What Audio Synchronisation Support Costs and What Moves the Price

How the work is priced

Audio synchronisation support is priced on the time a job takes and the number of places we have to look, not on a flat rate for the word synchronisation. A single lip-sync complaint on one programme output is a small job. A studio that reports drift between several microphones, a mixer, a playout server and a recording feed is a larger one, because each link in that chain has to be checked in turn.

Thomas Willoughby, who coordinates enquiries here, writes most of our quotations, so I can say how they come together. We start from what you tell us through the contact form, estimate the hours that the described symptoms are likely to need, and put that figure in writing before any work is booked. The quotation names what is included, so there is no surprise when the invoice arrives.

Payment follows the same route as our other services: a written quotation or confirmation, then an invoice settled by bank transfer. Nothing is charged on this website, and nothing is taken before you have agreed the scope.

Where the hours actually go

Most of the time in a synchronisation job is spent finding the fault rather than correcting it. Once we know which device adds the delay, the adjustment is often a setting. Locating that device across microphones, mixers, converters and playout systems is what takes the hours, and it is why two apparently similar complaints can cost quite different amounts.

Measurement is the second part. We compare audio against picture at several points in the chain, using test signals where the studio allows them, and note the offset at each stage. A short chain with few stages is quick to document. A long one, with sample rate conversion and several processing boxes, needs more passes and more careful notes.

Writing up is the third part. We leave a short report that states what was measured, what was changed and what to check if the problem returns, and that time is part of the price rather than an extra.

• Finding which device adds the delay
• Measuring offset at each stage of the chain
• Adjusting settings or advising on equipment
• Writing the report you keep

What makes a job larger

Several features of a studio reliably push a quotation upward. The first is the number of audio sources: a two-microphone presentation set is simpler than a panel with a dozen radio microphones and a separate commentary feed. The second is the number of outputs, since lip-sync can be correct on the programme feed and wrong on a recording or stream.

Timecode is the third. If your studio distributes timecode to cameras, recorders and a playout system, we need to confirm that every device is reading the same source and frame rate. Mixed frame rates or a free-running clock somewhere in the chain add checking time.

Finally, access matters. Equipment that is installed in racks we can reach, with documentation and settings available, is cheaper to work on than a system where nobody is sure how it was wired. We do not guess at that, we ask about it when we scope the work.

• Number of microphones and audio sources
• Number of separate outputs and recordings
• Timecode distribution and mixed frame rates
• Quality of wiring records and equipment access

What keeps a job small

Preparation is the most useful thing you can do to hold the price down. A clear description of when the problem appears, which programme or feed, and roughly how large the offset looks, lets us plan the visit instead of exploring. Recordings that show the fault, even phone footage of a monitor, help us before we arrive.

A current signal diagram is the next most helpful item. It does not have to be neat. A hand sketch of how microphones reach the mixer, how the mixer reaches playout, and where any delay units sit will save us a surprising amount of time on site.

Access to someone who knows the studio on the day also matters. If a technician can answer questions about past changes, we spend less time deducing them. Where a fix needs only a setting change and a short test, the job often finishes well inside the estimate.

• A written description of when the fault shows
• A sketch or diagram of the signal path
• A short recording that demonstrates the problem
• A named contact who knows the studio

What a quotation includes and excludes

A written quotation from us states the tasks covered, the estimated time, any travel to your site, and the form the report will take. It says plainly what falls outside the work, for example replacing a faulty converter or buying new delay hardware, because those are purchases you make from a supplier rather than part of our fee.

If the work turns out to need more time than estimated, we tell you before continuing and agree the change in writing. We do not extend a job quietly. Equally, if the fault is found quickly, the invoice reflects the time actually quoted for the agreed scope, and we say so in the report.

Cancellations and refunds follow our payment and refund policy, which is on the site. If you are unsure whether a problem needs a visit or simply a conversation, ask. Some questions can be answered from a description and a diagram without a booking at all.

How to ask for a quotation

The simplest route is the contact form on our contact page. Tell us the symptom in a sentence or two, the equipment in the chain as far as you know it, and where the studio is. You do not need to have diagnosed anything. A description such as speech arriving slightly after the picture on the recorded feed is enough to begin.

We reply with questions if we need them, then send a written quotation. You can take your time with it. If the scope seems too large, we can talk about doing the job in stages, starting with measurement and a short report so you can decide what to fix.

Prices for our services are set out on the prices page, which shows what each service typically costs in pounds and what changes it. Synchronisation work sits among them, and the figures there are the starting point for the quotation we write for your studio.