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Pro Tools playback for film set


therockstar30

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Yes, to Pro Tools.  As far as a set up, there are SO many ways you can set it up.  Every operator will have a different set up, and that's actually the beauty of it.

 

As for my playback rig,  It's been a Mac Mini for the computer, running PT11 currently.  A MOTU Traveler as the interface.  And a Mackie 1402 mixer as the mixer mostly because we have so many elements that have to routed in different ways.  Mix or specific tracks to ear wigs and sub/thumper tracks.  You can do it without a mixer, but personally I'd hate to have the PT mix window as your only Output control.  I have VOG inputs as well as back up routing.  I can't tell you how many times someone comes up and says, "Hey, I've got this song on my phone...can you play it for us?".  I think you get the picture.

 

PWP

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Yeah..... And then hear it is.... Oh..can you pull out this chorus, speed it up 5% and shorten it by 30 seconds...nicely...and then 5 people stand all around you, looking over your shoulders, wondering why it doesn't happen in 6 seconds..
Further, their little phone mix is always some way too hot recorded mess that won't sound good no matter what you do or what you run it through....

 

  On top of all that I am NOT a Pro tools guy.... When it will be one of those shows, I call one in... or struggle through with other programs...  

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Printed TC track lined up with the timeline.  Goes out to mixer on a separate channel that they put on an iso.

I generally use a Euphonix MC Mix as a control surface and a Motu Traveler as an interface.  I do all the (sometimes extensive) routing I need to do in Pro Tools - makes it easy to automate if need be.

 

-greg-

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My PT rig is PT11, MacBook Pro, Motu 828x and an Artist Mix + Transport. I have a small Mackie 8 channel mixer for VoG and also for feeding my power amps for the speakers. I find passive speakers are easier to move and you do not need to run AC to them.

As for the TC. Now with the ease of importing and exporting sound files TC is sometimes, and probably more often then not, isn't really needed. Just send your output mix to the mixer so he can record an ISO. That would usually be enough for syncing the music track. But if it is requested then I would do the same as Greg.

There are a few ways to make this happen.

You can ask post to supply TC audio file with the music. (simple)

or

You can generate your own TC audio track. How I do that is...

I use the MOTU SMPTE GEN/READER App and generate TC that starts at 59:20. (Any TC Generator would work for this also) I send the TC output on the MOTU interface and send it into an audio input. Lets say input 8 on the Motu interface. I will select input 8 on a record track in PT. I select my TC input on the app to the same channel input 8 so PT will see the incoming TC. (PT will sync to incoming TC through the app but will not generate Session TC unless you have a PT HD system. So if you want to generate TC you need a TC audio track or a PT HD system) Once PT is seeing the incoming TC on your channel 8 input/track and on your Motu App you can set your PT session to start at 59:30tc in the session window. Arm your record track and put PT online. go back to your Motu SMPTE app and type in your time code 59:20tc then start generating. PTs transport should start blinking. When the TC hits 59:30 (session start) PT will start recording. Record a 5-10min TC track. Now you can import that into any session and have it snap at original TC to place in a new session. The TC track will now match your session display. Your hour 1 TC audio track will land at your hour 1 PT session display.

I hope I explained this well enough for people to understand it. It is very simple to do and doesn't take much set up. What takes up most of the time is the time it takes to record the TC track. I created a bunch of different TC sound files this way. I import them when needed.

I added a pic of my PT rigs. I set it up this way with the transport because I was triggering dialog for a feature I just worked on. With the transport you can set up macros which made life very easy for triggering dialog cues. And with the mix I was able to mute and unmute tracks quickly.

Kriky

post-489-0-60149400-1430240506_thumb.jpe

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I use ProTools (the COMCAST of DAWs) from the evil Avid company. For timecode, I just lay down a stripe of LTC on a track routed out to a channel on the recorder. I do a 10 second preroll of TC and start the playback audio right on hour one. (01:00:00:00)  There is a handy LTC wav file generator online provided by Pehr Hovey. This makes it super easy and fast to generate a proper LTC stripe and to make sure the playback starts right on the desired frame. Mind your settings when creating the file!

