Migrating Audio from Final Cut Pro

T*Bob Tubb wrote on 12/12/2008, 9:29 AM
I've been editing on Final Cut Studio, but find the audio side of the package (Soundtrack Pro) to be horribly clunky and unstable. I like the audio tools in Vegas, and would much rather use Vegas for my audio needs on a FCP project...

Does anyone use this as a workflow, or has anyone done it before?

My plan is to export from Final Cut Pro into Soundtrack Pro, and export it from STP as an AAF. Since I'll be 'mastering' in Vegas, I'll only need to export the finished WAVs and can re-import into Final Cut easily... is Vegas's AAF importing pretty robust?

Thanks in advance for advice/help!

Comments

jbolley wrote on 12/12/2008, 10:16 AM
AAF is pretty simple. I have done exports from Vegas as AAF and they worked great. Not sure I've ever imported though. You will get the source clips in time on the timeline but not much other project info - don't do too much in FCP, it may just get lost in the translation.
Try one and let us know how it works!

Jesse
T*Bob Tubb wrote on 12/12/2008, 11:51 AM
Yeah, no envelopes or effects, I just want the clips at the correct time and some handles... I'll keep you posted.
newhope wrote on 12/12/2008, 8:52 PM
The one downside is that you'll probably end up with dual mono tracks for each stereo track.
This is a factor of AAF and OMF export, other than that you willbe be able to export the audio AND envelopes from FCP. Whether Vegas will import the envelopes I'm not sure But I have imported envelopes into Vegas using EDL Convert 4.

The newer EDL Convert Pro offers addtional export and import conversion directly from FCP XML files to Vegas XML (imported via Scripting Tools in Vegas) which does support envelopes, levels and Pan.

I totally agree with your impressions of Soundtrack Pro, I tend to export to ProTools on the Mac from FCP rather than using Soundtrack Pro. I have also exported from ProTools LE and used Vegas for 5.1 mixing prior to getting Neyrinck's Mix 5.1 for PT LE.

http://www.newhope.com.auNew Hope Media[/link]
JeffreyPFisher wrote on 1/30/2009, 7:29 AM
You will have a hard time getting AAF outta Soundtrack Pro 'cos it doesn't really work properly at all. I went FCP to STP, then exported EVERY single track on its own, brought that into Vegas, and then did the real audio work with a pro app that actually works.

--jpf
newhope wrote on 1/30/2009, 2:02 PM
You will have a hard time getting AAF outta Soundtrack Pro 'cos it doesn't really work properly at all

I wonder if that is more a symptom of the poor implementation of AAF in Vegas than a fault with Sound Track Pro's AAF export, not that I like STP as an audio application at all!

I generally use the OMF export from FCP to get audio out, with levels and handles, and that works well to applications that can import OMFs.

I have not had too many successful experiences with AAF in Vegas from other NLEs I usually use EDL Convert ( or Convert Pro) as an intermediate stage and avoiding the AAF process altogether.

Also, unlike programs such as ProTools where you can import multiple OMFs and AAFs, my experience with Vegas and AAF import from ProTools was less than encouraging. When I imported an AAF exported from ProTools the import reset my Vegas project from 5.1 back to stereo. Not something I was expecting or should have happened.

In the end I had to resort to bouncing each track down in PT and importing the BWF files in Vegas, all fine, if time consuming, because the tracks were premixes. That method isn't particularly useful if the tracks are raw audio from a vision edit as you end up without handles and need to cut up the tracks into regions/clips in Vegas.

As far as being a Pro audio app Vegas is great audio tool but not quite in the Pro league other than by name.

New Hope Media
rraud wrote on 1/30/2009, 4:13 PM
I have never had any luck with importing AAF files from FCP or Avids. I use to use EDL convert for OMF files. I now use Sonar or Nuendo on many projects because of Vegas' lack of pro features. OMF and BWF (B'cast Wave) to be specific.
FuTz wrote on 3/19/2009, 6:12 AM
From what I read here, maybe a few could chime in on the "Vegas 9 wishlist" topic in the Video Forum.
A few of us have been asking for a *solid* EDL plus OMF, AAF and BWF import-export for quite a while now. Time to take care about audio a little more with this version imo.
The more asking, the better... well, maybe.
newhope wrote on 3/20/2009, 7:38 AM
maybe a few could chime in on the "Vegas 9 wishlist" topic in the Video Forum

We've all done that since Vegas 4 but it seems to fall on deaf, perhaps dumb, ears at SCS.

Like my grandmother used to say, "... wish in one hand and spit in the other and see what you get first..."

I think we've all been spending a lot of time wiping the spit off our hands!!

New Hope Media