How to Sync BRAW Multicam Footage in DaVinci Resolve

Three cameras cover a panel discussion. Two were jammed to the sound recorder that morning. The third got swapped at lunch and never re-jammed. Resolve will line up all three anyway, and only two of them will be right. Which sync method you pick decides how much of that you catch. Timecode is the source whenever the cameras and audio recorders were jammed. Waveform sync is the fallback, and it only works when every camera recorded usable scratch audio. That choice determines whether Resolve can build the group from source metadata or whether an assistant editor has to inspect and repair angles by hand. BRAW fits this workflow because DaVinci Resolve reads Blackmagic RAW directly, exposes camera metadata, and lets you carry RAW controls into the grade. What still needs planning is sync discipline, mixed frame rates, and camera naming. Audio routing and metadata consistency between the assistant editor, editor, and colorist need the same attention.

Decide how the group will sync

Resolve offers several ways to build a multicam clip. On real camera jobs it comes down to three: timecode, waveform, or manual sync against a slate or visual event. Use timecode when cameras and audio recorders were jammed or otherwise recorded matching timecode. Resolve reads source timecode and lines up matching moments, so nothing is being guessed. On a timecode-equipped multicam shoot, make this the default plan.

Reliable timecode sync starts with devices sharing the same clock.

Use waveform sync when there is no reliable shared timecode but every camera recorded recognizable production sound. It works for interviews, podcasts, and small concerts. It also works for unscripted setups where all cameras hear the same clap or room tone. It falls apart when cameras sit far apart or one camera is isolated. It also fails when a camera recorded only silence, or when one source has distorted scratch audio. Use manual sync when neither timecode nor waveform can be trusted. A clapper, a hand clap, or a camera flash gives you a known point. Manual sync takes more inspection than automatic sync, and it makes the correction explicit. If the auto-sync result is wrong, do not keep rebuilding the same broken multicam and hoping Resolve changes its mind. Open the multicam, move the bad angle, and make the correction visible. Choose the sync method separately for each shooting pattern in the project. A two-camera sit-down interview may sync cleanly by waveform. A live event with locked cameras across a room should use timecode. A hybrid shoot needs both: timecode for the main cameras, waveform or slate correction for crash cams and pickup units.

Organize BRAW media before building multicam clips

Do the organizing in the Media page or Media Pool before you create any multicam clip. Resolve's Media page is built for importing, syncing, and editing metadata. Fixing camera names and reel names there is far easier than fixing them after those values have become multicam angle names. For a BRAW multicam shoot, build bins that match the shooting structure rather than the card dump structure. For example, organize a day’s media into these bins:

Day 01 / Scene or segment / A Cam
Day 01 / Scene or segment / B Cam
Day 01 / Scene or segment / C Cam
Day 01 / Audio
Day 01 / Multicam Builds
Day 01 / Sync Fixes or Problem Clips

That structure lets the editor find material by production logic. The original folder tree still exists somewhere outside Resolve. Then set or confirm the clip metadata that Resolve may use for grouping and angle display. The useful fields vary by job. These are the ones that tend to matter most:

Camera number or camera ID
Camera angle
Reel name
Clip name
Start timecode
Date created or shoot date
Audio channel names
Scene, shot, and take if the production used them

Do not assume every Blackmagic camera writes metadata the same way, especially when the shoot mixed camera families such as Pocket Cinema Camera, URSA, and PYXIS. Cinema Camera 6K, Studio Camera, and HyperDeck ISO recordings each label things a little differently again. Resolve reads BRAW and Blackmagic metadata without complaint. Normalizing the human-facing fields so the multicam group is understandable is your job.

Timecode sync

When all BRAW cameras share timecode, build the multicam clip from the selected camera clips and sync by timecode. In the Media Pool, select the clips for one production block: a scene, an act, or a continuous recording. Right-click and create a new multicam clip using selected clips. Then set the multicam frame rate intentionally and choose a timecode-based angle sync method. These choices keep a timecode-based build manageable:

Build separate multicam clips for continuous production blocks. A whole-day multicam is too broad.
Use the project or delivery frame rate as the multicam frame rate unless there's a specific reason not to.
Name angles by camera metadata if it's clean, or by bin/order if metadata is inconsistent.
Keep production audio as its own angle or audio source when double-system sound exists.
Don't rely on file names alone if multiple cameras reset naming during the day.

