AAF import/export

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bogmusic
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AAF import/export

Post by bogmusic »

Hi guys
I am a prospective DP8 convert having used Sonar for years. Well - lets put it like this, It's a question of when rather than if! (I will probably keep my Sonar up to date because I want to carry on doing my bit to support Cakewalk and still enjoy using Sonar)

I received an ipad mini as a gift and have installed auria (very nice little iOS multitracker) which can import / export AAF files. I would love to be able to transfer mobile projects to DP8 (and back sometimes).

Does anyone have any experiences or tips on using AAF files with DP. I am assuming that I would be transferring unprocessed audio tracks to keep keep things simple and using the native plugins at each end (maybe permanently sitting in aux busses)

Any help welcome as I have no experience with AAF files.

Regards
Simon
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Radiogal
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by Radiogal »

Run the DP8 Demo and try it out for yourself.
DP is supporting AAF import/export so it should work.
Only audio and tracks can be imported/exported in the AAF process. No plugins.
MAC PRO 6 Core 3.33 GHz, 16 GB RAM, OSX 10.8.5, DP 9 MAC and WIN (64bit/Jbridge) AMPGUI Mellow, Logic 10, Wavelab 8 MOTU 24I/O (x2), MOTU 2408 MK3 (2x), WAVES Mercury 9, SSL, UAD2Quad, McDSP, Sound Toys, Sonnox, Sonalksis, NomadFactory, T-Racks, P&M, LexPCM, AbbeyRoad, DSM, VCC, VTM, FGX, Melda, EWQL SymphOrch/Piano Gold. Mixingdesk: AMEK Big 44, TK BC-1MK2, SSLcomp clones, GAPPre73, PCM91, TC, FMR. Monitors: Genelec 1031, ADAM A7, >40 mics http://www.ragdollproduction.com
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MIDI Life Crisis
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

Also, when exporting pay close attention to how you export. The options you select can make all the difference on how successful your transfer will be. But AAF has been very reliable, at least into Pro Tools studios.
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bogmusic
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by bogmusic »

So far I have not managed to successfully import an aaf file exported from Auria.

I have checked with the guys on the Auria forum and they say that there is no problem impoting/exporting into the Mac version (DP7&DP8).

All I get when I import into DP8 Windows is an empty project - no tracks and no audio. The aaf file exported from auria imports back into auria ok though.

Is a windows aaf different from a Mac aaf?

In the mean time I am loving DP8. Bundles concept is a bit weird but easy to grasp. PCIe424 and 1224 working very nicely (after changing word clock settings from 424-internal to 1224-internal)

I have had a couple of error messages during autosave after opening DP files created in Mac version but no problems when starting from scratch.

Still on the demo but my money is beginning to burn a hole in my pocket!
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by Radiogal »

Did a quick test:

OMF DP8.03 WIN to DP8.03 MAC works fine.

OMF DP8.03 WIN to Logic 9.1.8 MAC Works fine.

AAF Logic 9.1.8 MAC to DP 8.03 MAC Works fine
MAC PRO 6 Core 3.33 GHz, 16 GB RAM, OSX 10.8.5, DP 9 MAC and WIN (64bit/Jbridge) AMPGUI Mellow, Logic 10, Wavelab 8 MOTU 24I/O (x2), MOTU 2408 MK3 (2x), WAVES Mercury 9, SSL, UAD2Quad, McDSP, Sound Toys, Sonnox, Sonalksis, NomadFactory, T-Racks, P&M, LexPCM, AbbeyRoad, DSM, VCC, VTM, FGX, Melda, EWQL SymphOrch/Piano Gold. Mixingdesk: AMEK Big 44, TK BC-1MK2, SSLcomp clones, GAPPre73, PCM91, TC, FMR. Monitors: Genelec 1031, ADAM A7, >40 mics http://www.ragdollproduction.com
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

Rgal, you're not gonna make many friends around here if you keep posting positive results and fanboy (fangirl?) claims that DP actually works.

Since installing DP 8 I've developed a slight itchy spot on my back (MOTU must face). Now I suppose you're going to say that YOUR back hasn't itched once since installing the update?
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Radiogal
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by Radiogal »

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:Rgal, you're not gonna make many friends around here if you keep posting positive results and fanboy (fangirl?) claims that DP actually works.

Since installing DP 8 I've developed a slight itchy spot on my back (MOTU must face). Now I suppose you're going to say that YOUR back hasn't itched once since installing the update?
I have tested some of the things others report as problems.
I haven´t encountered the itchy spot yet myself in the MAC version as I haven´t put DP 8.03 MAC to test yet.
Gonna have a recording session tomorrow. Let´s see what happens.

