Video in REAPER

[Fran Guidry]

REAPER has been updated to include simple video editing. The devs have linked the FFmpeg video libraries into their program, so video editing feels just like audio editing.

The capabilities are certainly limited compared to a dedicated NLE (non-linear editor) - no fades or resizing or titles, for instance. But for many of us the ability to sync external audio and trim the start and end are the only features we need.

I've done blog posts in the past about syncing audio using free video tools, but to me this is the new tool for the job. I started writing about the process, then I realized that it was so easy there was almost nothing to say, I just needed to demonstrate. And that's about what's in this blog post: http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2010/...deo-in-reaper/ nothing much except links to the video demonstration.

So you can simply skip the blog and go straight to YouTube for the scoop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuZX06U51zA

Fran

[Joseph Hanna]

Very nice demo Fran! Some times a picture (video) is worth a thousand words.

I'm going to be PICKY here so please take things with a giant grain of salt. My world (job) is often about syncing two audio tracks to picture. We do actually use similar methods as your clap sync point. That said I'd urge anyone using this technique to dig down to the sample level on both audio tracks to align things. I've been burnt badly by "lip flap" when getting lazy on syncing.

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna

Very nice demo Fran! Some times a picture (video) is worth a thousand words.

I'm going to be PICKY here so please take things with a giant grain of salt. My world (job) is often about syncing two audio tracks to picture. We do actually use similar methods as your clap sync point. That said I'd urge anyone using this technique to dig down to the sample level on both audio tracks to align things. I've been burnt badly by "lip flap" when getting lazy on syncing.

Thanks for the tip, Joseph. I have a couple of clips in circulation that are a little embarrassing for their syncing issues. But working in REAPER on a PC (that is, with FFmpeg) with super high compression video (AVCHD), the clap point started dancing around as I zoomed in further. The indexing on these video streams seems to be one of the reasons they're so hard to edit.

Fran

[Cue Zephyr]

I hate having to run Premiere everytime I want to sync audio, and then I have to export it for like 1-3 hours.
Thanks for the heads-up.

Edit: If only I could make it work...

[chas52]

awesome video Fran.
I'll have to check this out. I've been using sony vegas for syncing my reaper audio with.

[Fran Guidry]

I left out some important info in my original blog post and video. I've edited both but let me add it here.

In order to take advantage of the power of FFmpeg, you need to download a few library files (.dll) and save them in the REAPER program directory. The REAPER manual is running a little behind at the moment, but the wiki has the info: http://cockos.com/wiki/index.php/Video_Support

After installing those files in the proper place, the next time you start REAPER the video capability should be present.

Sorry for glossing over such an important point.

I've never used Vegas but the memory of starting up Premiere Elements still haunts me.

Fran

[Cue Zephyr]

Got it to work, Fran. Thanks a lot!
I had to run the full-blown Premiere Pro to sync and edit. All I would add would be some fades and titles, nothing else. Guess I can do without.
If I'd want fancy stuff like keying I'd hop into After Effects anyway.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna

Very nice demo Fran! Some times a picture (video) is worth a thousand words.

I'm going to be PICKY here so please take things with a giant grain of salt. My world (job) is often about syncing two audio tracks to picture. We do actually use similar methods as your clap sync point. That said I'd urge anyone using this technique to dig down to the sample level on both audio tracks to align things. I've been burnt badly by "lip flap" when getting lazy on syncing.

Joseph, what video editor do you use that lets you get down to the sample level?. Most I've used have the frame as the smallest unit, which is very annoying. Final Cut lets you get to 100th of a frame (0.3 ms), still far less resolution than a sample, and I assumed that was as good as it gets.

Incidently, even the audio on the camera isn't technically in sync with the video, just due to the speed of light vs sound. If the camera was 10 feet away, the sound would be somewhere around 10ms delayed, but we don't seem to notice.

[chas52]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Joseph, what video editor do you use that lets you get down to the sample level?. Most I've used have the frame as the smallest unit, which is very annoying. Final Cut lets you get to 100th of a frame (0.3 ms), still far less resolution than a sample, and I assumed that was as good as it gets.

Incidently, even the audio on the camera isn't technically in sync with the video, just due to the speed of light vs sound. If the camera was 10 feet away, the sound would be somewhere around 10ms delayed, but we don't seem to notice.

