Daniel Dehaan

Logic Pro Import & Sync a Video

one-sheetdaw-logic

Logic Pro: Import & Sync a Video

📝 Note
  • Table of Contents

Summary

  1. Find the SMPTE start time and frame rate of your video.

  2. Create a new project with the correct frame rate and a sample rate of 48 kHz.

  3. Match measure 3’s SMPTE value to the first frame of your video file.

  4. Move the movie region and extracted audio file to measure 3.

  5. Confirm that Logic’s SMPTE and that displayed over the video match from beginning to end.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Using a program such as QuickTime Player or VLC, open your video file and make note of the starting SMPTE value and the video’s frame rate.

    • To find the video’s frame rate using Quicktime, open the video file using Quicktime, then show the Movie Inspector window by navigating to the Menu Bar > Window > Show Movie Inspector. There you will find the video’s frame rate shown as “FPS.”

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    • To find the video’s frame rate using VLC: Open the video file using VLC, then open the Media Information… window by navigating to the Menu Bar > Window > Media Information... The video’s frame rate is found on the Codec Details page of the Media Information... window.

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  2. Next, open Logic Pro X.

  3. If Logic’s Choose a Project window does not appear after the application launches…

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    …open it by navigating to the Menu Bar > File > New from Template…

  4. In the New Project page of the Choose a Project window select the Empty Project or another template you have already created.

  5. Before clicking Choose use the Details zone to set your project’s Sample Rate to 48 kHz and to adjust the Frame Rate to match the video you will soon import. If the Details zone is not visible, expose it by clicking the triangle located in the lower left corner of the Choose a Project window next to the word “Details.”

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  6. Now click Choose in the lower right corner of the Choose a Project window to create your new project.

  7. Logic will prompt you to create a track. To avoid Logic creating more than just the selected track type, create an Audio track, and make sure that none of the options are checked in the Details zone of the Create Track window.

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    📝 Note

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  1. Next, set measure three of your project to match the SMPTE value of the first frame of your video file by navigating to the Menu Bar > File > Project Settings > Synchonization…

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    1. Close the Project Settings window, and import your video file by navigating to the Menu Bar > File > Movie > Open Movie…

    2. Place Logic’s Edit/Playback Cursor at the start of measure 3 so that in the next step, when we import the movie file, the movie begins at measure 3.

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    3. In the Open Movie dialog box that appears, select both options to open the movie and to extract the movie’s embedded audio to a separate track within your Logic project.