After Resolve creates the multicam, open it in timeline form and inspect the start of each angle. Do not look at the first frame and call it done. Scrub to a clap, a line of dialogue, or a visible mouth movement and confirm audio and picture agree. Then jump later in the same clip and check again. If the cameras weren't truly locked, drift may show up after ten, twenty, or sixty minutes. Timecode sync fails in a few predictable ways. The most common is matching timecode that was never actually matched. Two cameras can both start at 01:00:00:00 without ever being jammed together. Resolve lines them up because the numbers agree, and the content is wrong. The other common failure is time-of-day timecode with one camera set to the wrong time zone or date. That can place clips hours apart, or stack them in a way that makes no editorial sense. If the timecode result is suspicious, don't immediately blame Resolve. Check whether the source timecode is real and whether all devices were jammed. Then check whether any camera was rebooted without re-jamming, and whether external audio used the same timecode standard.

Waveform sync

Waveform sync is the practical fallback when the cameras weren't timecode locked. In Resolve, you can create a multicam clip from selected clips and choose a sound or waveform-based sync option. You can also align clips manually in a timeline using audio waveform alignment and then build from there. Waveform sync works best when each source carries a clear version of the same sound. You don't need polished audio on every camera. You do need enough shared information for Resolve to match patterns. A camera mic pointed at the room is enough. A camera with disabled audio is not. Waveform sync is strongest when the source media has these traits:

Each camera recorded audio for the whole take or at least for the sync point.
Scratch audio isn't clipped beyond recognition.
The external recorder and camera mics captured the same event.
There are clear transients, such as claps, consonants, drum hits, or slate marks.
Long takes don't drift because of unstable device clocks.

When those conditions hold, waveform sync produces usable alignment without manual marking. When they don't, treat the result as a starting point and expect manual repairs. The risk with waveform sync is that it can be almost right. A camera may land one or two frames off in an echoey room, or when it sits far from the source. Bluetooth monitoring delays and heavily compressed scratch audio cause the same problem. For dialogue, check mouth shapes against consonants. For music, check drum hits, guitar strums, and hand claps. Live events give you useful checks whenever a speaker hits a podium mic or the audience claps. If one angle is consistently offset, open the multicam clip as a timeline, select that angle's clip, and slip or move it into sync. If it starts in sync and drifts later, that's a different problem. Drift points to mismatched sample rates, a camera clock issue, or dropped frames. Nonstandard recording does it too. In that case, split the angle into sections and correct by segment, or conform the problem source outside the multicam build.

Mixed frame rates inside a multicam group

Mixed frame rates are where an otherwise clean multicam workflow gets complicated. Three frame rates are in play at once. The multicam clip has its own, the project has a timeline frame rate, and each BRAW source has its recorded frame rate. Those values aren't interchangeable.

Mixed frame rates can force uneven frame rhythms into one multicam timeline.

Let the delivery or edit timeline frame rate control the group, unless the job gives you a specific reason to do otherwise. For a 23.976 final piece, build the main editorial structure around 23.976. For 29.97 broadcast, keep the multicam aligned to that world. Don't let one off-speed camera accidentally define the whole edit. The following patterns are common in mixed-rate projects:

Same-speed cameras should live together in the main multicam group.
True slow-motion or off-speed clips should usually be treated as inserts, not live-switch multicam angles.
A 59.94 camera intended for real-time playback in a 29.97 timeline can be interpreted or retimed intentionally, but don't leave that decision implicit.
A 23.976 A-cam and a 29.97 B-cam can be grouped, but motion cadence and frame mapping need editorial approval.
Audio should stay tied to the real-time production clock even when picture is interpreted for artistic slow motion.

After you build a mixed-rate multicam, watch moving subjects instead of checking sync on a still frame. Pans, claps, and lip sync reveal cadence problems that a static talking head hides. If an angle steps, blends, or maps inconsistently on action, decide whether to change clip attributes, switch to optical flow or frame sampling, or keep that source out of the live multicam switch. There's no universal correct setting for every mixed-frame-rate multicam, because intent changes the answer. A 60 fps camera might be a real-time sports angle, a half-speed beauty shot, or a safety camera production never expected to use for sync audio. So the rule is procedural. Set the multicam frame rate deliberately, document off-speed sources, and inspect motion plus sync after creation.

