Are there ANY alternatives to OMF if you are using Cubase or Nuendo?

[Parisongs]

Final Cut Pro and Cubase 4.5.1 don't exactly play well together. The stereo files come into Cubase 4.5.1 broken. Also, when my director imported an OMF from me, all of the dialog track cuts were hard panned to the left. This was a real pain. Does Nuendo handle OMF better with FCP? I know that Nuendo is supposed to have more file import/ export options. If there is a more stable format than OMF or a more effecient way to deal, I'd sure like to know. There is a more recent update to Cubase- 4.5.2 but I can't seee anything on their site that says that it resolves any issuse with OMF. Then again- Steinberg are not very forthcoming with that sort of thing.

[Jesse Peterson]

Nuendo user here. getting split stereo out of final cut omf's is normal. I think it's because final cut splits stereo tracks on it's own. IMO I think omf is the best way to go btw these two platforms.

[philper]

Originally Posted by Parisongs

Final Cut Pro and Cubase 4.5.1 don't exactly play well together. The stereo files come into Cubase 4.5.1 broken. Also, when my director imported an OMF from me, all of the dialog track cuts were hard panned to the left. This was a real pain. Does Nuendo handle OMF better with FCP? I know that Nuendo is supposed to have more file import/ export options. If there is a more stable format than OMF or a more effecient way to deal, I'd sure like to know. There is a more recent update to Cubase- 4.5.2 but I can't seee anything on their site that says that it resolves any issuse with OMF. Then again- Steinberg are not very forthcoming with that sort of thing.

I bet if you ran your FCP OMFs thru a utility like AVTransfer or ProConvert (import and then re-export as the project type of your choice) you'd get much better results opening the project in Cubase.

Philip Perkins

[neilwilkes]

Originally Posted by philper

I bet if you ran your FCP OMFs thru a utility like AVTransfer or ProConvert (import and then re-export as the project type of your choice) you'd get much better results opening the project in Cubase.

Philip Perkins

+1 on ProConvert here.
It is - for me, so far, flawless. Okay - I am going from PTHD 7 to Nuendo, but it just works. With FCP, you will need to create an Apple XML file for import to Cubase, which will then go through PC to become a Steinberg XML file. Create new project, import Track Archive & off you go.
Going the other way around, export from Cubase as a Track Archive & create a Steinberg XML file. Take that into PC and create an Apple XML.
There are some great tutorials on the SSL ProConvert Website.
Nobody in our line of work should be without it - come to think of it, all mix engineers should have this tool. It really takes the pain out of format & platform troubles.

Stereo files will still be broken though, I suspect. This is not Cubase' fault.
I have this for all stereo files out of PT sessions too. There is an Audio Tool in PC that will allow you to join all dual stereo files into an interleaved one - but practise this procedure before using it in front of paying clients!!

If OMF is to be used, use Type 2 & embed the audio files. Trouble is you will get a 2Gb limitation.

[Jesse Peterson]

I use XML all the time to move things around different session in Nuendo. how does PC handle group channels when going to PT or FCP?

[Parisongs]

From the SSL site:

Cubase/Nuendo users need to use Steinberg XML format project files for conversion using Pro-Convert. Please ensure that your Steinberg software version supports XML file format import/export. Please also be aware that Pro-convert reads XML files generated in Cubase V3 to V4.0 (not Cubase v4.1) and Nuendo 2 to 3.x (Not Nuendo v4)and writes Steinberg XML file format v3, that can be read in Cubase V3-V4.1 and Nuendo V2-V4.0.

So, I guess I can't use my latest version of Cubase 4.5.1 to do any of this. What gives? I still have Cubase SX3 adjacent in my system but its been a while since I've fired it up.

[Flix]

Originally Posted by Parisongs

From the SSL site:

Cubase/Nuendo users need to use Steinberg XML format project files for conversion using Pro-Convert. Please ensure that your Steinberg software version supports XML file format import/export. Please also be aware that Pro-convert reads XML files generated in Cubase V3 to V4.0 (not Cubase v4.1) and Nuendo 2 to 3.x (Not Nuendo v4)and writes Steinberg XML file format v3, that can be read in Cubase V3-V4.1 and Nuendo V2-V4.0.

Where do you have that information from? It is really contrary to what I heard on this forum and read here:
Pro Convert - Format Overview

So far I have not had my hands on the product myself to see if it's worth its price. There's no Demo, right?

[edit machine]

those audio files are not "broken" they are multi mono format. thats how final cut handles audio, it does not use stereo interleaved files. pro tools is the same way, it has the ability to group the .L and .R files together into stereo files inside pro tools, but if you look in the audio files folder you will see that all the files are still in multi mono format.

that hard left and right panning on importing of omf's is also the norm, again this is because of the multi mono format.