Recording Stems into Pro Tools

[filmixer]

I have a "tip" that I posted in another thread that Jonathan Wales started. I thought I would throw it into this forum as it might be helpful to some other post production users. When I record "stems" back in to a session, I like to make them easy to find instead of just winding up in the audio files folder with 10,000 other sounds. I go to "Disk Allocation", "shift" select the stem tracks I want, and choose "folder" from the pop up destination menu. I make a new Audio Files folder in the current session's folder (or on to another drive if that's necessary) and name it "Audio Files (Stems)". Then when I'm done recording the stems, they're all together in that folder. I use the "Record at Timeline Selection/Insertion" in "Destructive Record" mode so I end up with consolidated files that are easy to manage. I also name the tracks with a little more detail that just "Dialog Stem". I 'll name it something like "Dialog Stem (initials of the show) Reel 1AB" or "Eps.5". That way the audio files themselves have this name and are very easy to distinguish from other reels and other shows.

[Henchman]

Is it possible to switch from input to repro when using Pt's as a stem recorder?

[filmixer]

If you're running PT 6.4, you can use the new "Input" button next to "Record" if you want to A/B input to output. I usually don't find this necessary though. Since everything is 100% automated, I'm always "matched" and don't really have to do PEC/Direct switching much. That's one of the great things about mixing "in the box".

[TNagle]

Thanks for the tip, file management is key w/ feature work. We have struggled w/ several variations of stem management, and of course, still learning.

[trakbytes]

Been doing stems in Pro Tools for a couple of years now. One of the first things learned was to know where your files are going to end up. I normally go to a completely seperate drive to record to. Seems to make the system respond faster, and you can remove the master drive (Kingston SCSI in my case) to move to another part of the facility. Intelligently naming the stem record tracks keeps the file names coherent as well. I always save the mix session document with the stem files, and also make a Print Master session which only contains the master files when I'm done with the mix. We usually conform stems that are made in 2 or 3 parts into a long-play version for streaming.

Destructive record with full automation is great. If you need to fix something in the mix, you open your original session with its full automation, go to touch mode, and just update your section of the mix. All sessions that reference those files are now automatically updated as well. Have never felt a need for traditional Pec/Direct switching, but it can be globally accomplished on a Pro Control with the "monitor/phase" switch, which switches between auto-input and input only monitoring. If your touch automation mode has a reasonable auto match time, you can punch out (just stop, actually) recording at any time for a perfect match. Plus, since all my source tracks are Pro Tools files as well, I can literally punch in or out anywhere. Hardly ever do I get a click or pop on punches. I usually give myself a second or so pre-roll to make sure any effects are up to speed. With digital picture there is no lock time either.

Every one I know who has adopted this way of working swears they'll never go back to traditional seperate machines for sources and stem recorders. It's not for every size project yet, but as Pro Tools gets more powerful and the control surfaces and plug-ins get better, this method of working will eventually dominate post-production sound. Just a matter of time, and I think it will be sooner rather than later.

rcm

[grivel]

>It's not for every size project yet, but as Pro Tools gets more powerful and the control surfaces and >plug-ins get better, this method of working will eventually dominate post-production sound

I love people that recycle the same idiotic ideas published in garbage magazines like Post.....you must have literally learnt everything from advertisements.

It's a shame, but I am quickly getting bored on this forum. It seems to be more of a circle jerk for pro tools users...where they can share their deep feelings for Digi, while promoting their own silly ideas, to the same group of users, while the world outside them is so distant, and not caring for one second what goes on inside someones head.

Im getting bored here....

P.S. For stem recorders I suggest the MX-2424...recording with a mouse stinks compared to a real machine and remote. The MXes are king. You can get into and out of pro tools easily too.

I use Pro Tools because I have to. I don't use the latest ie. HD, I use the older MIX series one, becaus I think HD is too expensive for what you pay for. It [the older one] edits good, it's sort of fast [not compared to Nuendo though...I saw a demo of that recently and I tested it out with my hands...I've never used a system so fast before..it was a dual AMD Operon or something. I swear, nothing seems to load..it just pops in your face]

[minister]

Post deleted by minister

[Schatzi]

I've been doing some experimenting with stem recording as well...
So if I'm not mistaken filmixer, are you recording your stems into Pro Tools as you mix? Or do you print them at the end when you're making your M&E (if any)??

I've asked several people I know about this and most of them do it the same way with little variation. But I've taken a shot in the dark and just went with whatever...Let me know if this makes any sense to you guys.

I started predubbing backgrounds to 2 5.0 stems within Pro Tools, all laid out as SEPARATE TRACKS (audio tracks, which I record to) first. For example the first 10 stem tracks in my bg session layout looks like this:

1 BG 5.0 A.L
2 BG 5.0 A.C
3 BG 5.0 A.R
4 BG 5.0 A.Ls
5 BG 5.0 A.Rs
6 BG 5.0 B.L
7 BG 5.0 B.C
8 BG 5.0 B.R
9 BG 5.0 B.Ls
10 BG 5.0 B.Rs

The following tracks after these were all bg source tracks (11-40). Then for the final I import the 10 stem tracks against all other stem tracks. Another co-worker of mine does it a bit differently. She records all her stems to single multichannel audio tracks. If she needs to make adjustments, she'll just re-do her automation and re-record the stem since her session is 100% automated. On the other hand, I will go in and take down the 'BG 5.0 A.Ls' track individually if
the left rear is overdone. Does any of this seem rational to you folks?

phew ..apologies.
ss

[trakbytes]

I love people that recycle the same idiotic ideas published in garbage magazines like Post.....you must have literally learnt everything from advertisements.

I figured that Drivel would have to add his 2 pence to this thread. Grivel: We all know by now that you hate Pro Tools. Every post you have made to any DUC forum has been negative towards Digidesign and Pro Tools, as well as to users who find it to be a useful (not to mention profitable) tool. I don't know what your agenda is. Maybe you have a traditional facility and are concerned about it becoming obsolete (it is). But just the fact that you say you use Pro Tools because you "have to" should turn on a light bulb inside your head that the industry we work in (at least some of us, I don't know if you actually ever do any work or not) has adopted Pro Tools as a standard. And you know what? In post-production, where an individual project can migrate between a multitude of facilities, standards are a good thing.

...where they can share their deep feelings for Digi, while promoting their own silly ideas, to the same group of users, while the world outside them is so distant, and not caring for one second what goes on inside someones head.

Totally ridiculous. Any veterans on this forum know that there have been at times some pretty harsh criticism towards Digidesign and Pro Tools. This is a world wide forum, and ideas get exchanged from a variety of perspectives. People with questions get answers from real users, not just from customer service. Things that don't work get bashed, and things that could be improved are suggested. I have to applaud Digidesign for making such a forum available to its user group, with relative freedom to take shots at their company and product, as long as it is done in a constructive manner. However, I feel that your posts have consistently violated the spirit of these forums. You seem to just want to tear down Digidesign, and insult its users with your oh-so-clever self-serving remarks.

So, Grivel, if you've got anything constructive to add to this forum, I'd welcome your remarks. But your consistent negativity is getting tiresome. If you're so bored, please leave. There are plenty here who would be happy to show you the door.

rcm

[spigots]

grivel is a very good troll. he/she stirs things up here so often i wonder how he/she has time to do his/her work. but i suggest we henceforth do what we should do to all trolls.

ignore.

frank