AVXL & Unity

[Rick Sanchez]

Is there anyone out there using ProTools AVXL with Avid Unity and both ABVB and Meridian Avids?

The questions I have don't seem to be able to be answered by any dealers.

Can the AVXL playback uncompressed video and say 24 tracks of audio, while recording, say 8 tracks of audio?

What, how fast and how reliable is the transfer and or conversion process of OMF to and from an Avid?

[Robin Hollings]

I have to say getting OMF's into PT from any of our 12 Media Composers (version 10.x) is a breeze. I get them from picture editors every day with very little problem, mainly short-form work, although I have done a few 30/60 minute programmes. I don't do it as often, but sending OMF's from PT to Avid works OK as well.

PT Mix +, AVXL, 5.1.3
Digitranslator 2.0

[feakerboo]

Over the Unity we have been able to play back video and and record 24 tracks at once. Will be sitting up an HD system on unity with and AV/XL in the next week I'll let you know.

-Brad

[C Roberts]

Here's my experience:
5 Avids ( V .10 )
2 PT Mix 24's ( 5.1.3 AVXL Meridean Video )
Unity

While it is possable to play media from the Unity, you can not play both Audio and Video from the Unity. One or the other should be on a local drive.
Avid's must bounce down their video to 1 track to play it w/ PT.
Unfortunatly due the shakiness of this situation I just use Unity for Push / Pull as a very fast network to copy media. We have the editors Embed media in the OMF and just import them from their Unity volumes choosing the " copy media from source " option.
Since they have to bounce down their Video media your really only referencing 1 Video File so in theory the best best way to use the Unity set up is to copy that 1 Video file to a Local drive and reference the Audio from the Unity drives. Again though, with the price of storage coming down I just play off local drives for everything although we do keep all of our SFX on Unity and use Soundminer to transfer them into PT session as needed.
So after all that ( sorry it's so long ):
Does it work? Yes but when you have any playback / rec problems , Unity is a good place to start looking [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[d prentice]

Your ProTools XL option will only play back Meridien AVID files so the ABVB AVIDs will require a drop to tape and re-digitaze in the ProTools suite. Audio on both systems will transfer fine via OMF.
We have installed several ProTools on Unity systems (both AV Option-ABVB-and AVXL-Meridien). OMF transfers for audio work quickly and smoothly with transfers to ProTools workspace on Unity and playback from the workspace. ProTools only supports single stream video so clients either render their programs to single stream and send the OMF to ProTools or drop to tape and re-digitize depending on time. Most clients work solely off Unity storage for record and play of audio and video. We usually add SCSI for local storage but increasingly suggest FireWire for local audio. Local video demands either UW or LVD SCSI depending on resolution.

[FajitaTone]

I have not turned on my local drives since january. I record and playback directly to Unity, both audio and video. OMF transfers from Symphony and Media Composer are seamless.

G4/466 384MB
PT 5.1.3 AV/XL (d24,MixFarm, DSPFarm)
Meridian Video
13 slot chassis
ATTO scsi
Unity 2.1

smoooooooooth
[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]