Subclip (soft) timecode sync problem w master clip

[rswannofau]

Hi there. I've started experiencing a timecode sync issue since the latest update of Premiere.

Video of issue: Timecode Issue - Adobe Forums - YouTube

I've recorded separate audio and video, synchronized them, and merged using the timecode from my audio asset. I'm using a two camera setup, so I've done this process twice and ended up with two merged clips that have the exact same timecode.

Next, I've created a soft subclip from my DSA_1328_Rhodd and inserted it in my timeline. In my timeline, at the in-point of that clip from DSA_1328_Rhodd, I've double-clicked and opened the clip in my source monitor. The timecode in the source reads 00:06:25:20. However, when I open my B-cam footage (DSC_0001_Rhodd) in the source at 00:06:25:20, the footage is not matching. Strangely, if I navigate to my project panel and open the merged file of DSA_1328_Rhodd in the source monitor, it also does not visually match at 00:06:25:20 even though the subclip was created directly from it.

As I mentioned, this process previously worked for me in the versions of Premiere prior to this one.

Visual steps:

1. Double-clicking subclip (from  DSA_1328_Rhodd) in my sequence to then open in source monitor:

2. Clip opens in source monitor at 00:06:25:20:

3. Open B-cam (DSC_0001_Rhodd)) in source to same timecode 00:06:25:20, but not matching:

4. Double-clicking and opening my A-cam merged file (DSA_1328_Rhodd) in source monitor at 00:06:25:20 and it also does not match the timecode of its own subclip. It is, however, aligning and matching the B-cam visuals at that point in time:

COMPUTER INFO

OS: macOS High Sierra v 10.13.6

Processor: 4 GHz Intel Core i7

Installed memory: 16 GB 1867 MHz DDR3

System type: 64-bit Operating System, x64-based processor

Graphics Card: AMD Radeon R9 M395X 4096 MB

HARD DRIVE INFO: 2.12 TB Fusion Drive

PROJECT INFO

Premiere Version: Premiere Pro CC v 12.1.2 (Build 69) (41) Build

Image Size: 1920 x 1080

Frame Rate: 23.976

Source Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 16 bit - Stereo

Project Audio Format: 48000 Hz - 32 bit floating point - Stereo

Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.0

Video Codec Type: MP4/MOV H.264 4:2:0  (Full Range)

Waveform Audio

File Size: 291.50 MB

Source Audio Format: 44100 Hz - 16 bit - Stereo

Project Audio Format: 44100 Hz - 32 bit floating point - Stereo

[rswannofau]

Actually, it may not be a subclip issue. Watch video below for another test.

Cont'd Timecode Issue - Adobe Forums - YouTube

The trimmed portion of my merged clip is, for some reason, reverting to the timecode of my original media (prior to syncing and merging). That appears to be issue.

PS - When I merge, I'm selecting to use the timecode from my audio clip. This is what I've always selected and have never had an issue with it before.

[R Neil Haugen]

Have you tried using the Multi-cam feature rather than merged clips? Jarle Leirpoll (The Cool Stuff in Premiere Pro; best detailed book on editing fast and in-depth with PrPro out there) suggests using multi-cam rather than merge as the resulting 'clips' work more like regular clips in PrPro for many editing functions.

The process ... select the media in a bin full of 1) camera-media with sound and 2) audio files of the same shoot. And note, it is smart enough to make separate multi-cam sequences of every separate pair of files. Sync by audio, set to keep audio from the audio file. Open each resultant multi-cam, right-click, "flatten". You now have as far as PrPro is concerned simply a clip with both video and audio.

It works past issues with merged clips on many levels, I wonder if this might work better for your workflow.

Now ... one caveat ... there is a big difference in viewing your media from the Source monitor and from a clip on a timeline in the Program monitor. The source monitor by design shows the original media, un-affected by any changes made to that media on a timeline. So ... it is showing you what would be expected.

I'm not sure what you mean by "soft subclip" ... but if you've made a named subclip, then used the subclip in a sequence, it should open up that subclip in the bin.

Neil

[rswannofau]

Hi Neil,

Thanks for sharing!

I have used multi-cam a bit in the past, but felt (maybe incorrectly) that it was too much work for simply two cameras. However, maybe I should revisit.

With regards to my issue - this workflow has worked really well for me in the past and I've only hit this snag in the latest update. For whatever reason, when I simply add to my sequence a selected (in/out) portion of a merged clip, the timecode of that clip is going back two steps and showing me the timecode from my original, raw media (non-merged clip). So my workflow is raw media -> merged clip -> then taking pieces of the merged clip for my sequence.

[rswannofau]

...I originally thought this was a subclip issue (hence the name of my post), but it's happening when I simply in/out and add to my sequence from a merged clip.

[R Neil Haugen]

Huh.

For sub-clipping, I want clarity ... in the Source monitor, you have a merged clip, you set in/out points, right-click "Create Subclip" ... and then when the subclip is taken to the sequence from a bin, it reverts to original media time-code?

I think, that under the circumstances, creating multi's from your media/audio and flattening would work more reliably. Again, you can create entire bins of separate clips this way at a time.

Neil

[rswannofau]

Hi Neil,

At the moment, I'm trying your multicam approach rather than merging clips. I'm unsure what the result should be after I flatten. For example, I opened the multicam result, selected the layers, and flattened, but the result is a sequence rather than a clip like when using merge clips. Is that correct?

If I'm left with a sequence, how would I then make subclips? Or is a different approach (no subclips) used with multicam?

[R Neil Haugen]

Technically it's a sequence ... but in many ways, it's treated as a clip when used on a timeline. But you can go back to your original source.

There's a video by Jarle at:

premierepro.net/editing/audio-syncing/

That might help some.

Neil

[rswannofau]

To answer your question - yes, but no...

Like you said, I start with my merged clip in the source monitor, set in/out points, but then simply dragged my in/out portion to my sequence timeline without even taking the extra step of making it a subclip.

I initially thought I had a subclip issue, but seems like just a timecode referencing issue.