I am an amateur and I don't know much about this stuff. but I've managed to fumble my way through making a bunch of videos.
sony vegas allowed me to synch external audio (rendered with reaper 48000hz,16 bit) with video reasonably well. it took a bit of work to figure it all out. it was all new to me. but I found the results to be very good.
I highly recommend checking out both programs. pm me if you want and I'll tell you my youtube channel.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by chas52

I am an amateur and I don't know much about this stuff. but I've managed to fumble my way through making a bunch of videos.
sony vegas allowed me to synch external audio (rendered with reaper 48000hz,16 bit) with video reasonably well. it took a bit of work to figure it all out. it was all new to me. but I found the results to be very good.
I highly recommend checking out both programs. pm me if you want and I'll tell you my youtube channel.

I've had no issue syncing. My early videos (see the You Tube Channel in my signature) were done with Sony Vegas, which I liked,when I had a Windows machine. Since switching to a Mac-based platform, Final Cut works quite well, too, and I did the newer HD videos on my channel with that, syncing with audio from a Zoom H4n. But neither offer sample-level access to audio, which is what I was asking Joseph about.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Joseph, what video editor do you use that lets you get down to the sample level?. Most I've used have the frame as the smallest unit, which is very annoying. Final Cut lets you get to 100th of a frame (0.3 ms), still far less resolution than a sample, and I assumed that was as good as it gets

.


Hey Doug,

No perhaps I should have been a bit clearer in my response. I've got 50 Avid editors here so I never actually touch video although sometimes I wish I did My audio always comes to me from the Avid bays as an omfi file that was rendered with a quick time movie attached. If there are video changes they're done in the Avid Bays and a new omfi and new quicktime are rendered and I'll conform what I've already mixed to the new omfi and video.

We do also CONSTANTLY get audio changes throughout the day and clean audio is often provided by a show's vault personnel very late in the process. Vault guys and gals are usually VERY good or VERY, VERY bad. When I do get clean audio I literally pull it direct from a provided Digi Beta into Pro Tools, cut up what I need and what I don't and hand spot it underneath the existing "dirty" dialog. From there I zoom to the sample level to sync.

Scary stuff if the project goes from there to the online process (which it unfortunately often does) because if mr. or miss online don't catch my lazy sync effort and something airs prime time "out of sync" I'd be forced to um... retire.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna

. My audio always comes to me from the Avid bays as an omfi file that was rendered with a quick time movie attached.

Ah, that makes sense. I can do the same thing of exporting OMF from Final Cut into Logic, tho I haven't gone that route yet. I'll have to experiment with that. It'd be nice to be able to work with the audio in an more audio-friendly environment.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Ah, that makes sense. I can do the same thing of exporting OMF from Final Cut into Logic, tho I haven't gone that route yet. I'll have to experiment with that. It'd be nice to be able to work with the audio in an more audio-friendly environment.

Yea I'm sure Final Cut will allow you to render with time code burned to the Quick Time. When I say burned I don't mean digital time code striping but actually "record" the visual of time code.

Then assuming you have a bumper built into your omfi. The audio and video then can be spotted somewhere predetermined before 1 hour..say 59:58:00.

At that point assuming the omfi was saved correctly, at least theoretically, you'll be in sync and you're free to edit audio in Logic. Of course you know this but for the benefit of others the Logic tracks would then be laid back or bounced to whatever media will be the delivery system. Digi Beta, QuickTime render ect, ect.

For me that's were the sync nightmares begin as I've had editors give me omfi's that I never could straighten out or worse I've had editors cut and snip a time line back in their bay and believe it or not forget to inform audio. Their lo-rez goes to On-Line and my audio goes to On-Line and NOTHING matches and the show ships in 30 minutes.

[chas52]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

I've had no issue syncing. My early videos (see the You Tube Channel in my signature) were done with Sony Vegas, which I liked,when I had a Windows machine. Since switching to a Mac-based platform, Final Cut works quite well, too, and I did the newer HD videos on my channel with that, syncing with audio from a Zoom H4n. But neither offer sample-level access to audio, which is what I was asking Joseph about.

hey Doug, greatly enjoyed your youtube video morning dew.
what is sample level?
I was guessing it had to do with the 48,000 hz versus 44,100 hz setting.
thus the rendered audio (from reaper) is relatively easy to sync with the video in sony vegas.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by chas52

hey Doug, greatly enjoyed your youtube video morning dew.
what is sample level?

Thanks, I just use 44.1 on the Zoom. Not sure what I exported it to on you tube. I don't hear any difference between 44.1 and 48 myself.