ZOOM H4N and d90

1. Hey Tim Joy, your answer on the GH1 thread (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=169872) concerning your method for conforming the video to 23.976 (via MPEG Streamclip) brought me to a second question. When you mention changing the timeline frame-rate to 23.976 do you mean using the 23.98 preset for a newly created sequence (FCP won't let you change the timebase after a sequence is created)?

In my book, 23.976 is synonymous with 23.98, so yes, the 23.98 preset.
Switch it before you drop your clips on like matt said.
 
I'm officially confused! I have used the Zoom H2 many times with my HDV cams without any problems. I just dropped the audio file into the FCP HDV project, and no sync problems (out to the full hour of an HDV tape).

I haven't used the H2 with the d90 yet--am I going to run into sync problems? I thought that audio from the H2 doesn't have a frame rate--just a sample rate. I assumed that FCP just used the actual clock time for the audio files--am I wrong? Did I just get lucky that HDV 60i framerate works with the H2?

Thanks for the clarification (before I screw it up for real).
 
I believe that HDV is actually running at 59.97i for ntsc playback, whereas the d90 runs at 24.000, not for ntsc playback, and yes, for proper sync with the h2 and d90, you'll need to conform video to 23.98

I don't know the technical details behind it, but I believe that there is an underlying frame rate, or "clock speed", in every audio recorder. Some have the ability to switch the clock speed, like a TC-DAT or protools, and some do not, like the Zooms... and others are just plain screwy and won't sync with anything :) So, it's always 48k samples per sec, but different devices count seconds differently.... ? Not sure if this is right, but who cares, I found what works and I'm sticking to it.
 
Matt, I had installed your great plugins, just hadn't taken a closer look at Frame by Frame. I'll study it a bit now. Thanks for making such wonderful resources available for free. But one question, could it be possible to avoid the video conformation step that Tim is describing applying your plug-in somehow?

On the other hand, wouldn't it be better to use an audio speed change, like the Zacuto guy did, instead of conforming the video? Solely because it would be faster and everything would be done inside of FCP and because audio has such a higher sample rate that minor speed changes are quite harmless to the overall material. Does any one know exactly what speed change would do it in this 24p scenario with audio coming out of the h4n? I am tempted to think that If 99.9% is working for 30p because the audio coming out of the zoom is at a 29.97 speed then that would also mean 99.9% for 24p, because it holds the same proportional relation with 23.976 as the 30p to 29.97. But I may be speaking complete gibberish, could someone clarify? I can't do any tests right now because my zoom is actually arriving tomorrow.
 
Sure, speed changes are harmless so go ahead, but there are other issues since most playback formats for 24p are actually 23.976. If you're going to dvd or ntsc or 60i/24psf hd tape it might be better to use 23.98. This said i never had sync problems with my h2 in native 24p and i've synced up around 40 hours. I'm not sure why some of you guys have problems. I'm usually going to film or pal so i don't have the ntsc problem.
 
Here's a test: shoot somebody clapping their hands, then again one minute later, record the audio too. If the time between them is the same then you have sync. If this sync is lost in fcp you have a problem with your config, otherwise it's the recorder. Another test is to shoot a clock that beeps every minute or similar. Post your results.
 
Here's a test: shoot somebody clapping their hands, then again one minute later, record the audio too. If the time between them is the same then you have sync. If this sync is lost in fcp you have a problem with your config, otherwise it's the recorder. Another test is to shoot a clock that beeps every minute or similar. Post your results.

Alright Matt, I'll do it tomorrow when my h4n arrives and I'll post the results. (Now I'm walking over to Adorama to get me one of those hotshoe mounts I listed above.)
 
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