SSL Answer all our Prayers! Almost…
SSL made a very interesting announcement at the AES in New York (http://www.solid-state-logic.com/news/Pro_Convert.html). They’re releasing a software application called Pro-Convert, which allows conversion of session files to & from ProTools, Soundscape, Cubase/Nuendo, Vegas, Sonic Studio, SADiE, Final Cut Pro, Audition, OMF, AES31, Sequoia, Open TL and Tascam BU.
Having bought a company called Cui Bono, SSL have updated their software to work with all the latest DAWs. Okay, almost all the latest DAWs. Note the obvious absences of Performer, Sonar, Soundtrack and of course, most interestingly, Logic. The absence of Logic may have an impact, depending on the price-point of Pro-Convert. Basically, if it’s cheaper than DigiTranslator (which must surely fall in price), then Apple will have to get on board the Pro-Convert train! OMF conversions are like walking on glass most of the time.
Logic’s extensive built-in feature set probably makes the conversion process that bit more difficult that some of the other DAWs. I’d be interested to see how intelligent these conversions are in practice, but hopefully, with SSL on board, it should all work! Or maybe not…
A similar tool exists in the video world called Automatic Duck (http://www.automaticduck.com/products/). If you are moving constantly from Avid to FCP and back for example, this is the way to do it.
As a general note with regard to these conversion processes, often they are used when moving between studios. And quite regularly that means recording in one place to mix somewhere else. Sometimes, bringing all your edits with you to the mix can actually be counterproductive. Creating stems (bounces of each track if you will) can be a better procedure, as the temptation to fiddle with edits in the mix might become too much! Also, it forces you to make absolutely sure your edits are spot-on before the mix. In other words, sometimes the simple option is the best.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that stems work for all conversion processes though. In the case of mixing for film, mixing from stems can be a nightmare, particularly when you are dealing with a lot of tracks with a low noise floor. Which track is that thud on? With a properly converted session, you know that only certain tracks have audio on them at any one time. With stems, you may not have a clue!
Pro-Convert is a really cool idea, but just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you have to use it!