Nuendo network functionality

Nuendo
1

We recently started to use the the Network functionality and it´s a really powerful feature when used by a well-organized group of Sound Editors.

Nevertheless we found some small bugs and details which could be improved:

1.)
Using the Commit_Changes keycommand without prior editing resulted in either a “Nothing to Commit” message or an error which forces me to restart Nuendo.
(This also happens with no slave-project connected)
My feature request is to remove the “nothing to commit” popup, It is useless and just an additional click.
In case that there is nothing to commit, Nuendo could simply ignore the command.
This would also cure the sporadic crashes in this context.

2.)
Nuendo does only updates automation data when there are editing changes in the same track. Automation changes do not change the network status of the track.
And automation changes are NOT updated in the slave project until it is completely disconnected and reconnected from the network.
This is inconsistent behaviour and in our case very annoying as we try to combine editing and mixing projects in our workflow.
Can someone confirm this behavior? I´m not 100% sure whether it´s a bug or maybe just unsuitable settings.

Thanks for your support,

Bernhard

2

I think the message needs to be there, but the application shouldn’t crash. Will try that.

2.)
Nuendo does only updates automation data when there are editing changes in the same track.

Mix and/or automation data is not supported in the networking feature. If it would be included, then someone else would be a able to ruin a good (pre)mix. The Networking functionality should only be used for adding/editing content to a master mix project.


HTH
Fredo

3

Hi Fredo,

I think the message needs to be there, but the application shouldn’t crash. Will try that.

Thanks, I hope you can repro it.
We run Nu32bit on Win764bit 8gb ram i7 and it crasches approximately one of 10 times submitting when there is nothing to submit.

Mix and/or automation data is not supported in the networking feature. If it would be included, then someone else would be a able to ruin a good (pre)mix.

Oh I see, so Steinberg should also exclude the editing feature, because someone else can ruin a well-aligned ADR track.
Joking apart:
Nuendo´s Network functionality includes a great rights management which could easily handle that. (read-only tracks).
Nuendo does network-update automation when we force-reconnect the slave sessions, so it´s already half way implemented.
And it can be a powerful feature as mixing and editing interweave increasingly: Imagine the sfx/foley/music editors always have an auto-updated dialog premix. Imagine two mixing stages working on the same film in parallel…

Bernhard

4

That wouldn’t cut it at all.
Currently the networking feature is build upon the idea that general “slaves” are adding or editing content for a “master”.
x-number of salves <=> Master
Your idea is based upon the idea that there are multiple independant slaves adding, editing or mixing content for a “Master” and all independant slaves.
Slave 01 <=> Slave 02 <=> Slave03 <=> Master.

The reason why mixer data is not included (at this current stage) is because most of the time, exchanging the mixer settings would be useless anyway, because the people who record, edit, trim, whatever … have a totally different setup, need completely other premixes and most of the time don’t listen to (and don’t have/want to listen to) the “complete” project. The dialog editor doesn’t have the complete project, the SFX dropper doesn’t run the complete project, the Foley recordist doesn’t deal with +200 tracks, etc …

Secondly, exchanging mixer data will bring many more problems, like missing plugins, different routings (each studio will have to have the same i/o config) and most importantly, someone else could easily screw up premixes or the Master_mix.


Nuendo does network-update automation when we force-reconnect the slave sessions, so it´s already half way implemented.

No. That is because -when connecting or re-connecting-, the project is copied to the slave. There is no updating of information, it’s plain copying.


And it can be a powerful feature as mixing and editing interweave increasingly: Imagine the sfx/foley/music editors always have an auto-updated dialog premix. Imagine two mixing stages working on the same film in parallel…

Just let the dialog mixers re-record their finals (minute by minute) into a temp-pre-mix track and commit that track to all other stations.

Again, I don’t see any reason why a Foley editor should drag around +200 tracks on his small stereo editing station. Same for the dialog editor, BG & SFX dropper.
Look at it in another way … When working on a theatrical Movie. How many stations (SFX drop, BG drop, Foley record, Foley Edit, Dialog Edit, etc …) are working in Surround?


That being said, I am a big fan of the networking feature, we use it a lot. Especially when things need to move fast. I agree with you, there is potentional to make this a “big” feature, but for that we need another structure and another approach.

Just my 2 cents …

Fredo

5

I know I’m dredging up an older post but this network updating issue is exactly what I’ve run into. I started using the N6 network feature for the first time this week and have realized that the automation and group tracks don’t update. In fact, I can’t get group tracks to appear at all on the secondary system.

This means my assistant can’t hear the project properly due to the fact that the sub groupings aren’t there. Many times I don’t even want him to make changes, but to do things like proof the content, print certain sections for other people, etc. This can’t happen unless it’s the same as what I have.

If there’s a way to get the group tracks to update please let me know. I would be so relieved to find out that I’m simply missing something.

Having the ability to activate all automation to update would be absolutely wonderful.

Thanks!

Darren “Network” Ingram