Problem with syncing mp3 to video-track

[schrootenw]

I'm editing a tap-dancing scene in which I'm trying to sync the audio and video that was recorded during the performance (ie music and sound of the dancers) to an mp3 file that contains the music track (the same track that was used during the recording). The idea is to obtain a better balance between the sound of the dancer's feet and the music.

However, when I try to sync the mp3 and the live-audio there always seems to be an flanging/phasing effect, as if the two tracks are not perfectly sync'd. The waveforms also seem to be ever so slightly out of phase but I can't find a way to align them perfectly since the difference appears to be less than a frame.

Any suggestions on how to solve this issue are welcomed!

[Peru Bob]

First of all:

Convert the mp3 to wav and then import the wav to Premiere Pro.  Replace the mp3 file with the wav file.

[schrootenw]

Thanks for the reply Bob. In the end it turned out that I had to pitch shift the file by 36%, so less than a semitone. This solved the problem!

[R Neil Haugen]

After you create that wav file, then to sync the audio, change the timeline to audio frequency time ... right-click the three-bar menu icon at the right of the sequence name in the timeline panel, select "Show audio time units" ... which when you zoom into the timeline a lot, will allow you to micro-move audio tracks about.

You may have a phase problem separate from this, which would require going into Audition to fix.

Neil

[schrootenw]

Thanks Neil. I didn't know about the option to micro-move clips so this was usefull info. It turned out that somehow the file sounded slightly higher pitched when it was played live as opposed to the wav/mp3. The difference was less than a semitone but I was able to fix it using the pitch shift effect in premiere and shifting the pitch of the wav-file by 36%.

Still not quite sure where the origin of the problem lies though, could be an issue with the mp3-player they used during the shoot....