video sync issue in PTLE

[glankrudolph]

I am having video sync issues within PTLE 6.9, and yes, I am about to step up to 7.x However, I think I may have a fundamental problem with the video I am bringing into a PTLE session. Please excuse the long post, but I feel I should explain the entire process so that it can be fully understood.

Here is my process:

1. record song in PTLE 6.9 (Mac G4, OS 10.3.8)
2. play this song over a PA during a live performance, adding live percussion to that
3. videotape this performance (hired a guy, not sure what type of camera - mini dv format) so that the live percussion and some PA sounds are both captured
4. transfer the video into iMovie on newer PowerBook G4 with 10.4.4 and iMovie HD 6.0.3
5. export video via iMovie on "full quality dv" settings

6. bring exported video into the original song session in PTLE (to mix the videotape audio and the PTLE session audio together and create a movie hearing both)
7. line up audio from video and audio from PTLE session and...

...the problem occurs:

The video and PTLE audio begin fine, but then become out of sync. The audio from the video runs too fast, and within a few seconds there is a noticable shift against the PTLE audio. (As a work-around, I take the audio from the video, separate regions every few seconds, and shift it a few miliseconds forward to line up with the PTLE session audio. Though this can be a real pain.)

Am I missing something? I checked and re-checked my PTLE session settings, including frame rate and audio kHz, (30 fps, 44.1 kHz, 24 bit) and matched the QuickTime to that, but there is still a problem with sync.

Here are the video settings that were used for the Quicktime within the PTLE session:

Format: Integer (big endian), Stereo, 44.1 kHz, 24 bits, DV/DVCPRO - NTSC, 720x480, 30 fps

Thanks for any help!

[DigiTechSupt]

30 fps

Thanks for any help!

Most likely you have it set to the wrong frame rate - typically video is at 29.97, not 30fps.

[Starcrash]

More likely, it has to do with the way you captured or exported the movie in iMovie.

Having the framerate set wrong in the session setup in PT won't cause drifting unless you're syncing with a Sync I/O or some other external device. It will only affect the frame boundaries on the grid or nudge values. If, by chance, the video was shot 24p with a DVX100 in Advanced Pulldown mode, then it's possible that the framerate got screwy during capture. Otherwise, maybe since you asked iMovie to export a 29.97 FPS movie as a 30 FPS quicktime, it sped up the sound and picture by .1%.

[Rizz]

I would tend to agree with Starcrash. If you have access to an HD system you can experiment with video or audio pull up or down and that would allow you to compensate for the speed difference.