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Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide

1. Network client within an Avid MediaNetwork system It also explains how to exchange audio and video media between Pro Tools and Avid video editing application clients such as Media Composer and Symphony attached to a MediaNetwork system w Systems running non HD Pro Tools soft ware can also act as MediaNetwork clients but media streaming is not supported in this configuration This guide is written for Avid network adminis trators Pro Tools users and Avid video editor users Avid MediaNetwork Capabilities Avid Unity MediaNetwork is a Fibre Channel shared storage system that lets users of Avid ed iting applications and Pro Tools share the same media as follows e Stream audio and video media in real time e Configure multiple users on the same MediaNetwork system e Share AAF and OMF sequences and OMF and MXF audio and video media Share AAF sequences and MXF media using the Avid Interplay asset management system Avid Interplay system required Avid Interplay Avid Interplay with the Pro Tools Avid Inter play option lets Pro Tools and Avid users work within the same asset management system Refer to the Pro Tools Avid Interplay Guide for detailed information Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Overview of a MediaNetwork System This guide describes how to configure and work with a Pro Tools client within an Avid Media Network system The MediaNetwork installa tions addressed in this guide
2. 2 Click Product Installers 3 Click MediaNetwork Components on the list of available products 4 Click Install Fibre Attached Client on the list of MediaNetwork installers The Question dialog opens listing the prerequisite software needed for installation e Ifall the software is installed click Next and continue with step 5 The InstallShield Wizard dialog opens e If some of the software is not installed click Cancel to exit the installer Install the prerequisite software and go to step 1 to begin the MediaNetwork installation again 5 Accept the default values presented by the In stallShield Wizard The Setup Status screen ap pears showing the installation progress indicator while the software is being installed The InstallShield Wizard Complete opens 6 Select Yes I want to restart my computer now and then click Finish to complete the client software installation 7 Reboot the client Setting the Date and Time You need to correctly set the date time time zone and daylight savings time on your com puter to be able to use the Synchronize Time with Server function for your MediaNetwork cli ent To set the date time and time zone on Mac OS X 1 Select Apple System Preferences The System Preferences window opens 2 Click the Date amp Time icon The Date amp Time window opens 3 Click the Date amp Time tab The date and time properties appear 4 In the Today s Date section click the ar
3. A AAF and embedded media 6 Avid support for 4 definition of 4 Pro Tools support for 4 AAF OMF sequences exporting from Pro Tools audio tracks 42 from Media Composer 29 28 importing as a new session 37 38 about this guide 1 accuracy frame rate 6 sample rate 6 AIFF audio files 20 allocation groups and media files 23 Apple Mac Pro PCI PCIe slot configurations 60 assigning drive letter to workspaces 18 ATTO Celerity FC 41ES 4 GB HBA card LED states 13 system requirements 11 ATTO Celerity FC 41XS 4 GB HBA card LED states 13 system requirements 11 ATTO FC 3300 2 GB HBA card LED states 13 system requirements 11 audience of this guide 1 audio file type 20 audio files and allocation groups 23 compatibility between Pro Tools and Avid applications 20 editing in Pro Tools 41 44 importing into Avid from Interplay 45 synchronizing with an Avid sequence audio stems exporting to Interplay from Pro Tools 44 importing into Avid from Interplay 45 synchronizing with an Avid sequence audio streaming 1 audio tracks cutting into original Avid sequence 46 exporting to Interplay from Pro Tools 44 synchronizing with an Avid sequence AudioSuite effects and metadata 5 Avid compatibility information 8 10 Avid applications AAF support for 4 and frame rate accuracy 6 MXF support for 3 OMF support for 4 Avid DMS ProEncode 2 Avid Interplay Access 2 Avid Interplay Assist 2 Avid Interplay Engine 2 Avid Interplay Transcode 2 Avid Interplay s
4. Installing Pro Tools wiv fc vhi v Ee IE RARI ARR Eg eee ups 11 Installing MediaNetwork Client Hardware llle 11 Installing MediaNetwork Client Software lilii 14 Chapter 3 Configuring a Pro Tools System as a MediaNetwork Client 17 Getting Started Using a Workstation as a MediaNetwork Client 00 17 Logging into a MediaNetwork System llle eee 17 Assigning the Workspace Drive Letter 000 cece eee 18 Mounting and Unmounting Workspaces 0 0000 eee 19 Configuring Pro Tools Session Settings for a New Session liliis 19 Performance Characteristics iile 21 Sharing Files 3v sehen eh k Wilde foe ae M um ERE iE 22 Destructive Editing zo cs o RESERVE EE RE E peter 23 Contents iii iv Chapter 4 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Workflows for Pro Tools 25 Exporting Audio and Video from Media Composer 0 0000 e eee eee 25 Importing Audio and Video into Pro Tools 0 0 00 ee 31 Editing Audio in Pro Tools a oa e a y E E ee 34 Exporting Audio from Pro Tools for Avid Editing Applications 34 Importing Pro Tools Audio Files Back into the Avid Video Editing Application 37 EET 39 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Chapter 1 Introduction This guide explains how to configure a system running Pro Tools software as a Unity Media
5. diagram MediaNetwork system 2 optical cable to Fibre Channel HBA 12 Source Monitor controls 33 documentation PDF 8 drive letters assigning to workspaces 18 drive requirements 22 drive selection when importing session data 39 E embedded media definition of 6 vs linked media 6 embedded video and support for video satellite systems 4 Export Settings dialog 29 Exported Selected Tracks as OMF AAF command 42 exporting a portion of a sequence 32 AAF OMF sequences manually from Media Composer 29 28 audio tracks in Pro Tools as an AAF OMF sequence 42 to Interplay 44 using Bounce to Disk 44 F Fibre Channel HBA 11 installing in workstation 12 LED states 13 file locations MXF media files 5 OMF media files 5 File Manager 2 Forward control 33 frame rate accuracy Avid applications 6 G graphics update speeds 23 guide who this guide is written for 1 guide conventions 10 H hardware installing on MediaNetwork clients 11 HP xw8400 slot configurations 59 HP Z400 slot configurations 55 HP Z800 slot configurations 56 l IBODs 2 22 Import Session Data dialog 37 importing AAF OMF sequences as a new Pro Tools session 37 into an existing Pro Tools session 38 45 audio and video as a new Pro Tools session 37 into an existing Pro Tools session 38 45 INF files removing 11 installing Fibre Channel HBA in workstation 12 MediaNetwork client hardware 11 14 Interplay after check in 35 44 delivering audio stems for 44
6. 6 Avid application support 4 destructive editing 25 editing 25 media file locations 5 Pro Tools support 4 OMFI MediaFiles folder location 5 optical cable 11 connecting to Fibre Channel HBA 12 purchasing 11 overview documentation 1 guide 1 installing MediaNetwork client 11 MediaNetwork system 2 Overwrite button 33 42 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide P Pause control 33 PCI cards 53 for Apple Mac Pro 60 59 55 56 PCle cards 53 for Apple Mac Pro 60 59 55 56 PDF documentation 8 performance characteristics with MediaNetwork 23 performance guidelines 21 Play control 33 Playback Engine configuring for use with MediaNetwork 19 Please Choose a Folder for Converted Audio Files dialog 43 PortServer 2 PortServer Pro 2 Pro Tools Avid Interplay Guide 9 Pro Tools Export to OMF AAF dialog 42 Pro Tools Publishing Options dialog 43 Pro Tools AAF support 4 and sample rate accuracy 6 configuring session settings for MediaNetwork 20 19 editing audio files 41 44 importing AAF OMF sequence as a new session 37 38 MXF support 3 number of configurable users 1 OMF support 4 Pro Tools TDM 5 1 3 21 Pro Tools 24 MIX 21 Pro Tools configuring client with MediaNetwork system 2 mounting a workspace 19 system requirements 8 unmounting a workspace 19 R real time audio or video streaming 1 re mapping workspace drive letters 18 removing INF files 11 Rewind control 33 S Sample Rate 20 sample rates for use with Pro Tools and
7. Avid applications together 20 sample rate accuracy Pro Tools 6 scrubbing in Source Monitor 33 Send To dialog 28 Send To Templates using to export AAF OMF sequences from Media Composer 28 sequences exporting manually a portion of a sequence 32 from Media Composer 29 28 Interplay handling after check in 35 session data drive selection 39 selecting a Unity workspace when importing 39 sessions importing an AAF OMF sequence as a new session 37 38 setting date and time 15 slot configurations 53 for HP xw8400 59 55 56 Sound Designer Il files 20 Source Monitor controls 33 Splice In button 33 Step Backward 1 Frame control 33 Step Forward 1 Frame control 33 supported audio file types 20 supported sample rates 20 synchronizing exported Pro Tools audio with Avid sequence system requirements 8 T technical support 10 time setting for use with MediaNetwork 15 Timeline audio tracks cut into original sequence 46 U unmounting workspaces 19 user interface update speeds 23 using client in MediaNetwork system 17 Source Monitor controls 33 V video files allocation groups 23 video streaming 1 visual changes with MediaNetwork 23 Ww website 10 workspaces and mounting automatically 19 18 definition of 18 mounting 19 selecting when importing session data 39 unmounting 19 workstations configuring as MediaNetwork clients 17 mounting a workspace 19 unmounting a workspace 19 Index 43
