If you have same timecode on both tapes - Veggie Toolkit (a Vegas scripting plugin) has a tool (called "Media Sync) which does synch media automatically. It's available at www.peachrock.com .

Marco

If you've got jam sync on the tapes (similar T/C), you can use one of a few scripts to lash up the T/C. Peachrock and free script on the VASST site both can do this.

If you have same timecode on both tapes...

And that's a really big If. Higher end camcorders are designed to slave to an external time code signal (called jam sync) but lower models aren't :-(
Even if you were to set both to the same time, I'm certain that they'd still be out. By how much is uncertain.
As Gary said, syncing them to something like a camera flash is the easiest. I just did this on a shoot last week and there was no problem, even after 45 min.
Make sure to keep both cameras rolling all the time or you're asking for trouble. If you do have to stop for a tape change, do it simultaneously and look for a new reference.

Mike

Spot, I didn't see anything at Peachrock that would address the issue here. I also searched the VASST site for the script you mention, but didn't find anything.

I hope to be proven wrong by what I'm about to say, but I don't think there is anything you can do, including with a script. Scripts don't give you access to the video itself (i.e., you can't look at a video, frame by frame, and make decisions based on luma values, timecode, date/time info, etc.). What's more, Vegas itself doesn't give you access to any of this, except in a very crude way through the Project Media view.

For years I've been imploring Sony to give us access, both through the script and through the Vegas UI, to ALL the information that's contained in each frame of a DV file. I find it almost criminal to have all this important information (date, time, timecode, line 21 information -- and other VBI info, camera information -- aperture, shutter, etc., and much more) all being flushed down the toilet. In addition, we have no control as to what goes back out to tape. There are many, many situations where I would like to have information from a "master" track used in the final version to be printed to tape, and there are other situations where I'd like to synthesize my own codes and have those included.

Back to the original post.

There was an excellent suggestion on a similar topic just a few weeks ago. The solution (won't help you on this project) is to set the cameras, prior to the shoot, to the identical time. Get them next to each other and push the buttons on the time set function at exactly the same time. This will get you to within 1 second. Next, use Scenalyzer to capture, and have it create filenames that use the camera date/time. The rest of the idea is contained in these threads:

Multicam shoot, opinions & advice welcome

Some Multicam Scripts Ready for Beta Testing

Jerry's tools are what I was referring to.
It's a matter of dropping the T/C filter at the Media Pool level on the events in question, and syncing from there. Peachrock works a little differently, creating a new T/C for the slave/secondary tracks, but it works as advertised.

True. This is a problem of most consumer cameras.

But I think rather soon there will be an (external) tool which can help there. Of course it is not me who developes this tool but I did beta-test it and it seems to work great. Don't ask me how it can be done but it works:

Say you have two consumer cameras to shoot a performance but you DON'T keep both cameras running all the time. You start and stop and start and stop a plenty of times.
Now capture the stuff in Vegas, syncronize manually only the first clips of both cameras in separate video tracks and don't care for all the clips following. Just add all the clips with or without gaps.
Export the Vegas project as edl and import it into this tool.
Run the tool and it outputs another edl for Vegas.
Import this new edl into Vegas and what you get is all the clips syncronized. Not just a second accurate, but frame accurate.

I'll keep you updated when the tool is ready for release.

Marco

But I think rather soon there will be an (external) tool which can help there.

Definitely let the forum know when this is released.
My personal feeling is that the developer has a gold mine there :-)

Mike

Yes - if I am correct this is the first tool ever providing such a feature.

Marco

If I could Sync a MultiCam shoot to timecode... I would be sooo much closer to convincing my boss to get rid of these 2 Avid NLE's. It's hard to convince a guy that VEGAS can do what 2 $30,000 machines can. This would get me a bit closer.

In case you missed it in my post further down in this thread, here's a link to a temporary workflow that might help. No where neat as what it sounds like may be coming:

Multicam shoot, opinions & advice welcome

Some Multicam Scripts Ready for Beta Testing

I think this is a new feature in premiere pro 2. I've asked this question a couple times on this forum but i really do believe if u can record free run(timeof day) timecode vegas should be able to automatically match up as many sources on a timeline that are in the same date and time. so u didn't have to record just for the sake of recording time code.

anyways, i'm sure its on the cards somewhere... This would make life so much easier for so many people.

Now if this same tool could injest the Vegas format EDL of a project and output a usable CMX EDL - well not *that* would be awesome!! I would love to be in on that beta test.

You'll find a download link of a beta version in the first posting over --> here. It's all German, don't mind - there's not a lot to do.

So you need a Vegas project with at least two pairs of tracks and you must have synchronized the first clip of each track. Just add following clips without syncing.
Export the project as EDL. Start the tool (called "MultiCamSync"). Select "VEGAS EDL". Load the Vegas generated EDL into MultiCamSync and it generates another EDL which you load into Vegas. That's it.

