Cineform RAW: recording and displaying an AUDIO timecode?? at DVinfo.net

Alex Raskin · February 22nd, 2010, 12:59 AM

Hi, for the purpose of synching pre-recorded audio music track with video takes of lipsynching in post...

Audio playback of the same song can start from different points for different parts of video takes on the set.

This makes it hard to synch music with video in post (as the opposite to when the audio would be played in its entirety from the beginning each time - then all we'd have to do is synch by the 1-frame 1khz sound leader. Not our case here though.)

So... the idea is to somehow record audio's timecode (what playback device can output that?) live into the video on the set (as one of the audio channels?) and then display that TC as running numbers in NLE (which one is capable of such?) in post for easy synching.

Is this possible?

David?

Using Cineform RAW with SI-2K cam. Current editing post workflow is Prospect 4K with PPro 2.0.

Thanks.

David Newman · February 22nd, 2010, 01:30 AM

You just feed the music track into the camera audio and sync the waveforms, there are tools that assist in that. Even without the tools a low quality audio reference helps a lot -- for Canon 7D projects I use the in camera's audio for this it makes syncing pretty easy. That said you idea is still good, however it will be a discussion with SI to add the needed metadata, once in the samples we can display it.

Alex Raskin · February 22nd, 2010, 04:26 AM

Yes, I have always been syncing the waveforms, but sometimes this becomes unreliable and more tedious than is probably need be.

I just found a way to feed LTC via audio channel. I simply create a file (in Nuendo) with music panned to the Left channel, and LTC signal (audio chirps similar to fax tones) panned to the Right channel.

Then that Right channel gets recorded to CFHD video file as one audio channel, while another audio channel records ambient sound via mic as reference track just in case. (Left channel gets played back via an amp on the set.)

So far so good, but I stumbled upon inability to DISPLAY that LTC out of the audio file in Premiere Pro 2.0 I use as NLE.

Apparently, FCP has plug-in taht allows picking up timecode for the clip from its audio channel's LTC. But I can't find similar functionality in my PPro 2.0 at the moment... which kills the entire idea. I don't use FCP. What am I missing? How do I use Aux TC on the Win side?

Alex Raskin · February 22nd, 2010, 06:25 PM

No need to sync timecodes in software, after all. But way better than waveform sync method I used before.

Here's the solution:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/silicon-...ml#post1489532

February 22nd, 2010, 12:59 AM	#1
Alex Raskin Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,435	Cineform RAW: recording and displaying an AUDIO timecode?? Hi, for the purpose of synching pre-recorded audio music track with video takes of lipsynching in post... Audio playback of the same song can start from different points for different parts of video takes on the set. This makes it hard to synch music with video in post (as the opposite to when the audio would be played in its entirety from the beginning each time - then all we'd have to do is synch by the 1-frame 1khz sound leader. Not our case here though.) So... the idea is to somehow record audio's timecode (what playback device can output that?) live into the video on the set (as one of the audio channels?) and then display that TC as running numbers in NLE (which one is capable of such?) in post for easy synching. Is this possible? David? Using Cineform RAW with SI-2K cam. Current editing post workflow is Prospect 4K with PPro 2.0. Thanks.

February 22nd, 2010, 01:30 AM	#2
David Newman CTO, CineForm Inc. Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California Posts: 8,095	You just feed the music track into the camera audio and sync the waveforms, there are tools that assist in that. Even without the tools a low quality audio reference helps a lot -- for Canon 7D projects I use the in camera's audio for this it makes syncing pretty easy. That said you idea is still good, however it will be a discussion with SI to add the needed metadata, once in the samples we can display it. __________________ David Newman -- web: www.gopro.com blog: cineform.blogspot.com -- twitter: twitter.com/David_Newman

February 22nd, 2010, 04:26 AM	#3
Alex Raskin Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,435	Yes, I have always been syncing the waveforms, but sometimes this becomes unreliable and more tedious than is probably need be. I just found a way to feed LTC via audio channel. I simply create a file (in Nuendo) with music panned to the Left channel, and LTC signal (audio chirps similar to fax tones) panned to the Right channel. Then that Right channel gets recorded to CFHD video file as one audio channel, while another audio channel records ambient sound via mic as reference track just in case. (Left channel gets played back via an amp on the set.) So far so good, but I stumbled upon inability to DISPLAY that LTC out of the audio file in Premiere Pro 2.0 I use as NLE. Apparently, FCP has plug-in taht allows picking up timecode for the clip from its audio channel's LTC. But I can't find similar functionality in my PPro 2.0 at the moment... which kills the entire idea. I don't use FCP. What am I missing? How do I use Aux TC on the Win side?

February 22nd, 2010, 06:25 PM	#4
Alex Raskin Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,435	No need to sync timecodes in software, after all. But way better than waveform sync method I used before. Here's the solution: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/silicon-...ml#post1489532