Timecode sync, and when sound is better

Timecode in theory

If every camera and recorder is jammed to the same timecode generator, every clip already knows where it belongs. In practice: consumer and mirrorless cameras often have no timecode input, boxes run out of battery, someone forgets to jam after lunch, and free-run timecode still drifts over a long day.

How Waveline uses timecode

• Sound first. Every clip is placed by matching its sound, which works whether or not timecode is there.
• Timecode to confirm. When clips have timecode, Waveline checks it against the sound match. If they disagree, the clip is flagged so you can look.
• Timecode as a fallback. A clip with no usable sound is placed by its timecode or camera clock.

Matching timecode on export

Turn on Export › Matching timecode and every camera on the exported timeline gets the same timecode, taken from the cameras' own timecode or the time of day. That's exactly what Premiere's Create Multi-Camera Source Sequence, Resolve's multicam clips and Final Cut's Angle Synchronization need. Only the timeline file is written — your media files are never changed.

When to use which