The Sync Menu
The Sync menu controls the PluralEyes sync process. You can also access some of the options through the Clip Timeline menu, by Control-clicking/Mac [Right-clicking/Win] a clip in the Timeline.
Sync> Synchronize
This kicks off the PluralEyes sync. It’s the same as clicking the Synchronize button in the PluralEyes interface.
Sync> Pause/Continue Synchronization
You can pause, then resume, the sync process. Although, this process is often so quick that it's difficult to keep the project syncing long enough to use the Pause/Continue option.
Sync> Stop Synchronization
Turns the sync process on and off. While the sync is in progress or paused, you cannot make changes to a project, such as adding or removing clips, or changing synchronization settings. If you need to make these changes after the sync has started, click Sync> Stop Synchronization. If you click the Synchronize button after stopping the sync, or after the sync completes by itself, PluralEyes will start the sync process again.
Sync> Snap Clip to Optimal Location
Use this option to move a clip automatically to a more accurate location. This command uses audio comparison to find the best location for a clip within a 5-second window.
Use this option to sync a pair of clips if Synchronize Pair of Clips does not work. This approach is more time-consuming but it works in more difficult cases. It is sometimes problematic with a short clip duration, like a few seconds. Read more in Sync a pair of clips with a sync point.
Sync> Synchronize Pair of Clips
This option gives you an easy way to sync a clip that did’t get synced.
To use this option, find a reference clip that should sync with the unsynced clip, like a clip that was recorded at the same time. Select both clips by Command-clicking them, then choose Synchronize Pair of Clips. PluralEyes moves one or both of the clips so they are in the best place relative to each other, and marks them as “synchronized.”
Learn more in Adjusting the Sync Results.
Sync> Mark Selected Clips as Synchronized
Occasionally, PluralEyes 3.5 marks a clip as not being synced when it is, in fact, correctly synced. You must change the status of this clip before you can fix the sync.
To do this, select the clip in either the Timeline or the Media Pane. Then choose click Sync> Mark Selected Clips as Synchronized.
Sync> Mark Selected Clips as Unsynchronized
Occasionally, PluralEyes 3.5 marks a clip as being synced when it was not, in fact, correctly synced. You must change the status of this clip before you can fix the sync.
To do this, select the clip in either the Timeline or the Media Pane. Then choose click Sync> Mark Selected Clips as Unsynchronized.
Sync> Reset State of Selected Clips
This option marks the selected clips as unsynced, but doesn't move them.
Sync> Reset State of All Clips
This option marks the selected clips as unsynced, and pushes them back to their original position, as if you just imported them.
Sync> Nudge Clip Left/Right
This command moves a clip by 1 frame to the left or right. It is a helpful, precise way to fine tune the position of a clip. Alternately, you can press the Command-Arrow/Mac [Control-Arrow/Win] keys.
Dragging a clip in the Timeline works for the initial placement of a clip, but it does not give you the control needed for manual syncing in PluralEyes. For instance, you need a greater level of control in order to match up audio waveforms, and this feature lets you nudge an audio clip one frame at a time.
Sync> Allow Sync to Change Clip Order
This option sets the clip ordering method. This option is turned OFF by default, which means PluralEyes will put clips in ascending alphanumeric order by file name. If it’s ON, then PluralEyes will determine the order in which clips should be placed.
The PluralEyes 3.5 sync algorithm always adjusts the amount of time between clips in order to sync them with clips from other tracks. Choosing the correct clip ordering for your media will significantly affect the quality and speed of synchronization.
Turn it off. If you uncheck this option, the sync process will put clips in ascending alphanumeric order by file name. If you have not renamed the media files, they will usually be sorted chronologically when they are sorted alphanumerically. The syncing process will change the spacing but not the order or clips in the bin.
If you are confident of the order in which clips should go within a bin, then turning off Allow Sync to Change Clip Order gives the fastest, most accurate results. This is especially true when there are multiple clips within a bin that contain very similar content, such as repeated takes of actors following a script.
Turn it on. If you check this option, the sync process will determine the order in which clips should be placed. It does this by comparing the audio content of each clip with the audio content of clips in other bins. The syncing process can change the spacing and the order of clips in the bin. If you are not sure of the order in which clips should go, then turn on Allow Sync to Change Clip Order.
Sync> Correct Audio Drift
If the sync of an audio clip to a video clip is good in the middle of the clip, but is a bit off at each end, then the most likely cause is that the audio recorder's recording speed was not perfectly accurate. This is called audio drift. The Correct Audio Drift option will detect this problem and fix it.
When drift is detected in an audio clip, the sync is stopped. Drift correction is applied to all the audio clips on that track that need it and the sync is started from the beginning again. The drift correction process creates a new audio file for each original audio file. This new file is referenced when the project is exported.
Bins that containing drift-corrected media show a tan-colored badge. Drift-corrected media items have a tan-colored icon, and hovering over the icon shows the amount of drift correction applied.
Drift correction is on by default.
Sync> Level Audio
Level Audio is turned OFF by default. To turn it on/off, click Sync> Level Audio.
If the audio volume varies a lot between the clips, try turning on the Level Audio option by clicking Sync> Level Audio. This almost always improves the percentage of clips that synchronize, but it increases the amount of time needed to import clips.
If the first sync doesn’t work, try turning on Sync> Level Audio, then running the automatic sync process again. Level Audio is helpful when audio clips have very different levels of softness/loudness, as it can make their sound levels more similar.
NOTE: We suggest that you use Level Audio only AFTER the clips fail during the first sync.
Sync> Try Really Hard
Try Really Hard is turned ON by default. The option tells PluralEyes to do a lot of extra processing during synchronization. This algorithm often resolves difficult sync situations and improves sync results for some projects.
However, it makes importing or syncing take longer. It does take time, especially if there are many clips that do not sync with each other. The extra time required tends to be more manageable if you don’t have many clips.
Sync> Consolidate Takes
After you sync two or more Take tracks, this command tells PluralEyes to condense the amount of Take tracks throughout your sequence. Learn more in "Do It For Me" Workflow.