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Workflow for multitrack audio in film
I’ve searched the forums and can’t find what I’m looking for.
I’m involved in a short film (~20 min) to be shot on a Canon DSLR. The audio is being recorded separately on a multitrack recorder using up to 8 tracks. A mono reference mix is being sent to the camera for dailies and rough cut. The plan is to sync the audio recorder with the electronic slate. The audio will be sent to Pro Tools for mixing.
The question is this: What is the best/most common workflow for handling the edit and syncing the multitrack audio.
I really don’t know what the standard workflow is for this type of situation.
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15 Replies
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For example: should the editor 1. work w/ the embedded scratch audio for the edit, 2. then sync the 8 tracks of audio (not sure the best way to sync after an edit), 3. Send to PT w/ synced multitrack audio
or
Should we 1. sync the 8 tracks of audio to every clip prior to editing 2. Edit (seems like it’d be clumsy moving around so much audio) 3. send to PT
or
1. edit w/ the rough mix 2. send to PT w/ no multitrack audio 3. Sync the multitrack audio in PT
None of these seem great; I’m hoping for a better way.
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I STRONGLY suggest to only edit with the real audio that was recorded, not the scratch. It will be a nightmare to sync after the fact.
To do this it’s easy. Mark in on the audio file and the video file on the common mark of the slate. Select them both in the browser (command select them) and go to MODIFY MERGE CLIPS.
This will make a new clip that will append the new clean audio to your video source.
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Yeah, I can see that would save a ton of work.
But is this the way it’s usually done? This means the editor has to keep 8 tracks of audio in sync in a final cut timeline; moving this many tracks around would be tedious and could become out of sync. Is there any way to collapse a merged clip so you can only see a track or two (but still maintains all 8 audio tracks)?
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This is the way it is normally done. Sync audio with picture…all tracks. Edit with that. Always done that way, in the professional world.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
How many audio tracks is common to have on a given shot? Also, when you sync the audio, is there a way to get rid of the scratch audio?
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I have had between 4 and 16 tracks of audio. Depends on what they do.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Any tips for managing this many audio tracks without losing sync?
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There is no problem for editor to handle as many as 16 to 22 tracks of audio. That’s from my own practice. Before you start editing your footage you must sync all external audio tracks. Usually they have the same time code and reel numbers as the footage from camera which makes syncing pretty easy. In case of DSLR that’s a little problem which will require more time to sync. Syncing means linking audio and video. Never put syncing off until after the final cut is done. This is a bad way because you’ll lose to it three to four times more energy.
Sony PMW-EX3, Canon Mark II 5D, FCS3 in Moscow
http://www.mokaeff.com -
Always do CUT edits, not LIFTS. And pay attention. ALWAYS pay attention to what you are doing.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
For syncing you might want to consider Pluraleyes.
https://www.singularsoftware.com/pluraleyesctrl.html
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