Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

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Henchman

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Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostMon Jun 14, 2021 2:12 pm

In case you don't know, people on Facebook audio post groups complaining about how terrible the export to AAF/Protools still is.

You really need to make this work.
Have an AAF Audio Only export tab, without a ton of options. Basically have bit depth and handle length. Th
Don't lose all the meta data and filenames on export either.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0972296/
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Frank Glencairn

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostMon Jun 14, 2021 3:47 pm

Actually the AAF export is pretty good since 17.
But you need to make sure, your audio guy is using the latest version of AVID/Protools, or you end up in a world of pain.

Also: make sure you read the roundtrip instructions in the latest DR manual, and follow them to the T.
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Henchman

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostMon Jun 14, 2021 4:03 pm

No, it's not pretty good.
And pretty good isn't good enough in a proffesional environment.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0972296/
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Henchman

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostMon Jun 14, 2021 4:05 pm

The O-Rings on the space shuttle worked pretty good as well......
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0972296/
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Jim Simon

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostMon Jun 14, 2021 4:14 pm

Specific failures would probably be more helpful for the development team, Mark.
My Biases:

You NEED training.
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jeremiahmoore

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostMon Jun 14, 2021 5:30 pm

Hi folks - here's my recent experience with Resolve to PT:

A day and a half of testing, deliveries and re-deliveries and back and forth, experimenting with different settings and workflows; ultimately arriving at XML to Premiere, Premiere AAF to PT, which resulted in all media coming over yet mysteriously out of sync randomly anywhere from zero to +/- a dozen frames, even the left and right sides of stereo material being offset differently.

...followed by a half day of hand slipping and nudging track-by-track, clip-by-clip against guide tracks to correct and confirm sync, and cleaning up.

In redoing it the testing could be skipped but it’s still a rankly unacceptable process.

Piece was a short doc originated on 16mm with audio from a wide variety of heterogeneous media from DAT to Nagra to VHS. God knows what upstream transfer issues etc, but it played fine in Resolve.

This is Resolve 17, Pro Tools 2020.11.0
This was this past November.
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jeremiahmoore

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostMon Jun 14, 2021 5:37 pm

Not the only project I've seen this on; if someone says "cut in Resolve" I currently say No, and good luck you're going to need it.
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Henchman

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostMon Jun 14, 2021 5:42 pm

Jim Simon wrote:Specific failures would probably be more helpful for the development team, Mark.

I don't work for Blackmagic.
It's pretty simple.
Get the developers a protools system, and get to work.

I'm not going to keep repeating the same things over and over.
I have posted about the severely lacking AAF export several times now.

Would you take a camera to a professional shoot if people said "It works pretty good. It drops a frame now and then, and the color shifts occasionally."
Or use a lens that will shift focus by itself, but other than that "It works pretty good".

I use Davinci for my own projects. I think it's an amazing program. But I would never recommend someone use it for a major project, unless they have a protools system they can check their exports on before sending them out.
I was able to import AAF's on the original Fairlights 15 years ago.

This is such a massive shortcoming right now.
And if you worked in audio post full-time, then you would understand what a huge nightmare it is.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0972296/
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Jim Simon

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostMon Jun 14, 2021 11:58 pm

Henchman wrote:I'm not going to keep repeating the same things over and over.
A silent wheel then.

OK.
My Biases:

You NEED training.
You NEED a desktop.
You NEED a calibrated (non-computer) display.
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Henchman

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostTue Jun 15, 2021 1:07 am

Jim Simon wrote:
Henchman wrote:I'm not going to keep repeating the same things over and over.
A silent wheel then.

OK.


