Importing audio for post from FCP X

[ghobish]

I am trying to import audio from Final Cut Pro 10 v 10.1.1 (curent version) into DP 8.06. FCP X has no export facitlity for OMF/AAF (without an expensive plug-in) and I did try the FCP 7 import last week which worked beautifully.

I was surprised to find the DP8 does not recognize the XML format from FCP X. The only currently available plug-in that exports AAF from FCP X will only open in ProTools 11. So much for "standards."

Is there a trick I am missing? What is the best workaround for this situation?

Thanks!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

The silence is deafening. I'm guess it's not going to happen. The XML thing was a highly tauted feature in DP and if that isn't cutting it I don't know what will.

I suggest a screwdriver. Use a good vodka and fresh OJ.

[ghobish]

Wrote to Magic Dave, his response was basically what we knew- that it's broken because Apple changed the format. No mention of any plan, even a back burner one, to fix it. Suggested the "export as contiguous AIF file" idea but that is no solution.

Might have to buy X2Pro and deal either using or going through ProTools.

[vsoprod]

At this point you can use X to 7 to export an XML that can be read by FCP 7 or Premiere Pro. An OMF file can then be exported for use by DP.
FCP 7 is the preferred choice as its OMF can export levels and pan and the crossfades and fades transfer perfectly. The OMF from Premiere exports the audio fine but there is no levels or pan and DP does not read the crossfades.
I do lots of audio post for TV and doc work and at this point most of the work I get comes from Premiere and I'm hoping MOTU will make their import of OMFs compatible from Premiere.
What I like I like about the OMFs from Premiere is they don't have the 2gb file limit that FCP7 does.
BTW X to 7 is about 50 bucks.

[ghobish]

At this point you can use X to 7 to export an XML that can be read by FCP 7 or Premiere Pro. An OMF file can then be exported for use by DP.
...

Could be a viable option, yes. I wonder if there is an advantage to opening the XML in FCP7 just to export the OMF vs. directly importing it into DP? I've recently had some pretty good success with that workflow from native FCP7 projects.

[ghobish]

At this point you can use X to 7 to export an XML that can be read by FCP 7 or Premiere Pro. An OMF file can then be exported for use by DP.
...

Could be a viable option, yes. I wonder if there is an advantage to opening the XML in FCP7 just to export the OMF vs. directly importing it into DP? I've recently had some pretty good success with that workflow from native FCP7 projects.

Well, importing directly as XML does not work- there is a problem in the syntax with the path to the audio files that DP is not dealing with properly- but opening in FCP7 so far is working, as is the OMF export. A step forward!

These are very simple FCP X sessions- we will see how it handles more complex ones as time goes by.

[mastermixaudiomedia]

I just revisited this topic, having to move some audio out of FCPX for editing since that functionality within FCPX is shall I say, lacking.

I used the LE version of X2Pro for the XML -> AAF conversion, which at the time of this writing just got updated to version 2.3 which supports FCP XML v1.4 as well as spanned R3D files in Mavericks.

Importing the X2Pro AAF into DP results in a Project which has no audio in it, whether opened from the File menu or importing into an empty Project from File -> Import -> OMF/AAF As Project.

In order to get the audio I had to use(gasp) Pro Tools 10 to import the X2Pro AAF file which I then saved as another AAF(File -> Export -> Selected Tracks as New AAF/OMF...) that I was able to import into DP with the audio now in place. I've also had to do this with AAF's exported out of Avid Media Composer to get them into DP... a rather unfortunate necessity.

I don't know what is missing in the AAF's created by X2Pro or Media Composer, but once run through PT I can get stuff into DP no problem.

Ken

[mastermixaudiomedia]

And just re-revisited with the 8.07 update, same result.

Bumming

[JSmith1234567]

I had to do something similar last year.

FCPX to DP would not work.

Bought X2Pro, but after many hours of attempts and workarounds, it did not work for me.

To be honest, why should I even be considering a third-party program and workarounds?

Why can't DP work the way it's supposed to work, instead of always blaming Apple?

[Shooshie]

To be honest, why should I even be considering a third-party program and workarounds?
Why can't DP work the way it's supposed to work, instead of always blaming Apple?

It's a valid question for which I do not know the answer. But the situation may be more complex than we know. This isn't the first time that Apple has changed a format soon after MOTU went to great pains to provide an export/import path. Mach Five 2 was to be compatible with Apple Loops, but shortly after it came out, Apple changed the format and they no longer worked. Then there was a period in which exports to AIFF weren't working right. I don't remember much about it, but here is what I put in the Tips Sheet glossary at the time:

• AIFF-C/sowt Audio Interchange File Format - Compressed/sowt: A little-known audio file format introduced by Apple sometime in late 2006- early 2007 without documentation or announcement. While Apple's audio applications seemed unaffected (possibly because of insider information), others like Digital Performer were caught off-guard, and thus a bounce-to-disk with AIFF selected actually produces AIFF-C/sowt which shows up in the Finder as AIFC, but is not the same as the traditional AIFC format, which formerly was virtually interchangeable with AIFF. See Wikipedia for details.

Still, you'd think MOTU would fix anything like this as soon as it happens. I don't know why sometimes they don't and sometimes they do.

Shooshie

[JSmith1234567]

Still, you'd think MOTU would fix anything like this as soon as it happens. I don't know why sometimes they don't and sometimes they do.

That really sums it up better than I ever could!

Sometimes they are right on top of something, others times it can inexplicably go on for years.

[James Steele]

Any news on this one? I'm trying to do the same thing with no success. I don't already own FCP 7. Ugh. I'm wondering if latest Logic can import from FCPX and then it's possible to save from Logic to something DP can open?

[James Steele]

Got a email from a friend who suggested this:

The easiest way is make sure your audio dialog is assigned the role label: dialogue (which is pretty much default). Select “Share” and select “Master File”. When the dialog window opens, select the Settings tab and then under the format pull down select “Audio Only”, select your favorite format but the key is to select the “Roles As” pull down and select “Audio Only as Separate Files”. That will display all the roles labeled in the project (edit). Select your desired channel config and hit next.. (You don’t have to print all of the role-labeled tracks, you can remove the ones you don’t want with the ‘-“ button).
It will output the audio locked to the cut. You can then take it into DP and work with it there.

There's also an app called Project Xto7 that will convert a Final Cut Pro X XML file an older Final Cut Pro 7 XML file, which can then be loaded into DP:

https://s29039.gridserver.com/Intellige ... /catalog/2

It's $49.99. I have not tried it yet.

[Don T]

Hello,
My work flow for importing from Premier is to click "edit in audition" in the edit window. Let it do it's thing and Audition will open with the project. Save as OMF or AAF then open in DP or PT etc. MAke sure you are only referencing the audio and not embedding.

Don

P.S. I don't have FCPX so I cannot answer that.