Export voice over dub to PT keeping timecode..?

Nuendo
1

Hi, I looking for the best way to…

Record new voice to film, then export it so ProTools can read it, It must be separate clips, not one long file… How do I save the voiceover so every clip relate to the timecode on the film?

I hope one can understand what I am talking about…

Regards Micke-

2

Export to AAF should work fine.
Otherwise you could bounce each event in place and just use spot to TC in PT. but since PT is pretty stupid and can only align one audio file at the time it is quite slow if there are many different parts.

3

hi,
the client talked about OMF file… they want separate clips, it is over one hour of clipbased voice over/dub.

4

OMF should work to.
But i haven’t exported a OMF from Nuendo in many years so I don’t know if it does work still.

5

OMF is a useful option.

There is a better option though, but it lacks of implementation but maybe Steinberg may take a look into it so it can be used in the future:

  • Record your Voice Over as 1 event or as separate events. Nuendo adds a timestamp to the newly recorded files
  • Edit your Voice Over track
  • Render In Place (as separate events) your Voice Over events and save your newly created audio files into a separate folder with specific names
  • Audio/Update Origin on all the newly created events: this is the part that doesn’t work. Nuendo doesn’t write a timestamp to its newly created (Rendered In Place) audio-files, so these timestamps can’t be updated…Update Origin is -another- useless function, but hopefully in the future this will be fixed?
  • Find your events in the Pool and in your file-system. These audio files should be the actual -edited- Voice Over files with a timestamp which refers to their current position in the timeline. You may now import these audio files into Pro Tools in SPOT-mode which sends the audio files to their timestamped-position, and yes; this is a very time-consuming workflow…

If you do not Render In Place your Voice Over events, you may want to use Update Origin on the original Voice Over events, which then, will work! Update Origin only works on files which have a timestamp already. I don’t know why but on files without a timestamp it won’t work…quite silly.

Niek/ Amsterdam.

6

Hi, Thanks! But the other part “you may want to use Update Origin on the original Voice Over events,” I do not understand…Nuendo is made for this task? It sounds quite difficult to do this… Still not really sure how to move on…

7

Spot mode… is that something in Protools?

Micke.

8

In Pro Tools when you’re in “spot” mode if you drag a file onto the timeline it won’t just land where you release it, it will open up a window and give you the option to spot to original timecode location. So if you record a file at 01:12:13:15 for example then if you drag that from the ‘bin’/region list in Pro Tools and release it at any different timecode location on the timeline it’ll open that window and you’ll get the option to spot it to 01:12:13:15 anyway.

It’s one reason why I started using BWAV files exclusively years ago when some people still were using files that didn’t save that metadata.

9

BUT. PT can ONLY spot one file at any one time.
So it is a really slow process unless there are just a few events.

IIRC it’s something like click event to open spot, click button to grab source TC and then enter. For each and every event. In Nuendo to do the same you just select all the events and use move to origin command. Regardless of how many files there are.

10

I just meant to explain what “spot” does. That was all.

11

Spot mode… is that something in Protools?

Yes, MatthiasNYC already explained it; by pressing F3 one can change ProTools’ Edit Mode to “Spot Mode”, which “asks” to which timecode one wants to move his clips to.

BUT. PT can ONLY spot one file at any one time.
So it is a really slow process unless there are just a few events.

Definitely true (unfortunately), but there is this -free- script which automates all the clicking for you (Mac only), but has a serious manual to read through first.

…But the other part “you may want to use Update Origin on the original Voice Over events,” I do not understand…Nuendo is made for this task? It sounds quite difficult to do this… Still not really sure how to move on…

I meant: if you record your Voice Over directly in Nuendo, Nuendo will add a timestamp to your audio files while recording. You need that timestamp when you want to simply take those audio files into Pro Tools in order to have Pro Tools move them to the correct timecode position.

  • When you edit the Voice Over recordings in Nuendo (for instance; when you make one or more long recordings and you cut them into pieces) you have to re-assign the timestamps to your audio files, by means of the command “Update Origin”, but since you have cut your audio files into pieces, you have to Render them In Place first in order to get “an audio file per event” instead of 1 (or more) long audio files. This is where Nuendo’s weak sides show up: Nuendo only adds timestamps to files which were recorded within Nuendo, and when one Renders an event In Place Nuendo doesn’t add a timestamp to this newly created audio file, so now you have your “audio file per event”, but you can’t add its timecode position to it (Update Origin), simply because it doesn’t contain a timestamp…I’m afraid OMF still is the best option in this situation.
  • When you don’t edit your Voice Over recordings and when you leave the events in Nuendo equal (unaltered) to its underlying audio files, you can use these audio files in Pro Tools, simply by importing them/dragging them into the timeline in Spot Mode. Pro Tools will recognise Nuendo’s timestamp and move (spot) the clips to their correct positions…

Both Nuendo and Pro Tools have their pro’s and cons in their workflows and in this particular situation quite some weak points in both applications come to the surface. Still a long way to go for both Steinberg and Avid I’m afraid…

Niek/ Amsterdam

12

Ok… Thanks again for your explanation. I`ll guess I have to try for myself tomorrow and will be back whwn I sorted out whats happening…
Again thank you for your effort!

Micke.

13

Hi Micke.
I export in AAF format on a daily basis to be opened in protools and never had problems. My clients work with protools and never complained. If you record Broadcast Wave files in Nuendo , I think exporting in AAF will work for you. OMF did not work for me. Protools reads time codes wrong with OMF.

RB

14

Hi rbesser, I tried in Nuendo to export OMF wich worked fine so that was not fun to hear that it is not reliable…OK, I will try AAF, next question, how do you keep track of all the clips? How do I name each and every clip with its specific number? I am dubbing to Swedish and a guy i America will continue with post so if the clips is not in the right order, he or she will not know if its the right dub in the righ place…

Micke.

15

The best way to do it IMO is using “render in place”. Unfortunately , the way I think you want it (with a sequence number), you can only do it one track at a time. Select the track and all the audios you want to rename in a sequence. Open “render in place”. Select “as separate events” at the top-> Dry. Unlock the name and write the name you want ( the new track has to be renamed after the rendering so it matches de audio files). Select the path you want( if you want it in another place) and render. A new track will be created with the name you gave and in a sequence. After that, select all the “New” tracks you created and export it as AAF.

Hope it works for you

RB

16

Render in Place has the weak point that the newly written audio files don’t get a timestamp included.
That’s an omission Steinberg forgot to implement and renders this function -as an exporter- useless for the moment…see my 2 cents above…

Though, as a “renamer” only, Render In Place has its advantages, but I’d use the “Rename Objects” function with audio files selected in the Pool.

Niek/ Amsterdam

17

Hi, Big Thanks to you both! I will try this when back in studio…

Really appriciate!
Micke,Sweden