Editing audio in different programs?

captainate · 3rd February 2012

I've done a few video projects before, but I still fall well within the bounds of "newb-dom." With that disclaimer out of the way, I have a question I'm sure exists in lots of places that I can't find.

I will be recording a theatrical setting of a children's story, with chamber music, narration, and ballet dancing. There will be cuts in the video, taking the best bits from each of the 7 performances. It is going to be an elaborate (for my experience) 16-track affair, up there with the biggest live projects I've done. Once I have finished the tracking, I am to hand the audio off to the video editor. Here's my problem:

I can't edit the multi-tracked audio without knowing where the cuts are and from what performance they are from. I assume I will hand off the audio in its multitrack entirety to be cut and spliced. I am lost after that... I will need to get the audio back to do final editing (cleaning up of cuts/splices, all kinds of mixing and automation, etc.)

So how do they do this professionally? Is all the audio editing handled in the film program like FCP? I use Logic, and would much prefer to not learn a brand new program, with fewer audio tools. Is there a way to get the cut audio back, fades and overlaps intact (not bounced stems, for the sake of clean edits) and re-import them into Logic for final editing? HELP!

inf0l · 3rd February 2012

Just ask the video editor to export the audio as an OMF (Open Media Framework) file which you can then import into Logic.

Be sure to specify how you want the audio, i.e.:

bit depth
sample frequency
handle lenght (the amount of 'extra' time that you can expand the clips at the beginning/end of each clip - be sure to ask for at least 5 seconds to ensure that it is possible to create nice crossfades)
crossfades (I usually prefer to make my own crossfades rather than tweaking what the video guys did, but YMMV)
levels (same as above)
pan info

Good luck!

pethenis · 3rd February 2012

Ideally the "main" camera and multitrack recorder are locked (timecode) and you feed the main camera a temp mix during the show. The editor works with that temp mix and gives you the finished picture and an EDL. Pro Tools can now exchange the edited tempmix for your original multitracks, i don't think Logic can...

What I would do is book a professional Pro Tools post guy for an hour and do just that, taking away something you can open in Logic.

In theory, THE FCP editor COULD import your multichannel tracks and work with them, but editors hate that, because they are not used to working with that many tracks, it slows them down and it slows the editing system down.

BUT.... Unless your editor is very experienced, really musical and audio post savy, I would advise him to work with larger blocks; pick the best performance of one thing ( song, dance routine) out of the seven and use the unedited audio as the foundation. Put the video of that take on top and touch up with shots from the other 6 shows. That way you don't get into trouble trying to match bar 16 from night 2, with The sound of bar 17 of night 5 (you won't be able to) and you might be able to sync things up yourself without the help of Pro Tools.

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainate

I've done a few video projects before, but I still fall well within the bounds of "newb-dom." With that disclaimer out of the way, I have a question I'm sure exists in lots of places that I can't find.

I will be recording a theatrical setting of a children's story, with chamber music, narration, and ballet dancing. There will be cuts in the video, taking the best bits from each of the 7 performances. It is going to be an elaborate (for my experience) 16-track affair, up there with the biggest live projects I've done. Once I have finished the tracking, I am to hand the audio off to the video editor. Here's my problem:

I can't edit the multi-tracked audio without knowing where the cuts are and from what performance they are from. I assume I will hand off the audio in its multitrack entirety to be cut and spliced. I am lost after that... I will need to get the audio back to do final editing (cleaning up of cuts/splices, all kinds of mixing and automation, etc.)

So how do they do this professionally? Is all the audio editing handled in the film program like FCP? I use Logic, and would much prefer to not learn a brand new program, with fewer audio tools. Is there a way to get the cut audio back, fades and overlaps intact (not bounced stems, for the sake of clean edits) and re-import them into Logic for final editing? HELP!

captainate · 9th February 2012

Thank you all SO much. This little window of information has given me enough to start my research. It seems like OMF is the way to go, at least for use in Logic. I'll have to do a test run working with OMF's, or is it pretty straightforward for an experienced Logic user?

3rd February 2012	#1
captainate Gear addict Joined: Sep 2009 Location: Eugene, Oregon Posts: 360 Thread Starter	Editing audio in different programs? I've done a few video projects before, but I still fall well within the bounds of "newb-dom." With that disclaimer out of the way, I have a question I'm sure exists in lots of places that I can't find. I will be recording a theatrical setting of a children's story, with chamber music, narration, and ballet dancing. There will be cuts in the video, taking the best bits from each of the 7 performances. It is going to be an elaborate (for my experience) 16-track affair, up there with the biggest live projects I've done. Once I have finished the tracking, I am to hand the audio off to the video editor. Here's my problem: I can't edit the multi-tracked audio without knowing where the cuts are and from what performance they are from. I assume I will hand off the audio in its multitrack entirety to be cut and spliced. I am lost after that... I will need to get the audio back to do final editing (cleaning up of cuts/splices, all kinds of mixing and automation, etc.) So how do they do this professionally? Is all the audio editing handled in the film program like FCP? I use Logic, and would much prefer to not learn a brand new program, with fewer audio tools. Is there a way to get the cut audio back, fades and overlaps intact (not bounced stems, for the sake of clean edits) and re-import them into Logic for final editing? HELP! __________________ Captainate

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3rd February 2012	#2
inf0l Gear interested Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 25	Just ask the video editor to export the audio as an OMF (Open Media Framework) file which you can then import into Logic. Be sure to specify how you want the audio, i.e.: bit depth sample frequency handle lenght (the amount of 'extra' time that you can expand the clips at the beginning/end of each clip - be sure to ask for at least 5 seconds to ensure that it is possible to create nice crossfades) crossfades (I usually prefer to make my own crossfades rather than tweaking what the video guys did, but YMMV) levels (same as above) pan info Good luck!

9th February 2012	#4
captainate Gear addict Joined: Sep 2009 Location: Eugene, Oregon Posts: 360 Thread Starter	Thank you all SO much. This little window of information has given me enough to start my research. It seems like OMF is the way to go, at least for use in Logic. I'll have to do a test run working with OMF's, or is it pretty straightforward for an experienced Logic user?