Far from it.
But it's not my job to do the work for them.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0972296/
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Andrés Proaño Mattioli

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostThu Jun 17, 2021 12:26 am

I'm having the same issues: I export an AAC and the audio person can't open it in ProTools. I tried opening the AAC in Premiere since I don't have PT and it crashed Premiere. I was using Resolve 16 and tried importing it there and it crashed Resolve as well (yeah, the AAC that Resolve exported crashed it). So I tried installing Resolve 17 and it finally worked, so I figured they must have fixed it: sent it to the audio person. It didn't work.
I finally tried the XML-to-Premiere and exported it from there. I'm sending it to the audio person right now, I reckon it'll work, but this is not an acceptable problem to still be having. I'm not an Adobe fan, I really really want Resolve to become an industry standard because it's just so good at color correction and it's still easier for me to edit in Resolve and figuring the kinks of the XML trip to Premiere rather than the other way around, specially since that way I can do some CC before the final edit is done, but this is a very basic thing that should be easy to do. Get your audio to Pro Tools. If it can't be done easily, Resolve becomes more of a problem than a solution for most projects.

This is a BIG deal. It'd be nice if Blackmagic at least acknowledged the fact that they're working on it.

Just my 2 cents.
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jallen0

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostThu Jun 17, 2021 1:22 am

I can say that the .aaf to Logic Pro worked for me last night. To be fair however it was the first time I tried it and my knowledge of the entire process is non-existent. I ahve not yet tried to reimport it back into Resolve after making changes to it.
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Frank Glencairn

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostThu Jun 17, 2021 6:13 am

Since I don't have a "special" Resolve version, that is different from yours, and it worked for the last feature, the problem must be something elese.

I had a horrible trial and error trip first, but it turned out, the audio guy didn't have the latest AVID/Protools version. After the update it worked flawless.

So make sure it's the newest Protools.
http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/

I told you so :-)
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Matt White

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostThu Jun 17, 2021 1:45 pm

Just tested AAF roundtrip using Cubase Pro. I had no problems, at least not yet. Everything seems intact.
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Henchman

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostMon Jun 21, 2021 11:24 pm

Matt White wrote:Just tested AAF roundtrip using Cubase Pro. I had no problems, at least not yet. Everything seems intact.

All the metadata and full file naming?
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0972296/
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Andy Evans

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostWed Jun 23, 2021 3:02 am

Henchman wrote:
Matt White wrote:Just tested AAF roundtrip using Cubase Pro. I had no problems, at least not yet. Everything seems intact.

All the metadata and full file naming?


Hi Mark,
using the Pro Tools aaf tab in the deliver page in V17.2, I'm getting filename, channel name, scene/take, original timestamp. Polywav is coming in as separate mono tracks (that were a linked group on the Fairlight timeline), but with the relevant metadata.
I haven't managed to export an AAF as embedded, but don't know if that's a thing on Resolve, haven't found an option to do so. Interesting when trying it out I also did one that included the pics as an MXF with DNxHR and worked fine into Pro Tools. I'm on 12.8 btw
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Henchman

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostWed Jun 30, 2021 3:50 am

Andy Evans wrote:
Henchman wrote:
Matt White wrote:Just tested AAF roundtrip using Cubase Pro. I had no problems, at least not yet. Everything seems intact.

All the metadata and full file naming?


Hi Mark,
using the Pro Tools aaf tab in the deliver page in V17.2, I'm getting filename, channel name, scene/take, original timestamp. Polywav is coming in as separate mono tracks (that were a linked group on the Fairlight timeline), but with the relevant metadata.
I haven't managed to export an AAF as embedded, but don't know if that's a thing on Resolve, haven't found an option to do so. Interesting when trying it out I also did one that included the pics as an MXF with DNxHR and worked fine into Pro Tools. I'm on 12.8 btw



Tried it tonight.
Files were renamed, no metadata names were maintained.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0972296/
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Frank Glencairn

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostWed Jun 30, 2021 6:02 am

Henchman wrote:
Andy Evans wrote:
Henchman wrote:
Tried it tonight.
Files were renamed, no metadata names were maintained.


How is this possible, that it only works for some of us?
http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/

I told you so :-)
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Henchman

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Re: Still need a better AAF audio Export that works.

PostWed Jun 30, 2021 6:32 am

Henchman wrote:
Tried it tonight.
Files were renamed, no metadata names were maintained.


How is this possible, that it only works for some of us?

I don't know. But when I import the save files directly into protools all file naming remains intact
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0972296/

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