Extracting Audio from RED media in the timeline...

"If you force FCP X to use your proxy clip by creating a new event, adding a clip and browsing to the proxy (or optimized) copy which is a mov, then you use only those movs in your project and no r3ds, X2Pro will be able to extract the audio."

Graeme,

Thanks for your reply.

Would this have to take place Prior to the editing process?

In other words the workflow would look like this.

Import R3D media
Create proxy or optimized media.
Import optimized media into a NEW event.
Edit the material with media from the NEW event.
Export the XML
Audio is exported as QT via X2Pro, creating an AFF.

Would it be possible to edit the EML to replace the r3d with.mov files from the transcoded media folder?
A small utility to do this would be very handy.

I think clipfinder might be able to do this with an FCP 7 XML.

David

Hi David,

When you create a proxy mov from a r3d file, that mov is used by FCP X while you are editing, but when you export your project as XML it references your r3d files (presumably because then next application to use that fcpxml will most likely need to use the hires versions of your clips). This can be verified by examining your fcpxml in textedit and searching for ".r3d"

X2Pro cannot read audio from r3d files because it is not supported in the QuickTime framework.

If you force FCP X to use your proxy clip by creating a new event, adding a clip and browsing to the proxy (or optimized) copy which is a mov, then you use only those movs in your project and no r3ds, X2Pro will be able to extract the audio.

another way to look at this problem.

I have figured something out that might break this logjam.

When I import the RED media I have the option to create proxy media. I have just done this with a large project. This means that ALL of my RED media has been converted from R3D to QUICKTIME. now, when I edit with the Quicktime files there should be NO reason that your software can not extract the AUDIO from the QuickTime, BUT IT DOES NOT?

Why?

Earlier in this thread you stated that your software works on QT framework.

WHy is it that if I create QT proxy media and try to get the audio from the rendered QT file it does not work? If I open a generated QT proxy file in QT player the video and audio is there, but your software is not able to extract it?

Why?

David

It depends how the RED user deals with audio...

If they always use external audio, and only use the audio from the RED clip to sync the external audio, it is good news because they can now use X2Pro to process their FCP X projects containing RED clips without having to replace all the RED clips with "gaps" first.

If they want the audio from the RED clip to be included in the AAF, then it's not so good because this is still not supported by X2Pro. For these users, it's just the same as it was before the update.

If you have a workaround which is better than just disabling the audio in the inspector panel, or if it enables X2Pro to convert the audio from the RED clips somehow, we would be very interested to hear. Please do keep us updated when you have done your further testing.

I think i have the best workaround but I have to do some furhter testing.

PS. it involves Quicktime.

David

Is this good news for RED users or bad news for RED users.

David

The latest verions of X2Pro in the app store will now ignore RED clips if the audio is disabled in the inspector panel.

Thanks for the explanation and update Graeme,

David

Hi David,

X2Pro uses the QuickTime framework to extract audio from clips referenced in the FCPXML file from FCP X. The QuickTime framework does not support R3D files (which is why they also cannot be opened in QuickTime player) and so X2Pro cannot read the audio from them.

The only way for X2Pro to extract audio from R3D clips would be for it to use the RED SDK in addition to the QuickTime framework. This would be a significant change to how X2Pro works and I'm not sure if/when this is planned.

As most users seem to be disabling the audio from the R3D files and using external audio, there are internal discussions taking place about how X2Pro can handle this. I will keep this thread updated with any news on this matter.

Graeme,

I appreciate the workaround advice for double system audio.

Here is the part I do not understand.

If the audio from the r3d file is available to FCP X in the fcp x timeline, and that same audio is available to fcp X to export to vimeo or any of the other file sharing export options within fcp x, then why can it not be available to X2Pro?

That is the part of this equation that baffles me a little bit.

David

If you are not actually using any audio from the R3D files (just using it for syncing external audio, then disabling it) then there is a potential workaround until X2Pro can handle these files:

BACKUP YOUR PROJECT AND EVENTS BEFORE FOLLOWING ANY OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS

Duplicate the project and any related events, then open any synchronised clips containing R3D clips in the timeline and replace the R3D clip with a "gap" (select the clip then choose Edit>Replace with Gap from the menu bar). This allows the synchronised audio to remain attached to the "gap". You should be able to exported this new project as an FCPXML and X2Pro will be able to convert this to an AAF.

We understand that this could be time consuming and fiddly, but hopefully this workaround might be sufficient for you to get your project through X2Pro until we have a more permanent solution.

This is a blocking issue for me as well. I have a project with RED Scarlet footage where we kept a sync track in the camera, but after the separate audio files were synced they were all disabled. Still I can't get the project processed successfully thru X2Pro because of this. Clips that are either 10.0.7/Red Native, or a reference .mov thru REDCINE-X both produce these errors.

I could work around it if X2Pro would at least support a way I could have it ignore any tracks it couldn't open (with a warning) and still produce an AAF.

Thank you Graeme,

I hope it can happen soon. I think that with the number of Scarlet cameras out there now and the ease of teh FCP X/ RED workflow will ean more people would want this feature.

Should Logic X be release with FCP X integration then this might become a mute point, but for Pro Tools users I think that the workflow (which I know now is a bit bleeding edge) will soon be an accepted way of working.

I know that it could mean many resources, but I am pretty certain you would get good support from RED on this as well.

David

Supporting RED would require us to build the RED SDK into X2Pro which we have not yet done. At the moment I am not able to say when this might be included. When I find out some more I will let you know.

Is there a timeline on this?

Is it on your roadmap?

If not, then the converter is really of no use at all to me as I work exclusively with this material.

David