The video you use in Vegas must be DV-AVI and it must have a valid datacode.

Marco

Don't have access to that page. Says I have to sign up. Tried to do it, am now logged in but it still says I have no access. is this MultiCamSync a Canopus product?

Did you block cookies or java-script?

No, it's not a Canopus product. It is a pure private envelopement. I could ask if I am allowed to send it to you privately. But yesterday I noticed it seems to be restricted to PAL DV 25i only for now. Is a PAL only version useful to you?

Marco

Lining up the audio waveforms is the easiest way to do it. I edit 3-camera weddings with 3 iRiver tracks (so 3 video, and 6 audio tracks). Lining them all up takes less than a minute.

Wasn't blocking anything however I just tried it and I got in today. So all is well as far as downloading it.

Interface is easy. LOL! Edius or Vegas. I am guessing the manual option is disabled for a reason as this is a beta.

Thanks for the heads up bn this..now to see what it does.

There is no manual. This option "Manuell uber Verzeichnisse" is just an import option for the media files which actually is not yet supported. Don't know if there will be a manual later but the workflow is real easy once you got it.

Marco

Does nothing but crash for me.

Maybe I am missing something. I open a new Vegas project. Load up some clips. Sync them up as best I can. make edits, save as a Vegas "EDL". I open up the program, select the Vegas EDL option, select the saved file and it does nothing at that point. No other options - just crashes. Are you supposed to get a "save as" dialog or something?

I looked and there is a new file with a ".multi" tag on it however trying to load that into Vegas gets an error message. Also there is a log file created and it has a long stream of errors in it about, I think, the code not being valid.

Below is from the debug pop up - and from what I read of the forum it looks like others were having the same issue? hard to tell because the forum is in german, but the error looks the same.

=====
************** Exception Text **************
System.IO.EndOfStreamException: Unable to read beyond the end of the stream.
at Microsoft.VisualBasic.FileSystem.FileGet(Int32 FileNumber, Int32& Value, Int64 RecordNumber)
at MultiCamSync.MultiCamModul.findVidFram()
at MultiCamSync.MultiCamModul.rdFrms4DC()
at MultiCamSync.MultiCamModul.BearbFiles()
at MultiCamSync.MultiCamModul.einAviFileoeffen()
at MultiCamSync.Vegas.rdVegasEDL(String namen)
at MultiCamSync.Form1.useVegasEDL()
at MultiCamSync.Form1.mnuOpenItem_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.MenuItem.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.MenuItemData.Execute()
at System.Windows.Forms.Command.Invoke()
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmCommand(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ContainerControl.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
=========

First of all it must be all PAL DV media 25 fps interlaced.

>> Sync them up as best I can.

Don't sync them all. Only the first clip of each track/camera has to be synced to each other. All the other clips of each camera are just put an the tracks after the first synced one without gaps.
But there should be at least two clips in each of the tracks (and of course there should be at least two pairs of tracks).

>> make edits

Don't edit anything!!!
It is a must that all clips are NOT edited, not shortened, no fades, no dissolves, not cut in any way. It must be all the untouched stuff coming from the camera.
Of course an automatical scene detection should have been made before. But no edits then.
Just put the clips in the timeline and leave it kind of very, very rough storyboard. The clips should have the order according the time recorded.

>> Are you supposed to get a "save as" dialog or something?

No, only opening the Vegas edl.

>> I looked and there is a new file with a ".multi" tag on it however trying to load that into Vegas gets an error message.

This is a file MultiCamSync needs for itself. It's not for Vegas.

>> Also there is a log file created and it has a long stream of errors in it about, I think, the code not being valid.

Not sure - I think this is for debugging purposes for the developer.

Marco

Ahhh...I thought you put the takes on the timeline and sync up them up and at that point one could make cuts and this program would "sync" the cuts.

but now I am confused - you said to not sync anything up but than said: "Only the first clip of each track/camera has to be synced to each other" Isn't that what I did? I put 5 different takes from 5 different cameras on 5 video tracks. And if so that I am missing the point of "It is a must that all clips are NOT edited, not shortened, no fades, no dissolves, not cut in any way. It must be all the untouched stuff coming from the camera." Isn't the point of this program to "sync" up the takes? Without entering any timecode for offset i don't see how it works unless you sync up things first on the timeline.

So I re-tried this - placed 4 clips on the timeline, no gaps, no edits, no syncing. As soon as I loaded up the EDL and go back to vegas it can't find the media file(s). I have closed Vegas but there is nothing seemingly happening.

Re-tried with 3 pieces of media - same. Re-tried with 2 - "success". But couldn't see any change really...I mean any change in the media on the timeline.

I'll keep trying.