ProTools question

[Cucco]

Okay - so I have a fairly simple question for some of you who would probably slap me for asking such a dumb question...but I don't use PT, so I don't know the answer.

I have client who wants several tracks mixed. They were recorded on PT HD3 and I use Sequoia.

Could I get PTLE with something like the MBox and then bounce the tracks out so that they're all equal length (fill in gaps with zeros) and then export to just a straight up wave format that I can then import into Sequoia and mix?

Does anyone know of any (inexpensive or free) other work arounds??

With the files I just downloaded, I'm looking at over 250 tracks of material - none of which is the same length and I'd have to spend HOURS lining it up properly.

Thanks!

Jeremy

 

[TVPostSound]

Jeremy,

Send me a copy of the "seesion" with no audio.
I can open it with no audio, and see the empty regions.
Ill email you back with a possible solution.

plg AT fivebyfivesound DOT com

 

[jenifer]

nice guyjavascript:emoticon('')

 

[bent]

I'm not sure of the PTLE compatability with HD3 sessions (looking on the M-Audio website, it appears that PT M-Powered 7.1 is compatible), but you certainly can bounce the tracks to any length you desire.

All you have to do is take the cursor shaped edit tool and drag it from the beginning of the region to the end, mute the tracks you do not want bounced, and PT will bounce only the area of the shaded region that you selected, and only the tracks that are active.

It will take a while, though - especially with 250 files.

For free or inexpensive workarounds, I cant really think of any other software that will open PT session files. Mac PT has a hard time opening up Windows PT sessions as it is, and vice versa, if they weren't saved with "Enforce Mac / PC Compatability" selected.

With all of the great things I've heard about Sequoia I'm kinda surprised that it won't open them.


I'll be grateful if anyone has a workaround for this head scratcher myself!

 

[TVPostSound]

I'm not sure of the PTLE compatability with HD3 sessions, but you certainly can bounce the tracks to any length you desire.
All you have to do is take the cursor shaped edit tool and drag it from the beginning of the region to the end, mute the tracks you do not want bounced, and PT will bounce only the area of the shaded region that you selected, and only the tracks that are active.
It will take a while, though - especially with 250 files.

People please stop depending on the bounce function.

bent, what you are suggesting is a time consuming (wasting) process, it wont even address his needs, there are many more ways to skin a cat in Pro Tools.

 

[bent]

I just found this useful tidbit:

Sessions created and saved as Pro Tools 7 sessions are always compatible on both Windows and Macintosh systems.

“Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility” is no longer necessary with the .ptf format that was introduced in Pro Tools 7. These files transfer back and forth between PC and Mac with no problems.

 

[bent]

TV,

If you know a way to do what he wants to do quicker, please let me know, I'm tired of bouncing tracks to make them all the same length to export to other programs.

 

[TVPostSound]

Highlight the earliest region in time on whichever track it is, shift click the last region in time on whichever track. Shift P, shift colon until all the tracks are highlighted, it will include blank space at the head and tail of tracks where regions start later, and end earlier.

Consolidate all tracks, it will create whole files that all start and end at the same time, then export to what sample, bit. etc he needs, if not already what he wants. Fades will be consolidated in the process. Spaces will be zeroed.


Bouncing in Pro Tools is not a good thing.

 

[TVPostSound]

FYI, consolidating will not process plugs and automation, Im assuming Jeremy just wants the tracked audio.

 

[bent]

TV,

I hate bouncing in PT, that's why here at home I use Vegas.
Render to new track... 10 seconds later - done!

 

[bent]

I assumed that he would turn off automation and plugins.

Consolidate all tracks, it will create whole files that all start and end at the same time

I also assumed that consolidating regions, regardless of your selection, would ignore the empty space at the head and tail...

You know what assume makes, OK it makes an assoutofme...

 

[TVPostSound]

You can also duplicate the tracks, and consolidate the duplicates. The files and regions on the original tracks will remain intact for other uses, consolidate will create new files.

I assume you knew that!!!

 

[bent]

Perhaps if I RTFM (funny, I tell other people that every day) I would have known:

When consolidating an entire audio track or
just an Edit selection, a new audio file is written
that consists of the entire selection, including
any blank space.

 

[BobRogers]

I should be better about consolidating tracks and discarding the dribs and drabs of my PT editing sessions. My guess is that Jeremy's 250 files will consolidate down to a very small number of essential tracks.

TV - what is the difference between the consolidate and export and using the bounce to disk functions in PT? Do you avoid using the bounce function completely?

 

[Cucco]

Thanks TV! I will take you up on your offer once I can move the files from my audio pc to a memory stick and then via e-mail.

Ultimately, I'm assuming I will wind up with far fewer essential tracks. I just did another track for this gentleman and it was 66 tracks - all equal length. However, many of the tracks were labelled "L" and "R" and it turns out that the recording engineer recorded mono source to a stereo track and thus gave me several too many tracks.

I'm wondering if maybe the tracks that are all the equal length would be the tracks I need to focus on and the rest of the tracks (fragments) are "discard" material...bad vocal takes, etc.

Thoughts??

 

[TVPostSound]

Consolidate's original purpose was to make a continuous file from a recording with multiple "punches".
When recording lets say one track of guitar, the first recording is a file, if you punch in a new solo, you now end up with 2 regions, start, and end, and a file for the solo. if you create fades for the solo in and out, you now have 3 regions, and 2 fades.
Regions are "virtual" files. Consolidation creates one continuous file from the above. Once you have "cleaned up" your tracks, you can then used the "deleted unused regions" function to clean up your regions bin so its not so big.
Since regions are virtual, and if you did a "save as" your saved session can remain a mess, but your session is tidied up!!

I personally never bounce, I used consolidate to do the above, or bus and record to track, if I need to process automation, and plugins. Since I deliver 48K 16bit to video editors for layback, my sessions start at 48K 16bit, so export is not even used.

 

[TVPostSound]

Protools records stereo, with discreet left and right tracks, so yes, you can have double mono, or true left and right tracks.

 

[UncleBob58]

Just out of curiosity, why not request the session as an OMF? That would give you all of the tracks and sound bites in their proper places and the fades should also be there.

 

[Cucco]

Good question....

Mainly because the files are roughly 10 Gigs (all files combined) and the studio is in Egypt.

 

[TVPostSound]

So Jeremy, can you ask them to consolidate their tracks as I described earlier, then if need be, export them to the right file type??