sample rate conversion

[AdamFrick]

hello.

i have some critical dialog for a show that i recorded at 24 bit, 44.1, and now we've decided the whole project should actually be at 48k. i haven't edited anything yet, though my session has all the takes lined up in pretty rows.

1) what's the best sample rate converter to use? i have of course pt, but also wave convert pro, which is waves' old batch converter. should i purchase something else to use or are either of those top-of-the-line?

2) is there a way to keep my session data in tact (the positions of all the files in the session) and change the sample rate of all files? i know you can change the bit rate of a session and it will convert them all for you, but what about a sample rate change?

THANKS!

=adam=

[Huby SEA]

Yeah, you should try Barbabatch v3.0 from Audioease: MUCH better then Waveconvert Pro or Soundapp. (at least when converting to low rates).

Greetings,

Huby

[Michael Klinger]

Digitranslator -- designed to create Protools sessions from omf - and visa-versa has an option built in to also do a sample rate conversion of the sessions at the same time.

So, I suppose if you had Digitranslator($495 list) you could do an OMF translation from Protools session -- and then re-translate back to Protools and use the sample rate conversion option.

I may be mistaken, but I thing that the new 5.1 software (now shipping according to the digi site) may also have this added track import/ and simul. sample rate conversion built in.

The poor man's way would be to sample rate convert inside protools, make note of the start times of each file, create a new fresh session with new sample rate, import the conversions, sync them in by hand, change the user time stamps, and so on.

Mike


Mike

[mario]

Hi Adam,
There is a software made by Gallery (http://www.demon.co.uk/gallery/index2.html) called Session Browser. It has several tools, one of them is a session sample rate convertor. It lets you change your whole session from 44.1 ot 48 and back.
Hope this helps.
Mario de Arce
Augus Inc.

[smlworld]

Originally posted by mario:
Hi Adam,
There is a software made by Gallery (http://www.demon.co.uk/gallery/index2.html) called Session Browser. It has several tools, one of them is a session sample rate convertor. It lets you change your whole session from 44.1 ot 48 and back.
Hope this helps.
Mario de Arce
Augus Inc.


last time i looked it didn't deal with 24 bit. It may now. I own it but (don't use it) Barbabatch. MUCH BETTER algorithms. SOUNDS BEST. I own both. Hands down prefer Barbabatch.

fwiw
scott

[AdamFrick]

thanks mike - that makes me think, if i select all my audio, batch convert via protools, will it retain the original time stamps? that's pretty easy, is spot mode, to drop them in place. but if it re-sets the time stamp, its a no go.

=a=

[AdamFrick]

thanks for all the input. quality is of the UTMOST concern, and barbabatch even provides some src examples...they sound and look pretty good. rather not spend the $400, but...

one more very important question:

will barbabatch retain the original time stamp of all my files? i have several hundred audio files (dialog takes) that are all lined up and organized on the timeline, and if i can't preserve the whole session with good quality, i may as well be able to spot all the files back into their original location.

thanks!

=a=

[Noiz2]

I don't know about the time stamps but if nothing better comes up you might concider printing a Qsheet ( your dealing w/ a film so I asume you know what I'm talking about), at least you would know where the files were located. If you don't already have a Qsheet program I would recoment "MixMap" from http://www.synclavier.com/mixmap.html
it works well (better than most) and sells for $100.
SK

[smlworld]

Originally posted by AdamFrick:
thanks for all the input. quality is of the UTMOST concern, and barbabatch even provides some src examples...they sound and look pretty good. rather not spend the $400, but...

one more very important question:

will barbabatch retain the original time stamp of all my files? i have several hundred audio files (dialog takes) that are all lined up and organized on the timeline, and if i can't preserve the whole session with good quality, i may as well be able to spot all the files back into their original location.

thanks!

=a=

Adam, I THINK SO - but try mailto:[email protected] for sure. in the past they have gotten back in a day. also - they may have a demo.

best luck.

scott

[Jeffrey Talbot]

Hey Adam,

Depending how many files you need to convert... there might be an easier and cheaper way to do so.

Assuming you are working on a show of say.. a half hour.. as opposed to a feature length film, you may consider just bouncing to disc and converting in PT. But instead of just doing each reigon at a time you could do the entire track(two at a time in split)...
You'd end up with longer files(they'd be the length of your show, BUT they'd also be at 48k, and the placement would be exactly as it is in your 44.1k session.

Hope all works out.

[HeLikesItHeyMikey]

I'm going to get all the purists in a tiff here but as I'm one of 'em - what the hell - when doing dialog, going from 44 UP TO 48 won't result in any major issues in sonic degradation. Note I said "MAJOR" - YES you might find a phase issue on room tails at the -70db end in a classically recorded violin session decay or STEREO choir or a live drum kit but only if you get REAL CLOSE and all sick about things. Voice dialog is a MUCH different animal and I'll do all sorts of EQ-L1 and the like to get that VO to stand out in a room w/ music and crowd noise.

I do sample rate conversion all day for major sampler/synth companies and I use EXTREME - un heard of military tools to go all the way up 192K and then back down to a rate that will make the rom instruments fit - like 28k or 32k - YIKES!!! And I can reasure you that just about ANYTHING you use on a VO or mono dialog when going from 44 up to 48 will be way - WAY - WAAAAAAYY too minor to tell. Try it - close your eyes and see if YOU can tell - not so easy?

Use an audio suite plug to convert and the time stamp and all should still be there.

[Stratman]

Originally posted by smlworld:

last time i looked it didn't deal with 24 bit. It may now. I own it but (don't use it) Barbabatch. MUCH BETTER algorithms. SOUNDS BEST. I own both. Hands down prefer Barbabatch.

fwiw
scott

Does Barbabatch do sample rate conversion faster than the Digi algorithm "Tweakhead"? Yeah, I know...some folks say "Best" is good enough, but is the Barbabatch conversion process as CPU based as the "Tweakhead" mode in PT's? Have you compared it to "Tweakhead" conversions in PT's?

To "HeLikesItHeyMikey", I do alot of converting multitrack drums from 48k to 44.1 and that can take too much time when you are trying to preserve the sonic quality and keep a cheap client happy (jazz engineers are a pain in the ass concerning this kind of thing), so anyway I can do this in the most efficent and sonically sound way...count me in. No heat intended...just trying to find the most efficent and hi-fi way to do this.




[This message has been edited by Stratman (edited February 01, 2001).]

[AdamFrick]

i've done some tests, and helikesitheymikey is right, at least according to my less-than-golden ears - i could hear very little difference in a 24bit44.1k UP to 24bit48k conversion between barbabatch and protools (even in "best"). so, i will happy with the quality of pt.

the question now is how to get even RELATIVE time stamps to come across the conversion to 48k. i've tried everything, from just converting FULL files, with no new regions created, to exporting region definitions, to time stamping, and whenever i convert to 48k, all that info is lost.

i know the time scale will be different at a different sample rate, but is there any way to maintain the relative positions? and, while i'm asking, it doesn't look like gallery's session browswer works with 24 bits, but they don't say. CAN ANYONE CONFIRM whether or not session browser will work with 24 bits? and, how do you compare the quality of sesion browswer conversion to PT's? they don't seem to have a demo out there.

thanks!

=adam=