I've recommended to quite a few Ardour users that they consider using AATranslator for handling import/export to other session file formats. It is a proprietary Windows application, but it runs well inside Wine and has dedicated and skilled developers who are focused on improving it. It would be lovely if there was an open source tool that did what AATranslator can do, but there isn't, and so I'm happy to run the following "public service annoucement" from the AATranslator team:
We recently released v5.0 with increased PT & OMF support as well as covering even more detail from most formats.
We are currently working on our next release which will create SAW Studio sessions, read MXF formats and a lot more.
As an aside we recently got hold of a PT10 PTX session file and as expected they have added another layer of obfuscation. It was easier than expected to read (amateurs) so we will probably add PT10 support once we clear the decks of our current workload.
I have a question concerning AAtranslator and Wine:
When I try to convert a .omf file (e.g. from final cut) to ardour, I just get an error message saying:
runtime error 91
object variable or with block variable not set
I used AATranslater yesterday to convert some Pro Tools sessions into Ardour sessions. It ran seamlessly under Wine and the generated sessions opened without issue in Mixbus. Grated, the PT sessions were simple (multiple takes, 13 tracks per take, a total of 39 tracks), but I was very happy it worked on the first try. This is an invaluable tool, proprietary or not.
Anyway, this is just a quick post to say that among the usual long list of mods and fixes we will be adding AAF export to our next release (version 6.0) - free as usual to registered users.
Hopefully, only a couple of weeks away - just doing some last minute testing and updating documentation.
Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH (trading as Steinberg) is a German musical software and hardware company based in Hamburg. It develops software for writing, recording, arranging and editing music, most notably Cubase, Nuendo, and Dorico. It also designs audio and MIDI hardware interfaces,[1] controllers, and iOS/Android music apps including Cubasis.[2] Steinberg created several industry standard music technologies including the Virtual Studio Technology (VST)[3] format for plug-ins and the ASIO (Audio Stream Input/Output) protocol. Steinberg has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha since 2005.[4]
The company was founded in 1984 by Karl Steinberg and Manfred Rrup in Hamburg.[5] As early proponents and fans of the MIDI protocol, the two developed Pro 16, a MIDI sequencing application for the Commodore 64 and soon afterwards, Pro 24 for the Atari ST platform.[6] The ST had built-in MIDI ports which helped to quickly increase interest in the new technology across the music world.
Steinberg Media Technologies AG had a revenue of 25 million DM in 1999. It had 180 employees in 2000.[7] A planned entry on the Neuer Markt (New Market, NEMAX50) of the Deutsche Brse failed. The company had a revenue of 20 million Euros in 2001 and 130 employees in 2002.[8]
In 2003, Steinberg was acquired by Pinnacle Systems[9] and shortly after that, by Yamaha in 2004.[10] With its new mother company Yamaha, Steinberg expanded design and production of its own hardware, and since 2008, it has created a range of audio and MIDI interface hardware including the UR, MR816, CC and CI series.
In 2012, Steinberg acquired the former development team behind Sibelius, following the closure of Avid's London office in July, to begin development on a new professional scoring software named Dorico.[12][13][14][15][16] It was released on 19 October 2016.[17]
Cubase was released in 1989, initially as a MIDI sequencer. Digital audio recording followed in 1992 with Cubase Audio, followed by VST support in 1996, which made it possible for third-party software programmers to create and sell virtual instruments for Cubase. Steinberg bundled its own VST instruments and effects with Cubase, as well as continuing to develop standalone instruments. Atari support eventually ended, and Cubase became a Mac and Windows DAW (digital audio workstation), with feature parity across both platforms.
With the growing popularity of mobile devices, Steinberg develops apps for iOS including Cubasis, a fully featured DAW for iPad with plug-ins, full audio and MIDI recording and editing and many other professional features. It also creates standalone apps, including the Nanologue synth and LoopMash. In 2016, Steinberg released Dorico, a professional music notation and scoring suite.
