sync sound while previewing to external monitor

Josh Bass · January 26th, 2007, 08:07 PM

Sorry, a few more things:

Will the ADVC110 help with the sound sync issue even through Vegas isn't sending the audio through the firewire--it's still coming out of the PC speakers?

Also, you mention a dual monitor setup fpr Vegas--do these boxes allow you to do this, or is that an entirely different matter? Maybe I misunderstood.

Steve Leverich · January 26th, 2007, 10:56 PM

On the sound sync issue - these boxes only can affect sync of sound during Analog capture - it does nothing during a firewire capture. So if you're not inputting analog audio/video to a camcorder and then taking the firewire out for capture, they wouldn't help your audio sync. It's possible that your computer sound card isn't very accurate or stable in it's clock signal on the sound card, if you're still having sync problems - If so, about the only thing I would think might help is if there were a way to slave your sound card to digital audio out of your camcorder, so the same clock generator circuit (the camcorder) is providing word clock to your playback machine (the computer)

Besides, I thought you'd fixed your problem?

On multi-monitors - for computer monitors, if your video card has a second video output (most seem to these days) you can just plug a second display into that connector and tell windows to "extend my desktop onto this display" - this is done by right-clicking on a blank spot on the desktop, choosing "properties", then in the next window, "settings" - if the computer has already "found" your "new hardware", you'll see a pair of monitors displayed, with the numbers "1" and "2" on them - you can drag one to the other side if you wish to switch them, you can click on one and then resize it, etc -

Then, once you bring Vegas up you can un-dock nearly anything on the screen and drag it to the other monitor, size it however you like, and when you're happy with the setup you can SAVE it in one of 10 (I think) memories for recall.

Doing that lets me have more real estate for tracks, so I can either make them taller or show more of them - I tend to do my productions using 2 camera tracks, a master video track, at least one "effects" track (track motion, etc), then audio tracks include camera audio for each camera track, a "scratch" track, V/O track, Background noise track, any wireless lav's, other "wild" audio, sound effects track - typically I'm using a total track count somewhere between 6 and 16, and only using half a screen makes 'em pretty puny...

If your machine does NOT have 2 video connectors, Matrox makes several multi-monitor adaptors that take a single output and convert it into 2 or 3 separate outputs to run 2 or 3 monitors, all off the ONE connector on your machine - they have drivers available so your 3 1280 x 1024 LCD's show up in windows as a single 3840 x 1024 display. I have one of these for my laptop but haven't had time to set it up yet. These are available in DVI or Analog versions, mine's the analog since the auxiliary video connector on my laptop is an analog one.

If you're interested in those adapters, google TripleHead2Go - it should bring up the Matrox site.

Whether or not I was converting analog video, though, I'd still have at least one of the Canopus boxes just for the external monitor function - I'm feeding the firewire input from my computer, then taking the video output from the Canopus into a Sony broadcast Trinitron ($1000 for a 13" ??!?) to use for my "color god" - I set up the color bars out of the Canopus and dial in the color on the Trini, then that's the absolute reference for color correction.

Looping that signal through the Trini and into the 24" Toshiba just gives me a large enough display to "read lips" and ensure that I've not accidentally moved an audio clip relative to it's video - doing this, I can watch "plosives" while listening to the sound and, if necessary, expand the timeline out to single-frame accuracy and drag the sound a frame or three one way or the other.

Back to your original problem - not sure how soon (or IF) I'll have the time, but you have me curious as to whether there's a reasonable way to extract timing from a firewire feed's digital audio and use it to clock another (semi-pro) sound card or not - might be a fun experiment if I ever slow down enough to get bored... Steve

Sorry - the Canopus boxes let you take the firewire output of your computer and convert it to Composite or S-video so you can preview on a normal TV monitor - basically, anything with an RCA or BNC or S-video connector input. The other stuff is for more than one COMPUTER screen - used to expand your "desktop" space for editing. Hope that's clear, didn't mean to muddy the waters...

Josh Bass · January 26th, 2007, 11:17 PM

Yeah, I seem to have fixed the problem, but I thought maybe the box had its own workaround for it. Oh well. Thanks.

Josh Bass · January 27th, 2007, 05:32 PM

Alright, I feel this is a dumb question, but I can't find the answer. Right next to where the monitor plugs in, on the back of the PC, there's another VGA-looking input, except it's male instead of female, and it has a symbol that looks like "IOIO" (except written vertically instead of horizontally) next to it, with a "1" above it. Is this another monitor input, or something else? I can't find my documentation.

Steve Burke · January 27th, 2007, 05:40 PM

Hi Josh

That other port should have less pins...... and it's the computer serial port, I believe, and nothing to do with a monitor output..

Hope this helps.

Steve

Josh Bass · January 27th, 2007, 06:14 PM

Oh well. Thanks.