Switching angles on the Cut page and the Edit page

Resolve gives you two editorial environments for multicam. Neither one is right for every job. The Cut page is for rapid assembly. Its Sync Bin and multicam-style multiview tools are designed for seeing matching angles and building an assembly fast. That suits ISO and live-style workflows, where multiple camera recordings share timecode and the editor wants to cut while looking at a multiview. With properly synced BRAW or HyperDeck-style ISO recordings, the Cut page feels close to live switching. The Edit page is the traditional environment and the more detailed one. It gives you the familiar multicam viewer, timeline tools, and trimming behavior. Audio control and clip inspection live here too, along with the finishing-adjacent control many editors expect. Sync repair, complex audio, flattening a multicam edit, heavy trimming, and handoff to color and sound all belong on this page. The split is mostly about speed versus control:

Use the Cut page when timecode is solid and the job needs a rapid assembly, live-event stringout, or producer selects.
Use the Edit page when waveform sync needs inspection or repair.
Use the Edit page when audio routing matters.
Use the Edit page when the multicam will be flattened, conformed, or sent to color and sound.

If you start on the Cut page, open the resulting edit on the Edit page before turnover. Check that the angle switches are actual multicam edits. Check that audio is coming from the intended source. Check that no camera proxy or partial sync media has quietly become the only referenced source.

Audio strategy matters more than the angle switch

Multicam editing looks like a picture problem. The audio decision is what determines whether the timeline is usable for editorial and turnover. Decide early whether the edit should use camera audio, external production audio, or audio embedded in one specific camera. On BRAW shoots, scratch audio commonly handles sync while external WAV files carry the real mix or isolated channels. The multicam clip then has to preserve that production audio in a form the editor can reach. Don't bury the only good lav track three levels inside a multicam clip and expect the sound team to guess where it went. Common approaches are:

Use external production audio as the main audio source for the multicam.
Keep camera scratch audio available but muted or disabled after sync.
Use A-cam audio only when that camera received the board feed or production mix.
Keep isolated microphones outside the multicam if the sound workflow needs direct access.
Use consistent track naming so dialogue, mix, boom, lavs, and scratch tracks are obvious.

Pick one approach per show or segment and stay with it. Editors can work around any routing choice when the behavior is predictable. They lose time when every multicam clip routes audio differently. When you check the multicam, switch picture angles while listening to audio. If the audio changes with every camera switch and that wasn't intended, fix the multicam audio behavior before the editor starts cutting. In a dialogue edit, picture switching shouldn't change the active microphone.

In dialogue multicam edits, picture angles can change while production audio stays continuous.

Metadata differences across Blackmagic cameras

Resolve reads Blackmagic RAW and Blackmagic camera metadata directly, and multicam jobs still expose differences between bodies. Model, firmware version, and operator habit each change what gets written, and so does the recording mode. The result is inconsistent clip naming patterns, camera IDs, and reel values. LUT metadata and resolution drift too, along with color science settings and audio channel layouts. The biggest editorial issue is angle identity. If Resolve names angles from metadata and three cameras all identify as “Camera 1” or use generic clip names, the multicam viewer becomes confusing. Fix the naming before creating the multicam clip.

Clear angle identity makes multicam switching easier before the edit begins.

Useful angle names are plain and clear:

A Cam Wide
B Cam Tight
C Cam Side
D Cam Gimbal
E Cam Overhead
Program ISO
Production Audio

Those names work because editorial decisions follow shot function. “PYXIS 6K” tells an editor less than “B Cam Tight” unless the show’s workflow specifically tracks camera bodies. BRAW metadata also affects color work. ISO, white balance, and tint vary between cameras. So do color science, gamma, and camera LUT choices. Resolve lets you adjust RAW settings at the project or clip level, so decide whether the show will use camera metadata as shot, project-level RAW defaults, or clip-level normalization. This matters for multicam because editors and producers judge angles before the grade. If A Cam is log-like and B Cam already carries a show LUT, people start making creative decisions from inconsistent monitoring. Apply consistent color management or viewing LUT behavior for editorial, and keep the BRAW controls available for the grade. If the cameras were set differently on the day, document that in notes or metadata rather than hiding it.

