Capturing in 24f the audio is out of sync at DVinfo.net

Michael Thames · May 31st, 2009, 04:42 PM

Is there some kind of quick fix for this?

Michael

Bill Pryor · May 31st, 2009, 06:35 PM

Is the audio out of sync when you play it back in camera or after you capture it in your NLE? If it records out of sync, then there's something wrong with the camera and it should be sent to Canon.

If if goes out of sync upon capture, then there are two possibilities I know of--one is that your capture settings aren't right, and the second is that your computer doesn't have a processor capable of playing back HDV properly. When I first got my XH A1 it was on a weekend, so I captured some test footage into my old 12" iBook. I had installed FCP just so I could do that. Everything played back out of sync. But when I transferred the original files to my editing computer at work, they were in perfect sync.

There might be one more possibility...if the mic was really far back from the action, like at the back of an auditorium when shooting a performance on a stage. You might could be a frame out that way simply because of the distance the sound has to travel.

The fix is to determine in your timeline how far out you are by shifting the audio track or tracks back and forth a frame at a time. Slide the track one way by a frame and if the sync is worse, slide it the other way by 2 frames (one to make up for the first shift), and do that until you get it.

Jeff Lower · June 1st, 2009, 07:48 AM

I've just noticed a similar problem with my video. I've captured in PP CS4 and every so often it drops frames and inserts red frames in its place. Does the same thing with PP CS3 as well.

Been searching around a bit for a way to fix this. Any help would be appreciated.

What NLE are you using?

John Stakes · June 1st, 2009, 08:11 AM

A temporary solution is to capture using MPEG-Streamclip.

JS

Bill Pryor · June 1st, 2009, 08:15 AM

I use FCP, no problems.

Michael Thames · June 1st, 2009, 09:09 AM

Hum...... I thought this was a well known issue.

When I first got my A1, I captured some footage with 24f in Imovie, and it was out of sink with audio. I called a fellow named Mike on a Canon hot-line given to me by the regional Canon dealer. Mike said, if I use 24f the audio will be out of sink. Now, I don't recall if it was an issue with Apple, as when I just play back 24f on my camera everything is fine, it's only when I capture it.

I have FCP now and completely forgot about this problem until this weekend when I switched over to 24f.

I'm capturing a concert I shot last night in 30f. So I'll wait and see how this turns out in about a half hour.

Bill Pryor · June 1st, 2009, 12:04 PM

It's not an issue. One of the major reasons people buy the XH A1 is to shoot 24F. I've never seen out of sync audio and I've worked with 4 XH A1 cameras other than mine. You have to edit in a 23.98 timeline for 24F.

Michael Thames · June 1st, 2009, 02:23 PM

Final Cut Pro converts the capture to whatever the time line is set to automatically, so I don't think that's the problem. After posting this question I recall the problem is with Apple software. Last time I had this problem was on Imovie, so maybe FCP has resolved this problem?

Are there any Mac users out there that know what I'm talking about?

Dany Badaoui · June 1st, 2009, 03:23 PM

try capturing with HDVSplit, it solved everybody elses problems with audio being out of sync including mine.

Michael Thames · June 2nd, 2009, 06:52 AM

Pardon my ignorance but what is HDV split? Is it a setting in Final cut?

Michael

Dany Badaoui · June 2nd, 2009, 07:00 AM

im not sure if it works on mac but its a capturing program. google it all the info should be there

Bill Pryor · June 2nd, 2009, 09:53 AM

I also captured in iMovie as a test one time, and there were no sync problems. And in my older version of FCP, the 5.x, I didn't have any sync issues either. I don't see how it can be anything other than a capture setting, mic placement, or something in the camera that needs service. Again, have you played back in camera and watched in the viewfinder, out to a monitor to see if the original tape is in sync?

