Avid Pro Audio Community

Avid Pro Audio Community

How to Join & Post  •  Community Terms of Use  •  Help Us Help You

Knowledge Base Search  •  Community Search  •  Learn & Support


Avid Home Page

Go Back   Avid Pro Audio Community > Pro Tools Hardware > Pro Tools HDX & HD Native Systems (Win)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 05-20-2016, 01:02 AM
chrisbrearley chrisbrearley is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: UK
Posts: 2
Default Sync HD

Hello everyone, my first post here. I feel like a bit of an outsider as I'm actually a video guy setting up a post house with audio facilities, as yet we have not found ourselves an audio engineer so setting up the audio studio has fallen on me.

We are looking at installing Pro Tools HD Native PCIe + HD Omni system on Windows 10 (i'm a PC guy). We are also getting the S3 controller and dock. I have also been quoted for an Avid Sync HD and Blackmagic Decklink 4k and was wondering what is the exact purpose of is and if it is a requirement? All of our work will be file based (36 DNxHD), mainly 30sec TVCs, radio and possibly the odd bit of longform. I understand that the HD Sync gives you better frame accuracy but what I can't understand is why a system costing 10k needs another 2k worth of hardware to get it accurate? It's an audio system, surely if should be accurate by default? I've been in audio studios where they have got the HD Sync yet they are monitoring on a large HD screen which I know to be nearly a frame out anyway so is it really worth the extra 2k for that extra few milliseconds of accuracy?

Thanks for your time.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 05-20-2016, 02:27 AM
Pete Gates Pete Gates is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 1,353
Default Re: Sync HD

Don't bother with the Sync HD and Don't get the Blackmagic (my opinion), get an Aja or other card. The Blackmagic can be a pain getting the driver version right for Pro Tools. Whereabouts in the UK are you? You don't have any local friendly audio professional who you could ally to? There are lots of us out there!

Cheers and good luck,
Pete
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 05-20-2016, 02:39 AM
chrisbrearley chrisbrearley is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: UK
Posts: 2
Default Re: Sync HD

Hi Pete, I'm in west yorkshire. There's a couple guys I know that we will be using as freelancers which I have tapped into their knowledge a couple of times but I like to get the opinions of as many people as I can.

It seems you're not the biggest blackmagic fan, I've had my ups and downs with them myself in the past but for simply getting a video output from Pro Tools would the Intensity 4k at £150 do the job? They work fine with Resolve, Nuke, Premiere and AE.

I'm aware that I might be coming off as a bit of cheapskate. I'm more than prepared to spend the extra cash if I can see a real reason to do it but I'm not seeing it with the Sync HD.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 05-20-2016, 02:43 AM
Pete Gates Pete Gates is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 1,353
Default Re: Sync HD

£150? Worth a try then, if you have one lying around anyway definitely try it. They do work - as lots of people will jump in and say, they just can be fussy about driver versions.

Cheers,
Pete
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-20-2016, 07:02 AM
Postman Postman is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: where land meets sky
Posts: 2,375
Default Re: Sync HD

Quote:
I've been in audio studios where they have got the HD Sync yet they are monitoring on a large HD screen which I know to be nearly a frame out anyway so is it really worth the extra 2k for that extra few milliseconds of accuracy?
I would assume that YOU want to do better than them! If they are always a frame out of sync, they did not properly measure or adjust for the particular video display.

Here's the real choice you have to make. If you want audio-video sync that is repeatable within a few audio samples each time playback begins, you need a syncHD and video reference to both both it and your video card. If you will accept audio-video sync that is repeatable only within roughly 1/4 to 1/2 video frame each time playback begins, you can do that without the expense of a syncHD, and frankly without any video card.

Some people insist that they are always in perfect sync with a T-Tap, or their desktop monitors, or whatever, but without a SyncHD there is no mechanism by which Pro Tools can see exactly where the video frame edges are in time, and thus cannot accurately place its audio samples to line up. That is why there can be a variance of audio-video sync upon each start of play (without a syncHD).
__________________
system specs in profile
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-21-2016, 06:23 PM
Nathan W. Nathan W. is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 536
Default Re: Sync HD

Basically, you get much more accurate picture frame edges if you use Tri-sync with a Gen 10 sync generator and a SYNC HD. You can go without but the edges of your frames won't be locked and perfectly aligned. Without, you get jitter meaning your sync will be variable within a quarter of a frame or so. The human eye can't tell this variance. I think Mike Thorton did a test with this in a blog post you might want to search for. I mean, the newer ProTools will give you sync accurate 1-2 quarter frames...maybe less. With it, you won't get that variance or jitter. This can make a difference if your trying to align audio to picture and vice versa. What you also want is an application called Catchin' Sync for your iPhone. And yes, Blackmagic drivers for ProTools systems suck. Would not recommend; they are "supported" but in my experience and others, that's a bit a white lie because their software sucks. So although it is cheaper, you're going to have problems. You always get what you pay for. I mix with and without SYNC HD all the time usually with no problems. Just depends on your application. I would never mix a film without a SYNC HD because from my experience editors will often try to align audio on their own and then you're stuck with out of sync audio with picture. Then you have to align it yourself and you gotta really trust the audio/video sync on your system to do that. Think of a sync HD as an insurance premium; you don't like to pay for it but when you need it your sure glad you got it.

Nathan
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Sync Audio - Editor Used Camera Track Only -Waveform Sync? milosziv Post - Surround - Video 7 11-30-2011 05:26 AM
Keeping Laybacks in Sync (delay compensation and Video sync offset) edit machine Pro Tools TDM Systems (Mac) 6 11-15-2010 11:33 AM
Midi Timing Delay Sync Issue: MTC Sync daysean 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Win) 17 01-22-2007 11:48 AM
Can Mbox sync to midi timecode or smpte sync? greeneye 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Mac) 1 05-05-2004 08:47 AM
Sync Processor's Tremolo to Midi Time Sync via Interface j_jayzatuc 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Mac) 0 09-01-2000 12:08 AM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 06:01 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. Forum Hosted By: URLJet.com