Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

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Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

Postby scottywalker » Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:59 am

Hi,

I was just setting up for a show where i was playing a video on one layer with a seperate wav audio track playing on an audio layer at the same time. However the audio got way out of sync and the track kept cutting off the last couple of seconds of audio. After much checking of what could be causing the issue i finally simply moved the audio clip onto a video layer instead after which it played perfectly. Any ideas why i would have this strange issue when using an audio layer?
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Re: Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

Postby malkuth23 » Wed Apr 09, 2014 6:04 am

Try re-encoding the audio with Audacity. This is almost definitely the problem and usually solves the problem. Bump for in-line audio encoder in PB feature request!

Also make sure that your ASIO device is selected as Master and the bitrate is correct.

Playing off a video layer will work, but you get guaranteed sync with audio layers (although it is correct 99% of the time). They use entirely different methods of playing out audio. I prefer ASIO, but if perfect sync is not required then playing through the video layers gives you more format options etc.
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Re: Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

Postby scottywalker » Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:02 am

My set up is as it should be. If the problem was with the audio file, wouldn't i have the problem whichever layer i put it on?
No need to reencode the problem was solved by putting the audio onto a video layer and it synced perfectly. Pretty much the opposite of how it should be.
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Re: Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

Postby Daniel Kaminski » Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:18 am

It sounds like a Sample Rate Problem.

ASIO requires to set a Sample Rate. You do that in the ASIO Configuration Window.
Please check what you have selected in the Configuration Windows. Most soundcards support a sample rate of 44100 and 48000. Some even 96000.
All your Audio files have to be in the sample rate you have selected in the configuration.

At this point Pandoras Box does not support sample rate conversions.

Version 5.7 (which is coming out soon) will tell you the sample rate of each file in the insprector. Version 5.5 does not at the moment so you will have to use Tools like Audacity, which can also be uses to do the sample rate conversion.

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Re: Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

Postby malkuth23 » Wed Apr 09, 2014 5:58 pm

If you have all the setup correct then I am telling you the answer.
You must re-encode in Audacity. I understand this is counter-intuitive.
WAV files have strange headers that break standards. PB is very picky about WAV standards and will often not play correctly if the WAV has been exported from a non standardized tool. Audacity is free and will export the WAV correctly. It is not lossy and will only rewrite the headers. Not affect the actual sound file.

see: viewtopic.php?f=107&t=2964&p=8878&hilit=audacity#p8878

If you like your solution stick with it. No one will stop you. I am telling you it is not 100% synchronized though and ASIO is.
This becomes a much bigger deal if you have a lot of jumps in your timeline or you have multi track setups. Otherwise - enjoy the video tracks, they work fine.
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Re: Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

Postby Daniel Kaminski » Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:21 pm

The limitation Matt is describing has been removed in one of the 5.5 Rev. And does no longer exist.

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Re: Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

Postby malkuth23 » Thu Apr 10, 2014 12:20 am

I did not know that. Thanks Daniel!

Not sure what the problem is then...
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Re: Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

Postby kevint » Sun May 17, 2015 9:17 pm

Hi,

I noticed the same weird issue this weekend. Audio is playing the first part of the song at the end and skipping the last part of the song. It does not happen every-time.
When I have some time I will try to convert the audio with Audacity and check if it fixes the problem. Still no plans that PB can warn you about not correct headers or having a converter in PB for audio so the format is correct for PB?
Also when putting MagicQ commands and jumping back a few seconds in timeline to see if the action is good I noticed time sync is lost if you do that a few times it is not always on the same spot in the song. I do assume this is the same WAF format issue? Or could it be something like buffer size on the audio card?
I'am using Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 and buffer is 10ms.

Regards,

Kevin
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Re: Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

Postby scottywalker » Wed May 20, 2015 9:16 am

we figured out that the problem was down to the separate wav audio being converted to 48000kbps. If we reconverted and set the separate wav to 44100kbps all was good.
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Re: Weird audio sync problem when using an audio layer

Postby kevint » Wed May 20, 2015 8:59 pm

Ok but I just double checked and my audio file is in 44100. I will try when I'am back behind my PB with Audacity to export the file and hear what happens.
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