AVID says timecode is too long??? Epic M

[Daniel Persson]

We are looking into 1080p25 issues with REDCINE X. REDCINE uses Avid's Media Toolkit (AMT) to export the MXF and AAF. Reports from the folks at RED seem to indicate that this issue is in the Mac version and not Windows of REDCINE. I need to verify that to be sure. Are you on Mac or Windows?

Michael

I'm on a Mac Pro.

I think we now know what the problem is. It seem like some mistake in the transcoding and maybe in the camera options. I have a guy looking at it at the moment and will return hopefully with a full explanation.

Btw thanks for the help Peter Moretti. Always nice with someone trying to help


EDIT: it seems like the problem is in Red Cine-X. In the export settings you have to remember to click the "Sub-folder per clip" ON, otherwise you won't get any AAF which means the whole import process doesn't work.

I think it's something you should at least get warned about in future RCX releases.

Hopefully this will help some people in the same situation.

[D Fuller]

Hi I'm the one with the problem:

when importing via media tools my master clips has no duration (00:00) and when I try to playback it say "Exception: The sequence or one of the source elements is too long to be played". The timecode jumps around like crazy when I try to look through the clip. I tried exporting a ALE from RCX and relink but it only relinks to the original R3D files which doesn't work.

We have used Redcine-X 454, to make MXF files but another weird thing is RCX doesn't export any AAF or ALE along the MXF files even though the audio was recorded into the camera.

It is shoot in 25p.

My AMC version is 5.0.3

MacPro 10.6.8


2x3.2 GHz Quad-Core intel Xeon

16 GB 800 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM


EDIT: just tried using RCX 487 only thing different is that I can can hear sound in RCX, still no AAF exported.

Definitely use the latest RCX (487 at this moment). I can tell you that RCX 487 will make perfect MXF/AAF files for Avid for 23.976, using HDRx as well as simple R3Ds. I just processed a terabyte of footage to Avid through that path.

You should read the RCX and Epic build notes, and perhaps contact a Red Bomb Squad rep to see if there are any known issues with the path in 25 fps. I think I remember a note about that in one of the Epic builds (but not being in 25fps territory, I don't remember the details).

[Michael Dorn]

This problem exists only in 25p. The workaround we do right now is to transcode to MXF with all sound disabled in Redcine X and doing the sound sync in Avid.

For the transcodes disable the Audio in the RCX setup and then the MXF and the ALE should be correct. With Audio enabled RCX failes to write a correct ALE and the AAF files will not be finalized. There are some weired XML files attached to the AAF files. But as I said, only in 25p (on Mac, never tried on PC). We made lots of MXF from Red One and from Epic without Audio and it works fine this way.

[Steffen Vala]

Biggest issue here was that I hadn't selected sub folders per clip.
Arrggh, lesson learned, and luckily w a rocket on set, I am able to re do it the right way.

Why is the sub folder per clip an option in RCX if Avid needs that always to happen, in order to get both ale and mxf files out the correct way?
Wouldn't it be good to have that default on once you have selected to transcode aaf and mxf?
We are not shooting hdrx.

[Jason Diamond]

I never use subfolders per clip and have had no issues on Mac/RC-X with my Epic footage coming into AVID. But I'm at 23.98 so maybe there's a bug with that config and 25.

Jason

[David Ibbitson]

Subfolders per clip is not necessary to get an .MXF per exported clip, or for Avid exports to perform correctly in general.

MichaelP mentioned the 25 fps issue above, and we are working with Avid for a fix. Until then, your options are to disable exporting of Audio in the export preset. In 487, you can also export your camera audio as a BWF, and perhaps relink that later.

David

Edit -- forget to mention: the issue is Mac only.

[Steffen Vala]

Thanks for the help guys. I am going to be in touch with another EPIC M owner here who has worked with the same client and had success with the exports.

My next question on this transcoding process: As I set up the AVID export settings in RC-X, there are two fields selectable that state "Audio Only" and the other "ALE Only" ... but they are both selectable at the same time. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of calling it "only" one or the other? For me it seems confusing, but I'm not an expert. Part B to the question is, Is it necessary to have these unchecked or checked for standard uses of this kind of export? I left them both unchecked, assuming that I didn't need one or the other, but all of the above, if you will.

[Job ter Burg]

I guess you could export an audio-only ALE, without media.

[MichaelP]

Yes, the ALE only export becomes an interesting solution when merging it to proxy capture systems on HD-SDI of the RED camera.

Michael

[Tom Gough]

Yes, the ALE only export becomes an interesting solution when merging it to proxy capture systems on HD-SDI of the RED camera.

Michael

Veeeeeeeerrry interesting! What a cool idea... Thank you Michael

All the best,