January 26th, 2007, 08:07 PM	#16
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Sorry, a few more things: Will the ADVC110 help with the sound sync issue even through Vegas isn't sending the audio through the firewire--it's still coming out of the PC speakers? Also, you mention a dual monitor setup fpr Vegas--do these boxes allow you to do this, or is that an entirely different matter? Maybe I misunderstood. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 26th, 2007, 11:17 PM	#18
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Yeah, I seem to have fixed the problem, but I thought maybe the box had its own workaround for it. Oh well. Thanks. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 27th, 2007, 05:32 PM	#19
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Alright, I feel this is a dumb question, but I can't find the answer. Right next to where the monitor plugs in, on the back of the PC, there's another VGA-looking input, except it's male instead of female, and it has a symbol that looks like "IOIO" (except written vertically instead of horizontally) next to it, with a "1" above it. Is this another monitor input, or something else? I can't find my documentation. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 27th, 2007, 05:40 PM	#20
Steve Burke Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: UK Posts: 63	Hi Josh That other port should have less pins...... and it's the computer serial port, I believe, and nothing to do with a monitor output.. Hope this helps. Steve __________________ Canon XL2, Photoshop CS2, Premiere Pro 2.0, After Effects 7.0, Encore DVD 2.0, Audition 2.0. 2x PCs both Duo-Core 3GHz, both 1GB RAM, both dual monitor. 1x Laptop, single core, 3GHz, 1GB RAM.

January 27th, 2007, 06:14 PM	#21
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Oh well. Thanks. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 26th, 2007, 10:56 PM	#17
Steve Leverich Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Albany Oregon Posts: 173	On the sound sync issue - these boxes only can affect sync of sound during Analog capture - it does nothing during a firewire capture. So if you're not inputting analog audio/video to a camcorder and then taking the firewire out for capture, they wouldn't help your audio sync. It's possible that your computer sound card isn't very accurate or stable in it's clock signal on the sound card, if you're still having sync problems - If so, about the only thing I would think might help is if there were a way to slave your sound card to digital audio out of your camcorder, so the same clock generator circuit (the camcorder) is providing word clock to your playback machine (the computer) Besides, I thought you'd fixed your problem? On multi-monitors - for computer monitors, if your video card has a second video output (most seem to these days) you can just plug a second display into that connector and tell windows to "extend my desktop onto this display" - this is done by right-clicking on a blank spot on the desktop, choosing "properties", then in the next window, "settings" - if the computer has already "found" your "new hardware", you'll see a pair of monitors displayed, with the numbers "1" and "2" on them - you can drag one to the other side if you wish to switch them, you can click on one and then resize it, etc - Then, once you bring Vegas up you can un-dock nearly anything on the screen and drag it to the other monitor, size it however you like, and when you're happy with the setup you can SAVE it in one of 10 (I think) memories for recall. Doing that lets me have more real estate for tracks, so I can either make them taller or show more of them - I tend to do my productions using 2 camera tracks, a master video track, at least one "effects" track (track motion, etc), then audio tracks include camera audio for each camera track, a "scratch" track, V/O track, Background noise track, any wireless lav's, other "wild" audio, sound effects track - typically I'm using a total track count somewhere between 6 and 16, and only using half a screen makes 'em pretty puny... If your machine does NOT have 2 video connectors, Matrox makes several multi-monitor adaptors that take a single output and convert it into 2 or 3 separate outputs to run 2 or 3 monitors, all off the ONE connector on your machine - they have drivers available so your 3 1280 x 1024 LCD's show up in windows as a single 3840 x 1024 display. I have one of these for my laptop but haven't had time to set it up yet. These are available in DVI or Analog versions, mine's the analog since the auxiliary video connector on my laptop is an analog one. If you're interested in those adapters, google TripleHead2Go - it should bring up the Matrox site. Whether or not I was converting analog video, though, I'd still have at least one of the Canopus boxes just for the external monitor function - I'm feeding the firewire input from my computer, then taking the video output from the Canopus into a Sony broadcast Trinitron ($1000 for a 13" ??!?) to use for my "color god" - I set up the color bars out of the Canopus and dial in the color on the Trini, then that's the absolute reference for color correction. Looping that signal through the Trini and into the 24" Toshiba just gives me a large enough display to "read lips" and ensure that I've not accidentally moved an audio clip relative to it's video - doing this, I can watch "plosives" while listening to the sound and, if necessary, expand the timeline out to single-frame accuracy and drag the sound a frame or three one way or the other. Back to your original problem - not sure how soon (or IF) I'll have the time, but you have me curious as to whether there's a reasonable way to extract timing from a firewire feed's digital audio and use it to clock another (semi-pro) sound card or not - might be a fun experiment if I ever slow down enough to get bored... Steve Sorry - the Canopus boxes let you take the firewire output of your computer and convert it to Composite or S-video so you can preview on a normal TV monitor - basically, anything with an RCA or BNC or S-video connector input. The other stuff is for more than one COMPUTER screen - used to expand your "desktop" space for editing. Hope that's clear, didn't mean to muddy the waters...