Proxies, live sync, and partial media

BRAW multicam can be heavy, especially with several 6K or 12K angles. Resolve supports Blackmagic RAW natively, but real-time multicam playback still depends on storage speed, GPU, and CPU. Debayer settings, resolution, and timeline complexity add to the load. If the editor can't play all angles, the sync may be perfect and the cutting experience will still feel broken. Resolve’s proxy workflow helps here. Blackmagic Proxy Generator can create H.264, H.265, or ProRes proxies in watch folders, and Resolve can link proxies back to camera originals. Some Blackmagic camera workflows can also create small H.264 proxies alongside originals and sync those files into a Resolve bin through Blackmagic Cloud workflows. That helps on fast-turnaround multicam, and it adds a new risk. The editor may start cutting while only proxies have uploaded, or while only part of the camera-original media has reached the project. For fast-turnaround jobs, media status needs to be visible to everyone touching the timeline:

Label bins for camera originals, proxies, and cloud-synced files.
Avoid renaming files outside the agreed workflow after proxies are linked.
Confirm that multicam clips relink to BRAW originals when finishing requires RAW.
Watch for clips that are still recording, still uploading, or missing high-res media.
Keep proxy audio behavior consistent with original audio behavior.

The editor can start early. The post supervisor still needs to know which timelines are safe for finishing and which are still based on incomplete media.

Repairing a bad multicam without starting over

A wrong multicam clip rarely means rebuilding the entire show. Open the multicam clip in timeline view and treat it like a source timeline. From there you can move an angle, slip a clip, or replace a segment. Muting scratch audio, renaming tracks, and adding missing audio work the same way. Common failure modes are easy to recognize once you know the patterns:

One camera is offset by the same number of frames for the whole take.
One camera starts in sync but drifts over time.
One clip segment from a spanned recording is missing or duplicated.
Waveform sync matched the wrong applause, clap, or repeated phrase.
Timecode sync placed clips hours apart because one device had a wrong clock.
Angle names are duplicated or meaningless.
Audio switches with picture when it should remain fixed.
A slow-motion source is playing as real time, or a real-time source is treated as slow motion.

The fix follows the pattern. A constant offset is a simple move or slip. Drift needs a deeper look at sample rate, device clock, or frame interpretation. Wrong match points need manual realignment. Bad angle names should be fixed in the multicam and, where possible, in the source metadata so the mistake doesn't repeat. After repairing, cut a short test section from the multicam into a normal timeline and switch through all angles. That is safer than discovering the repair failed after an editor has cut half the show.

Premiere Pro, Resolve, and Media Composer handle this differently

If your team moves between NLEs, the tradeoffs are worth knowing. These are not three skins over the same workflow. DaVinci Resolve is the most direct path when the camera originals are BRAW and the finishing path stays in Resolve. One project holds native BRAW support, RAW controls, and color management. Multicam editing, audio tools, and finishing sit in the same place. The Cut page can be efficient for synced multi-source work, and the Edit page gives a more traditional multicam environment. The tradeoff is that Resolve multicam gets confusing when metadata and audio routing aren't cleaned up early, and large BRAW groups still need storage and playback planning. Premiere Pro is familiar to many editorial teams and has a flexible multicam workflow. It suits editors who like sequence-based organization, manual sync, and broad plugin or interchange workflows. Premiere can be a good hub when the finishing path is split across multiple tools. The tradeoff with BRAW is that you need to be deliberate about plugin support, color interpretation, and proxies. Handoff needs the same care if the grade is happening elsewhere. Media Composer is well suited to structured offline editorial environments. It is built for assistant editors, shared storage, and longform bin discipline. Its multicam tools are mature. The tradeoff is that BRAW camera-original workflows usually require transcoding or a managed offline path, rather than the direct RAW-first experience Resolve gives you. The decision depends on where the job needs control. If the show is BRAW-heavy and finishing in Resolve, building the multicam in Resolve removes a translation step. If the editorial department is already standardized on Premiere or Media Composer, Resolve may still be the best dailies, transcode, or color tool while multicam editorial happens elsewhere.

