The files recorded on QU drive claim to be 48K sampling which is the same as most video cameras. Yet when brought into Final Cut Pro for editing, the QU recording tracks go out of sync within seconds.
Bug or what?
Can you simply send the the desired audio feed from the console directly into the camera and record it alongside the video? This will prevent any syncing issues. Obviously it depends on if the camera as an external audio in port, but most will.
I did do that but it is only two channels. The value of Qu drive is 16 tracks so the sound track can be enhanced in post. My view is that it is a bug. It should line up perfectly and stay in sync if it were recorded properly.
If two audio tracks (camera and QU) run at such different speeds as you described, they should also have a different pitch in their raw format.
But this probably only occurs after importing into your video editing app.
I’m not familiar with your app or its (automatic) correction options, and I don’t know how much experience you have with it.
But it could possibly be because the video frame rate of your recorded video material simply doesn’t match the created film project, so its speed isn’t correct.
Video editing has long integrated audio recorded on external devices. The sampling rate is the key. Both camera and QU use 48Khz sampling rate. The QU files should come right into the timeline (Final Cut Pro) which has the audio sampling at 48Khz. Other devices work fine and I have done this plenty. This looks like a problem with the QU.
How are you capturing the audio on your mixer?
- mixer to SD card
- mixer to DAW (software)
- mixer to USB key
There was one instance where I output a file from my mixer to a DAW and then tried to sync it and it was out of sync within a few seconds. Turns out the fault was mine. I was using Reaper and somehow my default tempo went from 120 to 121 (obviously a user error) and when exporting, of course it was all out of whack. Resetting the tempo and all was right in the world.
If this is a possibility on your end, you may want to check your default tempo settings in FCP (YouTube has many videos on this topic).
SQuser may be on to something. If the camera has a frame rate option setting try different settings as a test. They would be listed something like 24, 29.97, 30, 60.
Does the audio get ahead or behind in sync?
This may or may not be helpful. My audio through my Qu-5 I’ve set to delay the mix output as shown in the sample image.
My setup isn’t geared for multitrack recording but for a Livestream to Zoom and A/V on-site recording at my Church. I’ve got 2 PTZ cameras mounted on the walls, sending video via HDMI to an ATEM Mini Pro switcher, audio enters the ATEM via the Qu-5 mix output as stereo XLR pair to 3.5 mm. My video is set as 1080p 25 fps, audio from the mix is delayed send to the ATEM by 204 ms here in the mixer. Again this may not be helpful, so my apology.
I recorded the QU mixer to USB key
How is it out of sync? just misaligned, or actually different length? Video recording tends to add several frames of delay. Your editing software should easily be able to fix that. Or go to the trouble of a loud clap to give a sync point. If the length is off, you’re screwed. Another possibility is something is in 44.1.
It’s not out of sync. It doesn’t stay in sync. The QU recording is shorter than the video. Exactly like what happens when using an audio recording at a different sampling rate than the camera.
Taking a wild guess but is something in the editing software re sampling either the audio or video files when they are loaded.
Which camera?
Some very cheap models are not very reliable with the features or report settings wrong.
Which QU model?
The newer QU can record with 96kHz too.
Hi Les, Help me out a little here, please… ijust a couple questions:
- Is this on the newer latest release of the Qu (5,6,or 7?) models?
- Is this on the USB-A port (top of the unit near the headphone jack)?
- If yes to it being on the USB-A port so it is designed to use a USB stick… is that what it is happening on?
- finally, does it do it on all USB sticks or just one if that is the device it is happening it on?
Thanks!
It was on a 3 year old QU-32 using one of the approved USB-A sticks. It is the only one I have.
Thank-you.
Les, I don’t have any real life experience with your unit, but if I may make a suggestion:
1 - Exchange the USB stick for a new known good one.
2 - Make sure the latest firmware is installed.
3 - Try a factory reset, if that’s an option for you.
After each suggestion, try it out and see if it is resolved.
I’ve been reading around looking to see if there were any other reported similar issues on the net, and I could not find anything else.
So why then make any suggestions at all?
The issue is most likely not with the desk.
Synchronization is the key in such cases. There are many solutions addressing this.
The first is knowledge.
How should two devices with different clock systems stay in sync without any information about the clock of the other device? It is a basic principle to sync two devices that record the same signal.
There is a reason black burst or word clock sync solutions exist.
Hmmm, that was a bit rude? I made the suggestions for 2 reasons:
1 - In 10 months of this post there were no solutions offered.
2 - Do not try to tell me that it could not be a defective USB key (seen that on a friend’s QU-32) or a bug in the firmware (had that happen to me personally resulting in files that were shorter in relation to video files, though not on an A&H branded mixer).
I may be wrong, but at least I am trying and offering ideas basic ideas to test. I’m not at any time being rude or demeaning to anyone in the process either.
Thanks for offering a suggestion. 
Les, something else to test:
1. Configure the Computer (The Clock Source)
-
macOS: The Qu-32 is class-compliant. Open Audio MIDI Setup, select the Qu-32, and ensure the clock is set to 48 kHz.
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Windows: Install the latest Allen & Heath Qu-32 ASIO driver from the A&H website to allow the computer to act as the master.
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DAW Settings: In your DAW (e.g., Reaper, Pro Tools, Cubase), set the audio device to the “Qu-32” and set the project sample rate to 48 kHz.
2. Configure the Qu-32
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Audio Sync: The Qu-32 must be configured to accept the clock over USB-B. Go to the Setup > Audio > Audio Sync screen on the mixer and ensure it is receiving the clock from the USB source (often handled automatically if the DAW is actively sending audio).
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Global USB Source: Set the mixer’s global USB source to USB-B.
3. Audio Setup for External Clocking
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Virtual Soundcheck/Routing: To hear the computer as the master clock, select a channel, press the Processing button, and change its input source to a USB-B channel.
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Driver Synchronization: It is recommended to turn on the computer and open your audio software before turning on the Qu-32 to ensure the clock handshake completes successfully.
Now, while the Qu-32 can sync to external digital sources (like Dante or AES), it is typically designed to act as the Master Clock (Internal) in most setups. Ensuring the DAW is set to 48 kHz will, in effect, make the computer the master clock for the USB audio stream.
All of this is irrelevant because no recording was made to a DAW.
How is that possible?
That’s not quite right, because one possible solution I proposed at the time - the problem of differing frame rates - was completely dismissed.
For example, if you have a video recording at around 24 fps and your video project’s frame rate is set to 25 fps, and you ignore this difference, a deviation of one second will occur after just 25 seconds.