8. Click Bounce 7 In the Publishing Options dialog type the Pro Tools Comment and Clip Name If you selected more than one clip for export the Clip Name field will not be available and the names of the clips will be used for the exported files Publishing Options OMFI AAF Options Comments External Name Test Session Target Project Timecode Format 29 97 Non Drop 7 Publishing Options dialog 8 Choose the Target Project Timecode Format 9 Click OK 10 In the Save Bounce As dialog navigate to the volume you will use for audio playback in the Avid video editing application e For MXF audio files ensure the file is saved to the Avid MediaFiles folder For all other audio files ensure the file is saved to the OMFI MediaFiles folder 11 Click Save All audible audio in the selection will be ex ported to two multi mono audio files Importing Pro Tools Audio Files Back into the Avid Video Editing Application After you have checked out the completed audio stems to the Pro Tools sequence on the Interplay server you may want to import the sequence back into the Avid video editing application For more information on importing Pro Tools audio into an Avid application with Interplay see the Pro Tools Avid Interplay Guide Chapter 4 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Workflows for Pro Tools 37 38 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Index Symbols INF files removing 11 Numerics 16 bit audio 21
9. by touching the power supply or another grounded item 4 Remove the Fibre Channel HBA from the anti static bag being careful to handle it only by the edges 5 Determine the correct PCI PCIe card slot or der visit www avid com for the latest informa tion 6 Line up the Fibre Channel HBA with the instal lation slot and slide the card into place gently so the PCI PCIe connector is aligned with the cor rect PCI PCIe slot 7 Press down firmly on the card with even pres sure The connector should click into place in the PCI PCIe slot 8 To attach the card bracket to the computer mounting bracket fasten the card in place using a screw or latch down the securing bracket if one is built in To connect a Fibre Channel optical cable to the Fibre Channel HBA 1 Locate the optical cable with the LC optical ca ble connector dual plug on the end 2 Remove the protective covers from the follow ing e LC optical connector on the optical cable Fibre Channel HBA in your computer 12 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide 3 Plug the optical cable connector into the Fibre Channel HBA The connector and the Fibre Channel HBA are keyed and only fit together one way You should hear a click when the cable is properly seated A Do not try to force the LC optical cable con nector into the Fibre Channel HBA connec tor There should be no resistance as you make the connection If you feel that the op tical cable connector
10. click the Connection Manager alias icon in the dock and then select Connections gt Manage Connections Windows Click the Connection Manager icon in the Windows taskbar and select Manage Con nections 3 If you are not logged in with a valid MediaNet work user name and password you are prompted to supply them before the Avid Unity Connection Manager dialog opens In the Network Logon dialog Macintosh or the Login dialog Windows type a valid MediaNet work user name password and Domain name if necessary and click OK The Avid Unity Connection Manager dialog opens and displays a list of all the MediaNet work workspaces to which you have access Assigning the Workspace Drive Letter Windows Only MediaNetwork workspaces drives are auto matically assigned a sequential series of alpha betical letters starting with the letter f For ex ample a MediaNetwork system containing three workspaces would be assigned the drive letters f g and h respectively If your MediaNetwork client contains any local drive that shares a letter such as f with a Unity workspace you must re map the Unity work spaces so that drive letters on the Pro Tools cli ent do not overlap with drive letters on Unity workspaces 18 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide To re map workspace drive letters 1 Click the MediaNetwork taskbar icon and choose Configure from the pop up menu 2 In the Avid Ethernet Attached Client dial
11. does not fit into the Fi bre Channel HBA connector turn the opti cal cable connector 180 degrees and try to insert the optical cable connector into the Fibre Channel HBA connector again Fibre Channel HBA Green and Yellow LEDs optical cable N Connecting the optical cable to the Fibre Channel HBA LC optical connector 4 If the other end of the cable is not yet con nected to the MEDIASwitch do so now For de tailed instructions see the Avid Unity MediaNetwork Configuration Guide and the Avid Unity MediaNetwork Site Preparation Guide Fibre Channel HBA LED States The LEDs on the Fibre Channel HBA indicate whether or not the card is functioning correctly Table 1 ATTO Celerity FC 41ES and FC 41XS 4 Gb Fibre Channel HBA LED states LED LED State Meaning Link Green Indicates that a supported hardware driver is loaded for the ATTO Celerity card in its host system and that another hardware device is detected at the other end of the connected fibre cable 2 GB Green Indicates that the HBA is running in 2Gb mode 4 GB Amber or Green Indicates that the HBA is running in 4Gb mode Chapter 2 Preparing a Pro Tools Workstation For MediaNetwork 13 Installing MediaNetwork Client Software The MediaNetwork client software lets the Mac or Windows Fibre Channel equipped client log in to the MediaNetwork File Manager and to map accessible workspaces The client software is supplied on
12. files or have OMF and MXF media files em bedded within them There is no such thing as an AAF audio or video media file Avid Video Editing Application Support for AAF Sequences Avid video editing applications support AAF se quences as follows Import and export of AAF sequences with em bedded video files MXF or OMF and or au dio files MXF WAV or AIFF e Import and export of AAF sequences that refer to external linked video files MXF or OMF and or audio files MXF WAV or AIFF Pro Tools Support for AAF Sequences Pro Tools supports AAF sequences as follows Import and export of AAF sequences that con tain embedded or refer to external linked MXF WAV or AIFF audio files Import of AAF sequences that refer to external linked MXF or OMF video files e Video satellite systems only Import of AAF sequences containing embedded video to a satellite track in which case Pro Tools im ports only the metadata cuts and clip names and not the video Pro Tools does not export video files tracks or metadata as part of AAF sequences 4 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide OMF OMF is both a media file and sequence format OMF media files can be audio or video Avid Video Editing Application Support for OMF Media and Sequences Avid video editing applications support OMF media and sequences as follows Import and export of OMF sequences with em bedded OMF video files and WAV or AIFF au di
13. up menu 5 Select Enforce Avid Compatibility Enforce Avid Compatibility creates frame accu rate edits wraps the files as OMFI unless you choose MXF and limits the sample rate options to 44 1 or 48 kHz Dithering without noise shap ing will be applied to files being exported from 24 bit to 16 bit Vy An OMF sequence cannot reference MXF media files In the Export Selected Tracks as OMF AAF dialog MXF is only available when AAF is selected in the Export As pop up menu 6 Ensure that the Target Project Timecode For mat pop up menu displays the correct frame rate for the Avid project 7 Click OK 8 In the Publishing Options dialog type the Pro Tools Comment and Sequence Name Publishing Options OMFI AAF Options Comments Sequence Name Test Session Pro Tools Publishing Options dialog 9 Click OK Pro Tools will create a sequence with the name you supply The Pro Tools comment appears in the Avid bin in a Pro Tools Comment column 10 In the Name the AAF OMF File to Export di alog navigate to a folder where you can easily lo cate the Pro Tools composition when it is time to import it into the Avid video editing application Ay Do not save the sequence to the OMFI Media Files folder or the Avid Media Files folder 11 Click Save 12 In the Please Choose a Folder for Converted Audio Files dialog do one of the following Chapter 4 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Workflows for Pro Tools 35 e If y
14. you can edit at 30 different locations for every one second of video Pro Tools edits with sample rate accuracy In a 48 kHz session there are po tentially 48 000 locations to edit for every sec ond of audio When Pro Tools exports an AAF or OMF compo sition destined for an Avid video editing appli cation it must ensure that the audio files line up on frame boundaries To do this it might have to split an existing audio clip into three separate clips For example Figure 1 on page 7 shows a 5 frame video clip and a corresponding audio clip In Pro Tools the audio clips might not line up on video frame boundaries In order to export frame accurate audio clips Pro Tools splits the audio media on frame boundaries and fills any gaps with silence Figure 2 on page 7 shows the resulting audio clips that are exported to Avid See When you use Export Selected Tracks as OMF AFF to export tracks from Pro Tools with Enforce Avid Compatibility enabled a number of additional media files labeled Sample Accu rate Edit appear in the Avid bins These are the additional media files that Pro Tools creates to ensure that the Avid editing application receives frame accurate audio You also see the sample accurate edit media files if you zoom in on the imported audio in the Timeline One Pro Tools audio clip 5 frame video clip Figure 1 Original audio clip The original audio clip does not line up on vid
15. 8 exporting audio tracks to Interplay from Pro Tools 44 handling after check in 35 importing edited audio stems from Interplay back into an Avid application 45 location of files after checking in to Interplay for Pro Tools 35 MediaNetwork capabilities 1 Interplay browser 45 J JBODs 2 22 L linked media definition of 6 vs embedded media 6 locations MXF media files 5 sequence after check in to Interplay for Pro Tools 35 logging into a MediaNetwork system 17 manually exporting sequences from Media Composer 29 Mark In control 33 Mark Out control 33 media embedded 6 linked 6 media compatibility between Pro Tools and Avid applications 20 Media Compose exporting AAF OMF sequences manually 29 Media Composer exporting AAF OMF sequences via Send To Templates 28 media data definition of 5 media file locations MXF 5 OMF 5 media files 5 allocation groups 23 Index 41 MediaNetwork additional documentation 8 23 1 capabilities 1 8 19 20 11 diagram of system components 2 installing client hardware for 11 14 logging into 17 number of configurable users 1 performance guidelines 21 support information 9 2 8 using clients in the system 17 MEDIASwitch 2 connecting to optical cable 12 metadata and AudioSuite effects 5 definition of 5 mounting workspaces 19 MXF Avid support for 3 definition of 3 25 editing 25 media file locations 5 Pro Tools support for 3 N New Session dialog 37 O OMF and embedded media
