Movie Audio After Changing Start Time

Question

I've searched the forum and I can't find any info about this.
If I change the "Bar Position plays at SMPTE" setting in Song Settings-Synchronization, I can make bar one start at the appropriate place in the movie.... but the audio track I exported to the arrange window is now out of sync. Other than dragging that long track around for every cue, is there an easy way to have the audio re-sync?
I tried re-exporting the audio, but it didn't work. It will slide the audio back to measure -8 but no further, so I have to trim the front-end of the region then slide the region back until it is eventually in sync with the movie.
Any info on some shortcuts to this process?
Thanks,
Richard

Answer 1

You are doing everything right. Unfortunately, Logic isn't "smart" enough to extract audio from the QT movie based on where your movie start time is set.
And you really, really don't want to be working in the negative bar areas of Logic. This is a sure way to develop a corrupt song.
The best way to get audio in sync is as follows:
Disable the "hide windows of inactive songs" pref.
Create a new song and load up the movie.
Set the correct frame rate for the song file.
Ensure you're at the proper sample rate (usually 48).
Turn off contiguous sync (accessible in the movie window -- click/hold).
If your movie starts with a timecode burn on the very first frame of the movie file (not first picture, but the very top of the file, even if the file starts with academy leader), set the movie start time and SMPTE start time to agree with that very first frame of the movie).
If your movie starts in the black with no timecode burn, adjust your movie start and SMPTE start to a point where Logic's timecode display is in agreement with the picture's timecode, but ensure that when you're at bar 1 1 1 1 that you're seeing the very very very very first frame in that movie file.
Next, extract the audio to the arrange window. SMPTE-lock the region (a safety precaution) and save this song. It will become your master audio reference.
Now, if you're working on a cue where your movie start time needs to be set to a point other than the very start of the film you're going to get the audio from this reference file each time. And to do so with absolute precision requires the following steps:
1. Determine the first frame of picture that you will be working to in your cue. Make absolutely sure that you've adjusted your movie start time in this file so that bar 1 1 1 1 starts on the leading frame of the picture. Not in the middle of the frame, not at the end, but the very start (this is done by adjusting the bits value until your 'target frame' changes to the previous frame. Then you move the bits value in the other direction until your target frame appears. Rock the bits value back and forth a bit to ensure, within no more than +/- 2 bits that you're setting movie start to = the leading edge of the frame).
2. Write down that timecode number (or copy it to the buffer). DO NOT MOVE THE SPL or do anything else at this point other than...
3. Open your audio reference file. Your cue file will go to the background.
Scroll to that location in that song (or copy the timecode location into Logic's locator from the value you copied into the buffer and hit RETURN). Rock the bits value IN THE LOCATOR (not movie start) to ensure that you're at the leading edge of that frame. Click on (select) the extracted audio region and SMPTE-unlock it if you've locked it previously. Use the SPLIT REGIONS by SONG POSITION command to cut the file.
4. Select the part of the file to the right of the cut and CMD-C copy. Close your audio reference (save it if you want, cuz if you mess up you won't have to do the whole thing over again).
5. With that song closed you will now be seeing your actual cue song file. Select a new audio track and CMD-V paste.