non-sync sound

[Kim Welch]

what is non-sync sound? I just read it in one of the recent classifieds posts. they say they have equipment (non-sync sound) i wonder what that is and how it works. It does not sound good.

Kim

Update, November 2026
Non-sync sound, also called wild sound, is audio recorded without being locked to the camera, so it won't line up with the picture on its own. Before digital timecode, sync sound needed a camera and recorder running at precisely matched speeds plus a slate, and non-sync gear couldn't guarantee that. Today the term usually means wild lines, room tone and sound effects recorded separately. You can still sync it by hand using a clap or slate, or with the automatic waveform syncing built into most editing software.

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[vervor]

It means that sound and picture are not recorded to the same media - this is common in film where you may use a DAT recorder or anything else (mini-disc, or whatever). It is perfectly acceptable, and it just means that you must keep copious track of shot/scene/tape(reel)/etc by way of slate - - - - - this is the original use of clapping the slate so that you can match the action of the slate hitting and the sound spike in your sound files what you've recorded.

 

[Bryant Falk]

Sync sound

Sync sound

No Sync Sound usually refers to when the audio and video have no way to lock up to each other. They are free wheeling so to speak. By either pumping final audio onto the audio track of your video deck while shooting or having some kind of time code lock between your audio and video deck (SMPTE), you can achieve sync. One type of sync audio recorder is called a Center Code DAT machine. It actually has three tracks instead of two. The third track is to record the time code for you to lock up with your film once in the edit phase or prepping dailies.