Premiere's sync by audio waveform feature

Looking for an alternative to Pluraleyes for working with RED footage.

Has anyone tried Premiere's sync by audio waveform feature? How reliable is it?




The only downside i see is that it looks like you can't batch sync a bunch of clips, you have to select one video/audio at a time, then click merge, etc...

I used it that way and it worked fine. Strypes actually sent me a way to use multicam instead to sync everything at once and I was supposed to do a tutorial on it with his permission, but I just haven't had any time.

This is from his notes to me : For DSLR it's remarkably simple - just put the video in the same bin as its related audio, select all (or select the bins containing the clips), and make multicamera, set to sync with either audio, in points, out points, timecode, or clip marker (if you made them).

If he's around and has the time I'm sure he will elucidate.

Yes, what Jude said. Treat a multicam sequence as a container to hold clips in sync, and that's how it works. The audio synchronization function works very well if you have decently recorded audio eg. dialog scenes, interviews, etc..

Just did a write up on some of the functions. Figured there was a lot of tutorials out there to set up basic multicam edits, but none that really explores the different functions of multicam setup.

[www.revuptransmedia.com]



www.strypesinpost.com

Just to add, for dual system sound synchronisation, use the camera 1 option. If you want to check sync and make adjustments, open the Mcam sequence in timeline.



www.strypesinpost.com

Wow thanks for this.

Is the audio waveform sync a feature only in Premiere CC or is it in version 6 as well?

It's only in CC.



www.strypesinpost.com

Just tested this out really disappointing, perhaps I'm doing something wrong?

Methods I've tried:

1. I select the audio clip and video file in the browser
Merge clips
Audio

All it does is tack the audio to the start of the video, so it's out of sync.


2. Brought the clips into the timeline
select synchronize
It actually syncs!
But when I try to merge clips after that:
a. The remove audio from original video is grayed out, so I can't take advantage of that.
b. The merge clip it produces 15 audio tracks!

3. So I figure okay, maybe I can use synchronize in the timeline, and manually delete the camera audio and link the good audio and bring them to the browser...nope, the link media function is grayed out. I tried grouping, that works in the timeline but if I bring it to the browser, merge clip...boom 8 tracks.


It's very similar to what these people experienced [forums.adobe.com]

Have you tried using the multicam function? I've only been using that for dual system sound since audio sync in Premiere was introduced.

Just select both audio and video clips, right click and "create multi camera sequence", check audio for single cam, and sync with audio. You can open the multi camera sequence in timeline to check the sync.



www.strypesinpost.com

Weird - I used your first method a while ago for hundreds of clips and it worked fine. Does the video actually have any audio to sync to?

Styrpes method is better though, since you can do lots at once.

Hi,

It works in the new version 7.2.1., it wasn't working for me in the older version.

Few more questions.

1. Once the clip is sunk, often there's a lot of audio previous to the Video sync point, so I'd like to trim that off and create a new clip that starts at the sync point. However, when I try to drag my trimmed clip to a new bin like "Scene 1 sunk", but it won't let me drop it in the bin? Even if there was a way, I'm not sure it would result in a new trimmed clip?

2. Regarding syncing by multicam (nice tutorial by the way), is there away to have it eliminate the original video audio instead of muting them?

3. Is editing using multicam clips, a bigger drain on system resources?

3. Are there any complications using the multicam workflow for syncing and then editing, if you will eventually hand off to a post sound designer?


Thanks

One way to trim a clip with multicam is to open up the mcam clip in the timeline and trim off the parts you don't need.

Regarding deleting audio it doesn't need, you can delete them if you open in timeline, but why do it?

Any issues with round trip workflows? For audio, none that I know of. You can export an omf to the audio house and it will be what you used in the edit.

However, if you need to send the sequence to another machine like the DaVinci Resolve via XML, you will want to flatten the Mcam sequence. The existing limitation with flattening a Mcam sequence is that it removes effects, transitions and speed ramps. So some care is needed during the conform if you are using such a workflow. The alternative is to use Speed Grade which comes with the added benefit of not needing to render, and also you can open each Mcam sequence and grade each angle so it matches with the next. Think Avid Symphony's source side color correction.

Regarding system resource usage, Premiere isn't limited to using 4GBs of RAM like FCP7, so it can take more abuse.



www.strypesinpost.com

So I have wav files with a boom and a lav, they defualt to stereo, so I change the preferences to mono.
I want them on separate tracks, but each audio on both left and right channels if that makes sense, so for example if I mute the boom, I'd like to hear the lav on both the L and R channels.

In the multicam workflow, I can only seem to get the boom on L and Lav on R. I can't have them play on both L and R simultaneously.

If I do merge clips, it delvers them, how I want them on both channels.

Is there a way to make the audio how I want in multicam?

Quote
Regarding deleting audio it doesn't need, you can delete them if you open in timeline, but why do it?

Well I don't need the camera audio, and I don't know maybe I'm a bit anal retentive but I'd rather have a stand alone clip with just the two production audio tracks, then a multicam clip with 4 tracks, 2 of them muted.

I can go into the multicam clip, delete the audio and create a merge clip, but when I drag the new merged clip to a new timeline, I wind up with 4 audio tracks, 2 of them empty.

I'll make sure the files are imported/set to mono. When creating a multicam sequence, set audio to Camera 1, mono. At least i think that's what you're looking for. Can you post screen grabs? Or drop me an email and I can run you through it.

I'll skip using merged clips altogether. The multicam audio channels can be customised by going to the master channel audio fader in the multicam sequence itself and then you need to "modify> audio channels" on the multicam sequence in the project panel. This part is a bit cumbersome as a bulk action so I recommend setting up multicamera audio properly on creation.



www.strypesinpost.com

Hey Strypes here you go,

I think I followed instructions to the T but...still only getting audio on L or R when I open a multicam clip in timeline.

When I take the resulting multicam sequence into a new sequence for editing, it actually only gives me the left channel, so both mics work but only on the left channel.

If I do a batch sync, I'll have to edit with the multicam sequences.

I might have to bite the bullet and sync using merge clips feature but I'm still holding out hope.

Can you open the multicam sequence in timeline and show me which tracks are enabled? You can right click on the multicam sequence in the project panel and choose "open in timeline". It should be mono channels with audio coming from the wav file.



www.strypesinpost.com

It is but I'm still getting the following

Quote
.still only getting audio on L or R when I open a multicam clip in timeline. When I take the resulting multicam sequence into a new sequence for editing, it actually only gives me the left channel, so both mics work but only on the left channel.

Ok, if I open up a new sequence, and drop the muticlip on the new sequence and choose change settings, it gives me what I want, both mics on both channels.

Funny thing is if I drag the multiclip to the sequence icon, where it should give me the correct settings based on the clip, I get just audio in the L channel.

Oh well, funny little workaround but it works now...Thanks Strypes.

In this multicamera sequence, if you open the track mixer, you should see an output to both channels on the master output. If there isn't, make sure track 1 is panned to left and track 2 is panned right.



www.strypesinpost.com

>Funny thing is if I drag the multiclip to the
>sequence icon, where it should give me the
>settings based on the clip, I get just audio in the L
>channel.

Ha. Don't create new sequence from clip with multicam sequences. It creates an adaptive master track.

Glad you spotted this.



www.strypesinpost.com