I´m playing around with the DP WIN version on my laptop in the TV sofa at evenings and I´ve found plenty of bugs. Most of those where solved with the 8.03 update.
MAC PRO 6 Core 3.33 GHz, 16 GB RAM, OSX 10.8.5, DP 9 MAC and WIN (64bit/Jbridge) AMPGUI Mellow, Logic 10, Wavelab 8 MOTU 24I/O (x2), MOTU 2408 MK3 (2x), WAVES Mercury 9, SSL, UAD2Quad, McDSP, Sound Toys, Sonnox, Sonalksis, NomadFactory, T-Racks, P&M, LexPCM, AbbeyRoad, DSM, VCC, VTM, FGX, Melda, EWQL SymphOrch/Piano Gold. Mixingdesk: AMEK Big 44, TK BC-1MK2, SSLcomp clones, GAPPre73, PCM91, TC, FMR. Monitors: Genelec 1031, ADAM A7, >40 mics http://www.ragdollproduction.com
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bogmusic
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by bogmusic »

Radiogal wrote:Did a quick test:

OMF DP8.03 WIN to DP8.03 MAC works fine.

OMF DP8.03 WIN to Logic 9.1.8 MAC Works fine.

AAF Logic 9.1.8 MAC to DP 8.03 MAC Works fine
OK but unfortunately not much help to my situation.
Auria exports AAF not OMF
How about AAF DP8.03 MAC to AAF DP8.03 WIN?

Regards
Simon
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bralston
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by bralston »

bogmusic wrote: OK but unfortunately not much help to my situation.
Auria exports AAF not OMF
Should work just fine. Its the export settings that need to be paid attention to. embed the audio files. do not reference them. Usually deinterleaved. Wav or AIFF. etc...
bogmusic wrote:How about AAF DP8.03 MAC to AAF DP8.03 WIN?

Regards
Simon
Would not be needed really because the same DP file on windows should open on a MAC just fine. The files are now cross platform. Only issue might be a plugin on MAC that does not exist on WINDOWS making it error in some way. Like an audio unit on a MAC where audio units are OSX only. So if I were doing that (DP8.03 MAC to DP8.03 WIN) ....I would make sure everything was bounced or frozen into audio and save out a new file copy removing all plugins in the mixer (except perhaps any of the stock MOTU stuff), then reopening the same file in DP on a PC should be fine.
Regards,

Brian Ralston

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bogmusic
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by bogmusic »

Brian
Thanks for your assistance
There are no options for aaf export from auria apart from normal/split stereo for the audio files. I did get some assistance from the developer as quoted below:

My Post:
"I am having trouble trying to import AAF files into Digital Performer 8 (windows)
When I export the demo song as a test it imports back into auria ok but when I try to import in into DP8 it just gives me an empty project.
Any ideas what is happening? Is it a problem with DP or am I doing doing something wrong?
I have purchased auria but have not yet purchased DP8 as I am still testing alternatives. I do like DP8 which is at the top of my list at the moment so I hope you can help"


Developer's advice:
"We've had no issues importing an Auria AAF file into DP8 for Mac, but we haven't tried the Windows version yet. One thing to check is to make sure all your audio files are in the same folder as the actual aaf file (Auria doesn't generate embedded aaf files, so you need to copy both the audio files and the aaf file when importing into DP)."

My Post:
"In the mean time as a workaround, is there an easy way of populating blank regions of auria tracks with silence in order to match up all the individual track start-times to make the song simpler to reconstruct in a 3rd party DAW?"

Developer's advice
"There actually is a way to do what you describe. Auria has a mixdown option called Stems (in the file type menu of the mixdown box). This allows you to export each track as a complete file."

This is what I will do for now. It has it's own benefits - even if it is slightly less convenient - for one thing it means I can restrict data transfer via dropbox to newly recorded tracks. I just wanted to try both methods and make my own mind up later.

RadioGal - if you are reading this stay calm, I am definitely going for DP8 :)

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Radiogal
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by Radiogal »

I'm as calm as can be. :)
MAC PRO 6 Core 3.33 GHz, 16 GB RAM, OSX 10.8.5, DP 9 MAC and WIN (64bit/Jbridge) AMPGUI Mellow, Logic 10, Wavelab 8 MOTU 24I/O (x2), MOTU 2408 MK3 (2x), WAVES Mercury 9, SSL, UAD2Quad, McDSP, Sound Toys, Sonnox, Sonalksis, NomadFactory, T-Racks, P&M, LexPCM, AbbeyRoad, DSM, VCC, VTM, FGX, Melda, EWQL SymphOrch/Piano Gold. Mixingdesk: AMEK Big 44, TK BC-1MK2, SSLcomp clones, GAPPre73, PCM91, TC, FMR. Monitors: Genelec 1031, ADAM A7, >40 mics http://www.ragdollproduction.com
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

Can I borrow some of that? Or is there a Calm plugin? :banghead: :mumble:
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Re: AAF import/export

Post by mikehalloran »

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:Can I borrow some of that? Or is there a Calm plugin? :banghead: :mumble:
Hmmm... I just saw this. I don't know of a Calm plugin but Eventide does have an Angry plugin. It's free:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/com.eventide.p ... /Angry.htm
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