Editing Puts Audio Out of Sync

Lou Sander wrote on 12/23/2005, 7:27 AM

I'm a computer expert but a newbie to film editing. I've got a 20 minute narrated video to which I'm adding some titles between scenes. I've figured out how things work, but somehow my audio has gotten ahead of my video. (On closer review, this seems to have been present on my original VHS tape, which was compiled by others from a series of old 8MM films. Things are in sync at the start, but they get out of sync later on.) I'm still working in editing mode, and haven't yet rendered the edited file into a movie.

I'm at a point in the middle of the video, and I want to move my audio to begin at a certain frame about a second later (delay the audio by a second or so). When I try to move the audio, it's linked to the video and they both move together.

Is there a way to unlink them so I can just slide the audio track 1 second to the right? Or any other fix?

Comments

Ptero wrote on 12/23/2005, 9:15 AM

I had a similar problem caused by capturing through USB (switching to FireWire appears to have fixed that).

Since each clip you capture has the audio and video grouped, moving the audio will normally move the video at the same time. There's a button on the toolbar that you can use to force it to ignore grouping (a very handy tool so you don't have to actually ungroup the events then regroup afterward) - click the button then you can shift the audio independently. Remember to toggle the tool button again when you're done, though :)

The audio event will change colour to pink in the timeline as a warning.

[Edit... this is for VMS6Platinum, btw]

Lou Sander wrote on 12/23/2005, 6:39 PM

Hmmm. Sometimes it works, but usually it doesn't.

Maybe I have the wrong button. I don't have the platinum edition, either, but I think that might not matter.

Ptero wrote on 12/24/2005, 8:28 AM

Try RIGHT-click and drag on the audio event. Zoom in first so you get better control. If I remember right, this is what I did.

[Edit: you also probably want to switch auto-ripple OFF (second button left of the Ignore Grouping button, or use Ctrl-L.]

I think Platinum adds HDV, better colour correction, more effects and transitions and Acid XMC included in the package - AFAIK the tool button should be there in the non-Platinum version. It looks like a little padlock symbol, to the left of the Edit mode buttons - you can also use Ctrl-Shift-U.

jimmyz wrote on 12/24/2005, 10:00 AM

I would just Highlight the clip you want to move then go to edit
then groups
then remove from they will both move independently
untill you regroup them.
Hope this helps also.

Lou Sander wrote on 12/26/2005, 9:39 AM

Thanks, guys! I've figured it out. I did it by cutting the audio track, then pasting it back in. I'm thinking that Removing Groups would have done the same thing. That's how I'll do it next time.