need PT help from Logic user

Through a strange series of events and misunderstandings I have ended up mixing a project that was recorded in protools. I got a CD in the mail the other day and it's basically the PT session and all of it's associated files. I was hoping that the recording engineer (RE) would export all the tracks in such a way that each audio file would be the same length and all I would have to do was line all the starts up. Unfortunately this is not the case and now I don't know where to put all of these audio files. In theory I know the song well enough that I would be able to line up transients and fix things that way, but I'd rather not resort to that as it seems like it would be a tedious and prone to errors.

I know that if the shoe was on the other foot that I could easily pull up the event list, enable "view event position and length in SMPTE", and then take screenshots to send to the MI so that he could line 'em all up that way. When I talked to the RE today he said that he wasn't aware of a way to do anything like that ...

So, I guess that's my question: Is there a way in PT to pull up an event list so that you can view the start position of all the regions ? That process would work as long as the regions are the full audio files, but based on what has been done with this song, I'm guessing that none of the regions have been shortened from the beginning ... meh ... I'm starting to ramble ...

any thoughts?

I didn't post this in the main Logic section as it seems to be more of a PT question, BTW ... sorry if I'm in error.

I'd love to learn a better way, but here's what I know:

In PT, go to the View menu>Region>and check 'current time'

Now the time for each region will be displayed in the arrange window.

You can have it be beat, sample, or time based - that's set in the transport display. Have him take a screenshot or two.

In PT, in x/4 time a quarter note = 960 tick things. In x/8 it is 480.

Just tell him to consolidate all the tracks and send them again.

It's an impossible job to attempt to recreate a session the way you are pondering.

m-m-m

If the files on the CD were exported from Pro Tools in WAV format, they should contain their position data.

When you import them into Logic they will appear at bar 1, but:

In the Arrange Window -

Audio/ Move Region to Original Record Position.

The audio region should move to where where it was originally recorded in Pro tools.

If you get this error message:

"The stored time stamp of 1 region(s) exceeds the limit of this project."

In Logic-

File/ Project Settings/ Synchronization. . .

Bar Position: 1 1 1 1 plays at SMPTE 01:00:00:00.00

Change SMPTE 01:00:00:00.00 to SMPTE 00:00:00:00.00

Then -

Audio/ Move Region to Original Record Position.

Richard

You are not dealing with an "export" from protools, you are dealing with the original session files.

They will have been trimmed, edited, copied and moved around in the arrange window, and only small portions of each file may have been used in the arrangement.

The time stamp will simply tell you the original record position, none of the subsequent editing or usage of that file.

You really are wasting your time attempting to reconstruct a session this way.

m-m-m

 

If the files on the CD were exported from Pro Tools in WAV format, they should contain their position data.

When you import them into Logic they will appear at bar 1, but:

In the Arrange Window -

Audio/ Move Region to Original Record Position.

The audio region should move to where where it was originally recorded in Pro tools.

 

If you get this error message:

"The stored time stamp of 1 region(s) exceeds the limit of this project."

In Logic-

File/ Project Settings/ Synchronization. . .

 

Bar Position: 1 1 1 1 plays at SMPTE 01:00:00:00.00

 

Change SMPTE 01:00:00:00.00 to SMPTE 00:00:00:00.00

Then -

Audio/ Move Region to Original Record Position.

 

Richard

Works perfectly!

Thanx so much.

m-m-m

Glad you got it working.

Richard

Hi guys,

Just wanted to say that this answer (and this forum in general), has saved my butt again! i've been trying to understand what this has all been about and what's going on with it...

In my case the original files were recorded in Cubase and the guy told me 100% that they have a broadcast time-stamp on the wavs. but doesn't know anything about logic so couldn't advise me.

Anyhows... can someone explain, Maybe RichardSX90 - since you posted the winning solution... (in a simple way) what exactly I was changing around in synchronisation settings etc? And why i had to change it in order for it to work in the first place?

I also don't even know what i was changing when I changed:

SMPTE 01:00:00:00.00 to SMPTE 00:00:00:00.00 ?

any help in understanding the overall concept and principle would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your time and knowledge,

Ket

Ket

Thanks - I'm glad my post helped you.

Unfortunately, I'm in the same position as you. I had searched around to find why timestamped audio files weren't located correctly when I imported them into Logic.

I don't know why changing SMPTE 01:00:00:00.00 to SMPTE 00:00:00:00.00 helped.

I'm sure there are people on the forum who will explain.

I did find a couple of videos which give some information about SMPTE, but they don't really answer the question of location audio files.

