Audio Un-Syncing

[mattn97449740]

I'm trying to syncing up some lav audio with my camera audio - I get it within a frame, then switch to audio time units to line it up exactly (so I can use both sources together). Then I switch off audio time units to edit.

But then when I move or edit the audio tracks that I synced, they automatically go back to the slightly out of sync placement I had before. I've tried trimming the audio clips after I did the finer syncing, so I know they clips aren't moving to snap to alignment - and it still happens, but without actually moving the clip in the timeline. Like it's moving the audio inside the edited clip.

Does anyone know how to get around this?

[R Neil Haugen]

Did you link the audio and video files after moving the audio into place?

Neil

[mattn97449740]

I've tried linking them - doesn't change anything.

The audio file always reverts back to its initial frame placement. So I can move the file forward or back to where it would have been one full frame before, if that makes sense - but it removes the smaller, less than a frame movement to finish the sync.

[Peru Bob]

Delete the Media Cache and Media Cache files:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro/faq-how-to-clear-your-media-cache-in-30-seconds-in-premi...

If that doesn't work,try resetting the preferences:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro/faq-how-to-reset-trash-preferences-in-premiere-pro/td-p/...

If that doesn't work, try resetting the Workspaces:
Reset a workspace
Reset the current workspace to return to its original, saved layout of panels.
1. Do one of the following:
• Click the Workspace menu icon and select Reset to Saved Layout.
• Choose Window > Workspace > Reset to Saved Layout.
from here:
https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/workspaces.html

If that doesn't work, try Preferences > Audio Hardware and set Input to None.

If that doesn’t work, try updating or rolling back your graphics driver directly from the video card manufacturer’s site.

If that doesn't work, try creating a new project and import the old one into it.

[Averdahl]

How long are the clips?

Syncing up a two minute audio clip to the video will stay synced through those two minutes. However, if the total time on camera is one hour and the external audio is one hour it will stay in sync at the beginning but will drift out of sync after a while. The longer the takes are, the more audio drift.

This happens beacuase the cameras internal clock and the audio devices internal clock don´t sync 100%. One hour for the camera is not as long/short as the one hour from the audio device that recorded the external audio.

Depending how much they drift from each other you need to cut the external audio at let´s say every 5 minutes and re-sync from there. This will allow for the first 5 minutes to be in sync and since you cut the audio you can move it around independent from the first 5 ten minutes. It´s not so much that one has to move the audio, so a simple cross fade between the clips will mask everything and make it impossible to detect. If you cut when there is silence it´s best.

I have editied many concerts, so this method is what i always use to keep audio from an external device in total sync through the whole show.

Audio Time Units are you best friend, as well as panning the video audio to the left and the external audio to the right while doing it since any difference will be very easy to hear. Just don´t forget to reset those pans when done and mute the orginal audio.

[mattn97449740]

Thanks for the detailed reply!

The issue isn't really audio drift over a long clip - it's a problem with the less than a frame adjustments at the location where I'm syncing. So I'll get the audio close, then move the lav audio 1/3 of a frame (for example) to get it perfectly synced. Then we I switch back from audio time units to normal frames, when I move the clips together, the audio clip I moved jumps back to its prior location, negating my 1/3 of a frame move - so then it's slightly out of sync again.

Have you had this issue switching back and forth between audio time units and normal full frame units?

[Averdahl]

What exact version of  Premiere Pro are you using? (Help > About Premiere Pro)

But no, i have never had this happened to me.

[Richard M Knight]

Do you have the same problem if you group the video and audio rather than linking them? 

[mattn97449740]

I'm getting the same problem when I group them as well - but I'd also need to be able to ungroup and unlink clips to properly edit after I sync either way.

[Michael Grenadier]

gotta say you may be over-obsessing about the synch.  In 16mm you could only adjust by one frame increments, in 35mm by 1/4 frame increments.  I used to make myself crazy trying to figure out which looked better.  And sometimes people seem to talk a little out of synch...  What is the format of your audio and your video?  Make sure it's an uncompressed format and that the sampling rates match if they don't, convert one of them so they do match.  anything shot on a smartphone?   If so, your video probably has a variable frame rate which is unfortunately problematic in Premiere and if you think about it, could make synching the audio inconsistent... 

[mattn97449740]

Yeah it could be - I normally don't worry about it with narrative/controlled shoots since I just drop the scratch track. But I need to use the in camera audio along with the lav audio for some doc work and I'm getting that slightly out of sync feedback/robot-y sound. Just frustrating when I can get rid of that sound with a quick shift/fix, only to automatically lose that fix. If I just do one audio source or the other it's not a problem - doesn't look out of sync or anything like that.

The video files are MOV, and the audio files are WAV - both at 48000 Hz.

[Michael Grenadier]

if you want to send me one set of the audio files, I'll see if I can line them up and if it'll hold.  Just send me a direct message by clicking on my username at the top of the post and I'll send you my email address.  Don't need the video...   if you have the complete adobe suite, might be an idea to line them up in audition...  could be an issue with the embedded timecode if the timecode is embedded.  

[Mostafaa199129@gmail.com]

:globe_showing_europe_africa::globe_showing_americas::globe_showing_asia_australia:

[Richard M Knight]

Here's a sequence with the inbuilt counting leader. I duplicated the audio and moved one of them half a frame, I then linked the video and both audios. The clip seems to keep the half frame offset when moved or edited. 

I tried the same thing with Sony EX camera footage and when the relinked clip was moved, the out of sync audio jumped to the nearest frame, the same error you have. So it looks like it is camera file dependant and, as was mentioned earlier, perhaps it is the way timecode is embed into the audio and video streams.