[Michael Gissing]

If I was you I would check a few specific frames for timecode and see if they match the original HDCam.

[Michael Gissing]

What codec are the quicktime files? Also what is the external drive formatted as? I am guessing that the files have been broken into 2gig chunks if the drive is FAT32 formatted.

I am wondering if the files are broken up into chunks which quicktime player stitches together but FCP sees as a short file. Have a look at the files in finder to see if they have funny extensions and there are multiple files with the same name.

[Michael Gissing]

Can you tell us what the separate audio recorder was, the file type recorded, timecode or not, timecode type (ie PAL/ NTSC DF non drop),plus the video file information, including frame rate and timecode type.

Then we need to know the sequence settings including frame rate, timecode settings and audio sample rate. This is the basic information needed to help solve your problem.

Please also think about basic punctuation. Your post is hard to read.

[Michael Gissing]

I have a couple of 400 to 800 converter cables which work fine for connecting drives to my MacPro (same spec as yours).

However, I don’t connect to a DV deck so can’t comment on compatibility there. The cables are relatively cheap so would be worth buying one, even if they can only help with drive connects in the future. Let us know if they work.

[Michael Gissing]

Frankly if the post house mixed tracks when converting, they should fix that problem for free.

Meanwhile you might be able to just send the audio as aifs depending on how they did the standards conversion.

[Michael Gissing]

Cute clip Kevin, but really things have changed since October 2003.

Here’s a link for the later half of the decade –

https://www.digitalrebellion.com/resources.htm

Travis, learn about maintaining a FCP system so that you can cure many little problems or stop them happening in the first place. Searching this forum would have given you tons of help in maintaining your setup.

[Michael Gissing]

Check the settings for each sequence. If you change your easy setup and then make a new sequence it will have the settings of the easy setup and so may be different to your sequence A.

So check the settings and let us know what codec, pixel aspect and frame rate your files and sequences are, plus which version of FCP. It is important to provide both basic and often detailed information so we might be able to help.

[Michael Gissing]

How did you do the conversions? If it was maintaining the same real time then the audio files can be sent without alteration as aifs.

So if you converted 29.97 to 25 with the exact same running time, the audio files will sync. If you did the old 23.976 to 25 frame speed up, then the audio will need to be sped up 4.1% through software like Pitch N Time or MPEX3 which changes length but maintains pitch. Compressor can’t do the speed change without changing pitch which is 3/4 semitone and not nice.

[Michael Gissing]

make sure all audio in the timeline is 16 or 24 bit wav or aif files at 48khz sample rate.

Pops are often caused by 44.1khz files or more commonly by mp3 or other compressed file types.

[Michael Gissing]

It is easier in Color using the HSL keyer in the secondaries to isolate tones and then add color cast to.

The same effect can be done in a more clumsy way using lots of 3 Way CC filters using the limit effect mode which is basically a poor man’s HSL keyer.