Working with Video PART 2 of 2

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=SFLogicNinja#p/search/1/Fh_M5h5jpto

Adding a movie or video in Logic with SMPTE offset

Sorry I can't be much help - I'd like to understand too.

Richard

Hi Richard,

No worries, thanks for the help though and for getting back to me so soon.

In my case (and i'm sure for many people on this forum) these are the little technical things that basically cause REAL problems...it's the time when technology hinders as opposed to helps (the error message means nothing unless you know the whole back story..well not to me anyhow)

Especially when you're just trying to get started out right and most of us work in smaller bedroom studios?

would be good if error messages came with some "normal, in plain English" help...

well anyhow, thanks for your time and maybe someone in the know will leave a reply : )

Ket

I also don't even know what i was changing when I changed:

 

SMPTE 01:00:00:00.00 to SMPTE 00:00:00:00.00 ?

 

any help in understanding the overall concept and principle would be greatly appreciated.

Ket,

Timecode stamps are applied to a wav file based on the project settings within the app that created them. So let's say you were going to deliver timestamped files to your girlfriend who was going to mix your tune in Pro Tools, just for example. It's easier to understand it this way.

If your project has a framerate of 29.97fps and starts at SMPTE time 0 hours, and you record a file that starts at 3 minutes, 10 seconds, 27 frames, then you're creating a file that has a timestamp of 00:03:10:27.

If you deliver that file to your PT girlfriend and her project has a start time of one hour, 01:00:00:00, and a framerate of 25fps, then she can't place it in her project for two reasons:

1. The file wants to be placed nearly 57 minutes before her project even starts. Error message!

2. There's no such thing as a 27th frame in a 25 frame per second project. Error message!

So you would NEVER deliver files without specifying project start time and framerate, especially to your girlfriend.

Why do projects start at one hour? SMPTE timecode reaches 24 hours and then wraps around to 0 hours. In the oldie days of post-production, sync'ing video and audio tape machines was common and still is to some degree. If you rewound your project to 00:00:00:00 and the tape machine was chasing it, in some cases the machine would pass 0 and keep rewinding for another 24 hours looking for 0 again! Not a good thing. So by setting all start times to one hour, if the machine passes the 1 hour mark, the autolocator just turns around and shuttles to the correct spot. Problem solved.

While this isn't so common a problem anymore, the one hour start has stuck as a matter of tradition.

Fader 8,

Yet again, thanks.

A few paragraphs of simple and to-the-point material and all is clear...

2 overall questions remain in my mind

1) Why would any DAW have a time stamp set up as a project setting of 00.00.00.00 (in this case it's Cubase, and i think it would have been a default setting) given that as a point of tradition things are set at 01.00.00.00... OR is Logic a bit of a stand-out case against the other DAWs?

2) Project Frame Rates? I only thought that Frame rates were really relevant for Film? I know that Logic is also set up for sound-for-film and so you can set frame rates...

• But is there a more standard frame rate which DAWs are set to?

Thanks for your help, and advice

Ket

Why (in my particular case) did my friend (working in cubase) have his set up as starting at 00.00.00.00 if this is not a normal thing anymore. Especially since logic has set up as 01.00.00.00

Why would any DAW have a time stamp set up as a project setting of 00.00.00.00

To avoid the question "Why it is set to 1:00:00:00 ?".

I only thought that Frame rates were really relevant for Film?

They are relevant if you deal with time stamps, that is, when using OMF, AAF, Broadcast Wave Files and when working with (MIDI)Timecode, to sync up another sequencer or a lighting rig, for instance.

is there a more standard frame rate which DAWs are set to?

Yes. Several of these, even !

Christian

fader8

Thanks for the great explanation.

Richard

1) Why would any DAW have a time stamp set up as a project setting of 00.00.00.00 (in this case it's Cubase, and i think it would have been a default setting) given that as a point of tradition things are set at 01.00.00.00... OR is Logic a bit of a stand-out case against the other DAWs?

Christian's answer is as good as any, and probably accurate!

2) Project Frame Rates? I only thought that Frame rates were really relevant for Film? I know that Logic is also set up for sound-for-film and so you can set frame rates...

 

• But is there a more standard frame rate which DAWs are set to?

SMPTE timecode is a basic language of all media. Once upon a time, if you were working only in audio and had to use timecode synchronizers with a pair of 24 track machines striped with LTC, or ADAT machines, this was usually a straight 30fps which is not a valid framerate for any video format. But it simplified things rather than dealing with 29.97 drop or non-drop, pullups/downs, etc. Radio folks still use that framerate for various things.

Why is the timestamp a SMPTE number? It may be a shock to many bedroom dance/hiphop musos out there, but by far the vast majority of audio/music that is professionally produced is done for video and film.