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Successful OMF export for mix?
I’m working on a large documentary project on FCP in a facility that is almost exclusively Avid-based. The lead editor is an Avid guy.
We’re getting ready to send the doc to a Protools mix session, and I exported the OMF according to the mixer’s preferences (he’s in-house – accustomed to Avid exports, and not expected to be helpful).
When the mixer imports the OMF files, I’m told that not all of the media came through. The editor thinks I can just re-import the OMF into FCP and see what’s missing (because he’s an Avid guy. I’ll educate him shortly).
What I’d like to know is:
1. Are there any known gotcha’s in this process? I searched this forum and didn’t come up with anything. Rubberbanding should be irrelevant, and there aren’t any FCP audio effects applied.
2. Any strategies for how to troubleshoot?
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20 Replies
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You’ll have to get some specifics back from your audio guy. We’ve been doing OMFs for audio houses for years now with no major hiccups. The only thing we ever run into as a problem is OMFs can’t be over 2 GB. You’ll get a warning if the file is going to be too big. On a big project we’ll split the show, tracks 1 – 8 in one omf, 9 – 16 in another. Audio guys don’t seem to have a problem merging this together in Protools.
Cheers
John Christie
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FCP 5.1.4 version and below will export an OMF, but not embed the media. I don’t know about FCS2.
You will have to either include the original QT/AIFF source material via media manager to a separate drive and send it to your mixer, or get Automatic Duck Pro Export FCP:
https://www.automaticduck.com/products/options-daw-user.php
This will embed the media into the OMF file. It costs some $500 – yikes! – but if you do this stuff on a regular basis, it’s a must-have. I’ve used it many times and it works like a charm.
also, your ProTools person has to have the Digi Import plugin or whatever it’s called to be able to accept the OMF media as well. 99% of Pro Tools operations have this, but don’t always assume.
steve covello
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[weevie833] “FCP 5.1.4 version and below will export an OMF, but not embed the media”
this is not correct at all.
All versions of FCP only export OMF’s with embedded media. FCP cannot export linked OMF’s, like Avid’s can.Automatic Duck will allow older versions of FCP to keep the audio rubberbanding. Only FCP 6 and up will allow you to keep the rubberbanding w/o the Duck.
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I’ve used both FCP 5.1.4 & FCP 6 to export to Audio OMF. Both versions include all the media– audio files. You don’t need any third party plugins to facilitate this, and you don’t have to use Media Manager to gather media.
Make sure all the audio tracks are turned on. If you disable a track it won’t be included in the OMF.
Also if it is a long program over 2 Gb limit. It is better to export by a selected range (emulating reels if you think of the film metaphor), than by breaking it down in tracks.
Warren
Warren Eig
O 310-470-0905
C 310-560-6245email: warren@babyboompictures.com
website: https://www.babyboompictures.comhttps://www.atomfilms.com/af/content/knitwits
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[Budrick21] “When the mixer imports the OMF files, I’m told that not all of the media came through.”
I have seen this too in Avid exports. Usually due to unsupported formats, like MP3 being in the timeline. If you have any, convert the offending clips to uncompressed AIFF 48k Stereo and you should be good. OMF is an old format (Avid now defaults to AAF instead)….anything new and different in your timeline?
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Thanks to all of you for your responses.
John – I suspected a problem with unsupported formats, but from what the editor tells me, it’s main program audio, captured through firewrite (DVCProHD). If I had been present when they discovered this problem, I think I’d have a better idea of what’s going on.
I’ll be back at it tonight, and I’ll post any new clues as they become available.
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I have also seen problems with FCP multiclip (and even Avid group clip audio when using XDCAM). Were multiclips used? Perhaps thats the problem. Just taking a guess.
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[Budrick21] “When the mixer imports the OMF files, I’m told that not all of the media came through. The editor thinks I can just re-import the OMF into FCP and see what’s missing (because he’s an Avid guy. I’ll educate him shortly).
“Oh yes. You didn’t say what version of Final Cut you are using. If you are using Final Cut Studio 2, then the new version of Soundtrack Pro can import your OMF file and you can take a look. It ***MAY*** possibly also strip out any FCP weirdness, such as multiclips, and export a version Pro Tools can better deal with.
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On the film I’m working on, we had a problem with 24bit audio files opening in ProTools as pink noise. This was a big problem because all of the production sound had been recorded as 24 bit on a Deva recorder. When I exported the same timeline as a 16 bit OMF, the problem disappeared.
Arnie
Now in post: Peristroika, a film by Slava Tsukerman
https://www.arniepix.com/blog -
Arnie –
That sounds plausible, but everything here seems to be 16-bit. I do have a mix of 44.1k and 48k files – would that have anything to do with it?
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