about getting the sound right. Given she didn’t have the budget to do a proper post mix, the combination of line plus mic and the audio pan seems to have done the job. Sounds great on the headphones as I edit!
Thanks for the response all.
My system specs: Intel i7 970, GTX570, 12GB RAM, ASUS P6T, Vegas Pro 12 (x64), Windows 7 x64 Ultimate, Vegas Production Assistant 1.0, VASST Ultimate S Pro 4.1, Neat Video Pro 2.6
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Nigel, thanks for the detailed reply.
I’m glad to see that you found a solution that works for you.
As I said, every recording is different so playing with it to find the best balance of room sound vs. on stage mics is best method.
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