I am having a hard time taking my Sound Devices .BWAV multitrack (up to 12 tracks) files into Nuendo 5.5.2 for mixing/sweetening, and then sending the multi tracks back into Final Cut Pro 7.0.3. Soundtrack Pro 3 has some features but is not great for mixing. i also can’t run the Noise Reduction feature in STP with my .BWAV files… I have to convert them to AIFF first… kind of a PITA.
If anyone has some knowledge about this workflow, kindly reply or call me @ 413-348-0591 if you have time.
With the risk of being slightly off topic I also have an issue with importing BWF’s from SD 788T.
Mediabay sees the correct naming of tracks set by the 788T. So wouldn’t be normal for nuendo to import the polifonic files split according to their names? All I can see in the naming import options is some 5.1 naming convention, numbering, and that’s all. There is no option to append the real track name to the split files.
According to KB, iXML track name implementation is present in nuendo since version 4. But where and how? https://www.steinberg.net/en/support/knowledgebase_new/show_details/kb_show/ixml-implementation-in-nuendo-4/kb_back/2020.html?tx_p77sbknowledgebase_pi1[filter_1]=1
The 788T-SSD only want to record poly or multi mono .wav files. Import into Nuendo brings the track names in as 5.1 surround naming rather than track 1-8, L&R, etc.
I have been in contact with Sound Devices and the issue is not on their end. I am contacting Steinberg about the trace naming convention to see if they can adopt the recorder track naming. The best solution for now is to change the track names in Nuendo and then export as AIFF or other format that FCP/Adobe Premiere Pro will accept.
This is a big problem when getting any polyphonic files that needs to be splitted unless they are in surround format. This has been discussed before (long ago) but nothing’s changed. This really needs to be addressed.
I am not sure I understand the problem.
We have a SoundDevices 744T and can import the file names without problem, in the correct format.
Pool/Import/Open/Import Options
(Copy File into Directory […] Split Channels […] Split File Namer Format = “2” Audio_01.wav)
The files import correctly as “Name_01”, Name_02, Name_03, Name_04.
I do location recording also. Many times I use Cantar X. With it I can name tracks like Boom1, Actor1 Actor2, hidden mic etc… according to what those tracks have in them. This data is stored in the metadata of the sound file. Avid can see it, PT can see it and show it on clips with the filename (which in Cantars case is first two letters then 4 numbers, like this; OC1234).
When importing and splitting these embedded files to Nuendo they will be named like this :
UG1096== 6 94t 1 ==PN_C,
UG1096== 6 94t 1 ==PN_L
UG1096== 6 94t 1 ==PN_Lc
UG1096== 6 94t 1 ==PN_LFE
etc…
They should show as intended, for example like this (as it is in the original file)
UG1096== 6 94t 1 ==Boom1
UG1096== 6 94t 1 ==Boom2 hidden
UG1096== 6 94t 1 ==Actor1
UG1096== 6 94t 1 ==actor 2
etc…
Yeah, that is when you don’t change the Import Settings.
You have to set the Split File Namer Format to= “2” Audio_01.wav
This will import your files as:
But I don’t want clips/files to be _01, _02 …
I want clips/files to be as they are named. They are not named 1,2,3,4…
They are named like Boom1, Boom2, actor (lav)1 actor (lav)2…
And I want it be shown with the clip name. No use for metadata unless I can’t see it…
Do I understand you correctly that PT and Avid, use the metadata from the Poly Bwav and “inject/add” that metadata into the split files’ name upon import, is that correct?
Which would mean we would need an extra field in the “split file name format”, called “Track Metadata”.
Correct?
Do you have any idea what the metadata field is where this information is stored in the Cantar ?
Probably a sub-Tag of “Track”.
Note: It seems that our 744T also supports iXML. So I can do the same.
Will do some testing.
Hi Fredo!
In PT and Avid it is not stored in the name but it nonetheless shows the metadata (ie. boom1, boom2 etc.) with the clip. You can choose what info PT shows with clips.
Where this metadata is technically on Cantar, I don’t know. You have to contact Aaton for that. But it is the same with DEVA and others.
No matter what the recording equipment is, there should be an option to see included metadata with the files/events on timeline and pool.
And in a perfect world while importing/splitting you could choose what metadata you want to see/attach to the file so that unwanted/unneeded data won’t fill your screens
Steinberg should work closely together with Zaxcom, Aaton and Sound devices (even fostex ) to ensure that workflow is seemless.
But you seemed to get the picture right. Hope this feature will find its way to Nuendo.
Bye / Tumppi
The track information is stored in the description field of the bext chunk, and can also appear in the iXML chunk.
I’ve done a lot of research & testing on all this, as it’s a subject I teach at the UK Nation Film school Etc. . Here are some relevant (I hope) parts of notes i wrote.
A widely used and rather useful element in the Description field is TRK. Eg, a Sound Devices SD744T recorder can label each of its 4 tracks with info as to what is on each track & with say ProTools v7.2 or newer this can appear as a track label on each of the mono files it uses on the timeline – very handy.
In the Description Field the data will be written something like this:-
sTRK1= boom mic
sTRK2= Anna Rad Mic
sTRK3= Fred Rad mic
sTRK4= Delia Rad
Here are some more metadata examples
sPROJECT=
sFILENAME=
fEVENT=
uFRAMERATE=
aTAG=
aTYP= (eg mono)
sSWVER= (Software Version)
… the Description & Coding history fields are not defined by the EBU who designed the BWF format nor the AES who ratified it.
What’s happened is manufacturers wanting to add extra info have developed a kind of de-facto, semi standard widely used but with variations. …
… iXML
In an attempt to overcome the ambiguities of the use of the Description field in the bext chunk the IBS (Institute of Broadcast Sound) with a lot of input and co-operation from NLE & DAW manufacturers have come up with a new additional Wav Chunk using the increasingly common XML script language.
It’s potentially very extensive and is being adopted quite widely. Here is a partial list. Add http://www. to the addresses below for full URL’s to details of iXML implementations. …
… Because the bext chunk, iXML chunk and a session wrapper like OMFI can all carry the same types of information, there is the possibility that they have different values in them.
At the moment ProTools (Vers 7.2 or newer) sets the priority to:-
OMF or MXF
iXML
bext
BWF-Widget Pro will look for relevant data in the bext chunk if it’s not there then look at the iXML chunk. See the links at the end for more details …
) to ensure that workflow is seemless.