16. AV for mat is recommended when working in a shared media environment with video A All Sound Designer II files must be con verted to a Windows compatible format For the best media compatibility between Pro Tools workstations and Avid workstations you should choose to work with Broadcast WAV media files Make sure the Audio File Type pop up menu in the New Session dialog is set to BWF WAV when you are creating a new session i The WAV file format is required when work ing with audio files containing field re corder metadata Sample Rate Pro Tools HD supports sample rates up to 192 kHz but other Pro Tools and Avid worksta tions only support lower sample rates There fore when working in mixed MediaNetwork sys tems it is vital to use sample rates for shared media that are supported on all workstations It is preferable for all participants in the system to agree on a standard universal sample rate for the sake of compatibility and to avoid media conversion Many facilities choose 48 kHz which is the industry standard for post produc tion and broadcast applications 20 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Bit Depth It is preferable for all participants in the system to agree on a standard universal bit depth for the sake of compatibility and to avoid media conversion Many facilities standardize on 24 bit audio which offers higher audio quality than 16 bit and is more universally supported than 32
17. AV i gt Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Version 10 0 Legal Notices This guide is copyrighted 2011 by Avid Technology Inc hereafter Avid with all rights reserved Under copyright laws this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Avid 003 96 I O 96i I O 192 Digital I O 192 I O 888 24 I O 882 20 I O 1622 I O 24 Bit ADAT Bridge I O AudioSuite Avid Avid DNA Avid Mojo Avid Unity Avid Unity ISIS Avid Xpress AVoption Axiom Beat Detective Bomb Factory Bruno C 24 Command 8 Control 24 D Command D Control D Fi D fx D Show D Verb DAE Digi 002 DigiBase DigiDelivery Digidesign Digidesign Audio Engine Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction Digidesign TDM Bus DigiDrive DigiRack DigiTest DigiTranslator DINR DV Toolkit EditPack Eleven EUCON HD Core HD Process Hybrid Impact Interplay LoFi M Audio MachineControl Maxim Mbox MediaComposer MIDI I O MIX MultiShell Nitris OMF OMF Interchange PRE ProControl Pro Tools M Powered Pro Tools Pro Tools HD Pro Tools LE QuickPunch Recti Fi Reel Tape Reso Reverb One ReVibe RTAS Sibelius Smack SoundReplacer Sound Designer II Strike Structure SYNC HD SYNC I O Synchronic TL Aggro TL AutoPan TL Drum Rehab TL Everyphase TL Fauxlder TL In Tune TL MasterMeter TL Metro TL Space TL Utilities Transfuser Trillium Lane Labs Vari Fi Velvet X Form and XMON are tradema
18. Pro Tools e If the audio files reside on a volume from which Pro Tools can play back audio select Link to Source Media Where Possible e Ifthe audio files reside on a volume from which Pro Tools cannot play back audio se lect Copy from Source Media to copy all au dio to the Pro Tools audio storage or Consolidate from Source Media to copy only the audio used in the session to the Pro Tools audio storage 4 From the Video Media Options pop up menu choose how you want to import video files into Pro Tools e If the video files reside on a volume from which Pro Tools can play back video select Link to Source Media e If the video files reside on a volume from which Pro Tools cannot play back video se lect Copy from Source Media to copy all video to the Pro Tools video storage 5 In the Import Session Data dialog deselect any source tracks that you do not want to be im ported If you are importing Session Data from AAF or OMF sequences all tracks are selected by default If you are importing tracks from a Pro Tools session no tracks are selected by de fault 6 Click OK A If there are any errors or clip name trunca tions a dialog will appear asking you if you want a detailed report of the changes Click Yes and choose where you want to save the log 7 If your audio or video source media is on a vol ume that is not suitable for playback shown as a Transfer volume in the Workspace browser or if your Medi
19. aNetwork workspace privileges are read only Pro Tools displays a dialog that guides you to copy the media to a volume desig nated for Playback or Record Click Yes Pro Tools imports the audio and video media to the Timeline Audio tracks with sample rates different than the sample rate of the current Pro Tools session are converted to the correct rate Now you are ready to edit the audio files in Pro Tools Drive Selection When Importing Session Data When using the Import Session Data dialog to import audio files with Copy or Consolidate Source selected in the Audio Media Options pop up menu all new audio files are stored on the volumes designated for their respective tar get tracks in the Disk Allocation dialog Selecting a Unity Workspace When Importing Session Data When using the Import Session Data dialog to import audio files with Copy or Consolidate Source selected in the Audio Media Options pop up menu all new audio files are stored on the volumes designated for their respective tar get tracks in the Disk Allocation dialog When importing video files such as from a CD the video files are copied by default to the same volume that holds the session file To have the files copied to another volume open the Work space browser and select T in the volume desig nation column for all volumes except the volume where you want the video to be stored To ensure that the files are not copied to the root level of Ch
20. apter 4 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Workflows for Pro Tools 33 the volume create a folder with the session name on the desired Unity workspace then cre ate a folder within that session folder named Video Files Importing Sequences into Pro Tools from Interplay The Avid Interplay media management system can be used in tandem with an ISIS network to manage media sharing between Pro Tools and Avid video editing application clients For more information on importing a sequence into Pro Tools from Interplay see the Pro Tools Avid Interplay Guide Editing Audio in Pro Tools Audio files created in the Avid video editing ap plication are either OMF or MXF files which Pro Tools cannot edit destructively When you use Pro Tools to perform a destruc tive edit such as using AudioSuite processing to replace the original sound it creates a new copy of the file and leaves the original untouched See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for de tailed information on editing audio files in Pro Tools 34 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Exporting Audio from Pro Tools for Avid Editing Applications In Pro Tools you can export audio tracks for use in the Avid video editing application using any of the following commands e Exporting selected tracks as an AAF or OMF Bouncing to disk e Exporting selected clips as files e Exporting edited audio tracks to Interplay from Pro Tools Avid Interplay system re quired For othe
21. ase by clicking Help gt Pro Tools Knowledge Base in Pro Tools or by visiting www avid com onlinesupport Online services are available 24 hours per day 7 days per week Search this online Knowledge Base to find answers to view error messages to access troubleshooting tips to download updates and to read or join online message board discus sions For support on Pro Tools HD see About www avid com on page 10 Conventions Used in This Guide Pro Tools guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands Convention Action File gt Save Choose Save from the File menu Control N Hold down the Control key and press the N key Control click Hold down the Control key and click the mouse button Right click Click with the right mouse button The names of Commands Options and Settings that appear on screen are in a different font The following symbols are used to highlight important information v User Tips are helpful hints for getting the z most from your system Important Notices include information that could affect your data or the performance of your system wn Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or mouse shortcuts Cross References point to related sections in this guide and other Avid guides Chapter 1 Introduction 9 About www avid com The Avid website www avid com is your best online source for information to help you get th
22. bedded in AAF This option embeds the video media in the AAF sequence that is exported from the Avid video editing application A Pro Tools cannot play video that is embed ded in an AAF sequence but it can read the video editing metadata when imported into a satellite track Do not use this option if you want to import the video itself into Pro Tools Media Drive Folder vV Embeddedin AAF Media Destination section of the Video Details tab 7 Click the Audio Details tab and select one of the following from the Export Method pop up menu Link to Don t Export Media The Pro Tools ses sion will link to the same audio files as the cur rent Avid sequence Use this setting if the audio files are currently stored on a volume suitable for Pro Tools audio playback Copy Media New complete audio files will be created on the designated volume Consolidate Media Similar to Copy All Media but only the parts of the audio which are actually used in the Timeline are copied Use this setting to copy the audio files to a volume suitable for Pro Tools audio playback The following settings may also appear under the Audio Details tab depending on the selected export method Render All Audio Effects Select the Render All Audio Effects option so that all audio effects are rendered before export If you already manually rendered effects selecting this option will not create new files It is highly recommended that all effects be re
