BWF audio files drifting out of sync

We're doing a "dual system" show that's using a Fostex PD-606 digital recorder.

This is a standard def, 29.97 drop frame, multicam shoot.
We've used this workflow before to much success. Today however, we're finding that the audio is drifting out of sync after about a minute. I'm sure I'm not the first to experience this, and I'd appreciate any feedback on suggestions to fix it.

I have a call out to the mixer to check settings, but until then, I'm all ears.

My suspicions: Frame rate set to 23.98? ND code trying to lock to DF? (The code is way off by at least an hour)

the sample rate shows up as 48K. I'm out of ideas.

Appreciate any help. Thanks.

Mark

Mark,

You're definitively not the first person with that experience.
In most cases people do not realize that audio is out of sync with "dual system" as the clips are short.
There are many ways to fix or to check what's going wrong.
First thing is what's the FCP version. There had been a lot of changes thru that versions and any of those does handle BWF (or audio) in a different way.
Next try could be a "virtual resample" of the audio.
Another not free option would be to use my BWF2XML to transfer the audio into a QT wrapper. This can also cause to make FCP believe that the audio does have a different sampling rate but it will stay in sync.

Andreas

Some workflow tools for FCP [www.spherico.com]
TitleExchange -- juggle titles within FCS, FCPX and many other apps.
[www.spherico.com]

Andreas,

Thanks for the response.

FCP 6.01 is what we're using.

We have your BWF2XML software (Works great so far), and I believe that's what we used to do the import. (Our assistants did it)

I'm going to try the "virtual resampling". I wasn't on set, (not going to make that mistake again!), so I can't confirm the settings were correct going in.

Mark

Mark,

If you can upload an example somewhere I'll have a look at it.

Andreas

Some workflow tools for FCP [www.spherico.com]
TitleExchange -- juggle titles within FCS, FCPX and many other apps.
[www.spherico.com]

Andreas,

Thanks for the offer, but I took the files and the corresponding videotapes to our vendor today. They confirmed that the deck was reading the internal clock on the digital recorder and NOT the sync sent from the central source. Now it's in their hands, and they are going to "fix it".

Since we've used this workflow before, I was going nuts thinking it was something we did.
I downloaded the user manual for the deck and there's at least two pages of setting regarding sync reference, time code, and "locking" to an external source. I'm not surprised that they got one of them wrong!

Mark

So "good luck" for the vendor

Andreas