Can FCP be trusted to create OMFs?

[Michael Black fcp]

This seems to be limited to our dialog only.

[Michael Gissing]

An OMF can contain clip gain info which ProTools may be misinterpreting. Try exporting the OMF without gain, dissolves panning etc and see if you get a clean import.

I never have this issue with FCP OMFs into Fairlight so there is likely to be an import setting within ProTools that isn’t being correctly set. Gain should be a virtual setting so what happens when the imported OMF has all the clips reset to zero gain?

[Michael Black fcp]

I always uncheck all the boxes pertaining to levels and panning when exporting the .omf. I’ll mention those settings to the sound supervisor though. Thanks!

[Vince Sanchez]

I bring in OMFs of 1 hr shows to Digital Performer at least twice a month and have never had a problem like that. Never use gain or pan on output.

Thanks,
Vince Sanchez
Intel Quad Mac 2.66
AJA LHe
HD link
OSX 10.4.11
FCP Studio 2

[Mark Raudonis]

Five years, hundreds of hours of television productions… never seen what you’re describing.

Have you done tests to try to isolate where this is occurring?

Mark

[Walter Biscardi]

[Michael Black FCP] “Namely, a lot of our dialog is getting distorted at some point in the process of either going to .OMF or the import into protools from .OMF. Right now, it’s not very clear where the problem is”

We create OMF’s all the time for all our broadcast work and independent features for sound mixes on ProTools. Been doing this for about 5 years now. Have never seen anything like you describe. All audio is clean on the send to our sound designer and clean back from him. He’s in another facility and we work with everything via internet upload.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
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[Michael Black fcp]

That’s what I thought. I’ve never seen this in ‘lo my many years of using FCP. But you know, the guys at the mixing facility (which I won’t name, but may or may not rhyme with Bony) just love to put down FCP when they can and are always quick to blame FCP.

“So, when you exported out of your Avid…”
“Final Cut.”
“Final Cut?”
“Yeah we use Final Cut.”
“Oh well, if you’re using Final Cut…”

I’m going to try another couple tests. See if I can’t get to the bottom of this.

mb

[Michael Black fcp]

I’m trying to import the OMF we created originally into Soundtrack and… not much is happening. There’s a progress bar that’s BARELY moved in a half hour.

I tried to create a small OMF, one with just five tracks of audio spread out over about 12 minutes and it’s not going any faster. Is this common?

[Mark Raudonis]

Sounds like you have some engineers predisposed to find a problem with FCP.

I can’t stand A holes like that. I usually make a point of naming names to the facility owner
when we take our business elsewhere. “We really would have liked to stay here, but your “engineer”
{A hole engineeer name goes here} just couldn’t seem to handle our technical requirements. Funny, but
XYZ facility was able to handle the same media with NO issues. See ya!”

In this type of economy, I guarantee that you will get much better service at the “other” facility. Especially if you make it a point of letting the new facility know why you’re there.

I really don’t know the cause of your problem, but it sounds like they are being less than helpful trying to
trouble shoot. Good luck.

By the way, I’ve had wonderful experiences at “Juniper Post”, “Matchframe Video”, and “Modern Videofilm”, all with OMF’s generated from FCP. Keep them in mind next time you’re shopping for a stage. And of course, in house we’ve been doing this for years.

Mark

[Mark Raudonis]

Oh, forgot to add “Oracle Post” to the “Wonderful to work with” list. (Excellent in house chef too!).

Mark