23. bit floating point audio For current compatibility information on supported Pro Tools systems and Avid Unity MediaNetwork visit www avid com Performance Characteristics You should experience no functional difference between working with Pro Tools attached to a Unity MediaNetwork system or working with Pro Tools attached to local storage However due to the architectural differences between Unity and local storage some subtle differences may be noticeable Disk Cache Performance Enhancements Pro Tools HD software version 10 adds a RAM based Disk Cache system With it audio is loaded into RAM for instant playback increas ing performance significantly especially with networked storage such as a MediaNetwork system CY Pro Tools 10 also lets you use Elastic Audio with MediaNetwork Allocating a generous amount of RAM to Disk Cache allows for higher track counts over Unity closer to standard Pro Tools system maximums When playing back large or complex sessions especially from networked storage perfor mance is significantly improved by caching all audio in the timeline to RAM so it can be useful to know how much of the audio has been cached To check Disk Cache status 1 Open the System Usage dialog by clicking Windows System Usage CPU Native INEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES 2 CPU Clip Ts 0 Disk i 0 Disk Cache GSES 100 Timeline Cached 4 Pro Tools System Usage dialog 2 The Timel
24. ck Apply Configuring Pro Tools Session Settings for a New Session The following describes the recommended ses sion settings for creating a new Pro Tools ses sion when working in a MediaNetwork system To create a new Pro Tools session for Avid Unity MediaNetwork 1 In Pro Tools choose File gt New Session 2 If the Quick Start dialog opens s New Session O Create Session from Template 9 Create Blank Session Session Parameters Audio File Type Sample Rate BWF WAV E 48 kHz Bit Depth 1 0 Settings 16 Bit Last Used 9 24 Bit 32 Bit Float Interleaved New Session dialog 3 In the New Session dialog select an Audio File Type for the session that is compatible across all workstations 4 Select a Sample Rate for the session that is compatible across all workstations 5 Select a Bit Depth for the session that is com patible across all workstations 6 Click OK Name the session Save As untitled E f Where 3j Documents E Cancel Save Pro Tools Session Naming dialog 7 Name the session and save it to an Avid Unity MediaNetwork workspace Chapter 3 Configuring a Pro Tools System as a MediaNetwork Client 19 Audio File Type Pro Tools supports AIFF and BWF WAV au dio files natively The BWF sub formats RF64 and WAVE Extended are also supported A Avid video editing applications do not sup port RF64 audio files Standard W
25. deotape from which the media file was captured and even timecode values that specify where a file was used in a Pro Tools session Information about Pro Tools sessions or other sequences including what files are used where they appear in a Timeline and automation For AAF or OMF sequences metadata also includes information about unrendered AudioSuite effects such as real time EQ on Avid workstations Pro Tools skips un rendered effects on import Rendered ef fects are media files that can be imported or skipped on import into Pro Tools e For AAF or OMF sequences information about automation clip based gain or key frame gain Chapter 1 Introduction 5 Embedded Media and Linked Media There are two ways to handle media files when exporting AAF or OMF files Embedded media in which the media files are embedded in an AAF or OMF sequence e Linked media in which media files are refer enced by an AAF or OMF sequence Pro Tools lets you import AAF or OMF se quences containing embedded audio files You can also import AAF or OMF sequences contain ing embedded video files but only if you are im porting them to a video satellite track In such a case only the video metadata is imported 6 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Frame Rate Accurate Video Editing and Sample Rate Accurate Audio Editing Avid video editing applications edit with frame accuracy This means that in a 30 fps project
26. e most out of your Pro Tools system The follow ing are just a few of the services and features available Product Registration Register your purchase online Support and Downloads Contact Avid Customer Success technical support download software updates and the latest online manuals browse the Compatibility documents for system re quirements search the online Knowledge Base or join the worldwide Pro Tools community on the User Conference Training and Education Study on your own using courses available online or find out how you can learn in a classroom setting at a certified Pro Tools training center Products and Developers Learn about Avid products download demo software or learn about our Development Partners and their plug ins applications and hardware News and Events Get the latest news from Avid or sign up for a Pro Tools demo 10 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Chapter 2 Preparing a Pro Tools Workstation For MediaNetwork This chapter is for Unity administrators and de scribes how to install and configure individual Installi ng MediaNetwork Pro Tools workstations for use as clients of an Client Hardware Avid Unity MediaNetwork system The Avid Unity MediaNetwork client hardware consists of e One optical SFP for the Server switch Installation Overview e One of the following qualified Fibre Channel Installing the hardware and software involves HBA Host Bus Adapter cards the fol
27. edia files these destructive editing tools can be used on non MXF OMF me dia created by Pro Tools When you are working in a MediaNetwork system you should always create a copy of an audio file before applying a destructive change v Use the Duplicate or Consolidate commands in Pro Tools to make non OMF copies of au dio files for destructive editing 23 24 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Chapter 4 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Workflows for Pro Tools This chapter covers workflows for using an Avid editing application such as Media Composer and Pro Tools to exchange AAF and OMF se quences using MediaNetwork shared storage as follows e Exporting audio and video from Media Composer e Importing audio and video into Pro Tools e Exporting audio from Pro Tools for Avid video editing applications e Importing audio into an Avid video editing application from Pro Tools e Synchronizing audio with an Avid sequence Exporting Audio and Video from Media Composer To export sequences from Avid video editing ap plications for import into Pro Tools you can choose from the following methods e Using the Send To Templates to export an AAF or OMF sequence e Manually exporting an AAF or OMF se quence e Checking a sequence into Avid Interplay for Pro Tools Avid Interplay system required For more information on exporting Avid se quences see the documentation that came with your Avid editing application For info
28. ee Interplay Avid MediaFiles folder location 5 Avid Unity Connection Manager dialog 18 19 Avid Unity MediaManager 2 Avid Unity MediaManager Select 2 Avid Unity MediaManager Server 2 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Management Guide 8 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Site Preparation Guide 8 Index 39 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Windows Fibre Channel Client Setup Guide 8 Avid Unity MediaNetwork see MediaNetwork Avid Unity Transfer Engine 2 B bit depth 21 Bounce to Disk exporting audio tracks with 44 BWF WAV audio files 20 C clients assigning workspace drive letters to 18 configurations 22 11 2 installing hardware for 11 14 maximum number allowed in MediaNetwork system 21 19 possible number of users with MediaNetwork 1 system requirements 8 unmounting a workspace from 19 17 compatibility 8 between Pro Tools and Avid applications 20 general information 8 components diagram of 2 configuring Pro Tools session settings 20 slot configurations 53 workstation as a MediaNetwork client 17 connecting Fibre Channel HBA to optical cable 12 optical cable to Fibre Channel HBA 12 controls using Source Monitor controls 33 customer service Avid contact information 8 40 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide D date setting for use with MediaNetwork 15 definition AAF 4 2 embedded media 6 File Manager 2 IBOD 2 JBOD 2 linked media 6 media data 5 MediaNetwork system 2 metadata 5 MXF 3 PortServer 2 workspace 18 destructive editing 25
29. eo frame boundaries New audio clip padded New audio clip padded Three exported audio clips 5 frame video clip Figure 2 Exported audio clip with silence with silence Exported audio clips line up on video frame boundaries Chapter 1 Introduction 7 System Requirements and Compatibility Using Pro Tools within a Unity MediaNetwork system requires the following e A qualified Mac computer running Mac OS X or PC running Windows 7 e Pro Tools HD software v Systems running non HD Pro Tools soft ware can also act as MediaNetwork clients but media streaming is not supported in this configuration e An available expansion slot for a Fibre Chan nel host bus adapter HBA and Fibre Channel connectivity to the Avid Unity MediaNetwork server MediaNetwork client installation software Avid can only assure compatibility and provide support for hardware and software it has tested and approved For complete system requirements and a list of qualified computers operating systems hard drives and third party devices visit www avid com compatibility 8 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide About Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guides PDF versions of Avid Read Mes are installed au tomatically with Avid Unity MediaNetwork soft ware Also searchable online help files contain ing the same information are accessible from the Help menus in the Interplay Access and Inter
