Syncing two/three camera video on timeline

[Harry Simpson]

I'm doing the DualEyes audio sync now usually with one wav file and several video clips.
I can also have a second video and sync those MOV files to the same audio....
That said, is there a slick way to sync two video files on the timeline - i suppose one way would be to visually try to sync the two audio sections and the video should then follow but i suppose you'd have to just do that visually correct or is there a better way? Working with 1080p MOV files

[Leslie Wand]

pluraleyes!!!!

[David Wayne Groves]

I second that!!!! Pluraleyes syncs all my multicam projects quickly in Vegas, one of my must have programs......

[D.J. Ammons]

I third that! Plural Eyes was the best money I have ever spent. Amazing software. Syncing multiple video/audio tracks used to be nerve wracking and time consuming. Now I just have to remember to get at least a scratch track audio from each camera and it will sync to the other video / audio tracks.

I have seen plural eyes sync up with two audio sources that are night and day in volume and quality. Amazing.

[Buba Kastorski]

I don't know, everyone is so happy with that pluralass, but I tried to sync 3 cameras shot, about 7Hrs of footage in total, 100-150 clips, I left it run overnight, it took about 8 hrs and it synced only half of the footage, on i7 960; 24Gb; SSD RAID0; i must be doing something wrong :)

[Jim Greene]

You need to help the software a bit. Place each cam on a separate timeline in the sequential order it was shot. And only place what you really need for that portion of the edit; that is, for example a wedding, don't try to put ceremony and reception all at once. And especially a reception where the on-cam audio picks up a lot of guest chatter and room noise, it won't do well to sync with other audio that is cleaner (like direct DJ/band audio). It gets confused when the audio is not clean, so don't expect miracles. When I approach it with just small chunks of sequences, it does pretty well.

[Mike Kujbida]

i must be doing something wrong :)

Maybe yes and maybe no.

From the Singular Software - FAQ

How long does it take PluralEyes to sync a project?

The time that PluralEyes takes to sync varies a lot.
Several factors influence it, but the most important is the number of clips.
The second most important factor is the sync option Try really hard, which can take 5-10 times as long.
On the other hand, the sync option Chronological order will speed things up when it chosen.
Somewhat surprisingly, the length of the clips is less important.
A dozen clips will generally sync in less than a minute.
More than 100 clips can take hours.
It can speed things up substantially if you break up your sequence into separate pieces and sync each piece separately.
For example, if it's a wedding, sync the ceremony and the reception separately.

Unfortunately there's no definition of how long "hours" is :(

[Jeff Harper]

This is why leave my cameras on more than off. For the ceremony it takes about ten minutes, sometimes up to twenty to sync three cameras using audio. I do it visually at first, then fine tune it and I'm done.

If one camera has really weak audio, like the balcony camera will on occasion, it can take longer. With the reception it takes longer, but it is certainly do-able. Plural Eyes, or whatever it is called does sound intriguing though.

[Harry Simpson]

I'll need to get Vegas Pro in order to use PluralEyes. Just bought DualEyes a while back for $149 - argh....So the PluralEyse will sync two cameras video clips too?

Seems the DualEyes is just for syncing audio to video and not video to video (two cameras)

[Mike Kujbida]

From the same FAQ as posted earlier.

What is the difference between DualEyes and PluralEyes?

DualEyes was created for those who can't use PluralEyes because they are using an NLE that it does not support. DualEyes is a standalone application and can be used with any NLE.

PluralEyes and DualEyes are used for similar tasks, with the following differences:

DualEyes is mainly for a dual-system audio workflow. PluralEyes is also for multi-camera.
DualEyes works on files selected from the file system. With PluralEyes you need to create a sequence in the NLE.
DualEyes creates new media files: trimmed audio and (optionally) video clips with replaced audio. PluralEyes creates clips in the NLE that behave in the same way, but no new files are created on disk.
DualEyes requires the new files to be imported into the NLE, and possibly matched up. PluralEyes creates a new sequence with all the clips laid out, ready for editing.
PluralEyes lets you use markers to give it a hint as to how to sync.
(Final Cut Pro) PluralEyes automatically creates a multiclip (when possible).

If you use an NLE that is supported by PluralEyes, we generally recommend that you choose it over DualEyes. It offers similar functionality and has the added convenience of integration with the NLE. But both products are available as free trials that are fully functional for 30 days, so you can experiment with both to see which works best for you.

[Stan Harkleroad]

If you have it available the absolute easiest way to sync multiple camera angles from cameras that are not controlled by an external mixer or device is using a camera flash. The flash on a camera takes up exactly 1 frame of NTSC video. Find a spot in the video where a flash is visible in all angles and line them up so the flash starts and ends at the same instant and it will be 1 frame and you're good to go.

For audio I always sync it visually and check by listening with each source panned to one side. It takes a little extra patience and time sometimes but I've done it enough that I don't have to put that much effort into it to get it right.

[Leslie Wand]

use the same method as stan (camera flash) - but i have audio MIXED so can pick up 'echo'.

[Harry Simpson]

The flash would be a great idea but partof my problem is that while I may be shooting each song during a concert the other camera operator is shooting an uknown number of short closeups clips anywhere from 0 to xx clips per song. I convert all the MOVs to AVIs before dropping on timeline or opening in the trimmer.
These are great ideas though! Thank you.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Your synchronization issues would be much simpler if your other cam op would just roll his/her cam, and not stop between shots. Tape is cheap, cards are cheap, compared to the amount of time that can be spent in difficult workflows.

Pluraleyes on Pro is, of course, another solution that allows one to be very casual while shooting. Anybody who has used it swears by it.

[Harry Simpson]

Originally Posted by Seth Bloombaum

Your synchronization issues would be much simpler if your other cam op would just roll his/her cam, and not stop between shots.

I agree! Looks like the writing is on the wall to get Vegas Pro and PluralEyes.....The other cam is a Canon t2i which off course has the 11 sec limit while shooting so there will at least be some off/on shooting there.

I bought DualEyes in Jan of this year. Suppose I got my $149 out of it already so next is Vegas Pro upgrade and PluralEyes.....anyone know any bundle deals for these two anywhere??