Michael Thames · June 2nd, 2009, 10:36 AM

Thanks Bill. Yes, it plays in sink on the camera in the the viewfinder, but once I download it into final cut it is out of sink. Yesterday, I downloaded some video I took of a concert, but I recorded it in 30f, and it captured fine. All the other footage I did in 60f works too. I only have the problem in 24f.

I think I'll give the Canon guy a call today. He told me a couple of years ago when I got my XH-A1 that it wouldn't sink with the audio in Imove. Maybe he can update me on this. I'll get back to you once I speak with him.

Michael

Bill Pryor · June 2nd, 2009, 04:03 PM

I may have to backtrack here about iMovie. FCP does my 24F fine, but I'm thinking about the time I was messing around with iMovie, mainly using it as a monitor, which works better than FCP for that purpose and the live thing was in sync (although with a delay of a couple of seconds from the live action). I'm not sure that when I did an actual capture in iMovie that it was 24f. It's more likely it was not and that iMovie does not do 24f. I think I was confusing iMovie with my earlier FCP system on a different computer. In fact, I believe I have read that iMovie will not do 24p of any sort.

But you said you're using FCP and it's out of sync, and then you mention iMovie. Are you bouncing back and forth between the two? If you're having a sync problem in FCP, that is a problem and it's got to be either in capture settings or a slow processor, since you said the footage plays back OK in camera. If you're trying to do 24f in iMovie, check your iMovie documentation...I think it does not do 24F.

Michael Thames · June 3rd, 2009, 06:54 AM

No I haven't used IMovie since I got Final Cut Pro a year and a half ago. I just remembered after recently capturing 24f in FCP and having the audio sink problem, that I also had this in IMovie.

But yes, it's as you describe, the Audio is about 2 or 3 three seconds delayed in FCP. I called the Canon guy Mike yesterday and left a message, but he hasn't called back yet.

I don't think my computer is a problem it's an IMac 24 inch, I just got it last year.

May 31st, 2009, 04:42 PM	#1
Michael Thames Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM USA Posts: 396	Capturing in 24f the audio is out of sync Is there some kind of quick fix for this? Michael

May 31st, 2009, 06:35 PM	#2
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Is the audio out of sync when you play it back in camera or after you capture it in your NLE? If it records out of sync, then there's something wrong with the camera and it should be sent to Canon. If if goes out of sync upon capture, then there are two possibilities I know of--one is that your capture settings aren't right, and the second is that your computer doesn't have a processor capable of playing back HDV properly. When I first got my XH A1 it was on a weekend, so I captured some test footage into my old 12" iBook. I had installed FCP just so I could do that. Everything played back out of sync. But when I transferred the original files to my editing computer at work, they were in perfect sync. There might be one more possibility...if the mic was really far back from the action, like at the back of an auditorium when shooting a performance on a stage. You might could be a frame out that way simply because of the distance the sound has to travel. The fix is to determine in your timeline how far out you are by shifting the audio track or tracks back and forth a frame at a time. Slide the track one way by a frame and if the sync is worse, slide it the other way by 2 frames (one to make up for the first shift), and do that until you get it.

June 1st, 2009, 07:48 AM	#3
Jeff Lower Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ithaca, NY Posts: 36	I've just noticed a similar problem with my video. I've captured in PP CS4 and every so often it drops frames and inserts red frames in its place. Does the same thing with PP CS3 as well. Been searching around a bit for a way to fix this. Any help would be appreciated. What NLE are you using?

June 1st, 2009, 08:11 AM	#4
John Stakes Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 558	A temporary solution is to capture using MPEG-Streamclip. JS

June 1st, 2009, 08:15 AM	#5
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I use FCP, no problems.

