Exporting music with metadata to MXF for AVID Media Composer
 

I need to deliver music cues with metadata to video editors working in Media Composer. I have tagged WAVs and MP3s. They've requested MFX files, which I can create in Adobe Media Encoder, but the file sizes jump into the gigabytes because I can't deselect the video export button (greyed out). Any tips on how to do this efficiently (on a daily basis!)

Re: Exporting music with metadata to MXF for AVID Media Composer
 

Have you tried loading some WAVs that contain this metadata onto a PT track and export that track as an AAF setting up the media as MXF? I'm not sure what metadata would be copied to the MFXs, if any, but might be worth checking.

Re: Exporting music with metadata to MXF for AVID Media Composer
 

As you have .wav files already with the meta data in it why not just send those. Explain to the MC editors that for you to create the MXF's requires extra steps plus that the resultant files from you would be huge.
Their direct import of your .wav files on the other hand allows them to choose the MXF format they want and as well as the location they want the MXF's to be created in.

Let me know if you would like to test the MC .wav import with your meta data. Currently I have both Pro Tools and MC here along with a little spare time to run a test.

Andrew

Re: Exporting music with metadata to MXF for AVID Media Composer
 

In Protools
Delete the video track

Export selected tracks to AAF
Enforce Media Composer Compatibility
Format MXF
Consolidate media with handles.

The catch
After its done, you'll need to create

Avid Media Files folder,
MXF subfolder
then a subfolder in MXF folder subfolder called 1

Place all the files created except the AAFs document in the 1 folder
You will deliver the AAF document with the Avid Media Files Folder
In a folder named of your choosing.

It should look like this

Re: Exporting music with metadata to MXF for AVID Media Composer
 

:cool:
Saving this workflow! Awesome.

Re: Exporting music with metadata to MXF for AVID Media Composer
 

One more caveat, you'll have to cut your music with a 1 frame grid.
Otherwise the editor will receive extra snippets due to frame quantization.:eek:

Re: Exporting music with metadata to MXF for AVID Media Composer
 

Correction the Avid Media Files folder, needs to be exactly "Avid MediaFiles" folder,
All MC systems already have this Avid MediaFiles\MXF\numeric only named folders structure in place.
Here are a couple of slight improvements to this workflow for the recipient editors.

Make the destination folder for the files any numeric number other than 1
as the default current working folder for MC is Drive:\Avid MediaFiles\MXF\1.
MC reads and index's (makes databases for) all numeric only name folders inside the Avid MediaFiles\MXF folder whenever detect changes in them.
So the Pro Tools AAF export can be direct into a, for instance, "200" folder.
The MC editor just has to drop the "200" folder directly into their existing Avid MediaFiles|MXF\ folder.

The Editor then just drags the AAF file created in your workflow into a bin in their open MC project. This bin will then automatically populate with all the mxf files in the "200" bin courtesy of the database MC created in that folder.

For even more simplicity for YOU the AAF file can also be created in the "200" bin. BUT this assumes the MC editor understands that they need to drag the AAF file from the "200" folder into a bin inside their project.

FWIW I always use this method for my own media management purposes.
(Subsequent to getting the PT's media into my MC projects bin I rename the "200" folder to and Alpha numeric name like "200 Musicdate". This renaming stops MC from any future writing to this folder protecting the files and Avid database inside it.)

Andrew