Modernize The Syncing Workflow With A Sync Panel

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The syncing workflow could use a major facelift.

Merging Clips is a destructive form of syncing that just doesn't work that well. They also cause many problems in the conform and if sync is off they need to be completely redone, causing headaches and manual replacement throughout the project. Sometimes they bug out when you bring merged clips in fro another project and certain tracks get out of sync.

There is also the create multicamera source sequence which doesn't tell you this is the preferred method to sync clips. The negatives are that it is a cumbersome dialogue box with a lot of options that don't really get you what you want without a lot of tweaking.

There is also "grouping" clips and "linking" clips. This is a messy naming format because they can mean all the same thing. Perhaps a clear naming convention will help smooth this process

The best option would be to consolidate Merge Clips, Multi Camera Source Sequence and Synchronize into a single panel that we can call the sync panel. In that panel we can create a Sync Nest of each clip that we can call a Synced Clip.

The Synced clips can be nested with each track within the main timeline without having to go in the nest. They would essentially twirl down. So track 1 would contain Production tracks 1-7 and be labeled 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 etc. Each channel can be routed via the sync panel.

There can be a syncing workspace as well.

Streamline the right click clip window. It has gotten way too long it almost takes up the entire screen. Consolidating the 5 different Sync buttons into one separate section in the dropdown would help clean that up.

[TaranVH]

Oh heck yes.
Currently, if I want to use timecode to sync a bunch of cameras and audio files, I will just use Davinci Resolve. Premiere's method is absolutely terrible.

This is ID# 200 in my problems spreadsheet. You've explained it in better detail.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dVJb7kI_ZETLavrplfARgn9gL8HUpvkq6A0jCPxqA3w/edit#gid=1133868...

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Agreed. It would be great if you were to implement a way to sync multiple clips like pluraleyes.

But even with pluraleyes, it is almost impossible to work with the project window. This leaves us having to use messy timelines. Perhaps at least a way to merge clips in batch.

But ideally you would create a whole different workflow to help with syncing audio.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

This is an absolute necessity. Please make this one happen.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

If anything in Premiere was in need of a ground-up redesign, it's syncing.

It's the most important part of the the professional workflow and it's long been neglected. Nothing can begin happening in an edit with dual system audio until the sync done correctly. And now a days, that's most edits, even for non professionals.

I used to think creating a Multicam Clip to sync audio and picture where the sync could be adjusted after the fact was useful but I was kidding myself. The way the Multicam clip sometimes handles handles audio channels, possible confusion over using camera audio or not, having to manipulate the audio outs of that sequence so just so the waveforms show up correctly in the edit timeline is a huge discomfort and time waster.

And I don't EVER want to see another assistant editor of mine think they should drag clips into a timeline, ask premiere to sync them or line them up by eye and then choose merge or create Multicam Clip.

Resolve has syncing down pat. It happens by selecting the clips to be merged, right-click clicking and choosing sync, no dialogue box or separate pane necessary. The analysis of waveforms is FAST. And if there's timecode that matches, it just uses that.

And Resolve’s synced clips are CLEAN and look like clips. No fiddling with a nested Multicam sequences. What they do is actually ATTACH the dual system audio to the picture as additional tracks. Those tracks can then be modified using Resolve's equivalent of Modify > Audio Channels. That saves us from having to choose to replace camera audio or not replace it during syncing. We can just modify MULTIPLE clips FROM THE BIN to use the audio we want after the fact. No need to open in each synced sequence individually to turn on/off audio and just audio outs to make waveforms show up in the edit timeline.

100% agree with the OP's comments regarding confusion of Merge and Multicam. Scrap them both and make one new thing that works. Or if you can’t make one, remake them as two, but make them BOTH work easily for the jobs they’re supposed to do. But please, forget nesting. I don't want Multicam clips to behave like timelines or sequences. They should behave like clips.

