[Mark Spano]

Can’t do a lot for that problem. I can suggest a plugin that has sometimes helped but with limited expectations.

SPL’s De-Verb

[Mark Spano]

What are you trying to accomplish with four outputs? Why not just choose 1 stereo output and pan what you need where you want it? As you’ve found, that works.

The reason why setting dual mono outputs makes your track 1 come out the left side is intentional. Dual mono in this sequence setting means no panning. Anything assigned to output 1 will come out output 1. In your case, if you’re listening to outputs 1 and 2, and 1 goes to the left speaker and 2 goes to the right speaker, then you’ll hear output 1 stuff out the left speaker. The multiple audio outputs feature in your sequence settings is appropriate if you know you need to output to more than 2 tracks of a tape. If you’re just editing in the box, set one stereo output and use the panning for each clip.

[Mark Spano]

FYI, John’s advice is sound, but very OLD practice for Avid MC. Skip the PAL project creating. Here’s what I do:

Open your 1080 / 59.94i project.
In an open bin, right-click and choose Link to AMA files…
Point to your 625 / 25 file. This will bring the clip in ‘linked’.
In your bin, make sure you can see the Reformat column.
Choose an option for reformat for the clip that best suits your sequence.
Edit.
The clip will have a motion adapter automatically applied, which can be promoted to a Timewarp effect if the motion adapter isn’t smooth enough (as John said).

When your sequence is good to go, you’ll have to transcode it if you want to export or lay off to tape.

[Mark Spano]

Michael’s right. Avoid FCP Edit to Tape if you’re looking for consistent frame accuracy on tape edits. In the past, when I’ve only had FCP in my toolkit, I’d do a layoff and then to a machine-to-machine edit to get what I want where I wanted it. Avid MC has a better protocol and tape edits rarely slip. So frustrating.

[Mark Spano]

What frame rate are you working at? Short answer is that FCP will mess up audio imports if the frame rate of your project does not match the current Easy Setup.

– DELETE the audio imported into FCP
– Change the Easy Setup to match your project setting
– QUIT FCP. (important)
– relaunch FCP
– reimport audio file

It should match and stay in sync.

[Mark Spano]

The AAF / OMF is 29.97 fps. Look at the decks too – NO 59.94 TC. It doesn’t exist. In fact, it only exists in video editing programs. There is no SMPTE 59.94 time code on any professional deck.

The decks using 59.94 will make every 59.94 frame into a 29.97 “field” in the time code. You can do this yourself in FCP – in a 59.94 sequence, you go to the timecode window, right-click, and say use 30 frame code for 60.

So the solution I gave above should work. Import the OMF as native and then change the PT session setup to 29.97 DFTC. Frame lines will be redrawn, but PT doesn’t care since in PT, audio DOESN’T have to lock to frame edges. In 29.97 fps, an audio region can land on (48000 samples per second / 29.97 frames per second) = 1601 different places within a frame. So the regions don’t move, but you’re now in 29.97 land.

Time is time. So as long as everything stays in sync, the audio doesn’t care what the frame rate of the video is. Unless video was running higher than 1601 frames per second 🙂

[Mark Spano]

Heads up here: Pro Tools does not support 59.94 fps, at least in versions through 9.0.5. – highest is 30.0. Tell your audio mixer to import the OMF at native frame rate and once it’s imported, switch frame rate to 29.97 DFTC. Should be OK from there. If there’s still some issue, then go to your FCP sequence, make a COPY, remove the video, change the frame rate to 29.97, and re-export OMF. In fact, you’re better off using Automatic Duck Pro Export FCP to make an AAF. It’s just better.

[Mark Spano]

Any time I’ve been asked to do this, it’s for a good reason. Many projection systems that intend to run synchronized lighting displays use the LTC output from the player to sync the lighting rig. Here’s how I usually do it – output my file to a tape deck with TC, then recapture from tape, grabbing the audio LTC as it plays from the deck.

[Mark Spano]

Why are you conforming this footage at all? It sounds like from this:

imported 59.97fps footage, conformed it to 24fps, sped it up to 250%

you are doing a bunch of messing around with the original footage for no reason. You shot 59.94p, and you want to sync sound? Leave it alone at 59.94p. I don’t understand why you would shoot, conform to slo-mo, then speed back up to normal. It makes no sense.

[Mark Spano]

I am sure you cannot use any current flavor of Pro Tools without an iLok with its authorization. If you have an activation code, then you should be able to get an iLok, create an iLok.com account, and use the activation code on Avid’s site to deposit the authorization directly into your iLok account. Then you go to iLok.com, log in, and with your physical iLok connected, you can transfer the authorization to the dongle.