30. fined by Media Cre ation settings When imported into Pro Tools the video mixdown and metadata are displayed in two separate video tracks on the Timeline Choose this option for any scenario in which Pro Tools will link to the same media files as the current Avid sequence 26 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Send To Link To Video and Audio Send To dialog LInk to Audio and Video options shown 3 If you want to view or change export settings click the Options button and then make any changes If you make any changes you can use the Save As Template button to create a new tem plate XY This workflow assumes that you use the de fault values This means that you are ex porting using the Project sample rate audio file format and sample bit depth 4 Click Set 5 Navigate to the location where you want the AAF or OMF files to reside 6 Click OK The Avid video editing application exports the files to the destination volume If the Avid video editing application has to transcode video files to a new resolution render effects or perform audio file conversions a new sequence appears in the bin with the name filename Export 01 anda new master clip appears in the bin with the name filename new 01 Manually Exporting an AAF Sequence from Media Composer Manually exporting an AAF sequence from an Avid editing application involves more steps than using the Send To Templates but it pro vides more fle
31. iaNetwork system Getting Started Using a Workstation asa MediaNetwork Client To get started using your workstation as a MediaNetwork client follow these steps 1 Log into MediaNetwork See Logging into a MediaNetwork System on page 17 2 Assign the workspace drive letter See Assign ing the Workspace Drive Letter on page 18 3 Mount a workspace on your Pro Tools client See Mounting and Unmounting Workspaces on page 19 Logging into a MediaNetwork System After installing MediaNetwork hardware and client software to your workstation you must log into the MediaNetwork system in order to configure and mount MediaNetwork drives vU MediaNetwork administrators should pro vide users of each Pro Tools client with an individual username and password If you do not have a password contact your ad ministrator To log into the MediaNetwork system 1 Do one of the following Mac If the Connection Manager alias icon is not available select Go gt Applications and then dou ble click the AvidUnity folder In this folder double click the UnityConnectionManager file Windows If the Connection Manager icon is not available in the Windows taskbar select Start All Programs AvidUnity Avid Unity Con nection Manager Chapter 3 Configuring a Pro Tools System as a MediaNetwork Client 17 2 Do one of the following Mac Double click the Connection Manager alias icon on the desktop or double
32. ine Cached gauge displays the per centage of audio in the timeline that has been cached to RAM If the Timeline Cached gauge is at 100 all audio in the Pro Tools timeline has been cached to RAM Qr The amount of audio that can be cached to RAM is dependent on the amount of RAM allocated to Disk Cache in the Playback Engine dialog in Pro Tools In cases where the total size of all audio on the timeline exceeds the amount of allocated RAM the Timeline Cached gauge will not reach 10096 For more information on Disk Cache and how to configure it see the Pro Tools Reference Guide Sharing Allocation Groups and Media Audio and video files can be shared among sev eral MediaNetwork clients However keep in mind the following restrictions when sharing Allocation Groups and files e Placing audio files for Pro Tools clients in a separate allocation group from the video files can yield higher throughput and performance but is not necessary under most circum stances Pro Tools clients cannot use files that are in a shared uncompressed allocation group Each Avid video editing client that is using dual stream 1 1 video must have dedicated ac cess to the single user allocation group con taining the video files No other clients can share the video files while these clients are us ing them Chapter 3 Configuring a Pro Tools System as a MediaNetwork Client 21 Only one Pro Tools client can access a finish ing allocat
33. ion group containing 1 1 video files The allocation group may not be used simulta neously by a video editing client and the Pro Tools client can only play a single stream of video Upto three Pro Tools clients and one video ed iting client can access an allocation group con taining 3 1 or lower compressed video files e In an environment with at least one Avid Media Composer client running two streams at 1 1 video resolution the maximum number of clients that can normally be supported is seven e Each finishing video allocation group must connect directly to a MEDIASwitch port Opening Files Pro Tools periodically opens and closes files for example to buffer them for playback When us ing MediaNetwork storage the file open process is somewhat slower than with local storage This is most noticeable when first opening an exist ing session 22 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Sharing Files Sharing Session Files To avoid machine conflicts among multiple us ers and avoid general performance problems no two Pro Tools clients should open the same ses sion at the same time Only one Pro Tools client should have a particular session open at any given time Sharing Video Files Pro Tools clients with Avid video peripherals such as Avid Mojo Avid Mojo SDI and AVop tion V10 can share JFIF and MXF video files with other MediaNetwork clients Pro Tools cannot destructively modify video files Sharing A
34. is typically stored as frames 24 25 or 30 frames per second of recording The size of each media file depends on how much audio or video material it contains For example if you record ten minutes of continu ous video material at a high resolution you might end up with a video media file that is 1 8 GB in size whereas a one minute recording at the same resolution might result in a 180 MB file Media files tend to be large since high qual ity audio and video signals are data intensive Video data generally requires considerably more storage than audio data MXF Media Data Locations On the volumes you have designated for media storage Avid editing applications store all MXF media e When stored locally MXF media is placed in the Avid MediaFiles MXF 1 folder The Avid editing application can also read MXF media located at Avid MediaFiles MXF 2 Avid Medi aFiles MXF 3 and so on When stored in a shared environment MXF media is placed in a folder called Avid MediaFiles MXF client 1 where client represents the name of the client computer This guide refers to the root folder name Avid MediaFiles whenever referencing this folder OMF Media Data Locations On the volumes you have designated Avid editing applications store all OMF media in the OMFI MediaFiles folder Metadata Metadata is used to describe e Information about each media file This may include sample rate bit depth clip names the name of the vi
35. les to a volume suitable for Pro Tools video playback Chapter 4 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Workflows for Pro Tools Video Mixdown The exported AAF sequence will reference a video mixdown This setting lets you have a choice of whether to export the video mixdown alone or the video mixdown along with additional video track edits The choice depends largely on the version of Pro Tools to which you are exporting Pro Tools 7 2 and higher can show the video mixdown alongside video edits in this case you should select both the video mixdown and the video edits For versions of Pro Tools lower than 7 2 you should export the video mixdown by itself The following settings may also appear under the Video Details tab depending on the selected export method Media Destinations Choose where to store cop ied video files Handle Length Extends the beginning and end of the consolidated file by the specified number of frames This lets you trim edits later though the sequence would need to be re edited in the Avid video editing application Render Video Effects Always select Render Video Effects If you already manually rendered effects selecting this option will not create new files It is highly recommended that all effects be rendered manually before exporting the se quence Transcode Video To Use this only if you need to change the video resolution Pro Tools supports most SD resolutions supported by Avid and even supports mixed res
36. log see the Pro Tools Reference Guide Checking In Sequences to Interplay for Pro Tools Clients The Avid Interplay media management system can be used in tandem with an ISIS network to manage media sharing between Pro Tools and Avid video editing application clients For more information on checking in sequences to Inter play for Pro Tools users see the Pro Tools Avid Interplay Guide Importing Audio and Video into Pro Tools To import sequences exported from Avid video editing applications into Pro Tools you can choose from the following methods Importing an AAF or OMF sequence as a Pro Tools session Importing an AAF or OMF sequence into an existing Pro Tools session e Importing a video mixdown into Pro Tools Importing an AAF sequence into Pro Tools from Interplay Pro Tools Avid Interplay Option and an Avid Interplay system re quired Importing an AAF or OMF Sequence as a Pro Tools Session The easiest way of using Pro Tools to edit a se quence exported from an Avid video editing ap plication is to open it as a new session To open an AAF or OMF sequence as a Pro Tools session 1 Launch Pro Tools 2 Choose File Open Session 3 In the Open Session dialog navigate to the AAF or OMF sequence you want to import 4 Click Open 5 The New Session From dialog will appear 3 wwe 3 VO Settings kat Used Es C n we Fost PEUT Gn emo New Session From dialog 6 Select the I O Se
