Syncing without a clapper: audio and video by waveform
A slate helps line up the sound with the picture, but if the camera records sound too, you do not need one: the camera and recorder sound can be lined up by waveform. MultiSyncer Studio does this for the whole shoot at once. If you did shoot with a slate, there is a separate method for that, “Slate + sound”.
What a slate is for
The slate is shot at the head of a take for two reasons. The sharp clap is visible in the frame and audible in the recording: the edit lines up the recorder sound with the picture by it. And the slate itself carries the scene and take, so the editor knows which shot it is.
If the camera records sound too, even with its built-in mic, sync does not need the clap: the camera sound and the recorder sound match through the whole recording and can be lined up by waveform.
Sync methods in MultiSyncer Studio
| Method in the app | How it works | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Auto: sound + recording time (recommended) | Device clocks give the rough position, sound makes it exact to a fraction of a frame | Almost always |
| Sound only | File times are ignored; slower | Camera clocks are wrong or reset, files were downloaded or re-encoded |
| Slate + sound | Finds the sharp clap in the first and last 30 s of a clip, places clips by it to the frame and checks by sound that the camera and recorder claps match | You shot with a slate or a hand clap, and the camera hears it |
| Timecode | For shoots with a shared timecode generator; sound only checks, and a difference of more than a frame goes to the warnings | Cameras and recorder on one timecode |
| Recording time | Quick draft by file date and time, accurate to about a second | You need it fast and rough |
| File order | Each device's clips butt together in name order, all devices start together | Last resort |
How to sync without a clapper
Add the footage
After the card offload it is already in the project. If you only need sync: “In the edit room” mode, drop the camera and sound folders into the window.
Leave it on “Auto”
“Auto: sound + recording time” fits almost every shoot. If the camera clocks are wrong or reset, choose “Sound only”.
Press “Synchronize”
The sound of every clip is compared with the others and the offset is measured to the sample. Clips are found by sound even if the camera clock was reset during the day.
Check the clips with no shared sound
A clip that shares no sound with the others is placed by timecode or by its camera's clock and marked. Listen A/B and, if needed, adjust the position: nudge by a frame, lock, “Sync to…”.
Scene and take without a slate
Scene and take can be entered right during the copy, on the file in the card's list. The “Good: to the edit” mark and a comment go into the report and the edit project.
Synchronization complete
Needs review
F002 · IMG_0412.MOV · by file time
F002 · IMG_0415.MOV · by file time
Different recording speed
Recorder: 40 ppm, 96 ms by the end
When a slate still helps. If the set is very noisy, shoot with a slate or a hand clap and choose “Slate + sound”: the app finds the clap in the camera and recorder sound. If the camera records no sound at all, a clap will not help it, since the app does not see the slate in the frame. Then use “Timecode” (a shared timecode generator) or “Recording time” followed by a manual check.