Serious syncing issues in timeline

[julzn]

The sync issues are a big problem, I also have the need for exact timing.

I found out, that the time issues are gone when you use the ENTER Key (to play from the red marker). Never use the space (green marker). Also never start a light show from the beginning and before the audio starts. I add about 10sec silence in audacity to each audio and start the show with the red marker. This is my workaround which I'm using since years. I use WAV - Don't use MP3, because it's starting to get out of sync the longer the audio is.

There are some other bad issues with the timeline. never try to move a scene which starts out of the timeline focus - it moves it to the start of your current timeline view (this can happen accidently when just selecting it). also there is no Ctrl+Z function! And be patient when you save a timeline that has a lot of scenes - ~10 minutes is not unusual.

[support]

when you save a timeline that has a lot of scenes - ~10 minutes is not unusual

How many scene are in your timeline ?
If possible, please send us your lightshow (https://forum.thelightingcontroller.com ... c.php?t=19).
That would be interesting for us to check that.

[julzn]

Didn't realized your post - sry for that.
The timeline had about 1200 events as I memorized - When I find it, I'll mail it - but should be easy to simulate.

Today I found out another thing with the syncing issue:
On my desktop machine (i9-12900K) with win10 and external audio card, there are no syncing issues.
On my laptop (i5-1340P) with win11 there are the syncing issues - the audio is too late (you can see it in the waveform). Maybe this is a combined OS-Thing?

If you start the playback (red marker) before the wav file » NOT SYNCED
if you start the playback (red marker) inside the wav file » SYNCED

This Workaround works, but the big issue is, when you have a lot of timelines that are started from the buttons view. it's not possible to use the buttons because of sync issues.

Also I'm not sure what happens if you have multiple wav files in a show, so I tried. When you add the same wav at the end of the first wav with a short space, there is no sync issue, even it is playbacked before the 2nd wav. so I thought just play an empty wav file at the beginning of the timeline - but this workaround doesn't work. strange behaviour but can be tested pretty easy. if you want me to assist in a debug session - let me know.

OT:
You are interested in the save issue (which in my opinion can be improved but is not a bug) - what about these two topics:

• never try to move a scene which starts out of the timeline focus - it moves it to the start of your current timeline view (this can happen accidently when just selecting it).

• Ctrl+Z function

Also I noticed the waveform is not shown, when the wav file is over 10 minutes long

[Niffo]

We performed tests with the latest version of the software on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, using two different WAV files. We did not observe any playback differences in the TimeLine between the two Windows versions. Are you using the latest version of the software, as some improvements have recently been made in this area? (Currently version 9.4.0)

[jean_82]

Hello, to answer those still looking for a solution to the synchronization problems (present from version 9.3.21 to the current 9.4.5) between playback with the green cursor at the start of the timeline and playback with the red cursor in the middle of the timeline to organize the show (a problem I encountered with an Intel N150 laptop, DDR4, SATA SSD, but also a desktop PC with a Ryzen 7 5800X, DDR4, NVMe GEN4 SSD), I found that by inserting a one-second silence .wav file (a shorter duration might work, I haven't tried it) created by Audacity in .wav format (Mono, 44100 Hz, Signed 16-bit PCM), the synchronization is interrupted during this silence, and then the desired file, also in .wav format (Stereo, 44100 Hz, Signed 16-bit PCM), can be played. (of Audacity) allows you to have no difference regardless of the time, the position of the playback cursor otherwise if it does not work it would seem that there is a 5s delay during which the codec is ready to read the audio track beyond that the desynchronization is noticeable but it is not an exact science.

I'm not English, thank goodness for Google Translate!

[support]

Bonjour et merci beaucoup pour cette astuce.
Nous n'avons pâs été en mesure de constater ces décalages, mais c'est très bien si ça peut solutionner pour ceux qui ont ce problème.

PS : vous pouvez écrire en Français sur ce forum, et on vous répondra en Français.

[Niffo]

Bonjour,
Si vous avez un lightshow le plus petit possible (avec le fichier media) qui mette en évidence un décalage de lecture entre le début du fichier et le milieu du fichier, avec une explication de comment reproduire, nous sommes preneurs.
Pour information, il n'y a pas eu de modification concernant la lecture TimeLine dans la version 9.3.21 du logiciel. La dernière modification avant cela qui touche TimeLine est dans la version 9.3.15 et concernait un éventuel décalage de 100ms.

Cordialement.

[jean_82]

voilà une partie du projet https://we.tl/t-1rdR2RBrb6d0WoGx qui me posais problème, le décalage est bien plus évident avec le fichier mp3 que le wav cependant il est présent sur les deux versions timelines. Au tout premier lancement de la timeline les effets ne sont pas synchronisé mais au deuxième lancement ils le seront mais si ont attends 5 secondes ou plus il semblerait que le codec Windows se coupe et son temps de réactivation génère cette désynchronisation d'environ 0.5 secondes, problème qui disparait si une autre application utilise le son en arrière plan (OBS, Audacity en enregistrement, lecture d'une autre musique en fond) et là plus de désynchronisation à aucun moment car le codec Windows et déjà activé. Donc pour répercuté cet effet il faut aucun logiciel qui n'utilise le son ni micro en fond et le problème apparait au premier lancement de la timeline sinon une attente de plus de 5s pour que le codec se coupe. J'ai testé ce projet sur un pc portable Windows 11, Intel N150, DDR4, SSD SATA.

P.S: il semblerait donc que laisser tourner OBS en fond permettrait de faire disparaitre cette effet de désynchronisation sans avoir à mettre un fichier 1s pour relancer le codec Windows

[Niffo]

Merci pour le fichier, nous ferons des essais dès que possible. Cette histoire de codec chargé ou non est à creuser.
En effet, comme déjà indiqué sur ce forum, il ne faut pas s'attendre à des bons résultats de synchronisation avec les fichiers MP3 (pour des raisons intrinsèques au format MP3). Il faut pour cela privilégier le WAV non compressé.
https://forum.thelightingcontroller.com ... php?t=3717
D'autre part, nous encourageons à installer des packs de codec externes qui en général donnent de meilleurs résultats que ceux intégrés à Windows.
https://forum.thelightingcontroller.com ... php?t=3716