37. lowing process ATTO Celerity FC 41XS 4 GB HBA 1 Make sure that Pro Tools software is installed e ATTO Celerity FC 41ES 4 GB HBA on the workstation i You will need to purchase optical cables sepa 2 Install the MediaNetwork client hardware rately 3 Install the MediaNetwork client software A For a complete current list of qualified O When you update the client software ensure host bus adapters please consult Avid that you update the Fibre Channel HBA support drivers and firmware to the versions sup orted with your current version of Media yx P y f CY The cable needs LC optical cable connectors bant at both ends Installing Pro Tools A Ifa Fibre Channel HBA has ever been in stalled on your Windows system you must remove any unused ATTO INF files before installing the ATTO Fibre Channel HBA If you do not know how to do this please contact your Windows system ad If you plan to configure a Pro Tools workstation as a MediaNetwork client ensure that Pro Tools software and any audio hardware are properly installed For detailed information see the Pro Tools Installation Guide MA ministrator Chapter 2 Preparing a Pro Tools Workstation For MediaNetwork 11 To install the Fibre Channel HBA in a client workstation 1 Shut down and power off your computer and expansion chassis if one is present 2 Open your computer according to the instruc tions included with it 3 Release any static electricity
38. may be easier to manage than thou sands of files stored on different volumes Pro Tools supports AAF and OMF sequences that contain embedded audio media Pro Tools does not support AAF or OMF se quences containing embedded video media ex cept if you are importing such sequences into a video satellite track In such cases video meta data is imported into the track MXF MXF is a media file format There are MXF video files and MXF audio files but there are no MXF sequences An AAF sequence may refer to or in clude MXF media files but OMF sequences can not refer to or include MXF files Avid Support for MXF Media Avid video editing applications support MXF media as follows Creation of MXF media when capturing transcoding rendering or using other meth ods to create media Import of MXF media files created in other Avid applications e Export of MXF audio and video files Pro Tools Support for MXF Media Pro Tools supports MXF media as follows Import of MXF video and audio media e Export of MXF audio media Pro Tools cannot export video files of any type Video files digitized in Pro Tools are technically ofthe MXF format but are intended only for use in Pro Tools and are not tested for compatibility with other applications Chapter 1 Introduction 3 AAF AAF sequences are the best way to exchange projects and maintain valuable metadata An AAF sequence can refer to OMF and or MXF me dia
39. me from which Pro Tools can play back video select Link to Source Media e Ifthe video files reside on a volume from which Pro Tools cannot play back video se lect Copy from Source Media to copy all video to the Pro Tools video storage 12 Change other parameters as desired 13 Click OK Pro Tools will create a new Audio Files folder a Video Files folder a cache wfm file and a ses sion file at the designated locations 32 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Importing an AAF or OMF Sequence into an Existing Session You can import an AAF or OMF sequence con taining audio and video media into an existing Pro Tools session A Any video imported into Pro Tools must be the same frame rate as video already placed in the Timeline To open and import audio and or video tracks from an OMF or AAF sequence 1 Open an existing Pro Tools session 2 Choose File Import Session Data and choose the AAF or OMF sequence that you wish to import A Pro Tools cannot play video that is embed ded in an AAF or OMF sequence but it can read the video editing metadata when im ported into a satellite track Do not use this option if you want to import the video itself into Pro Tools CY You can also open an AAF or OMF sequence by dragging it from any location on your computer or the DigiBase browser to the Pro Tools Timeline 3 From the Audio Media Options pop up menu choose how you want to import audio files into
40. ndered before exporting the se quence Include Rendered Audio Effects Select the In clude Rendered Audio Effects option Other wise the exported sequence will include the original audio files without any AudioSuite ef fects from the original sequence even if those effects were previously rendered Convert Audio Sample Rate Bit Depth File For mat Select Project for any of these and the cur rent Audio Project Setting will be used While new audio files are typically stored in the OMFI MediaFiles folder for OMF or the Avid MediaFiles folder for MXF some workflows let you choose a different target destination for au dio in the Media Destination section of the Au dio Details tab as follows Media Drive This option exports audio media to the OMFI or Avid MediaFiles folder on con nected storage Select the Use Media Creation Settings option to use the default settings or de select that option to choose a media drive from the pop up menu Folder This option exports audio media to a spe cific folder Select the Use Same Folder as AAF File option to export the media into the same folder you designated for exporting the AAF se quence or deselect this option to select a spe cific folder location for the media Chapter 4 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Workflows for Pro Tools 29 Embedded in AAF This option embeds the audio media in the AAF sequence that is exported from the Avid video editing application Unlike embedded
41. o files Import and export of OMF sequences that re fer to external linked OMF video files and WAV or AIFF audio files Pro Tools Support for OMF Media and Sequences Pro Tools supports OMF media and sequences as follows Import of OMF video files created by Media Composer or other Avid applications Export of OMF audio files Import and playback of OMF sequences that refer to external linked audio files or contain embedded audio files Import and playback of OMF sequences that refer to external linked OMF video files Export of OMF sequences that refer to exter nal linked audio files or contain embedded audio files Video satellite systems only Import of OMF sequences containing embedded video to a satellite track in which case Pro Tools im ports only the metadata cuts and clip names and not the video Pro Tools does not export video files tracks or metadata as part of OMF sequences Embedded Media Exporting to OMF or AAF with embedded media results in one large OMF or AAF file containing both the metadata and all associated media files Media Data Media Files Media data represents raw audio or video mate rial and is stored in individual media files Every time you record a piece of video or audio mate rial into an application you are creating a media file containing media data Audio media data is stored as samples such as 44 100 or 48 000 sam ples per second of recording while video media
42. og click Advanced The Advanced Connection Man ager Options dialog appears 3 From the Assign Workspace Drive Letters Starting With pop up menu select the letter to which the first workspace will be assigned Make sure to select a letter whose range of se quential letters does not include any letters as signed to drives on your Pro Tools client 4 Select Synchronize the System Clock with the Server Clock This is necessary to help prevent time related title creation and access problems by synchronizing the time of the MediaNetwork client to the time of MediaNetwork File Man ager 5 If you want to be notified when the status of a workspace connection is lost select the relevant option 6 Click OK to apply changes Mounting and Unmounting Workspaces Mounting a workspace to your Pro Tools work station is equivalent to connecting to a network drive or mounting a FireWire drive to your com puter Once the drive is mounted you can con nect to that workspace stream media from it save media to it and unmount it To mount or unmount Unity workspaces using your Pro Tools client 1 Open the Connection Manager 2 In the Connection Manager window select the Workspaces that you wish to mount or unmount 3 If mounting a workspace and you want the Pro Tools client to automatically mount these workspaces each time you log into the Media Network system select the option at the bottom of the dialog 4 Cli
43. olutions in the Pro Tools Timeline so in most cases there is no need to spend extra time transcoding the video However if you have video of a resolution which is not currently supported by Pro Tools use this setting to transcode it to a supported resolution 28 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide jS If your Pro Tools system is running on a slower computer you may be able to reduce some of the CPU load in Pro Tools by transcoding the video to 1 1 on export 1 1 video is uncompressed and consequently it does not need to be decompressed before playing back However 1 1 video requires significant amounts of storage space While new video files are typically stored in the OMFI MediaFiles folder for OMF or the Avid MediaFiles folder for MXF some workflows let you choose a different target destination for video in the Media Destination section of the Video Details tab as follows Media Drive This option exports media to the OMFI MediaFiles folder or Avid MediaFiles folder on a connected storage drive Select the Use Media Creation Settings option to use the default settings or deselect that option to choose a media drive from the pop up menu Folder This option exports video media to a spe cific folder Select the Use Same Folder as AAF File option to export the video media into the same folder you designated for exporting the AAF sequence or deselect this option to selecta specific folder location for the media Em
