Logic Pro 9 timestamp problems

P

papertigerbob

Logician
i tried this a few times, still can't get it to work. are there, and if so what are they, only certain file formats that logic 9 will "see/read" the timestamps of audio from other software. i read all about the timestamping in the manual, though it doesn't specify if there are only certain file types that it'll read timestamps from, only specifies what file types in general it'll accept.

i'm trying to go from digital performer to logic, digital performer records to .SDII files and i know how to export them with their timestamp, i've done this successfully in ptle 7.4, so i know how i'm exporting is right.

has anyone else had this problem. i find it odd, mostly because in the manual, it even states that .SDII files are probably the easiest file type to export to and from logic...

i'm trying to bring in half recorded audio sessions from dp into logic, so i can play with logic and familiarize with the software.

any luck.
 
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Well, I can't speak for DP and how it exports files so I'll go with what I know about Logic. I just about never use SD 2 files so I'm ignorant about them without doing some reading. However, to my knowledge, Broadcast Wave (BWF) does time stamp and that is read by Logic. Don't know if DP exports that. Make sure your song start time is the same in DP and Logic or the files will not appear at the same measure.

Some people will advocate exporting all files from bar 1. Something to be said about that....
 
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yeah, i understand the whole "start everything from zero" but thats annoying, and imo defeats the whole purpose of timestamping.

in dp, it's easy as selecting the files, and hitting one command, and it pops up the selected timestamped .sdII files for me to drag into a folder to send to someone, or to drag into logic, or ptle. so having to go through all the trouble of making everything start at "0" would just be a hassle. plus, it's an sdII file, which is what i was under the impression that logic used, or at least did use as their main file format, maybe not in 9, but in previous versions. so i thought it'd be extremely easy to drag the files in.

but what ever.
 
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I realize the start from bar one thing can be time consuming and time stamping <should> work. But, if it aint and you have to make things happen you got to pick your poison of working methods.

To me sdII is an old format that Logic uses, but not optimally. Aren't sdII all split stereo files? Logic is much more efficient using stereo tracks. One track per interleaved stereo file. It's been set up this way for a number of versions.

There are reasons to need to use split stereo, I just don't happen to run across them often at all.

And, for my own education, can you export BWF in DP?
 
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papertigerbob said:
i tried this a few times, still can't get it to work. are there, and if so what are they, only certain file formats that logic 9 will "see/read" the timestamps of audio from other software.
Click to expand...

Don't you need to "select all" and then issue the command "move regions to original record position"? Under the "audio" drop down on the arrange window.

I know this works with BW files. Maybe you're already doing that, I didn't see it in your post.


Howard
 
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Regarding SD ll files - I used to use them all the time. They have the ability to contain region definition information in the file headers. This was great. I used to take those tracks from audio drum loop CDs that contain multiple loops within them, and then create regions for each of the loops. Exporting the region definitions allowed me to bring that file into any project and use the "import region definitions" to retrieve those regions that I had created that were nicely trimmed for each loop. It worked great.

I'm not certain though wether or not this notion of exporting region definitions, as it was implemented back then, included time stamping information. I know it did when used within Pro Tools; but I'm not sure if that was part of the way Logic implemented that function.

And FTR, SDll files can be either split stereo or interleaved stereo.
 
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Have you tried exporting the DP file as an OMF or AFF (or is that AAF)???

The first thing I did when first starting with Logic 8 was to go through all of the file transfer protocals: DP to Logic, Logic to DP.

SMF- No problem.
OMF- No problem. All audio, no matter what size and where located ended up where they belonged when imported into the other program. DP to Logic, Logic to DP.

Same with AAF. The advantage here is that AAF does a fair job of retaining automation data whereas OMF doesn't.

During this time, a couple of suggestions came from both DP and Logic users at their respective forums:
1. If the project includes MIDI and audio, then import the SMF to set up the project tempo, then import the OMF or AAF.

2. And as already mentioned, to be safe, render each audio track as one continuous file from project start to finish.

Risk taker that I am, I just started using OMF and had no problems with audio files lining up on the time line. My projects are typically 24 or less tracks but the largest test project had 65 audio tracks with a wide mix of long and short audio files. Everyone of them lined up.

Try exporting DP to OMF/AAF, then import that file into Logic.
 
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"And, for my own education, can you export BWF in DP?"

Yes, at least since DP6
 

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@ chaunceybee: Thanks for the update on DP exporting BWF.

@ Howard W: good reminder on a step that might be needed.

@ Eli: Thanks for the sdII info. Been so long since I've regularly used that file type I've forgotten its parameters (don't work much in DP or PT, obviously).
 
