Do wavs have burnt in time code that FC can read?

[matttpotter]

Hey all,

Hope someone can help me. I am working on a project and maybe there is a simple answer to this. I sure hope so! So let me break it down for you.

I have footage from 5 cameras. Each camera films a few seconds of a slate before they start filming the event. I also have a 5 DVDs each with wav files of different microphones from the event. I was told by the client that I should be able to match the sound from the wavs to the digital read out on the slate that is shot by each camera at the beginning of the footage.

That there should be some sort of time code on the wav files that I match this up with. Well if there is I don't know how to read it. You import a wav file into final cut its starts at 00000000.

http://www.clerks2.com/mattt/help.jpg


Check out this screen shot. I need to know how to get A or B to read as the same numbers as C.

Because right now C on the video screen starts at 01571017 as you can see?



Does that make any sense? This is hard to explain. Hopefully one of you smart folks will know what I am talking about and be able to help me out. Till then, I will be hitting refresh on my browser.

Thanks!

Mattt

[Patrick Mac]

Interesting question. I really don't have an answer except I don't think a DVD is going to carry any timecode, hence the default to 000000...only videotape will record TC (as long as the camera was SLAVED to a common TC generator). Generally, this is why the clapper boards have a clapper on it. They did clap the sticks, didn't they? Otherwise I think you are just going to have to slip each audio clip into sync manually.
Sorry, I just don't really know since I've never worked with sound that way. There is probably a way to export each clip into SoundPro (or whatever it is), and set a common TC number at a common sound...such as a clapper, or set the TC to match the slate...then import that back ito FCP so that they are all in sync with each other, but again, I've not done it. One of the sound guru's will probably surface soon for an answer.

P Mac

[matttpotter]

No they did not clack the marker at all. GOD I WISH. They told me I should be able to sync the timecode on the video to the time code on the audio. The wav files they supplied for me that were ON a DVD-R. So maybe I did not explain that right. These are raw waves burnt to a dvd that I dragged into my hard drive.

So I am curious if there is a way that I can see this supposed time code that exists on these wav files.

Anyone? Bueller Anyone?

[Josh]

.WAVs do not contain timecode.

You will need to sync each manually.

However, after you sync, you will be able to write a fabricated timecode track to the audio files to match picture... but you may need to make them audio only QT files first, which is not too big a deal, you can batch convert them.

[ALuchini]

Normally in shows, video clips, and such, they use the eletronic slate to match the timecodes of video and audio to guarantee the sync.
Yet the timecode of the slate is diferent from the one of the DAT tape. The timecode of the slate is imprinted on one of the audio channels, making a fast repeated beat (trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...).
Does FCP recognize that channel as a timecode?
(or am I out-a-date)
Tks,
ALuchini

[matttpotter]

Originally Posted by ALuchini

Normally in shows, video clips, and such, they use the eletronic slate to match the timecodes of video and audio to guarantee the sync.
Yet the timecode of the slate is diferent from the one of the DAT tape. The timecode of the slate is imprinted on one of the audio channels, making a fast repeated beat (trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...).
Does FCP recognize that channel as a timecode?
(or am I out-a-date)
Tks,
ALuchini

Exactly! I do have a track with the files that goes "(trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...)" but not sure how to see the time code on it in Final Cut. Any ideas?

Also

There are 3 extra files in with the .wavs as well.

a text file that when I open it up it says "Session = /mnt/hda1/SESSION 1" The name of this file is autoload.txt

and two other files called


settings.set
SESSION 1.adl

Not sure what those are. Would these files some how work with the software BWF2XML? Or is there some other OS X software that will help?


Then of course these files are on there as well.

SLATE 1_T001_1.wav
SLATE 1_T001_2.wav
SLATE 1_T001_3.wav
SLATE 1_T001_4.wav
SLATE 1_T001_5.wav
SLATE 1_T001_6.wav
SLATE 1_T001_7.wav
SLATE 1_T001_8.wav This track is a stuttering tone track which I assume has the time code on it. But not sure how to see that time code to match it with the video slate.

[Patrick Mac]

Mat: I assume your have a camera or deck of some sort to capture the video. What I would do, rather than piss away precious time to figure out how to do this on your own, is take the DVD's to a good post house who can transfer the wav's to tape with the correct time code. They can also convert the wav files to aiff files to boot. Remember, FCP does not read wav files.

Then, after the show is finished, work on solving the problem when time is lax.

P Mac

[ALuchini]

The AVID has this feature that will read that audio channel and understand the timecode in it to sync the video. I was hopefull FCP had it as well, but guess not, unfortunately.

[JohnP]

If the audio was recorded on a file based Timecode enabled recorder and the set up was correct, the Timecode is a single time code stamp in the data header of a AES31 (Broadcast WAV/BWF) file. The reading computer will build SMPTE time code from the time and code-rate for the file.

You would only record timecode for the duration of a recording on an analogue device (Or DAT) where it sounds like a forest full of chirping birds.

I thought FCP could handle Timecode.

[JohnP]

I'm just told that FCP requires your audio in Quicktime http://www.dharmafilm.com/sebskytools/ might help you transfer.

[jackkk]

Originally Posted by Patrick Mac

They can also convert the wav files to aiff files to boot. Remember, FCP does not read wav files.

P Mac

Im sorry to go into a different question, but does FCP really not read wav files? cause I imported a lot of wav files and they work just the same with aiff files. Maybe there are a few problems afterwards?

thank you.

Jack

[JohnP]

Hi Jackkk, I don't have FCP to check, if it's working don't worry. The Timecode data (if you need it) is ignored by software and machinery that doesn't understand it, but that doesn't prevent the audio file running.

[jackkk]

ahh.. ok. so everything is fine except the timecode. that explains it.

thx