44. ou are exporting to the same storage that Avid video editing application will be accessing navigate to the OMFI MediaFiles folder AIFF or WAV files or the Avid Me diaFiles folder MXF files or Ifyou are exporting to a location that is not directly accessible to the Avid video editing application navigate to a location where you can easily find the audio files when you need to copy them over to the Avid com puter 13 Click Use Current Folder Windows or Choose Mac Pro Tools exports the following files e The AAF or OMF sequence is saved to the folder you designated e If you exported audio files directly to the Avid video editing application s video stor age related media is saved to the appropri ate volume and folder OMFI MediaFiles or Avid MediaFiles accessible to the Avid video editing application 14 Do one of the following If you are using the Avid video editing ap plication on the same computer as Pro Tools and are ready to use it to import the files you just exported from the Avid video editing application exit Pro Tools or e Ifyou were unable to save the audio portion ofthe AAF sequence directly to storage that is accessible from the Avid video editing application copy the audio files from their saved location to the OMFI MediaFiles folder for AIFF or WAV media or Avid MediaFiles folder for MXF media on a drive connected to your Avid system 36 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork G
45. play Administrator applications You can use any of the following guides as sup plementary information for this guide e Avid Site Preparation Guide contains informa tion that helps you prepare your site for in stalling MediaNetwork system hardware e Avid Unity MediaNetwork Management Guide provides information for the setup and day to day management of an Avid Unity Media Net work system and system e Avid Unity MediaNetwork Windows Fibre Channel Client Setup Guide provides informa tion for setting up MediaNetwork client hard ware installing and configuring MediaNetwork client software and creating a network of MediaNetwork clients and other systems These guides and other Avid documentation can be found on the Avid Knowledge Base You can reach the Knowledge Base by clicking Help gt Pro Tools Knowledge Base in Pro Tools or by visiting www avid com onlinesupport To view or print PDF guides use Adobe Acrobat Reader About the Pro Tools Avid Interplay Guide The Pro Tools Avid Interplay Guide describes how to set up Pro Tools as a client within an Avid Interplay system as well as use Pro Tools and Interplay to exchange sequences between Avid and Pro Tools users Please refer to the Pro Tools Avid Interplay Guide for information on working with Interplay and Pro Tools Support for Avid Unity MediaNetwork For support on Avid Unity MediaNetwork visit Avid s online Knowledge Base You can reach the Knowledge B
46. r export methods see the Pro Tools Ref erence Guide Exporting Tracks as OMF AAF Sequences Use Export Selected Tracks as OMF AAF to ex port individual tracks or an entire Pro Tools session in AAF or OMF format CY Tracks are exported in their entirety and time selections are ignored CY Volume and pan automation is not retained on export if Quantize Edits to Frame Bound aries is enabled Avid Compatibility Mode CY The Movie track cannot be exported to AAF or OMF from Pro Tools To export selected audio tracks from Pro Tools as an AAF or OMF sequence 1 In Pro Tools select the tracks you want to ex port in the Pro Tools session by Shift clicking the names of each track 2 Choose File gt Export gt Selected Tracks as OMF AAF 3 The Export to OMF AAF dialog will appear Export to OMF AAF OMF AAF Options Export As AAF ES M Enforce Avid Compatibility Target Project Timecode Format 29 97 Non Drop E V Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries Export stereo 5 1 and 7 1 tracks as multi channel Sample Rate Conversion Options V Apply SRC Source Sample Rate 48 kHz i 48 kHz iB TweakHd Slwst n Dest Sample Rate Conversion Quality Audio Media Options Format Bit Depth 24 Copy Option Consolidate from source media Handle Size 1000 milliseconds o 3 Cancel Export to OMF AAF dialog 4 Under OMF AAF Options choose AAF or OMF from the Export As pop
47. rks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology Inc Xpand is Registered in the U S Patent and Trademark Office All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners Product features specifications system requirements and availability are subject to change without notice Guide Part Number 9329 65115 00 REV A 10 11 Documentation Feedback At Avid we are always looking for ways to improve our documentation If you have comments corrections or suggestions regarding our documentation email us at techpubs avid com Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 0 0 0 0 1 Avid MediaNetwork Capabilities llle 1 Avid Interplay eI he tee ee ees ERE ERR RE 6 A dG E Uer RES 1 Overview of a MediaNetwork System llle ene 2 AAF OME arid MXF Basics 25 254 2 cscs abd Seas hae EUEG NR SX ERA RTT 3 Embedded Media and Linked Media 000 eee eee 6 Frame Rate Accurate Video Editing and Sample Rate Accurate Audio Editing 6 System Requirements and Compatibility clle 8 About Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guides lllllleee eere 8 Support for Avid Unity MediaNetwork llle RR IRI 9 Conventions Used in This Guide liliis een 9 AboUt WWW avid COM ie xe Ecc RA eek eee RE RACER RR REOR RS paar 10 Chapter 2 Preparing a Pro Tools Workstation For MediaNetwork 11 Installation OVervieW cs pies pac m emet aden late E SE T EIN RS Eten 11
48. rmation on working with Interplay see the Pro Tools Avid Interplay Guide Chapter 4 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Workflows for Pro Tools 25 Using the Send To Templates to Export an AAF or OMF Sequence from Media Composer The Send To Templates let you create one AAF sequence that references audio and video files used in the sequence and save it to the volume selected in your Avid Preferences To use the Send To Pro Tools templates 1 Select a sequence in a bin 2 Choose File gt Send To gt Pro Tools on Unity then choose one of the following options Link to Audio and Video Creates an AAF se quence that links to existing audio and video wherever possible and only creates new media files for effects that have not been rendered This is the fastest and most storage efficient way to export a sequence Choose this option for a scenario in which Pro Tools will link to the same media files as the current Avid sequence Use this setting if the media files are currently stored on volumes that are suitable for Pro Tools media playback QuickTime Link to Audio Creates an AAF se quence that links to existing audio and creates a new QuickTime movie Choose this option when exporting a sequence for a Pro Tools system that does not have an Avid video peripheral attached Video Mixdown Link to Audio Creates an AAF sequence that links to existing audio and in cludes editing metadata as well as a video mix down in the video format de
49. rows before and after month and year to change the month and year values 5 Click the correct day of the month in the cal endar 6 In the Current Time section click the hours minutes or seconds and then click the up or down arrow to change the time values 7 Click the Time Zone tab The time zone map appears 8 Click the map near your location to highlight the time zone 9 Click the Network Time tab The network time properties appear 10 Close the Date amp Time window 11 Reboot the client Chapter 2 Preparing a Pro Tools Workstation For MediaNetwork 15 To set the date time and time zone on Windows 7 1 Right click the clock icon on the taskbar A menu will appear 2 Choose Adjust Date Time from the menu The Date and Time dialog will appear 3 Click the Change date and time button 4 Set the date and time to the correct values 5 Press OK to close the window 6 Click the Change Time Zone button and select the correct time zone 7 Make sure that Automatically adjust clock for Daylight Saving Time is selected 8 Click OK to save your changes then close the Date and Time Control Panel 16 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Chapter 3 Configuring a Pro Tools System as a MediaNetwork Client This chapter describes how to use MediaNet work client software to establish your Pro Tools workstation as a MediaNetwork client and also contains additional details on using Pro Tools in a Med
50. t manages the metadata stored on the File Manager server Clients One or more Avid or Pro Tools worksta tions configured to be able to exchange data with other clients attached to the MediaNetwork system Interplay Access client Distributed Media Services DMS Interplay Assist client JBOD IBO D chassis Avid Unity TransferEngine Avid Unity MediaNetwork system solid lines represent physical connections while dotted lines represent connections through the switch AAF OMF and MXF Basics AAF and OMF files are mechanisms for storing and retrieving media data and metadata so that projects can be freely exchanged between differ ent applications and platforms such as between Pro Tools and Avid video editing applications Media data and metadata enable an application that receives AAF and OMF sequence files to au tomatically and quickly reassemble the compo sition A simple metaphor for this approach is that media data files are the pieces of a puzzle and metadata is the set of instructions for as sembling the puzzle In the simplest case only an AAF or OMF se quence is exchanged If this sequence points to existing media files the size of the sequence file is relatively small and the export import process is relatively fast AAF and OMF sequences can also have media data embedded in them This creates a single larger file that is slower to export and import but which
51. the MediaNetwork Release DVD ROM in the Mac or Windows client kit You must have a supported version of Mac OS X or Windows 7 installed before you in stall the MediaNetwork client software Installing MediaNetwork client software in volves the following steps 1 Install the Fibre Channel Controller driver 2 Install the MediaNetwork client software Installing the Fibre Channel Controller Driver After you install the Fibre Channel adapter board in the client you need to install the latest Fibre Channel adapter driver The Avid Unity MediaNetwork DVD ROM contains an ATTO driver specific for your board See the Avid Unity Media Engine and Avid MEDIArray XT ReadMe for the instructions on loading the driver and firmware if needed Installing the MediaNetwork Client Software To install the MediaNetwork client software Mac 1 Insert the MediaNetwork DVD ROM into the OS X client DVD ROM drive The MN x x DVD ROM icon appears on the desktop where x x is the software version number 2 Double click the MN x x DVD ROM icon The MN x x window opens 14 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide 3 Double click the Avid Unity Installer icon A login dialog opens 4 Type a user name and password for a user ac count with administrator permissions The Avid splash screen opens 5 Click Continue 6 Read the license agreement and click Accept The Avid Unity Install window opens If you click Decline then the installa