In addition, there HAS to be a fast, reliable solution for syncing WITHOUT timecode or camera audio. This is useful for pros and amateurs. Using in-points or markers that I have to label with matching names is making those functions do things that they’re not explicitly designed to do. That leads to confusion and mistakes. Just allow a specific type of SYNC POINT. So when premiere is directed to sync specific clips, it knows to just look for that point, use the video as the master for the length of the clip and be done.

Also, let me select clips and bins from multiple project panels when syncing. Trying to sync a whole day's worth of dailies from a professional set isn't about dumping all the clips into one bin and hitting select all. That's terrible project organization. And don't make me highlight EACH clip to be synced. Let me separate clips into bins by each camera and sound (which we're all already doing right to have neat projects right?), and then just select bins and make Premiere smart enough to arrange the cameras into camera A, camera B, dual system audio, etc based on that bin organization/naming convention.

As for a Panel, I think it's mostly unnecessary if we can make Premiere smart enough to do it from the Project Panel like Resolve does. But if a Panel is made, it should NOT look like a timeline.

It should look like a project panel with multiple boxes. In each box, the user can designate by already existing bins of clips, what are Picture (or camera 1, camera 2, etc) and the Sound to sync tell Premiere to sync them. The SYNC PANEL might be a good place for the user to scrub, find and mark the SYNC POINT for each piece of audio or video. If file names don’t help, Premiere won't know which clips go together so once the sync points are marked, so the user should be able to manually drag/drop the clips that go together to help Premiere sync.

Lastly, Premiere must provide PROFESSIONAL level explanations about how they envision their solves working. Tutorials where we watch two clips get sync with two track audio all in the same bin is not the professional experience. Please do not accept the lowest common denominator.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

This is one of the main reasons why some producers are reluctant to let me edit feature films on Premiere. And I have to agree with them. This needs a redesign!!! The sooner the better.

[blacksheepdigital]

EXACTLY everything Matt Badger said. If you want Premiere to be taken seriously as a professional tool, then you have to address the BASICS of professional workflows. This is a serious roadblock. If I could vote 1000 times on this I would.

A dedicated and optimised Syncing workspace would be ideal. Look at the best of what other NLE's and 3rd party tools are doing and combine them.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

how do you currently do it? merge clips?

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

This should be the no.1 request, I don't understand why it isn't 1000+ votes.

[Alex Elkins]

It's astonishing that we're still waiting for the solution to this. What the **** are Adobe doing?

[Christian_Filmmaker]

One more vote! This is why I am using Resolve more often and I don't even like it for editing.

[Kaxmerkhoff]

just commenting to move this up in the list. what's the state on syncing? Why hasn't it gotten any better? it appears you can modify merged clips now, but it still isn't possible to batch merge, or is it? There are so many threads on this, and it really makes me consider moving to Avid again.

Has been a problem for too long.

[sarahc20921250]

I vote for this ASAP!

[Alex Elkins]

I can't believe we're still asking for this. It's shameful from Adobe. This page alone has been up for 2.5 years, and people have been asking for syncing improvements for much longer than that.

The multi-cam workaround is barely useable.

Adobe, just picture this:
You have a bin of clips. You want the matching external audio added to those clips.

IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE!

Why has it been made so complicated?!?

Here's what we need:

- Provide the option to keep clip length the same as the original video
- Provide the option to re-route audio to different channels
- Don't change the timecode
- Read the audio metadata and let us see it for track names
- Don't force me to spend hours panning tracks and assigning track outputs on a clip by clip basis in order to see my waveforms
- Don't put a fucking yellow box around every single clip

Adobe, this isn't a complex request. Any experienced editor or AE syncing anything but the simplest of projects could demonstrate this in 15 minutes.

Resolve has it sussed. Avid has been doing it for years. It's not complicated. Failure to address this tells people that either Adobe have no idea what they're doing or they're simply not interested in the people who expect professional workflows. I'm sick of putting up with it.

[Kaxmerkhoff]

no reactions on this since it was moed to the new forum last year.

something along those lines would be great to have. if input on this is needed, happy to chime in.