Jump to content

744T filename issue in Avid Media Compser 6


MT Groove

Recommended Posts

Ever since our media manager switched to Avid MC6, he has been having issues with my 744T's filenames. Basically, when he try to import into Avid, the filenames gets truncated and the metadata is completely absent. The files worked perfectly fine in MC 5.5 before. My 744T has the latest firmware. I have called Sound Devices and they are not aware of this issue. I'm pretty sure this is an Avid issue. However, that doesn't explain the fact that the files from my Fusion imports perfectly. I have tried to change the separators, renaming with different format, ommitting any special characters in the fie names on the 744T. It still doen't import properly into Avid. Anyone had this issue as well?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does this problem occur with any 744 file from any 744 (or 788)? With any sort of file name? I'd try a test with the 744 having a file name of "1" or something simple and see how the system reacts. Like you I'd suspect an issue with how the Avid session was set up.

What does Avid say about it? Can you send them a file to test?

phil p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Phillip,

I currently don't have another 744T nor 788T to try out. I did try naming the scene name with just a 1, or just a single letter. I have tried changing the separater to another letter, _, - anything possible. The files still import with various issues. The metadata is not properly displayed. The take number part of the file is truncated from the file name. On Mondat, I will bring some backup files I recorded on a 788T a couple years ago and have our media manager try importing. That way, it wil rule out the possibility of my 744T having this issue. Currently, the 744T files shows up fine in Wave Agent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, I brought some files that was recorded on a 788T a year and a half ago and let our media manager import them. He's getting the same issues. So apparently, MC6 is having issues with SD files, but not Zaxcom files. I guess I will do the dirty work and contact Avid myself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

We have the same issue Filename of 744T gets truncated in MC6.0.x on osx 10.7

Problem seems to occur specific on Mac. Also Avid 5.5. on OSX 10.7 has same problem.

We tried old MC 2.8 on PC. This works fine.

Problem with files from 744T is that SCENE info is imported but TAKE info is left out by AVID MC

Apparently AVID reads only the metadata from the WAV files not the filename.

Wav Files from other device like CANTAR 00433 v 2.44 imports fine in MC6.0.x on Mac

When extracting the meta date from the WAV file of the 744 we see no obvious reason why this does not work.

744T WAV metadata:

File Name : S18_166T01.WAV

Directory : ./Desktop

File Size : 31 MB

File Modification Date/Time : 2012:11:05 13:06:09+01:00

File Access Date/Time : 2012:11:05 16:11:12+01:00

File Permissions : rw-r--r--

File Type : WAV

MIME Type : audio/x-wav

Encoding : Microsoft PCM

Num Channels : 3

Sample Rate : 48000

Avg Bytes Per Sec : 432000

Bits Per Sample : 24

Description : sSPEED=025.000-ND..sTAKE=t 09..sUBITS=$10281201..sSWVER=2.66..sPROJECT=SWEETLOVE..sSCENE=123_456..sFILENAME=S18_166T01.WAV..sTAPE=12Y10M28..sTRK1=Boom..sTRK2=Tx Roos..sTRK3=Steun Mic in cabine..sNOTE=..

Originator : Sound Dev: 744T S#461107306006

Originator Reference : USSDV461107306006193852174092401

Date/Time Original : 2012:10:28 19:38:26

Time Reference : 3394704001

BWF Version : 1

Duration : 0:01:15

CANTAR 00433 v 2.44 WAV metadata:

File Name : RR2992==0618 822t 1 ==_1.WAV

Directory : ./Desktop

File Size : 4.0 MB

File Modification Date/Time : 2012:11:05 13:05:52+01:00

File Access Date/Time : 2012:11:05 16:11:12+01:00

File Permissions : rwxr-xr-x

File Type : WAV

MIME Type : audio/x-wav

Description : aUBITS=$01111200..aSCENE=123_456..aTAKE=t 08..aTAPE=1101..aSPEED=025.000-ND..aTAG=RR2992..aTYP=mono..aCHNL=C1 ..aTRK1=Boom ..aNOTE=Liselot doorzoekt telefoon..

Originator : CANTAR 00433 v 2.44

Originator Reference : AATON RR29921000

Date/Time Original : 2012:11:01 09:00:23

Time Reference : 1556256000

BWF Version : 0

Encoding : Microsoft PCM

Num Channels : 1

Sample Rate : 48000

Avg Bytes Per Sec : 144000

Bits Per Sample : 24

Duration : 29.05 s

Any body ?

Mac Pro 2012 3.3GHz 16Gb memory OSX 10.7.3 MC 6.0.3

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have the same issue Filename of 744T gets truncated in MC6.0.x on osx 10.7

Sounds to me like a "8.3" filename issue, where you can't go longer than 8 characters for the first part of the filename. I have warned script supervisors and others that we have limitations on how long filenames can go, because of compatibility issues with older file systems. I don't know if the custom version of Linux used in Sound Devices and Zaxcom recorders can be modified to allow long filenames, but even if they could, it might be dangerous.

I have seen filenames grow gigantic in some situations, particularly on reshoots and VFX sequences, where we wind up with "A65-VFX202v2 Take 37" and stuff like that, which obviously will not fit a standard data field. A lot of this stuff is DOS holdovers dating back to the 1990s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What does the iXML Chunk metadata look like in comparison between the 744 and Cantar? Could be a difference there if the new verison of AVID is pulling metadata first from the iXML and second from the BEXT chunk. As I always have said they should first pull from BEXT then fill any fields from the iXML that arn't already populated by the BEXT metadata. If the data conflicts, use the Bext. Also since this seems to be a MAC version only problem it could be the formatting of the iXML chunk with PC carriage returns and line feeds. The Mac only uses line feed characters. Could be the AVID metadata parser is not taking that into account and is being flumoxed by the extra CR character in the BEXT and iXML chunks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also since this seems to be a MAC version only problem it could be the formatting of the iXML chunk with PC carriage returns and line feeds.

This issue seem to occur with both Mac and Windows version of Avid MC6. In my case, it's a Windows machine and in filmmore's case, it's a Mac. Also, as stated before, even if I only label the scene and take number to create a file name of 1T01.wav, there are issues on import into Avid MC6. So it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the filename length. On MC5, there were no issues with the 744T, 788T, nor Fusion files.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This issue seem to occur with both Mac and Windows version of Avid MC6. In my case, it's a Windows machine and in filmmore's case, it's a Mac. Also, as stated before, even if I only label the scene and take number to create a file name of 1T01.wav, there are issues on import into Avid MC6. So it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the filename length. On MC5, there were no issues with the 744T, 788T, nor Fusion files.

I agree it is probably not a filename issure it is probably a data formatting issue in the iXML chunk. Perhaps they are expecting a different layout than the SD744 Schema. Did you have a chance to look at the iXML metadata chunks on working and non working files? It is probably a problem with the data parsing algorythm in the AVID MC6.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...