# Good interfaces for Sync?



## immortalgropher (Feb 16, 2010)

I was wondering if any of you could help me find or already know of a good inexpensive interface to capture audio AND video. I would like to have much better audio quality with my youtube videos, but everything needs to sync up properly...

Otherwise, the only thing I can think of is to put PT on my laptop, get a lav mic and do it that way. lol but I just want something
where I can hook up a camcorder and a mic and have them both begin recording at the same time.


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## spacedout (Dec 17, 2007)

Maybe something like this?

http://www.motu.com/video-products/hdx-sdi/

Not sure what the pricing is like though - doesn't look cheap!

There's a smaller model as well, but I couldn't see much in the way of audio input options. Then again, I didn't look too hard


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## immortalgropher (Feb 16, 2010)

I honestly don't know a thing about the video side of stuff...I just need to be able to hook up the camcorder and a lav mic to the same unit lol. do you think there would be sync issues if I recorded via PT? I mean I'd be speaking in front of the cam, so I would think it would line up with the video or am I being crazy there?


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## spacedout (Dec 17, 2007)

I have no idea about video either - I just saw the words 'video interface' and thought of that!

If it's just for syncing, the way I'd do it (so as to avoid spending cash) would be to record audio into PT or whatever with your mic, and use the camcorder's mic simultaneously (on to internal tape or whatever), start recording on both, and a couple of seconds before you start speaking, clap your hands once. This will give you a short percussive sound on both tracks a short while before there's any speech, which will be easy to spot on the waveforms and line up visually in the video editor. This way, you get perfect sync, but with the higher quality audio.

Just a thought - hope it helps!


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## chonc (Jun 9, 2009)

well, probably the easiest way to go if you have a digital tape camera (DV) is to buy an external mic preamp (if the camera does not have it) and record it directly to it. Mini DV cameras offer the capability of recording 2 tracks at 48kHz (like DAT tape) so really you just have to get an external mic to hook it up to the cam. I think shure has an external preamp that outputs to a minijack that fits most consumer miniDV cameras.

On the other hand if you want to do a double system recording (do video and audio separately) is very easy to sync audio and video just put a sign in front of the camera with the scene info and say out loud the number of scene and take then clap in front of the camera. The sync can be done in any video editor (or even in protools) by aligning the frame where the hands come together with the transient of the clap. The thing is you have to do it for every scene, but it works flawlessly every time.


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## chonc (Jun 9, 2009)

oh and also if you want an interface that will digitize analog video and audio simultaneously you can check the Canopus out, but your audio has to come at line level, so you need some sort of mixer before.


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## immortalgropher (Feb 16, 2010)

spacedout said:


> I have no idea about video either - I just saw the words 'video interface' and thought of that!
> 
> If it's just for syncing, the way I'd do it (so as to avoid spending cash) would be to record audio into PT or whatever with your mic, and use the camcorder's mic simultaneously (on to internal tape or whatever), start recording on both, and a couple of seconds before you start speaking, clap your hands once. This will give you a short percussive sound on both tracks a short while before there's any speech, which will be easy to spot on the waveforms and line up visually in the video editor. This way, you get perfect sync, but with the higher quality audio.
> 
> Just a thought - hope it helps!


That's perfect.


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## marco_ktl (Sep 6, 2009)

spacedout said:


> record audio into PT or whatever with your mic, and use the camcorder's mic simultaneously (on to internal tape or whatever), start recording on both, and a couple of seconds before you start speaking, clap your hands once. This will give you a short percussive sound on both tracks a short while before there's any speech, which will be easy to spot on the waveforms and line up visually in the video editor. This way, you get perfect sync, but with the higher quality audio.


Handclaps: THE budget synch'ing solution for the masses!:clap:


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## spacedout (Dec 17, 2007)

marco_ktl said:


> Handclaps: THE budget synch'ing solution for the masses!:clap:


Budget is the mother of invention - or something :R


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## immortalgropher (Feb 16, 2010)

rofl...budget is the mother of poor musicians...oh wait, that's called NOT budgeting.


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