Practical Guide to Sync Audio and Video in Final Cut Pro X 2021

You have captured a series of shots. They look fantastic, cinematic…..too beautiful to describe in words. You got a dedicated sound specialist to record audio. The professional wielded the power of high-end technology and the output is crystal clear audio quality. Now the task is to work on synchronization.

At this point, you need to understand audio and video clips were taken separately and it’s time sync these clips. Creating a cohesive output is what you should be focussed on and for that, you need to take help of an excellent software app.

A decade ago, the task of audio and video sync was really tough. Fortunately with Final Cut Pro X, syncing audio and video is very easy and quick – just like keyboard shortcut.It is easy and swift at the same time. It will be like a piece of cake if you can read this guide. You will definitely get a possible solution from this blog.

If you have no idea about how to perform the task, this beginners’ guide will show you the way through step-by-step procedure.  All the procedures will allow you to get your job well done. It is not so easy to sync audio and video at the same time. But we are here to offer you some of the genuine solutions that are definitely showing you a proper path.

Why is audio and video out of sync in final cut pro?

Performing audio and video synchronization in Final Cut Pro is an art and you will love that doing. You need to follow some steps to perform the action. Sometimes, you may even experience audio delay. Whether it is out-of-sync audio or audio delay, it does not mean that the clips in sequence are not in sync. The out-of-sync syndrome may be a result of an over-loaded processor. Sync issues arise at the expense of your trying to run the program at its optimum.

You may address the apparent sync issues by trying to relieve the processor of its load. Followings are some could-be causes of the sync problems and how to rectify them.

  • Set the Canvas Size to “Fit to Window’ or even smaller.
  • Set the resolution in the Monitor’s Control Panel to 75Hz or higher.
  • Viewer and Canvas windows should not be overlapping.
  • Too many audio real tracks are selected in the General Preferences. So, you know what to do.
  • You are using a slow, inconsistent or outdated hard drive. So, change it or add another drive.
  • You are using a Mirror to Desktop option on a slow machine.
  • You have opened too many sequences simultaneously.
  • Do numerous short edits and play back sequences.
  • If you are using imported DV video clips, particularly long ones, audio sync may drift after some time. To avoid the issue, keep Sync Adjust Movies turned on.

How to Sync Audio and Video Automatically in Final Cut Pro?

An important point to remember in this context is, for the synchronization to work perfectly, Final Cut Pro X must match the waveform patterns. Therefore, record a sound scratch track into the built-in audio channel of your camera. If it is not done, Final Cut Pro X will not be able to sync your files. So what you need here is the perfect idea to do it step by step so that you can definitely get a aspired result.

Follow the steps to sync video automatically and audio through Final Cut Pro:

Step 1: Import Your Files

  • First, start with importing your audio-video files into the project. Fairly easy step, isn’t it? It will be done just like that!

Step 2: Automatically Synchronize Your Audio Video Clips

  • Choose the clips you want to use.
  • Click the right button of your mouse; the dropdown menu will appear.
  • Click Synchronize Clips. Alternatively, you can use a shortcut – Option + Shortcut + G.

Step 3: Give a Name to Your Synchronized Clip

  • Final Cut Pro analyses the imported clips to figure out the correct sync point.  The program creates a new clip.
  • Give a name to the newly synced clip. Check the box to Use Audio to synchronize clips.
  • You wish to eliminate your reference audio from the video, set the box to Disable Audio on AV clips.
  • Organization is a key if you have a big project because in that case, you are most likely to have a lot of these clips.

Step 4:

  • Allow FCP to do wonders! After synchronization is done, software will generate a synced audio-video clip with the title you gave.
  • Drag your newly created clip into your timeline.

Step 5:

  • Open Audio Inspector Window.
  • Identify the audio track which is your main audio feed.
  • Click and isolate the channel.
  • Playback your audio to make sure that it’s perfectly synced and sounds great.

How to sync to multiple clips automatically in final cut pro?

The best part of Final Cut Pro is it can analyse and sync audio-video clips automatically in your project. This software is designed to handle two clips and even more with ease and smoothness. How does it do that? Here are the steps of automatic synchronization or auto-sync of FCPX.

  • If you choose three audio clips and four video clips from multiple sources, which were recorded at the same time, FCP automatically analyses the clips and sync them into a new clip in the web browser.
  • Keep in mind that automatic analysis and synchronization don’t affect the original clips.
  • FCP analyses the imported clips for sync points – for example, added markers, file creation date, audio content and time code.
  • If you don’t find any sync point, FCP syncs the clips at their respective points of starting.
  • There are more to uplift your excitement.You can choose Custom Settings for adjustment of different parameters. It will help you experience a finer control of the syncing method.

Want to view all synced clips?

  • Create a Smart Collection. Make sure it uses the Type search category that is set to Synchronized as a search criterion.
  • You can configure the audio channels by turning those off if these are unused in your synced clips.

What are the fast ways to sync Multicam in final cut pro?

Creating multicam clips is different from creating compound clips and auditions in the browser. You can create multicam clips with different media sources (for example different frame rates, formats etc). You can create multiple clips manually or have FCP create multiple clips automatically.

If you have a clear idea of the kind of metadata in your multicam media, it is possible to create multicam clips faster by using manual methods than by opting for automatic methods. The automatic procedure relies on automatic audio sync technology – it is a sophisticated method – to ensure accuracy in syncing. But accuracy is achieved at the cost of processing time. If you don’t need Automatic Audio Sync, turn it off. If every clip records accurate time code, Final Cut Pro won’t need Audio Sync feature to create multicam clip automatically.

Here’s the deal:

FCP is an amazing app that allows you to do miracles without any hassle. You don’t have to sit in front of your computer screen and strain your eyes to do the work. You can perform the work on FCP software platform in less time and with zero trouble. More interestingly, you can do the work manually or let the program do it automatically – the choice is always yours.

Share