AAF files with multiple sample rates

What if you import the AAF like it is, and convert the “wrong” files in the pool to the correct sample rate.
That should work, no!?

Fredo

And for the record. (And for the sake of sounding like an old fart)
The specification of the AAF protocol does not allow mixed sample rates.

AAF ASSOCIATION SPECIFICATION
Advanced Authoring Format (AAF)
Edit Protocol

(-)
7.3 Audio edit rate and sample rate
All audio tracks within a file shall have the same edit rate and sample rate.
(-)

Where the feature set of an exporting application supports program metadata that the Edit Protocol
specifically disallows (e.g. a program consisting of different audio sample rates which is disallowed in
Section 7.3), the application shall not export that metadata to an Edit Protocol AAF file. The omission of
any metadata on export in order to comply with the Edit Protocol should be logged.

Fredo

Hi Fredo,

That’s what I’ve been doing, but then the audio shifts inside the clips, leaving me with horrible music cuts that I have to manually adjust.

By the way, do you know of a way to sort the files in the pool according to sample rate? That would be really helpful. I can’t seem to be able to.

Marty.

Hi Marty,

Did you select “replace files”?
Seems to work for me here …

Sorting the info column seems to work for me, except that the first and last file stay “glued”.
But everything inbetween seems to sort fine.

Fredo

“My” info column sorts according to file length, not sample rate.

Marty.

Yep, said all that to the editor and got ‘but it works in Pro Tools’, unfortunately its not about who’s wrong or right but just whatever works

So the only workaround is to open it in pro tools or spend hours fixing all the edits that involve the converted audio? This needs a fix asap.

Dave

Dave

Have you tried my solution?
And there is always AA Translator …
http://www.aatranslator.com.au/

Fredo

Yep. I have gotten the same comment. Again, with PT being the industry standard Nuendo just needs to adopt some of the same functionality.

I have opened tracks with offensive audio in a separate 44.1 project, tweaked edits on that audio, bounced and then imported into my 48k project. At least that way I don’t have to rely on PT to get it done. But yea, I would certainly prefer a simple sample rate conversion on import.

Hi Fredo,

Converting and replacing the files does work, but the timing and the edits go out of whack. You don’t have that problem? Or are you just converting some random 44.1 files? Try a project with music edits. After the conversion the clips are off by a varying amount of frames.

By the way, I tried AATranslator, but it won’t open the AAF. I emailed them about it.

Marty.

Yeah, it indeed screws up edits like you say.
It is indeed a PITA. I absolutely hate it when someone decides that standards and protocols can be broken for their own convenience. Probably why AA Translator is having a problem with it too.

Fredo

FCP X is a PITA. Period. Too bad so many people use it. Give me an AVID AAF any day of the week…

The AAFs I am having a problem with are from Avid…

Well, then the editor should have no problem exporting it again at 48kHz. Yes I know, it works in PT…

Apparently it has something to do with pulling the bits of video with the offending audio off an isis server and not wanting to generate a bunch of new files converting everything and of course ‘it works fine in pro tools’. I just want to get on with the job and not have to argue.

Dave

Dave, I understand very well…
But still I´d insist of getting it right from the source. If we give up on this what is next?
Next time they make us convert the video also to correct format. They just give us what´s easiest for them.
Next they give us just the project and we have to do all the exports.

I don´t like this path although these are worst case scenarious.
We loose time, money and who´s responsibility it is if something is wrong after conversions etc…

That is already the case. On our last project, they refused to give us a ProRes becuase the files are too big, and they make one H264 for all parties concerned.
And we have to deliver our all premixes, intermediate stuff, also on a H264 video, so they can look/listen at it anywhere without having to deal with “adding audio to the video”.

We loose time, money and who´s responsibility it is if something is wrong after conversions etc…

There are no shortcuts, easy paths and faster procedures in post Production.
The problem just get shifted/moved/shoved in to someone else.
And since sh** floats downhill …
(There even was a time when sh** rolled downhill, but that is also a long time ago …)


Fredo

The main problem is that it works in pro tools. I work freelance picking up the over flow work for a company that also has an in house audio suite running pro tools. I insist on running Nuendo because I believe its to be far better (quicker and more efficient etc) than pro tools but it gets very tough making that argument when I have to go back to the editors and get them to redo exports for me that worked fine in the pro tools suite. Unfortunately Nuendo is still in the position that if pro tools can do it Nuendo needs to do it better.

Dave

I too think this needs to be addressed.

“Insisting” it be correct at the source is all very well, but it doesn’t take into account accidental errors. And video editing apps deal with mixed sample rate audio seamlessly. An editor might not even know theres a problem being sent down the line.

There’s no reason Nuendo shouldn’t be a gate keeper for us. Lawd knows there’s enough other problems for us poor post people to worry about!

Heiner:

I know I’m sounding like an old fart now, but that has slipped in recent years, as the technical skills of SOME newer colleagues leave somewhat to be desired, let’s say…

Yes, we’re old farts now - I’ve been farting for more than 30 years since it was mag stock and sample rate meant how fast you could try every beer on tap before last call. Current software built on our backs usually just magically works, leaving most new users oblivious to pitfalls. Then when it does happen, it’s hard to “retrain” users to look out for potential problems because they never had to experience the pain of them happening everyday. But I wouldn’t go back to “the good old days” for anything.

I haven’t installed the latest update (7.1.0) for Nuendo yet, I am on 7.0.40. But does anybody know if the “AAF with multiple sample rates” - issue has been fixed in it? I can’t find any reference to that in the version info. And in my opinion it is an issue that MUST be addressed in an upcoming update. I still receive AAF’s from editors with multiple sample rates which are not imported correctly. For this reason I have ProTools as well to import the AAF, and then export it as AAF to Nuendo.

Can anybody at Steinberg tell us if, and when this issue will be fixed??