As part of the development of its flagship, the sequencer Cubase, Steinberg defined the VST interface (Virtual Studio Technology) in 1996, by means of which external programs can be integrated as virtual instruments playable via MIDI. VST simulates a real-time studio environment with EQs, effects, mixing and automation and has become a quasi-standard supported by many other audio editing programs.[18]
The latest version is VST 3. The VST 3 is a general rework of the long-serving VST plug-in interface. It is not compatible with the older VST versions, but it includes some new features and possibilities.[19]
Initially developed for Macintosh only, Steinberg Cubase VST for the PC followed a year later and established VST and the Audio Stream Input/Output Protocol (ASIO) as open standards that enabled third parties to develop plug-ins and audio hardware. ASIO ensures that the delay caused by the audio hardware during sound output is kept to a minimum to enable hardware manufacturers to provide specialized drivers. ASIO has established itself as the standard for audio drivers.[20]
With the release of Cubase 7 in late 2012, it was only a matter of time before Steinberg released an updated version of Nuendo. Historically, that interval has taken several months. But Steinberg have outdone themselves by releasing Nuendo 6 just four months after the release of Cubase 7. For this review, I'll only be discussing the new features that have been added since version 5.5, but I'll also clear up some misconceptions of the dueling Steinberg DAWs.
Both programs are DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) and have a nearly identical look and feel. In fact, users of one or the other usually cannot immediately recognize the operational difference. They're truly more alike than dissimilar. For those (like me) who switch back and forth from one to the other, the gentle learning curve is most welcome. For example, take a look at Figure 1:
So perhaps the easiest way to differentiate the two programs is to describe the markets for whom each is tailored. Cubase is designed for musicians, composers, and commercial recording studios, whereas Nuendo is known as an audio post-production, or 'audio for picture' program for video and film post-production (not to be confused with video editing programs like Apple Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere). Basically, if you're not recording dialog, foley sound effects, or other audio for movies and/or videos, requiring several network-connected engineers to be working on the same project simultaneously, or needing one of the more esoteric Nuendo features (like larger than 5.1 surround sound or Sony 9-Pin support), then for composers and musicians, Cubase is probably the best bet.
ADR (Automated Dialog Replacement, commonly referred to as 'looping') is the process of replacing the originally recorded dialog with new material recorded in the studio. This is usually required following filming on a noisy set or location, or when the film is translated into different languages. Actors and engineers don't enjoy overly long ADR sessions, wherein they must watch the footage and try to synchronize the new dialog to the motion picture. (At least the actors need neither wardrobe nor makeup.) So to make ADR sessions shorter and more effective, the ADR Taker in Nuendo makes looping a wonderfully pleasant experience.
During the spotting session, you'll load the movie clip onto the Video track of Nuendo, then you and/or the director will watch the film and listen to the original dialog. You'll create Cycle Markers to designate the areas of dialog you'll be replacing. You can include things like the actor's name, description, and the dialog the actor will be reading. Then the Rehearse, Record (currently active in figures 2 and 4), and Play buttons located at the bottom of the Markers window will be used to capture the dialog. The video is shown in Figure 3:
The Video Player window displays not only the movie track, but also the timecode, dialog (from the Markers window) and the swipe bars (the white vertical lines). Those swipe bars will stream from the left and right and meet in the middle, which serves as a visual cue to the actor to start their read.
Both the Markers and Video Player windows are free-floating, which means you can put them on any monitor. However, they're also resizable so that they can occupy only as much space as you want on a single monitor configuration as shown in Figure 4:
I've used my own method for ADR sessions and it's always been effective. However, the ADR Taker in Nuendo is the most elegant looping solution I've ever seen. It's obvious Steinberg has listened to the desires of the user base and created a truly innovative and creative tool.
Steinberg teamed up with IOSONO to include the Anymix Pro plug-in with Nuendo 6. Anymix Pro allows you to upmix any surround sound configuration to another, including plain old stereo. The Anymix Pro interface is shown in Figure 5:
When a project is originally mixed in surround sound, the conversion to a different speaker configuration can be challenging. The Animix Pro plug-in makes quick work of such an operation. For example, if your original Nuendo project was mixed in 7.1, but needs to be reconfigured to 5.1, Anymix Pro can make the proper division of the original speakers and deliver them to that of a reduced number of speakers. The interface is very easy to understand with icons for the old and new configurations and a 360 field to represent the upmixed speaker placements.
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