Audio syncing at a wedding at DVinfo.net

Tom Morrow · July 17th, 2011, 03:20 AM

Normally people use a handclap, clapboard, or drumbeat to sync audio between video and an external recorder. But weddings can't have that distraction. How do people with external recorders sync at weddings?

Nigel Barker · July 17th, 2011, 06:05 AM

The obvious thing for a wedding is a flashgun.

Colin McDonald · July 17th, 2011, 10:26 AM

Is that not more for syncing cameras? Unless you use a Victorian "flashgun" than goes whoosh as it fires :-)

Mike Watson · July 17th, 2011, 10:53 AM

Perhaps I'm alone here, but when I'm shooting something dual system that is lengthy, like this would be... I just manually sync them up.

It's a different story with 100 clips than 1 long one.

Peer Landa · July 17th, 2011, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Morrow

Normally people use a handclap, clapboard, or drumbeat to sync audio between video and an external recorder. But weddings can't have that distraction. How do people with external recorders sync at weddings?

I haven't shot any weddings, but was thinking that maybe a quick finger-snap in front of the camera shouldn't be too abrasive...?

-- peer

John Wiley · July 18th, 2011, 12:54 AM

It's not hard at all to do with the waveform and by ear. Just mark out a certain point on one track (eg the celebrant talking, or a round of applause, or a song) then find that part in your other audio track and roughly line it up. Then zoom right in on the timeline and use the wavefrom to line it up exactly. Then play it back and listen to make sure the sound matches, and adjust one frame at a time if necessary.

It takes me no longer than 60 second per clip I need to sync up, and I usually have 2-3 12 minute clips per ceremony, plus my b-camera, so it takes me max 3-5 minutes to sync everything up.

Paul Mailath · July 18th, 2011, 05:35 AM

dead easy - Like John says just listen for a particular sound and sync on that or on the flash from a camera. I shoot the ceremony with 3 cameras rolling continuously and a lapel mike and don't have a problem with it

Noel Lising · July 18th, 2011, 09:06 AM

I do it manually as well, but I heard some of our peers use a software called Pluraleyes. I have not tried it yet but I hear synching is a snap. One poster even said he Pluraleyes was able to sync an Indian song against his on cam mic recording.

Nigel Barker · July 18th, 2011, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colin McDonald

Is that not more for syncing cameras? Unless you use a Victorian "flashgun" than goes whoosh as it fires :-)

Whoops! Should have read the post properly I though that the question was about synchronising two camcorders.

Taky Cheung · July 20th, 2011, 09:54 PM

Before while shooting DV and HDV, I manually sycn by matching the wave form. It's not difficult. now I am filming with DSLR, I use PLural eyes for the job.

David Schmaus · August 15th, 2011, 07:04 AM

Here is my experience in the short time I have been doing it.

Plural eyes has a hard time syncing audio in a large church with lots of reverb.

So I take my 3 zoom h1s and hit record. I then clap and put the h1's on "hold" so they don't accidentally get shut off.

I can then place them where they need to go and let them record the whole ceremony. I then have 3 audio sources synced up.

Video next.

I use three DSLRS. One thing I have changed is that I let the camera record until it shuts off. (around 12 minutes) then I restart. Even if I am walking from one area to another. I just point the camera to the ground. That way I end up with fewer clips.

In the time line I drop the audio in and line up the claps on all three sources.

I then line up the first and last video clips from all three cameras. (easy to do just pick out a word or something easy to hear)

Then I just fill in the middle. The clips are in order for each camera so you are only working with a small 10-12 minute area.

The last ceremony I did the photographer used flash so it made it even easier to line up.

PS. I wish I could invent something that plugged into a outlet that put a "wireless clock" in the room. Then I would have a small mono receiver to plug into each camera and audio device that would record this signal on say the left audio channel.

Steve Maller · August 18th, 2011, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noel Lising

I do it manually as well, but I heard some of our peers use a software called Pluraleyes. I have not tried it yet but I hear synching is a snap. One poster even said he Pluraleyes was able to sync an Indian song against his on cam mic recording.

