Audio-waveform syncing doesn't work.

I recorded a musical performance with three cameras. Thus, each recording has strong audio with percussive noises and readily identifiable peaks. I tried to use audio to sync them into a multicam clip.

The worst part isn't that this sync attempt utterly failed; it's that Resolve didn't TELL ME it failed.

Now, in this case, the music didn't start until a little bit into each recording, and the recordings all started at different times as I ran around to start each camera. I don't know exactly how Resolve searches for matching audio within lengthy files, so maybe it only tries the beginning N seconds of each. The beginning of each is just crowd murmur, so I can cut it some technical slack on that point (while thinking that it should be smarter about scanning files).

But the sync attempt was a laughable failure, and Resolve never issued a warning.

And, I don't think I've seen Resolve's audio-based sync work, even on closely aligned original files. Does this thing ever work?

I love just about everything about Resolve to death but absolutely not the audio sync based on waveforms feature. It has improved over time but remains a hit/miss/mess and is not even close (lets say a few lightyears away) to the way PuralEyes does it. The absolute king of audio waveform sync since long time.
You can literally throw just about everything in there and it syncs flawless in seconds. Then just export an xml and import in Resolve.
I check back once in a while on the Resolve feature as prefer less tools, and Resolve has me drop several tools over time that are now integrated and working fine, but still rely on PluralEyes for non timecode sync based stuff 100% of the time.

BM should have bought it some time ago...

Same here!

I have a GH5 and External Zoom mic with its separate recorder. I need to use Waveform sync - it fails horribly in Resolve. Even using Plural Eyes and exporting the XML file (in Premiere format as that seems to be my only option from PE4) then the XML file doesn't read correctly, all channels are mono including the GH5 tracks, and the Zoom tracks, and even though everything shows that it synced correctly in PE4, the audio then comes up in red in Resolve and is unplayable.

What's the best solution for getting this to work, without timecodes which I can't use on this hardware?

Roland.

[Peter Chamberlain]

Roland, are you on v15.1?

Just to add a voice - our company does wedding films and we are multicam syncing on a daily basis. I've attempted to sync 4 projects with Resolve's audio waveform option and they have all failed in just the same way that the OP mentioned. I'd love to be able to rely on this feature inside Resolve!

It has worked for me a number of times, but failed a number of times too -- when it fails I do get a warning that Resolve was unable to sync the files. I'm using 15.1 but have successfully synced files with version 14 as well.

Generally I listen to the scratch audio track from the camera to see where that starts, and I do a quick edit of the audio file that I want to sync so they start in roughly the same place (I haven't attempted to be precise).

I will say that it works best in cases where I've provided my simulation of a slate (I just snap my fingers twice); I've had perfect syncs that way. I recognize that this isn't always an option, especially when recording concerts or other live events.

Hi all,

Without share timecode: not easy .. an old solution: a flash video or a clap hand or his favorite tool for everyone: with method: we can get there ...never easy...

i agree. worst part of the move from Premiere to Resolve is audio sync. I miss syncing right on the timeline.

I as well have done a multicam sync and it looked successful, only to listen and things were WAY off.
Even if I sync a project in plural eyes and load the XML somehow it is WAY off in Resolve sometimes.

Same here.
Recording stage with multiple cameras. Each camera using it's internal microphone.
Even when there is a continous audio-only-recording as a guide
(and the cameras only record one act, then stop for the intermission and record the next act),
Resolve never found a single match of any of the camera.

FCPX took a fraction of the time and mostly worked.
Resolve NEVER worked.

Since I no longer work on Mac hardware, FCPX is no longer an option.
So I am forced to work on an LTC solution.

[Peter Chamberlain]

Are you using v15.1 or newer?

Anything since... I guess Resolve 13 to the current 15.1.
One show each year. Each with 3 acts with 4 scenes each.
Select multiple clips, "create Multicam", "using: Audio".
(This is also a problem because there is absolutely NO WAY to add and attempt to sync an additional camera angle to the existing multicam that is delivered late.)

Each scene has 4-8 camera angles. Each clip 15-20 minutes in length. Each starting roughly at the same time (shortly before the curtain opens).
Usually also a 3h audio-clip(entire show. Final audio is delivered and after the video editing and replaces this.).
Lately also a 1-2h clip/camera angle of a separate live coverage team.
All cameras roughly with the same time-of-day +-a few seconds and thus file creation timestamp.

The audience is usually quiet during the acts, so they have the same but not identical audio from different positions (except where everyone laughs or applauds or the few seconds before the curtain opens/after is closes).
Sometimes it thinks it has found matches for at least 1 or 2 clips but most of the time it fails completely.
This situation worked very well wit FCPX. At most 1 clip per scene had to be adjusted or synced manually.
I never tried PluralEyes because that huge number of camera-angles happens only once a year.

I think there is a fully functional time-limited demo for PluralEyes.

I think there is a fully functional time-limited demo for PluralEyes.

I tried it the 15 day demo version. Output is not crippled or watermarked.

2 issues came up but at least the video is synced.

The result is here:
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=81627&p=458856#p458856