Why can't Pro Tools import FLAC files?

[Sonopolis]

FLAC support would be super useful. Just imagine your backups would only be 50% the size of the session folder!

But then, so would be support of OSC, EDL import, OpenTimelineIO, markers in BWF, AppleScript, MPE, MIDI 2.... (not to mention OpenGL or any other graphics accelerator tech) ... all of which are existing and basically free technologies.

But Avid does not see the monetary value of products that could actually drive innovation or arts by interoperability. Instead they are proud having created an ecosystem of developers working around their short comings and celebrate puny feature updates like 32.000 markers as innovations.

PS: Anyone remembers this? This was so typical.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Sonopolis

FLAC support would be super useful. Just imagine your backups would only be 50% the size of the session folder!

You are talking about a FLAC as a session audio file format. I doubt compressed audio as a native editing format will ever happen or is a good idea.

[Sardi]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

You are talking about a FLAC as a session audio file format. I doubt compressed audio as a native editing format will ever happen or is a good idea.

Not sure if you were referring to PT, but I’m pretty sure Reaper can record direct to FLAC. I think you can keep the whole project in FLAC if you want.


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[nednednerb]

Originally Posted by Sardi

Not sure if you were referring to PT, but I’m pretty sure Reaper can record direct to FLAC. I think you can keep the whole project in FLAC if you want.


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I hear about PT setups running 128 tracks, 64 tracks in and 72 out, if going 32-bit floating point 48kHz on the way in, and doing the SRC to FLAC.

Sooo.. ZIP a whole orchestra as you record it.... That's why it's a bad idea to even try, even if the SRC is possible. It might be unnecessary and unwanted by majority of users, especially power users. "So I can have FLAC in PT" Why not use Reaper for free beside PT? I use lots of software....

[Sardi]

Originally Posted by nednednerb

I hear about PT setups running 128 tracks, 64 tracks in and 72 out, if going 32-bit floating point 48kHz on the way in, and doing the SRC to FLAC.

Sooo.. ZIP a whole orchestra as you record it.... That's why it's a bad idea to even try, even if the SRC is possible. It might be unnecessary and unwanted by majority of users, especially power users. "So I can have FLAC in PT" Why not use Reaper for free beside PT? I use lots of software....

I’m not the one asking for it, so unsure why you’re directing your response to me. All I did was clarify that it is possible in other DAWs.

Also, recording to FLAC wouldn’t require any SRC. Data compression yes, but no need to convert sample rates.

In fact, one could argue you’d probably get faster write speeds due to writing less data. Noticeable? Who knows. You would incur some sort of CPU penalty though due to the on the fly data compression. Again, who knows how noticeable this stuff is in the real world. I’ve never tried it.


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[JFreak]

^with disk cache and insanely fast SSD's the amount of uncompressed data that can be written without a hiccup is not of this world. So who wants to use CPU power for compression?

[Ru_C]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I doubt compressed audio as a native editing format will ever happen or is a good idea.

..as an owner of 'Cubase Audio' running on an Atari Falcon back in 1996, I can attest to it being a bad idea...I am still suffering slight P.T.S.D from trying to use that setup..

[nednednerb]

@ Sardi I did not mean to single you out in anyway. Was merely continuing conversation off of your last sentence. Also, I only meant data compression not 48 to 44.1 etc. I was thinking of what some mentioned would be potentially very significant CPU data compressions.

Not to Sardi but in general, the overall work involved in converting uncompressed data to compressed data on recording pass or playback pass doesn't make sense to me, not when SSD space is cheaper per TB by the week.
When I can have a REALLY simple app installed to do a super simple batch convert to FLAC, why isn't that enough, I ask to those who do want FLAC native support?

[Darryl Ramm]

^^^ yes this is a large part of my point. (and yes Sardi I was really talking about Pro Tools, although I did not know that Reaper's support went all the way to internal files). It's additional work to compress and decompress the content. Working with linear PCM audio is much easier. Pro Tools has enough problems with plugin CPU workloads today, it does not need more CPU eating cruft added. The more 'real-time' architecture and old code-base of Pro Tools is likely to make this harder to implement than other DAWS. And internal infrastructure changes like this (which might induce a period of instability) frankly do not seem important compared to getting other thing done: like a Apple silicon native port (and hopefully delivering a significant CPU performance bump) and addressing other clear shortcoming that Pro Tools has... like (off the top of my head) getting carbon related latency bugs fixed, getting MIDI issues addressed and MIDI workflow improved (that may still take a significant rewrite?), getting a few general known ADC/latency bugs corrected, a significant improvement of H/W insert code, adding latency ping etc. Changing the internal format to a compressed audio just is not interesting to me vs. these other things... all the you get at best is a reduction in file storage and that's literally not worth much given the cost of modern fast SSD or HDD for archiving. (BTW while I'm here: it's nice that Avid is clearly working on bug fixes, and have also delivered other functional improvements like Hybrid engine and Audio Bridge. Yes some changes have even rough and needed rework, but it's good to see things overall moving forward. And product changes like Studio, and Intro seem some of the best thought out Pro Tools changes in decades, so overall good stuff... which we need more of).

But yes I still think FLAC import and export should be there, it's an important file format for some music segments.

[Eric Lambert]

I haven't been concerned about drive space for PT session in years and wouldn't care for a compressed format, however, the ability to "import" FLAC files, offline, would be most welcomed.