Putting the Resolve workflow together

A stable BRAW multicam workflow in Resolve runs in a fixed order:

Set the project and timeline frame rate before you import anything.
Import the BRAW camera originals and audio into bins that reflect the shoot structure.
Normalize source timecode, camera IDs, reel names, and audio channel names so the people who edit and finish the show can read them. Fix display names and angle names now, before Resolve turns them into angle labels.
Build one multicam clip per production block: a scene, a segment, or an act. A massive all-day group is harder to manage.
Sync by timecode when the cameras were jammed. Use waveform sync only when all sources have usable scratch audio.
Set the multicam frame rate to match the edit or delivery timeline, and name angles by camera role.
Open the finished multicam as a timeline and inspect sync at the start and later in the take.
Confirm the intended audio source stays active while picture angles change.
On mixed-rate groups, watch motion and cadence as well as sync.

Lips, claps, and impacts are more useful for step 7 than a static frame, and so are music transients. The Cut page is where you move fast when timecode is clean and the job needs a quick assembly. The Edit page is where detailed trimming and sync repair happen, along with audio decisions and turnover prep. If proxies or cloud-synced files are part of the workflow, confirm the multicam can relink to camera originals, and tell the finishing team whether the current timeline is still proxy-based. For finishing, inspect the flattened or conformed timeline in context. Every angle should still point to the intended BRAW source. RAW settings should remain available where expected, and color management should be consistent. Temporary sync audio should not have become the final production track by accident. Run that check once, before turnover, and the multicam becomes a reliable source for color, sound, and delivery.

Sync method	Best used when	Main risk	Sync check
Timecode	Cameras and audio recorders were jammed or share reliable source timecode	Matching numbers may not mean devices were actually jammed	Check source timecode, jam history, frame rate, and sync near the start and later in the take
Waveform	Every camera recorded usable scratch audio from the same event	Resolve can land a source one or two frames off, or match the wrong repeated sound	Check lips, claps, drum hits, and any distant or distorted camera audio
Manual slate or visual sync	Timecode is unreliable and scratch audio is missing or unusable	Slower setup and more human error	Use a clear clap, flash, slate, or impact, then document any repaired angle
Hybrid	Main cameras have timecode but crash cams, pickups, or isolated sources do not	One method may be trusted too broadly across unlike sources	Build by production block and inspect exceptions separately

FAQ

Use timecode if the cameras and audio recorder were properly jammed or recorded matching source timecode. It is the most reliable method, because Resolve aligns clips by recorded time values instead of guessing. Use waveform sync when there is no trustworthy shared timecode but every camera captured usable scratch audio of the same event. If neither timecode nor audio is reliable, sync manually against a slate, clap, or flash that is both visible and audible.

Yes. DaVinci Resolve supports Blackmagic RAW natively, so BRAW clips can be imported, organized, synced, and graded without transcoding first. Resolve also exposes BRAW camera metadata and RAW controls, which preserves flexibility for color correction after the multicam edit is finished.

Set the multicam frame rate deliberately, normally to match the edit or delivery timeline. Same-speed cameras are the easiest to manage inside the main multicam group. Off-speed or true slow-motion clips are better treated as inserts than as live-switch angles. If you do include mixed frame rates, check motion cadence and lip sync after building the group. Watch claps, pans, and fast gestures, because sync can look correct on a still frame while motion looks wrong.

The Cut page suits fast multicam assemblies, especially when timecode is clean and the project resembles an ISO or live-switch workflow. The Edit page is better for detailed trimming, audio routing, and sync repair, and for flattening and turnover prep. Many workflows use both: start quickly on the Cut page, then inspect and refine the multicam edit on the Edit page before finishing.

Resolve may use clip metadata, camera metadata, bin order, or file names when creating angle names. If several Blackmagic cameras share generic camera IDs, reset clip names, or carry inconsistent reel names, the multicam viewer shows confusing or duplicated labels. The fix is to normalize camera IDs, reel names, and angle names before you create multicam clips. Use clear role-based names such as A Cam Wide, B Cam Tight, C Cam Side, or Production Audio.

Treat multicam status as metadata rather than tribal knowledge. A post team can use custom fields for sync status, camera role, and proxy status, plus missing originals, color notes, and turnover readiness, then sort and filter assets like a spreadsheet. Aspect supports custom metadata fields that make those production states visible across the team in metadata columns.