June 1st, 2009, 09:09 AM	#6
Michael Thames Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM USA Posts: 396	Hum...... I thought this was a well known issue. When I first got my A1, I captured some footage with 24f in Imovie, and it was out of sink with audio. I called a fellow named Mike on a Canon hot-line given to me by the regional Canon dealer. Mike said, if I use 24f the audio will be out of sink. Now, I don't recall if it was an issue with Apple, as when I just play back 24f on my camera everything is fine, it's only when I capture it. I have FCP now and completely forgot about this problem until this weekend when I switched over to 24f. I'm capturing a concert I shot last night in 30f. So I'll wait and see how this turns out in about a half hour.

June 1st, 2009, 12:04 PM	#7
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	It's not an issue. One of the major reasons people buy the XH A1 is to shoot 24F. I've never seen out of sync audio and I've worked with 4 XH A1 cameras other than mine. You have to edit in a 23.98 timeline for 24F.

June 1st, 2009, 02:23 PM	#8
Michael Thames Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM USA Posts: 396	Final Cut Pro converts the capture to whatever the time line is set to automatically, so I don't think that's the problem. After posting this question I recall the problem is with Apple software. Last time I had this problem was on Imovie, so maybe FCP has resolved this problem? Are there any Mac users out there that know what I'm talking about?

June 1st, 2009, 03:23 PM	#9
Dany Badaoui Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 40	try capturing with HDVSplit, it solved everybody elses problems with audio being out of sync including mine.

June 2nd, 2009, 06:52 AM	#10
Michael Thames Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM USA Posts: 396	Pardon my ignorance but what is HDV split? Is it a setting in Final cut? Michael

June 2nd, 2009, 07:00 AM	#11
Dany Badaoui Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 40	im not sure if it works on mac but its a capturing program. google it all the info should be there

June 2nd, 2009, 09:53 AM	#12
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I also captured in iMovie as a test one time, and there were no sync problems. And in my older version of FCP, the 5.x, I didn't have any sync issues either. I don't see how it can be anything other than a capture setting, mic placement, or something in the camera that needs service. Again, have you played back in camera and watched in the viewfinder, out to a monitor to see if the original tape is in sync?

June 2nd, 2009, 10:36 AM	#13
Michael Thames Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM USA Posts: 396	Thanks Bill. Yes, it plays in sink on the camera in the the viewfinder, but once I download it into final cut it is out of sink. Yesterday, I downloaded some video I took of a concert, but I recorded it in 30f, and it captured fine. All the other footage I did in 60f works too. I only have the problem in 24f. I think I'll give the Canon guy a call today. He told me a couple of years ago when I got my XH-A1 that it wouldn't sink with the audio in Imove. Maybe he can update me on this. I'll get back to you once I speak with him. Michael

June 2nd, 2009, 04:03 PM	#14
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I may have to backtrack here about iMovie. FCP does my 24F fine, but I'm thinking about the time I was messing around with iMovie, mainly using it as a monitor, which works better than FCP for that purpose and the live thing was in sync (although with a delay of a couple of seconds from the live action). I'm not sure that when I did an actual capture in iMovie that it was 24f. It's more likely it was not and that iMovie does not do 24f. I think I was confusing iMovie with my earlier FCP system on a different computer. In fact, I believe I have read that iMovie will not do 24p of any sort. But you said you're using FCP and it's out of sync, and then you mention iMovie. Are you bouncing back and forth between the two? If you're having a sync problem in FCP, that is a problem and it's got to be either in capture settings or a slow processor, since you said the footage plays back OK in camera. If you're trying to do 24f in iMovie, check your iMovie documentation...I think it does not do 24F.

June 3rd, 2009, 06:54 AM	#15
Michael Thames Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM USA Posts: 396	No I haven't used IMovie since I got Final Cut Pro a year and a half ago. I just remembered after recently capturing 24f in FCP and having the audio sink problem, that I also had this in IMovie. But yes, it's as you describe, the Audio is about 2 or 3 three seconds delayed in FCP. I called the Canon guy Mike yesterday and left a message, but he hasn't called back yet. I don't think my computer is a problem it's an IMac 24 inch, I just got it last year.