Audio question
- Thread starter HKB
- Start date
There is a Broadcast WAV format (.bwf) that is standard uncompressed PCM audio same as .wav, but with timecode stamps for frame accurate picture sync. The timecode format needs to match your video frame rate for proper sync. So for broadcast video typically 25, 29.97, 59.94 frame rates. For cinema 24fps or 23.98 fps typically.
Run&Gun
Veteran
We shoot 23.98 for projects airing on broadcast/network TV all of the time, too. And actually the VAST majority of the time when we(meaning projects I work on) are recording sound, we’re shooting 23.98 and the VAST majority of that is intended for TV.
Bottom line, just make sure everyone is on the same page and if recording sound separately, it matches the video frame rate.
But here’s another monkey wrench in the works, just because a camera is shooting a specific frame rate, does not mean that is the time code it is using when recording that frame rate. So you have to do a little research on the camera you are using, if you are unfamiliar with it. We ran into these “issues” years ago, with the original C300, which could record(user switchable) use/record 30(29.97) or 24(23.98) TC when shooting 23.98 fps and P2 VariCams which actually had charts/grids in the owners manual telling you what TC rate was being used for different frame rates. Surprisingly, it was actually still using 30(29.97) TC when shooting 23.98 fps, most of the time. It’s doubtful you’ll run into this issues with most cameras made in the last few years, but still worth noting.
Bottom line, just make sure everyone is on the same page and if recording sound separately, it matches the video frame rate.
But here’s another monkey wrench in the works, just because a camera is shooting a specific frame rate, does not mean that is the time code it is using when recording that frame rate. So you have to do a little research on the camera you are using, if you are unfamiliar with it. We ran into these “issues” years ago, with the original C300, which could record(user switchable) use/record 30(29.97) or 24(23.98) TC when shooting 23.98 fps and P2 VariCams which actually had charts/grids in the owners manual telling you what TC rate was being used for different frame rates. Surprisingly, it was actually still using 30(29.97) TC when shooting 23.98 fps, most of the time. It’s doubtful you’ll run into this issues with most cameras made in the last few years, but still worth noting.