Tentacle Sync and Final Cut Pro X Audio Roles
After syncing clips with Tentacle Sync Studio, exporting an XML file for Final Cut Pro X, then importing the XML file into Final Cut Pro X, the moment I expand a Multicam clip to assign custom audio roles Final Cut Pro X immediately crashes every time. As wonderful as it is to have perfectly synced multicam clips Roles are an integral part of working with Final Cut Pro X, and if we are unable to assign Roles this is a serious drawback. I have assigned custom Roles, both audio and video, to thousands of clips in multicam containers that were created by either Plural Eyes or Final Cut Pro X directly and never had this issue. Again, with Tentacle Sync clips the app crashes immediately. What steps do you recommend to avoid this?
UPDATE: Any time I try to do ANYTHING to a clip inside a multicam clip created with Tentacle Sync FCP X crashes. As well as the above making a single change to color also causes an immediate crash. Why are the multicam clips created with Tentacle Sync so unstable?
Hi Gabriel,
thanks for your question. FCPX export is one of our new features in Tentacle Sync Studio Version 1.10. We did three month of extensive beta testing with a lot of footage. But of course we can not test footage form any camera/soundrecorder in combination with any kind of OS and FCPX version.
I’ am sorry that you have issues and I somehow can understand you, but instead of letting us know how unsatisfied you are, it would have been better to give us some information we can use to help you to get rid of this issue.
So let me ask a few questions:
- Tell me something about your setup on set. What cameras did you use? What audio recorder did you use? Have you used audio timecode? Have you used Tentacle Sync Units or did you buy a standalone license of the software together with a competitors product?
- Tell me about your operating system version? What version of FCPX are you using? Did choose to export an FCPX XML Version 1.5 or Version 1.6 in the XML export dialog?
- Could you please explain step by step what you do until FCPX does crash? Maybe documented by screenshots? Or a litte screener video?
Best,
Ulrich
We used a Sony FS7 (MXF files) and a Panasonic GH5 (8-bit H.264 files); no external audio recorder. Everything was 3840×2160 @ 23.98fps. In post we are running macOS Sierra 10.12.4 and Final Cut Pro X 10.3.3, so FCPX XML version 1.6 was used. Tentacle Sync correctly synced all of the material. However, in FCP X once you open a multicam clip to assign an audio or video Role, or make any change to the Color Board, FCP X immediately crashes. We have edited many Multicam projects with the same MacOS and version of FCP X without this issue, it was only after introducing the Tentacle Sync XML file that it appeared. I think Tentacle Sync is an amazing system and am otherwise extremely happy with it, but this new issue has caused some problems. Unfortunately I cannot provide any screenshots for this project as it involves confidential client footage.
UPDATE: I just created a multicam clip in FCP X with the same footage and changing Role assignments and performing color corrections does not make the app crash, which leads me to believe something is happening with the multicam clip that is created with Tentacle Sync Studio.
Upon further testing, by creating a new multicam clip in FCP X and then copying the clips out of the Multicam clip created by Tentacle Sync Studio and pasting them into the new multicam clip everything works exactly as it should, no crashes, no problems. This shows that while Tentacle Sync Studio is correctly syncing the clips it is not correctly creating the multicam clip for FCP X, so something is wrong with the XML file that is being generated. I even tried to import that file in DaVinci Resolve, which can correctly interpret FCP X XML files, and it was unable to create a multicam clip using that XML file.
I have tried to use a similar setup here: Sony MXF Files, GH4 Files (don’t have a GH5 yet). Running the same OS and using the same FCPX Version. Everything works fine here.
Have you to tried to export only the FS7 footage and GH5 footage separately to find out if it is related to one of the cameras?
It would also be nice if you could send me the xml file causing the crash to “support (at) tentaclesync.com”. As the XML file does not contain any footage, I see no problem regarding the confidentialness.
I think I have found a solution for the issue. Please try the latest beta (Version 1.11 Build 2857) here:
http://www.tentaclesync.com/#download
Best,
Ulrich
Gabrielle, when you exported your XML to FCP X did you just get a sequence of all of the synced pieces on one timeline?
Here’s my current understanding:
Tentacle Sync Studio cannot batch sync and generate synced clips for FCP X. So this means you’d have to identify the synced clips first and send an XML for each one.
Sync-N-Link can batch generate individual synced clips, but it can’t read LTC timecode.
I am trying to figure out how to bridge these two.
It’s nice what Tentacle offers, but it’s a little redundant if I can’t get the synced clips to show up in FCP X. I’ve been waiting for about 8 months now for the official Tentacle FCP X workflow which has yet materialized and I can find little information on how people are using The Tentacle Syncs with FCPX.
If I have to use the app to send XMLs for every generated sync group of clips, then the benefit is only marginal.
It seems I’d need yet another software to convert the audio TC to AUX TC and then let Sync-N-Link process the clips.
Insight would be greatly appreciated.
