YIKES! Our H4N is giving us a continuous timecode in FCP7

[T. Payton]

In my experience the broadcast Wave format will always have a time code. The reason you are not seeing it all the time is that some apps ignore the time code that is embedded in the audio filek while FCP of course pays attention to it.

I don’t believe there is an option to turn off the time-of-day time code on the h4n. However, I’m not sure you really need to. (more on that in a second).

A little bit more about our workflow. We capture dual system sound and use plural eyes to sync the audio to picture (our dslr captures a scratch audio track using the built in mics for sync), along with our shot notes, also using time of day tc, are entered into the excellent iPad app, “Movie Slate”. We import the footage into fcp using the canon eos capture plugin which adds time of day time code to the individual takes. For this reason the time of day time code is envaluable to ensure that we are pulling the correct elements for syncing.

However if you don’t want to transcode to aiff like in my earlier post, and want to ignore the time code you can always just drag the audio file to a new fcp sequence and then use the sequence time code for reference.

Let me know if this helps.

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[T. Payton]

I just reread your original post and I am wondering why you need to reference the TC in the audio file, rather than relying on the TC in the fcp sequence? Is this an audio only documentry?

By the way, we actually use iMovie for our offline editing and rough cuts for short form documentaries that are interview driven (usually less than 20 minutes). Because it lets you organize your cuts visually and reorder shots effortlessly you can concentrate on story and flow rather than the technical aspects of editing. Plus the markers in iMovie are fantastic and actually useful when editing unlike the markers in fcp. It is just amazing for rough cuts and we can edit in less than half the time it takes in fcp. Plus it can do the do moves on stills wonderfully. Our basic workflow is in fcp to export self contained prores files of each of our interviews with synced audio. Then transcode those to a low rez h264 with burned in time code in compressor for imovie, keeping the same file name as the prores files. We have our movie slate notes with time code for reference while editing. We export the rough cuts from imovie to youtube or mobile me in one step. Then after getting approval on our rough cut, we export an XML from iMovie, import to fcp and reconnect to the prores versions and then finalize the edit. (additional audio added in iMovie doesn’t get included in the XML for some reason, but it is quick to rebuild)

As you can tell, I really like iMovie. 😉

Anyway I hope this is helpful to you. Please let me know if I can be of any further help.

——
T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque

[Bouke Vahl]

Short reply, short of time so i have not read everything.

From memory:

Zoom H4n writes BWF.
Useless though, as all clips started at 00:00:00:00

BUT, there was a firmware update a time ago, doing it ‘right’, indeed TOD timestamps. (But since there is no way of syncing it, it is only partial handy, but better than nothing)

The easiest way to get rid of the BWF timestamps is to render them.
(can be to wave, qt or AIFF)
Or, use WaveAgent to reset the timestamp.

Now mind you, i’m not using the word Timecode for BWF, as it is not timecode, but a time stamp.
That can be calculated to timecode, but for the calculation you need the frame base.
(So, importing a BWF clip in a NTSC project will display a different timecode than if you import the clip in a pal project)

hth,

Bouke

https://www.videotoolshed.com/
smart tools for video pros

[Inka Stafrace]

is this Malika doing the Call us Kucha doco?

cannot be too many Malika’s about .. or maybe there is ?

I just wrote to you offering editor services and I am having the exact same problem with my H4N zoom thingy and I am doing it in exactly the way you are.. Transcribing from Quicktime…

I just thought it was a really wierd coincidence !!! that i would come across you twice in one day!

lets hope there is an easy solution to this!

inka

http://www.pollytikkle.com
Film maker
inka stafrace

[Inka Stafrace]

I do not feel like there is an easy answer to this.
I am still on FCP 6.06 and there is no auxillery timecode when I right click it on the viewer.
Looks like going to each clip and Modify>Timecode is the most appropriate solution.
I am sure it is the Call me Kucha lady.
The best of luck to you.

x inka x

http://www.pollytikkle.com
Film maker
inka stafrace

[Elliott Balsley]

I just discovered this after shooting a documentary using a Zoom H4N. I think Time-of-day timecode is an excellent feature! (Although it would be nice of Zoom to document it!) It helps a lot with rough syncing. If you don’t like it, it’s easy to do a batch transcode in any software ignoring timecode, and it will make all the resulting files start at 00:00:00.

For my workflow, I transcoded all the original WAVs to MP3 to send to a translator/transcriber. These MP3s all started with zeroed timecode. So to match the transcriptions to the original audio, I added an Aux TC track to each audio file, making each one start at zero.

As Jeremy said earlier, to view this Aux timecode, you need to open each clip in the viewer, right-click the current timecode box, and select Aux TC. Surprisingly, this will affect the timecode overlays in the canvas. This is because the timecode track selection affects the master clip, therefore it affects all affiliate clips in any timeline.