Hi Nigel. So presumably that will put the video out of sync with any external audio recorded at the same shoot?

Richard

Good question Richard. I'd like to know this as well. I'm assuming if you're working in a 30fps timeline... slowdown the footage by .1 percent, then when it's converted to 29.97, it'l sync. That's just a theory. I'm sure someone will come along and have a solid answer.

Before you conform you should already have dropped that audio onto the timeline & synched it using the fabulous Pluraleyes plugin.

FCP automatically conforms between 30p and 29.97 if you drop one or the other into the opposite timeline with no rendering. No need to do anything external. If you need to deliver 29.97 just use that for your sequence settings when you edit.

If you are syncing external audio though you must start your project with a custom easy setup using a true 30p timebase as described on the pluraleyes blog here: 25 Hour Day: DSLR Dual-System Audio: The 99.9% Solution

If you start with that easy setup you can use either 30 or 29.97 in your sequences as needed and both video and separate audio will sync and conform properly without any need to do any retiming of audio or video.