Comments on: Timecode Mismatch

By: Shane Ross

Shane Ross — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:24:04 +0000

Karen is right I believe. I haven’t had to deal with second system audio in FCP yet, but I have with Avid. Same thing with an Avid…dailies on Digibeta at 29.97, sound on DAT at 23.98 to match the film rate.

All you need to do is synch to the 00 frame. That will be the same on both, no matter what.

By: Karen

Karen — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:42:42 +0000

Any way that you can set up to sync to a 00 frame?

My (feeble) understanding is that audio files don’t have a frame rate until you bring them into FCP, so you would need to bring them in with your sequence preset at 23.98. A second is still a second… until they are in a sequence – when a frame is a frame is a frame, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein.

I used to set up Cinema Tools as if I were syncing audio at 29.97 to my 23.98 clips, just so that I could easily check the TC burns on film, and they would always match at 00.

But then nothing is true until tested. I’ll be curious to hear what happens. I’m sure a way will be found…

By: Sam Crutsinger

Sam Crutsinger — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:54:35 +0000

OK, I really need to read before I post. Several typos in there, but you get my drift. =)

By: Sam Crutsinger

Sam Crutsinger — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:52:29 +0000

Yeah, you time code voodoo is an important thing to make sure you have all lined up and tested all the way through the process before day one preferably. The HVX200 records at 29.97. You do the conversion on import and that discards the extra frames, but the “source file” is still that 29.97 file with the extra frames. If you needed to go back to the original source and look at a certain frame, you’d be in a 29.97 world, not a 24fps world.

Usually, I end up just going ahead and keeping in the 29.97 realm if things get wacky like this. Some cameras, like the Red One, will let you actually lay down 24fps, like the Red, but you have to consider the lowest common denominator on this stuff and use what all the gear will commonly allow if you want a smooth ride.

That said, you might try using a 29.97 time for syncing. I believe FCP will throw in the extra frames if you’re dropping 24 footage on there. Sync up a clip, select the audio and video and group them together. Pull that into a bin and see if it’s a 24 clip or a 29.97 clip at that point. If it’s 24, then there you go. If it’s 29.97, then consider editing at 29.97.

I usually just do a bunch of trial and error till I find something that works in these situations. Just remember that the person watching won’t have a clue about the mathematical dilemma you’re in. All they know is pictures and sound and story. If the picture and sound are in sync and there’s no annoying jittering or other SNAFUs going on, then they won’t care how you got there.