OMF files instead of WAVs

[idris]

I've noticed some of the audio files listed in a session's Project Browser are listed as OMF files, rather than WAVs.

I'm pretty sure this can happen when importing session data from an OMF and selecting "Link to source media when possible". (It might be a mistake I've made or that of various other people.)

The session seems to run OK, but I was wondering whether there are any problems in store as a result, and if so, what the solution is? Can these files be easily converted to WAVs and does it matter?

[alexeymohr]

Depending on your workflow, this may actually be a good thing.

But generally I prefer to convert everything to broadcast wave in order to keep it clean. The easiest solution is to select "force to target session format" as your audio import option when initially opening the OMF.

If it's too late for that, you can always choose "Save Copy In..." and select "all audio files" and .WAV format and then check the box for "Convert to Specified Format."

I find it's best to keep all your audio elements in the exact same format if possible, in order to minimize compatibility issues and relinking issues.

[reichman]

This works fine, but with a couple of drawbacks:

-pencil editing files that are embedded in the OMF is disallowed. If you need to do this, simply consolidate that clip and that will turn it into an independent audio file in the session folder.

-archiving the session by doing "Export Selected Tracks as New Session" seems buggy to me when dealing with embedded OMFs.

If you can afford the disk space and time, there are no serious drawbacks to "copying from source media."