Audio conform from EDL

[Alex Hirzel]

I have been working with an editor on trying to roundtrip a sequence out of Avid, but haven't had much luck. We transcoded to DNxHD 36 using the AAF/MXF export in Redcine. The editor then synced audio and cut together a quick sequence, and we are now trying to relink to the original R3Ds and BWFs. Originally we were hoping to use Redcine, but have since determined that Redcine will not conform audio files that have not been synced directly to R3Ds.

We are now trying Davinci instead. I have loaded all the necessary clips and BWFs into a bin, and matched the project settings to the timeline settings in Avid. When I attempt to import the EDL (CMX3600), the video track populates correctly, but the audio tracks do not. If I check the box to replace disconnected media with slug, the audio tracks are still empty.

So now my question is, does DaVinci support audio conform from an EDL? I have looked through the manual, but haven't found a solid answer either way. Thanks for any help!

 

[Marc Wielage]

No, it does not. You need to do the audio conform in an audio-only program like Pro Tools. There are (not inexpensive) add-on programs that will conform the sound to match the mix, and even ripple changes as those come along. You'll have to make absolutely sure that the sound reel information and sound timecode information is present in order for the sound conform to work. Without that, it basically all has to be done by hand -- which can be done, but it's not fast nor is it cheap.

Typically, what's done is you export OMFs or AAFs and give those to the sound editor/mixer, and they handle this entire process. Once that's done, they'd prepare one complete file per reel, and those you could sync up by hand using a 2-pop in Resolve.

Now, this could change in Resolve 11, since they are positioning this program to be a final conform program. Me personally, though, I think you're much better off keeping color and sound as separate processes that only come together when the final deliverables are created.

 

[Paul Sage]

Dont know if this will help, but try an AAF out of AVID instead of an EDL. If that doesn't work, try getting the audio to conform in FCP using the AAF and automatic duck.
I have had success with linking audio in Resolve via an XML from FCP.

I havent ever tried this with Avid or AAF, but give it a shot.

 

[Alex Hirzel]

Thanks for the info Marc! Paul, we may give the AAF a shot, just to see if it works.

 

[Mike Halper]

Try Automatic Duck (it's free now). I had an issue getting Resolve to import an Avid AAF. I used Automatic Duck to send the AAF to FCP7, then exported an XML from FCP7 and it imported into Resolve properly. It even kept some speed changes that the AAF->Resolve was losing.

 

[Marc Wielage]

Automatic Duck can be a very useful tool. But if the individual clips were all shot on different days, and they don't have the embedded reel information in addition to the timecode, I think any editing program will get lost trying to make sense of the sound track.

I strongly think Alex needs to hire an audio editor to come in and prepare the soundtrack to do this right. This is not something that should be done in the Avid bay per se. And I've never in my life seen an Avid or Final Cut Pro bay setup so that you can really hear everything going on in the soundtrack.

If this is just dailies, then I have no problem with a temporary soundtrack (like a mono mix) going out, since that's been standard procedure for about 80-90 years that I know of. But for a final, no way.