Audio sync with FCPX, ZoomH4n and DSLR

C

chasford

Member
When I shoot I usually have an 8 gig card in my Zoom H4n. I start the Zoom and let 'er run. I then shoot numerous takes with a Canon 5D. With FCP7 I use Pluraleyes to sort out the gaps. I was really excited to see that FCPX included auto-sync. So this leads to my question: Has anyone successfully performed an audio sync in FCPX using one long audio file from a Zoom H4n, syncing a number of, or even just one video file from a DSLR. I have tried several times with no success. Possibly there is a secret to this that I'm missing or does a long audio file overwhelm FCPX and will we need to wait for Pluraleyes to issue a FCPX upgrade?
 
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It does work, however you have to wait until the background analysis and sync of the clips are completed before the compound clip is accurately timed.
I found this out for myself, as when I opened the compound synched clip before analysis was completed, all media was cued to the beginning of the clip.

Once analysis was completed, the clips were moved to their appropriate sync points in the compound clip.
 
Just throwing this out there, but do you guys ever do a "clap" or something to help with timing? We do this with our two cam shoots all the time, it works great and no pluraleyes needed. Start both cams recording, someone claps, done. Pretty simple. And the same method should work for a H4N and 5D.
 
TheReverend said:
Just throwing this out there, but do you guys ever do a "clap" or something to help with timing? We do this with our two cam shoots all the time, it works great and no pluraleyes needed. Start both cams recording, someone claps, done. Pretty simple. And the same method should work for a H4N and 5D.
Click to expand...
+1000.
Always give your cam and audio a reference.
 
I just tried a older synching project from my 5D, 7D, and sound devices 702. Pluraleyes on FCP7 nailed pretty quickly. FCPX took forever and never was able to sync. So I would call it unusable for now.
 
I've used it the other day to sync about 40 different clips with audio I recorded on the h4n.

I had little success with it being able to sync and tell the different between a bunch of different clips, but when I knew which clip was associated with which audio file and synced then it was dead on each time. No problems.
 
TheReverend said:
Just throwing this out there, but do you guys ever do a "clap" or something to help with timing? We do this with our two cam shoots all the time, it works great and no pluraleyes needed. Start both cams recording, someone claps, done. Pretty simple. And the same method should work for a H4N and 5D.
Click to expand...

used to do that until i got pluraleyes. looks like i will be doing that again for awhile until someone figures out the trick to success in FCPX. im still in FCP7 anyway but would like to get the sync thing going in X asap.

david
 
The audio sync feature in FCP X does not work as advertised, and does not have any options, making the user unaware of what type of algorithms Apple is using. Thus making the feature non professional friendly and completely unreliable.

I would not count on this feature or FCP X for any serious project right now, until, and/or if, Apple shows that they are serious about building an application that gives the user controllable parameters and options; that also work as advertised.
 
david_p said:
used to do that until i got pluraleyes. looks like i will be doing that again for awhile until someone figures out the trick to success in FCPX. im still in FCP7 anyway but would like to get the sync thing going in X asap.

david
Click to expand...

Is it possible that giving the "claps" and or other reference sound will help the FCPX sync? Someone test?
 
TheReverend said:
Is it possible that giving the "claps" and or other reference sound will help the FCPX sync? Someone test?
Click to expand...

i actually had a few claps on a couple of tracks and still no go. the syncing works some of the time but not all of the time. cant really understand the inconsistancy either. pluraleyes for FCP7 rocks. i hope the let you do it and give you multipe (tracks) or storylines in FCPX. that would be awesome.

david
 
cool, thanks for letting me know, I look forward to the update. Although, I've also been 'waiting' to hear from Apple engineers for about 4 months now, sometimes I think that must just be a line in a PR handbook.
 
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