David Braswell
Forum Replies Created
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Jeff, if your version of Avid supports the P2 files then you’ll need to create a special folder hierarchy on your media drive and copy the audio and video files from the P2 folder into it. I don’t recall the exact names offhand, but a search in Avid’s Xpress Pro forum should turn up the thread that I learned from.
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Do a search of the forum regarding burning DVDs. It sounds like you have a fielding problem. I seem to recall that you can take reference movies into Encore for some reason. As long as I make a ref movie from a mixed down (audio and video) track with no filler on it, I get good results with whatever encoder I use.
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Encore 1.5 will accept ref movies. I’m not sure about Encore 1. What does Encore say when you try to import the movie? Does it grouse about frame rate? I’ve found the best way to prep ref movs for Encore is to mixdown audio and video to 1 track of video and 2 audio. Include any time at the beginning and end where you need black. Then remove any black or filler from the timeline before you export the movie. If you leave filler on the timeline the framerate won’t necessarily be 29.97, and Encore _will_ complain.
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Using the Overwrite (red arrow)tool, select, then shift + control constrains movement to vertical. I believe if you have an effect or dissolve that you can mark an in and out that includes the dissolve, add and edit and keep the effect after you move it.
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In general, the answer to all of your “is there a better way?” questions is no.
You can’t adjust audio levels on the way in. But you don’t have to create a sequence to adjust them either. Just click on the source window with the audio loaded and adjust the levels with the mixer.
Exports from the Avid will need to have the audio raised either in Avid or in a program outside of Avid. I master most of my audio through Audition and lay it back into the sequence. Compression, limiting, and normalizing etc. I do in audition. I master to the following levels.
DVD -9 dbfs
web files -3 dbfs
output to Beta SP -14 dbfsYou can create one sweetened audio file at the highest db you’ll need it, import into Avid, and just duplicate the sequence and lower the level to where it needs to be for the relevant exported file.
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You’ll hear varying opinions on the matter, but I suggest mixing down your video and audio tracks before exporting your reference file. Your final sequence should be one video track and two audio tracks, with no filler in the timeline. Reference files don’t account for alpha channel clips and filler very well; without mixing down, your framerate won’t necessarily be 29.97 fps. I encode with either Sorenson or Adobe Encore. Before I started religiously mixing down sequences I got jittery, reverse-fielded looking video all the time. Also, QT ref files don’t necessarily play back smoothly in Quicktime. Now, I work in uncompressed SD video… if you’re using DV or other codec your mileage may vary.
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The few times I’ve seen this it’s cured by restarting the app… then magically the troubled section is rendered. Unfortunately it sounds like you may end up mixing down some tracks.
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If time is a serious consideration then realtime encoding is pretty much the way to go, IMO. It’s less of a consideration for us, so Sorenson and Encore are working fine. You didn’t mention what specific problems you’re having with the process. As long as I work from a mixdown sequence with NO black (empty) timeline space I have good results using either Sorenson or Encore’s encoder. Sorenson automatically handles blacks better, but I’ve had no complaints from clients using either program.
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Grinner, you’re obviously tweaking your machine harder than I do my Adrenaline. You are one of a couple of people I’ve heard make disparaging comments about Adrenaline’s stablility. I’m curious about the nature of your “daily” crashes, since mine has been very stable. Also, how has your dealer responded to all this?
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Get it here. Also, the Xpress Pro Forum on Avid’s site usually stars the latest release.