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problems importing sound files onto AVID Symphony. Help!
Hi all,
We are having trouble importing wave files into an AVID Symphony.
The file is 4 channels, 48kHz, 24bit and 2.73GB of size (about 1hour 20minutes theatre play, part of a documentary)
BWF-poly format. (Broadcast Wave File: as you know, just a wave file with more than two channels and some metadata info on the header, as timecode stamp, track names, etc.)
It was delivered on both a DVD-RAM and on a DVD-R.
A test file was also delivered (just 31MB) but it seems it can’t be imported either.
The DVD-RAM was tested on a Mac (OSX 10.3.9) before delivering and readed OK, both files were opened on Audacity to verify it’s integrity.
Then I made a copy to a DVD-R to avoid disc-format-related troubles but it can’t be readed.Forgot to say, I’m the sound recordist (I hope sound guys allowed here! =:P)
It was not possible to check with editing team before delivering the sound on file-based format, but I was very confident since we do this all the time without problems (but with much shorter files, takes of about 30seconds to 2minutes usually) for feature and commercial shooting.
DAT was not adequate for this job because we needed 4 tracks and because we needed higher quality than 16bit/48kHz.Please I need a sort of debugging check-list to send to them and see where exactly is the problem.
Can someone help please?Many thanks in advance,
Fernando
Barcelona, Spain
fdi@ran.es -
4 Replies
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No luck yet…
Here are some (more) specific questions I’d like to know the answer of:
From what Symphony version they should be OK reading the BWF-Poly file? 3.5?
Could the 2,73GB size be a problem for shure?
Could FAT32 formatting of the discs be a problem? So, UDF needed?
Can the Symphony deal with 24bit files? From what version?Any charitative sould can help me please?
Fernando
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FWIW I recently had one of these DVD-RAM discs with BWF files on it show up at our facility. We tried to open it on PC Symphony, Mac G4, Mac G5, etc. I have a DVD-RAM computer drive and could not read it on anything.
My best advice would be to inquire of an audio facility that does motion picture sound mixing. They would be most likely to have something that could read these discs. Or maybe you can get the sound man’s machine that recorded the DVD and transfer the audio. If you can get the files/audio into a Protools system, you can make anything you need for Symphony.
I hope this helps.
Bill Stephan
Senior Editor/DVD Author
USA Studios
New York City -
[Bill Stephan] “FWIW I recently had one of these DVD-RAM discs with BWF files on it show up at our facility. We tried to open it on PC Symphony, Mac G4, Mac G5, etc. I have a DVD-RAM computer drive and could not read it on anything.
My best advice would be to inquire of an audio facility that does motion picture sound mixing. They would be most likely to have something that could read these discs. Or maybe you can get the sound man’s machine that recorded the DVD and transfer the audio. If you can get the files/audio into a Protools system, you can make anything you need for Symphony.
“Thanks Bill,
If that you was not able to read the DVD-RAM then it was a matter of drivers. I can read DVD-RAM on my Mac (OSX 10.3.9) without problems, but other versions of the system or 9.2.2 is not tested by me.
Anyhow I sent them a DVD-R too, wich nowadays is very common.I sent them some small testfiles to see were the problem is. This way I skip the DVD issue and concentrate first in see if they can see and import the files.
Another problem (could you check this please? even if it sounds silly) is usually that, the first time that the Avid operator loads a DVD or whatever with sound in it, since the import dialog box on the Avid defaults to show only graphic files any sound file will be ignored and not seen. Yes, that simple. So first it has to be selected to show all types of files or to show sound files and then try to import.
It seems that Avid can perfectly read WAV or BWF (same with different extension) since Symphony 3.6 and the other equivalent versions for Composer, etc.
I’ll report back the results of my tests, but be aware, Avid people =:P, that DAT is almost dead and that files will be coming to the Avid when not recording on camera audio channels.
The bennefits are many. More sound resolution, files will synch automatically to the timeline, etc. and you won’t have to wait for the DAT playing and playing and the Avid reporting TC discontinuities or so.Thanks again,
Fernando
P.S. I’m the sound recordist actually and own the recorder (Deva V) but I’m in Spain and they are editing in Germany.
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Fernando,
Thanks for the info. My Symphony is v. 2.1 running on NT, which doesn’t understand DVD anything. But I’m curious about why my G5 wouldn’t mount the DVD-RAM disc. My customer just needed to have the files copied onto a CD, as their Symphony wouldn’t read from the DVD-RAM disc either.
Maybe the DVD-RAM was a dud — it happens.
Bill Stephan
Senior Editor/DVD Author
USA Studios
New York City
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