split stereo vs. interleaved

[stephentrask]

I know I mentioned this in my other gripe post but it should stand alone. I want to import a split stereo pair of AIFFs. Why does Logic convert this automatically to an interleaved file? I never set this as a preference and don't see anywhere that I might do such a thing. In previous versions of Logic this was a preference that could be set and there was a dialogue that popped up and presented other options when importing. Now, it just plain sucks.

 

I was really liking, if not loving, the new version of this program when I was just messing around in my home studio, writing songs and making sounds. but now that I have serious work to do I wonder who the hell wrote this program and why did they shaft professional users.

[fader8]

but now that I have serious work to do I wonder who the hell wrote this program and why did they shaft professional users.

They didn't. If you're using Core Audio drivers, then Logic converts to interleaved. If you use DAE-TDM, then it leaves the files alone.

[stephentrask]

but now that I have serious work to do I wonder who the hell wrote this program and why did they shaft professional users.

They didn't. If you're using Core Audio drivers, then Logic converts to interleaved. If you use DAE-TDM, then it leaves the files alone.

 

Thanks for the response. I am using Core Audio, as I always have. In prior versions, Logic did not automatically convert to interleaved when using Core Audio. This is a change. And now I know that it is a change that I can't do anything about.

[fader8]

stephen,

Curious why this matters to you. The interleaved is much more efficient with core audio and it also means less disk thrashing about. However, you're right that it is odd that there isn't a choice. Because you can reconvert them in the bin to split stereo and use them like that in your project. So you can do it, but there's an extra step now.

[stephentrask]

I work on a lot of films. I receive the movie as a quicktimee video (or rather, a series of quicktime videos) very often with the dialogue on the left channel and the temp music on the right. In such a case, I will extract the audio from the movie and add it to the arrange. I of course don't want to hear the temp score, especially when I'm writing, and I mute that track. It is helpful to have the temp music track there as a reference, especially for time code spotting.

 

In the current version of Logic, audio must be extracted and then converted, an extra step that takes time.

 

Today, I was working on a piece of music that I thought might go well in the fourth reel of the movie. So I imported the movie and thought I would save time by importing the audio from that reel from another folder, where it was already converted to split stereo. Logic then went through the process of re-interleaving. Then I had to split it and throw away the original, as disc space saved is disc space earned.

 

I know, of course, that I can ask the edit room to give me video and separate mono audio files of dialogue, FX and music. But they don't always remember and they don't always have time or the means.

[fader8]

OK, got ya. Try this.

 

Leave it as interleaved. Drag the stereo file to two tracks. On the first track, click and hold the figure 8 sign under the meter and select Left. On the second track, do the same thing but select Right. That will play the selected channel as a mono signal from that track.

 

Basically gets you where you were.

[stephentrask]

I will try that. But it doesn't really do what I need. It is very useful for me to be able to see the wavefrom of the temp music (or the dialogue for that matter) as it's own thing. This can be very helpful in finding the precise spot that a director wants the music to start. Also, if there is a strong rhythmic component to the music and the editing, having the music as its own file is good for getting a tempo. Similarly, if one wants to incorporate foot steps or a door closing or some element of production sound into the music, it is useful to have the file as its own thing and to be able to see the wave form.

[kwackman]

Never used omf files with Logic, but if it imports them, then maybe this would be a better way of getting stuff from the picture editor?

 

omf file are fairly standard way of moving multi track files around in the TV post world (my day job).

 

Of course, this may open a whole new bucket of problems for you!

[Ashermusic]

I will try that. But it doesn't really do what I need. It is very useful for me to be able to see the wavefrom of the temp music (or the dialogue for that matter) as it's own thing. This can be very helpful in finding the precise spot that a director wants the music to start. Also, if there is a strong rhythmic component to the music and the editing, having the music as its own file is good for getting a tempo. Similarly, if one wants to incorporate foot steps or a door closing or some element of production sound into the music, it is useful to have the file as its own thing and to be able to see the wave form.

 

There are many PT-Logic guys who are upset about this "feature" in LP8. Almost as many as those of us who are upset with DIgi for failing to support the interleaved file, which they invented. For those who do not know, PT splits interleaved files, although it has the option of making them look like and interleaved file after.

 

Each company makes it choices. Sometimes they are hard to understand.

[kokobeware]

Drag split files directly from the finder to the arrange window and they will stay split. Logic will only convert if you add to audio bin.

[tovinho]

Hi

 

I usually use protools files, and what I do is: Just erase the "." before the L or R name of the audio file, and logic recognizes it as mono files. Remember to decrease the volume of both tracks in 3Db, and it works fine.

 

Hope it helps you