 

http://elteesee.pehrhovey.net/

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For nearly all playback stuff I've done I use either Sound Studio (mono audio ch1, TC ch 2) on Mac or Reaper or Wavesaur on PC.  The only reason to bother with ProTools is if your production wants to deliver you PT sessions.  The simpler apps are way easier to deal with for relatively simple playbacks, even if you need to edit or speed shift etc etc (Audacity, free, does a great job with that).  If you are cueing complex playback in a live show situation it's tough to beat QLab (Mac only)--you can even rent it instead of buying it!  But if you are already fast with PT then by all means--that's the biggest issue, finally: what app can you use well and accurately under fire...

 

philp

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Can we just convert this thread into a commentary about the failings of Walmart, I mean Avid with their mass produced, industry standard, crack pipe that is Pro Tools? Who wants to vent? I'm more pissed off about the corporate policies and business model than I am about the fact that the software is mostly dependable.

Aka. You have to buy the software twice to have a backup for the stupid Ilok dongle if it fails.. And I've had one fail and I've misplaced one in the shuffle.

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Terror is the word.. Extreme anxiety. That's why I've felt it necessary to buy two licenses for everything.. They have no remorse for a lost hardware key.. A damaged one might be replaced after a very long time. The ownership of the software is considered as the dongle. You lose it or break it then tuff luck!

Boom Recorder doesn't need a dongle and very easily installs itself on every OSX machine I own right off the App Store with my Apple ID. I hope the rumors of Take Vos being very ill are exaggerated or false.

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That was a major reason I switched to Boom Recorder back in the day.  Some things are still a bit better in MC than BR, but the no dongle thing when I was trying to run as many as 3 systems at once was really great, and Take is a gentleman.  For editing daw on location, yeah, I bought two licenses/dongles.  Sucks.

 

philp

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Terror is the word.. Extreme anxiety. That's why I've felt it necessary to buy two licenses for everything.. They have no remorse for a lost hardware key.. A damaged one might be replaced after a very long time. The ownership of the software is considered as the dongle. You lose it or break it then tuff luck!

 

No, there is insurance available for iLok:

 

https://ilok.com/#!zdt-coverage

 

This doesn't get away from the reality that copy protection is invasive and annoying, but I do understand it. Also, most of the audio software/plug-in companies will give you 10-day or even 30-day licenses for loaner versions while working out a theft or a fire or similar problem.

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I've got that coverage.. It facilitates that temporary license for fire,loss,etc. I used it once and it was a huge pain and took quite some time to implement. Once you use it, you have to buy the coverage again. Not exactly ideal when under the gun on a 15 minute precall when they want playback for the rehearsal 10 minutes before call. It's a good idea to keep a copy of audacity on the machine just in case. I think my point is that I just want to bitch about ilok copy protection and Avid's policies concerning such. That insurance is basically an emergency replacement policy and is only good for a limited time before it deactivates, so I maintain, you break the iLok to the point the serial number is unreadable or lose it.. Tuff luck said the kitty. The license loaded on that cheap, fragile, small, easily lost iLok is what they sell. The software is free. A second ilok with separate licenses loaded is the only way I feel covered if I want to use Pro Tools on set and not have to take a metaphoric fist full of Xanax.

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I totally agree with Todd: Avid is very difficult to deal with and Pro Tools in particular is no fun. The whole iLok/iLok2 thing is a nightmare. But... it can work and I've generally had zero problems with it. And the software and features are fantastic.

 

I had one case about 10 years ago where a friend of mine needed to borrow a bunch of plug-ins for a session, so I loaned him my dongle for a week to get him by. At the end, he returned the dongle... and it was now slightly bent and flakey. Not fun to be in the middle of a session and suddenly have your plug-ins get de-authorized. The smart move is to get a short 2' USB cable and plug the iLok into that, so there's less stress on the pins and all that stuff.

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Has anyone been using Digital Performer? Being that I own a MOTU 828x interface I was thinking it could be a very capable system to be used for playback.

Kirky,

I have not used Digital Performer, but I have used MOTU's Audio Desk , which is their

Jr. version of Digital Performer. It came packaged with the Traveler interface I bought years ago and you probably have it with your 828x. I like it and I've used it a lot , but I hated the early version that only used SD2 files . The later free upgrade fixed that problem however and now it accepts .wav files. It's worth checking out before you buy Digital Performer.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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