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i've tried the clicking on the file and selecting 'move to original timestamp', yet that doesn't work, though i haven't tried selecting it from the drop down menus at the top to see if it'll move it to its original timestamp.

as for what dp can export, it can export to pretty much all the common file types. though the only way to export files with their timestamp, is to select the files you want, and then hit "option R" and it pulls up a folder with the raw .sdII files in it. those are the files with the timestamp in it, i just drag those files into which ever software that i want to import them into.

in ptle 7.4 i imported the .sdII files into their region box, (or what ever they call their window that holds their files in the session, i never use pt so i don't know what they call everything), i could then put it in "spot mode" and move the files onto their own new track, click on each audio track, and select 'move to original timestamp'. and it would perfectly.

i haven't exported as omf, because i was bringing only 5 or 6 files (from a session with about 5 or 6 songs in it, with drum tracks on some songs, and other songs have layers of vocals, just plain a bunch of tracks) and i was only wanting to bring a short acoustic vocal song over to logic, so i could practice tracking drums, playing with the headphone routing, seeing how things worked, playing in general with the program, and also to mess around with flextime, since i'm really interested in using it to tighten up sloppy metalcore bands.

btw, i still can't get panning on the busses, at least for the headphone mix, i don't want to be giving people mono headphone mixes, that's just silly.
 
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PTB,

If you give me a quick review of exporting audio files with time stamp in DP, I can try to import them in Logic.

I'm have DP 7 but don't it very often.
 
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select a file in dp, and then hit option r, it should (at least in dp5.13) pop up a folder and have the file(s) you selected, highlighted. then you can drag those files into logic.
 
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I'll try it this evening.

I know there are Time Stamps commands in the Audio menu.
What's the command name?, just in case there's been some change in DP 7?
 
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I just read on one of these forums that WAV files automatically time stamp. I have always used aif however after reading this I switched. Sure enough after a really nasty crash yesterday, where I had failed to save (I am reminded of my Linn 9000 days), when I pulled in the audio files they did in fact snap to original record position, where aif would not have. I'm pretty sure sdii neither if it hadn't been manually time stamped. I'm sold on WAV now.
 
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Thanks for the input on WAV vs aiff.

As a die hard Mac user, I've always used aiff (in the legacy era, and with Logic 8) but used sdll in DP as of v4.5.

I've been meaning to look into wav vs aiff as it seems like all the apps I have (Logic, Cubase 5, and DP 7) offer Broadcast WAV.

I'll test out wav, sdll and aiff to see if there is any difference.

Maybe it's time to start using wav or broadcast wav.
 
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jlproductions said:
I always avoided wav too as, in the old days, Logic sometimes freaked out with them... 🙂
Click to expand...

In the old days... Mac Logic would sometimes not read the Wav header correctly and a blast of white noise would ensue.

I've been using Wav in Logic 7 through 9 without any problems.

There's hardly any difference in aiff, wav, SDII...etc. They are all PCM audio with different header information. BCW has become the standard, I know that Logic imports those correctly and I believe, saves in that format automatically when wav is chosen as the file type.

Howard
 
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PTB's frustration seems to be justified.

The "option-r" command worked like a charm in DP. The folder opened so that I could drag those selected files to Logic.

But no matter what, selecting all, then choosing Audio>Move Region to Original Record Position did not work.

So I stand by my recommendation to save your DP projects as OMF files, then import into Logic.

I guarantee that you will be smiling!!!

I saved a few projects to OMF. One was a DP 4.5 demo tune "Can Tommy Come Out and Play" which has long and short audio files all over the place. Logic opened it with all files in place. Another project started off as my 65 track test file with long and short audio parts scattered all over the place. Saved to OMF in Logic, opened in DP with all parts in place. Saved to OMF in DP, imported to Logic. All parts in place!!!

Does any specifically know if Logic reads time stamped files from other DAW? Or maybe the way Logic reads time stamps is coded in the OMF file. I'm really ignorant on all of this.

PTB,
Save your DP projects as OMF, import into Logic, be happy.
 
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Howard W said:
[
I've been using Wav in Logic 7 through 9 without any problems.

There's hardly any difference in aiff, wav, SDII...etc. They are all PCM audio with different header information. BCW has become the standard, I know that Logic imports those correctly and I believe, saves in that format automatically when wav is chosen as the file type.

Howard
Click to expand...

I used aiff in the past because it was the mac standard. But now, as you've mentioned BCW seems to be a more universal standard. For cryin' out loud, Mac's are now Intel machines.

So I think I'm gonna start using BCW as my default file format. 😀
 
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