Gear / Technical Help > Photo / Video Recording
iPhone Timecode with Sound Devices MixPre Series
vantheman:
I’ve never dealt much with video but I’ve suddenly found myself recording some open mic sets locally. What I’m trying to do is use a iPhone as a rec trigger for the MixPre6ii so that timecode is synced. This way, every performer who already has an iPhone can connect to my system during recording, and then transfer the video to me later where I can quickly add my audio track.
Didn’t see any related posts on this board, so I wanted to see how people solve the problem here.
rastasean:
You want others to connect to your recorder so that the audio is synced? I think that would depend on the camera app the people are using on their phone.
Take a look at Black Magic's camera app: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagiccamera
It talks about using a timecode generator with the camera app, but that would mean everyone would need to download and use that app.
morst:
--- Quote from: vantheman on August 18, 2025, 11:07:01 AM ---Didn’t see any related posts on this board, so I wanted to see how people solve the problem here.
--- End quote ---
I sync in post.
Get the video ready visually using the original scratch phone audio, then once the video part is finished, export the exact phone audio (you need to make it the length of the final product with end fades if any for this to work).
Over in your audio workstation software, import this exported audio into the project which has the good replacement audio.
Line up near the front. Mark that spot (I call it SYNC I) as well as the spot where the phone audio begins for that (I call that SYNC I START PHONE)
Then do the same near the end of the scratch audio. SYNC II/ SYNCII Start.
Now you can measure the differences, and plug those numbers into my spreadsheet, to find the speed change details you need.
Do the speed change on your audio (BE SURE TO DO THIS IN A SEPARATE TRACK or separate project, or undo afterwards so you don't trash your audio project)
and export that.
Back to the video workstation.
Import this new fixed audio, and replace the old audio.
Presto!
I guess a way to keep the audio from being resampled would be to duplicate or omit some video frames, but that's not something I've tried.
That spreadsheet is here. I don't allow public "write" access so just download it to your own sheets account, or load it into your fave spreadsheet app.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pQGfYwPgBFFzcY5m6aRj-Zbu9HsRumLy-tJB1d8Eufg/edit?usp=sharing
Hot tip- audio can lag behind video, and our brains just think we are far away watching it, and waiting for the sound to arrive.
If video lags behind audio, it is disconcerting, if not unsettling!
Therefore, err on the side of slightly delayed audio.
vantheman:
Whoops, missed these replies.
So the original idea was that if everyone is using the same app/system to sync timecode with my deck, then they could send their video to me after the night is over, and I could conceivably automate the entire process via scripting and use my audio with some automated mixing/mastering moves to produce video and audio quality good enough for social media.
Morst I’ve been meaning to check out your spreadsheet and this is a great opportunity to do that. Right now it works fine just eyeballing it, and it’s been fine. The Tentacle devices might do what I envision in my mind but I’m not looking to sink that much money into a solution I’m not getting paid for.
morst:
--- Quote from: vantheman on September 03, 2025, 04:14:30 PM ---
Morst I’ve been meaning to check out your spreadsheet and this is a great opportunity to do that. Right now it works fine just eyeballing it, and it’s been fine.
--- End quote ---
If you are lucky to have two machines with very similar clocks, lining them up anywhere might work fine.
You also might be able to get away with short pieces that way but longer might require squash-stretch.
I know of at least one taper on here who has a magic pair of recorders.
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