multiple audio files per take?

[Joe Riggs]

Typically, I'm used to getting 1 audio file per take, and that file will included all the audio tracks recorded for that take, so when I drop it in the timeline, all the tracks are connected.

This production sound mixer has been recording each track separately, so for scene 1 take 1, I'll have 4 files:

001Take1 - boom
001Take1 - lav
001Take1 - lav2
001Take1 - lav3

So now I have to select all four files, bring them into the timeline and connect them for each take. Not the end of the world but unless they are using a H4N, I've always received one audio file, with all audio tracks included in it. Thought this was industry standard?

 

[Christopher Mills]

reply to both your questions

reply to both your questions

I think you should issue some project specs to the sound dept on this project.
I am accustomed to 24bit, 48k, 23.976 being required for the majority of Red,Alexa, and Sony projects.. which are network and syndicated tv narrative, and digital origination studio feature films.
VERY occasionally, I would get a request for 48.048 24 fps.. usually when originating on film, or finishing on film.

While a CD sample rate recording may sound fine to a customer, it would be abnormal for the sound finish pipeline.

regarding your metadata.. this looks abnormal to me..

What is your workflow for dailies? maybe M Wielage or M Most will weigh in on this..

 

[Shiblon Wixom]

Use WaveAgent to combine them all into one poly file. Most Red prep/post workflows, short of actually editing in an NLE or VFX work, can be done with WaveAgent, Redcine, and Resolve.

 

[Nick Fury]

Hi Joe,

Just to clarify,

Your "production sound mixer" is not giving you a mix track, basically only isos? OTOH, the boom track is most often the best YMMV, depending...

Thank you very much

Fury

 

[Marc Wielage]

And a real production sound mixer is not going to use a Zoom H4N. That's a toy -- great for low-cost interviews, bad for anything scripted. You need a real mixer and a real recorder capable of doing a mix track on Channel 1, then isos on the other tracks. The rental on a system like that need not cost more than a couple hundred bucks a day, for a modest 4-track setup.

 

[Joe Riggs]

Marc,

100% agree, if I was involved at the hiring stage, perhaps things would have been different.

 

[Nick Fury]

Marc,

100% agree, if I was involved at the hiring stage, perhaps things would have been different.

Hi Joe,

I should hope so... Really, this sounds, so to say, like a very low budget deal, which is fine, but where in the budget was the post work for the sound anyway...

The lav isos will, almost certainly need work, etc., even if they can/should be used.

BTW, looking at your post regarding levels, related, apparently to this episode, sure seems very flawed, from inception. The Zaxcom line of products has gotten more affordable and rental rates have commensurately followed. They now have Neverclip and an autonix function. Just Sayin'

Thank you very much

Fury

 

[Marc Wielage]

100% agree, if I was involved at the hiring stage, perhaps things would have been different.

I'm very sympathetic -- it's never good when something hits the post stage, and we find out that the filmmakers failed to ask important questions before starting their shoot.

I think combining the files as a single polyphonic file in Wave Agent and then syncing that in one step should work "in theory." Did they at least use a timecode-capable recorder?

In a perfect world, what usually happens is the mixer identifies each iso track by the character name, so you get "Ch. 1 - Mix, Ch. 2 - Boom iso, Ch. 3 - Mary, Ch. 4 - Joe," and so on, up to 10 tracks or more. This track information should carry through post so that the dialogue editor will be able to conform these tracks and quickly see which actor is on which track. The mono track should suffice for the edit, but it looks to me like whoever did your project did not actually mix it. There's a huge difference between "sound capture" and "sound mixing."