PluralEyes is magic. Once you've used it, you'll think you've been touched by the hand of G-d.

July 17th, 2011, 03:20 AM	#1
Tom Morrow Major Player Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 416	Audio syncing at a wedding Normally people use a handclap, clapboard, or drumbeat to sync audio between video and an external recorder. But weddings can't have that distraction. How do people with external recorders sync at weddings?

July 17th, 2011, 06:05 AM	#2
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: Audio syncing at a wedding The obvious thing for a wedding is a flashgun.

July 17th, 2011, 10:26 AM	#3
Colin McDonald Trustee Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 1,546	Re: Audio syncing at a wedding Is that not more for syncing cameras? Unless you use a Victorian "flashgun" than goes whoosh as it fires :-)

July 17th, 2011, 10:53 AM	#4
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	Re: Audio syncing at a wedding Perhaps I'm alone here, but when I'm shooting something dual system that is lengthy, like this would be... I just manually sync them up. It's a different story with 100 clips than 1 long one.

July 18th, 2011, 12:54 AM	#6
John Wiley Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 1,155	Re: Audio syncing at a wedding It's not hard at all to do with the waveform and by ear. Just mark out a certain point on one track (eg the celebrant talking, or a round of applause, or a song) then find that part in your other audio track and roughly line it up. Then zoom right in on the timeline and use the wavefrom to line it up exactly. Then play it back and listen to make sure the sound matches, and adjust one frame at a time if necessary. It takes me no longer than 60 second per clip I need to sync up, and I usually have 2-3 12 minute clips per ceremony, plus my b-camera, so it takes me max 3-5 minutes to sync everything up.

July 18th, 2011, 05:35 AM	#7
Paul Mailath Trustee Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Central Coast - NSW, Australia Posts: 1,606	Re: Audio syncing at a wedding dead easy - Like John says just listen for a particular sound and sync on that or on the flash from a camera. I shoot the ceremony with 3 cameras rolling continuously and a lapel mike and don't have a problem with it __________________ Cheers - Paul M. www.perbenyik.com

July 18th, 2011, 09:06 AM	#8
Noel Lising Major Player Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 789	Re: Audio syncing at a wedding I do it manually as well, but I heard some of our peers use a software called Pluraleyes. I have not tried it yet but I hear synching is a snap. One poster even said he Pluraleyes was able to sync an Indian song against his on cam mic recording. __________________ Noel Lising

July 20th, 2011, 09:54 PM	#10
Taky Cheung Inner Circle Join Date: May 2007 Location: Los Angeles, USA Posts: 2,114	Re: Audio syncing at a wedding Before while shooting DV and HDV, I manually sycn by matching the wave form. It's not difficult. now I am filming with DSLR, I use PLural eyes for the job. __________________ LA Color Pros Blog RODE Authorized Reseller . Comer LED Camera Lights . TakyBox HTML5 Menu Generator

August 15th, 2011, 07:04 AM	#11
David Schmaus Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 32	Re: Audio syncing at a wedding Here is my experience in the short time I have been doing it. Plural eyes has a hard time syncing audio in a large church with lots of reverb. So I take my 3 zoom h1s and hit record. I then clap and put the h1's on "hold" so they don't accidentally get shut off. I can then place them where they need to go and let them record the whole ceremony. I then have 3 audio sources synced up. Video next. I use three DSLRS. One thing I have changed is that I let the camera record until it shuts off. (around 12 minutes) then I restart. Even if I am walking from one area to another. I just point the camera to the ground. That way I end up with fewer clips. In the time line I drop the audio in and line up the claps on all three sources. I then line up the first and last video clips from all three cameras. (easy to do just pick out a word or something easy to hear) Then I just fill in the middle. The clips are in order for each camera so you are only working with a small 10-12 minute area. The last ceremony I did the photographer used flash so it made it even easier to line up. PS. I wish I could invent something that plugged into a outlet that put a "wireless clock" in the room. Then I would have a small mono receiver to plug into each camera and audio device that would record this signal on say the left audio channel.