52. tion ends 7 Select the Easy Install option to install all the necessary software on the Avid drive 8 Click Install A dialog opens stating that no other applications can be running while the in stallation is in progress 9 Click Continue All applications running on the workstation quit and a dialog opens asking which client software you want to install 10 Do one of the following e Ifyou are installing the MediaNetwork soft ware on an Avid click MediaNetwork and then click Install The MediaNetwork soft ware is installed in the Avid Unity folder on the Macintosh HD drive e Ifyou are installing the MediaNetwork soft ware on a Pro Tools Mac client click Medi aNetwork for Pro Tools and then click Install The MediaNetwork software is in stalled in the Avid Unity folder on the Mac intosh HD drive 11 Click OK A dialog opens asking if you would like to Continue Quit or Restart the Mac OS X client 12 Click Restart The Mac OS X client reboots To install the MediaNetwork client software Windows 1 Insert the MediaNetwork DVD ROM in the DVD ROM drive The DVD ROM is set to start automatically and open the Avid Unity Installa tion window If the DVD ROM does not start au tomatically start the installation manually as follows Double click the My Computer icon on the desktop The My Computer window opens e Right click the DVD ROM icon and select Play The Avid Unity Installation window opens
53. ttings to use for the session Several pre configured I O Settings are included with your system or you can select a custom I O Setting that you have created 7 Click OK 8 Name your session in the subsequent dialog box 9 Click Save The Import Session Data dialog appears Import Session Data Timecode Mappenq Options Mantuin absolute timecode vsus Track Offset Options Offset iecoming Tracks Te Import Session Data dialog Chapter 4 Avid Unity MediaNetwork Workflows for Pro Tools 31 CY Pro Tools lets you open and import OMF or AAF sequences that reference audio files with mixed sample rates and or bit depths Files with sample rates other the than the sample rate set in the New Session dialog will be converted to the correct rate 10 From the Audio Media Options pop up menu choose how you want to import audio files into Pro Tools e Ifthe audio files reside on a volume from which Pro Tools can play back audio select Link to Source Media Where Possible Ifthe audio files reside on a volume from which Pro Tools cannot play back audio se lect Copy from Source Media to copy all au dio to the Pro Tools audio storage or Consolidate from Source Media to copy only the portions of the audio used in the Pro Tools Timeline to the Pro Tools audio storage 11 From the Video Media Options pop up menu choose how you want to import video files into Pro Tools e If the video files reside on a volu
54. typically comprise the following components MediaNetwork System Entire set of components within an individual MediaNetwork installa tion MEDIASwitch One or more central routers di recting communication between different com ponents within a MediaNetwork system PortServer or PortServer Pro Optional One or more servers that let Avid workstations access MediaNetwork workspaces through an Ethernet connection without a Fibre Channel connec tion File Manager One or more servers including a backup server that functions as the heart of the Unity MediaNetwork file system by maintaining location information for media stored on drives JBOD IBOD Chassis that contains the drives that store the actual data Avid Interplay Transcode and or Avid DMS ProEn code Optional Engine that distributes proces sor intensive tasks to network servers in order to allow MediaNetwork clients such as Avid and Pro Tools workstations to proceed without interruption Avid Interplay Access or Avid Unity MediaMan ager Optional Media asset management client application that enables facility wide searching sorting cataloging management and retrieval of media 2 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide Avid Interplay Assist or Avid Unity MediaManager Select Optional Client that allows real time logging and annotating of any media right at the desktop Avid Interplay Engine or Avid Unity MediaMan ager Server Optional Server tha
55. udio Files Pro Tools clients can share audio files in an al location group with other MediaNetwork cli ents When working with shared audio files it is recommended that you use the Duplicate com mand to make a copies before applying any de structive edits Destructive Editing The following Pro Tools features can destruc tively modify audio files e Pencil Tool e AudioSuite in Overwrite Files mode CY Rendering an AudioSuite effect in Overwrite Files mode will destructively modify the af fected clips however fades and metadata are preserved e Destructive Record Compact Selected e DestructivePunch Record e DigiBase metadata entry editing When working with shared audio files it is rec ommended that you use the Duplicate command to substitute copies before applying any de structive edits This avoids the problem of mod ifying a file referenced by another session To substitute a copy of a shared file 1 In Pro Tools select the clip you want to copy in the Edit window 2 Choose Edit Duplicate Chapter 3 Configuring a Pro Tools System as a MediaNetwork Client MXF and OMF Files Pro Tools treats all MXF and OMF media that are both created by Avid and stored on Unity shared storage as read only Consequently de structive editing tools cannot be used to modify MXF and OMF media files However you can de lete or overwrite MXF and OMF files Because Pro Tools creates both MXF OMF and non MXF OMF m
56. uide Exporting Audio Files Using Bounce to Disk Use the Bounce to Disk command to create pre mixed files of the current Pro Tools session This does not export all of the individual files on the Timeline but it does guarantee that the mix you hear in the Avid video editing application will be identical to the mix you hear in Pro Tools including all panning effects and au tomation To export audio files using Bounce to Disk 1 In Pro Tools finalize the mix 2 Select the time range of the session that you want to export All audible tracks in that time range will be included in the bounce whether they are selected or not 3 Choose File Bounce to Disk 4 In the Bounce to Disk dialog select the Enforce Avid Compatibility option Bounce Bounce Source A 1 2 Stereo gt A 1 2 File Type wav Format Multiple mono Bit Depth 24 Bit 3 48 kHz Sample Rate Conversion Quality Use Squeezer V Enforce Avid Compatibility Conversion Options Convert During Convert After Bounce C Import After Bounce Add To iTunes Library Share with SoundCloud Bounce to Disk dialog Enforce Avid Compatibility creates frame accu rate edits wraps the files as OMFI unless you choose MXF and limits the sample rate options to 44 1 or 48 kHz Dithering without noise shap ing will be applied to files being bounced from 24 bit to 16 bit 5 Choose a file type from the File Type pop up menu 6
57. video Pro Tools can import and play audio which is embedded in an AAF sequence Embedding audio within the AAF sequence makes file management much simpler because there is only one file to move the sequence There is a limit of 2 GB for embedded AAF A Pro Tools cannot play video that is embed ded in an AAF sequence but it can read the video editing metadata when imported into a satellite track Do not use this option if you want to import the video itself into Pro Tools 8 Click Save or Save As in the Export Settings dialog e Click Save to use the specified settings whenever Export to Pro Tools is selected from the Export Settings menu These set tings will also be used when choosing any of the options located at File gt Send To gt Pro Tools to Unity e Click Save As to save these settings as a preset with a different name These settings can then be recalled in the Export dialog If you click Save As instead of Save the Ex port to Pro Tools settings will not be changed 9 Click Save in the Export As dialog The Ex port Settings cannot be saved until you have se lected a target drive for both audio and video When the export is complete you are ready to import the file into Pro Tools 30 Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide For more information on opening and im porting AAF sequences in Pro Tools see Importing Audio and Video into Pro Tools on page 31 For more informa tion on the Import Session dia
58. xibility A You will need to render all video effects be fore manually exporting the sequence Once all effects have been rendered export the sequence as an AAF sequence To manually export an AAF sequence 1 Select the sequence in the bin 2 Select File gt Export 3 Type a name and select a location for the ex ported sequence 4 Select Export to Pro Tools from the Export Set tings menu at the bottom of the Export As dia log 5 Click the Options button to open the Export to Pro Tools Settings dialog Verify the settings For Export As select AAF Select the Include All Video Tracks in Se quence option When the sequence is im ported into Pro Tools All of the video tracks will be flattened so that the im ported sequence shows only a single video stream Export Settings Export To Pro Tools dialog Video Data Details tab 6 In the Video Data Details tab select one of the following from the Export Method pop up menu Link to Don t Export Media The Pro Tools ses sion will link to the same video files as the cur rent Avid sequence Use this setting if the video files are currently stored on a volume suitable for Pro Tools video playback Copy All Media New complete video files will be created on the designated volume Consolidate Media Similar to Copy All Media but only the parts of the video clips which are actually used in the Timeline are copied Use this setting to copy the video fi

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