cantar mxf -> Avid -> protools

[mik]

Hi,

There are only HDD recorders now and in europe with have Cantar which can make waves files and mxfs.
What is the best workflow for editing in Avid or FCP and send the sound after image editing to protools ?

thanks

[DavidHeylen]

The plain old AAF,s ?

Grtz

[Frank Kruse]

Neiher the cantar nor any other audio recorder can create MXF audio. The cantar records BWAVs that are packed into MXF-containers when imported into the AVID when working in Hidef-projects. FCP doesn´t use MXF as a storage-format it reads the media directly (unlike the avid).

PT plays MXF audio fine but gets extremely slow when working in large sessions (symptoms are are huge ram page-outs and extremely slow file search etc.. Not sure if this has been improved in PT8). It can be useful to covert the session to BWAVs to speed up PT once you opened the MXF/AAFs.


frank.

[Gary Nattrass]

My workflow for HD is as follows:

Shoot panasonic P2 1920x1080i 25np with sync audio at 48k
Import to FCP via log and transfer as pro res 422 1920x1080i 25np
Edit and audio track lay in FCP
Export audio as OMF into pro tools LE DVTK2 at 24bit 48k
Mix and compress for final mix, M+E and stems if required (DV guide pic)
Export as AIFF then back onto the FCP edit timeline as mixed tracks in sync with the original pic and tracks.
Output to pro res 422 1920x1080i 25np with 48k audio.

[mik]

thanks for your messages. I've learned that MXF is an AVID container. What is the gain for working with it in avid ?
The assistant editor wanted to import cantar sounds as MXF, but the editor prefered to have the Bwav directly. As i'm going to receive an omf, i will be sure that i won't have to do a painful conformation. But maybe MXF can do the same thing..?

[Frank Kruse]

When they edit a HiDef-Project in the AVID the audio in the avid will always be converted to MXF containers when importing into the avid.

Just give them BWAVs and they will import them into the AVID. It´s done every day all over the planet.

For the transfer you will receive an AAF since you can not use OMF when transferring sequences from HD-projects.

OMF doesn´t support MXF media. They will give you AAFs.

Frank.

[mik]

I never worked on online HD project. And that one isn't. The image is super 16mm and the edit will be in an normal SD project in AVID.

[Frank Kruse]

Originally Posted by mik

I never worked on online HD project. And that one isn't. The image is super 16mm and the edit will be in an normal SD project in AVID.

In that case I don´t know, sorry. But why bother. Both BWAV and MXF AAFs are readable by ProTools.

MXF is just a format for internal use of the avid and in PT. There is no need to convert anything to MXF BEFORE loading it into the avid since the avid will do that anyway.

or maybe i´m misunderstanding your question.

frank.

[mik]

You're right..
I just wanted to know the difference between BWAV and MXF and why the editor refused the MXF. I know now that it's only a container difference.
Thanks

[Frank Kruse]

Originally Posted by mik

You're right..
I just wanted to know the difference between BWAV and MXF and why the editor refused the MXF. I know now that it's only a container difference.
Thanks

AFAIK even the editor doesn´t have a choice about the media-file format. In certain types of projects the AVID will use MXF as the storage-container, wether he likes it or not.

In SD-projects you can chose between BWAV and AIFF, AFAIK. Maybe MXF is also an option but it doesn´t have any advantage for us sound editors. Actually MXF slows PT down so if you can chose use BWAV as the avid´s audio media storage format.

good luck.

frank.