Steinberg Nuendo 3 Operation Manual

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Video 27 – 621
Since most film productions record audio to DAT machines or other 
portable digital recorders at 48kHz, the resulting speed change during 
transfer to video yields a very odd samplerate of 47.952kHz (called 
48kHz pull-down). Normally, this is transferred to the video tape via 
analog connections, thereby avoiding the equipment needed to per-
form a samplerate conversion back to 48kHz.
However, many post production professionals prefer to use the origi-
nal source tapes when working on a film instead of the audio from the 
film transfer to video. This requires dealing with the speed change re-
sulting from the telecine process. There are two ways to go about this.
•One way is to import the original source audio from the DAT tapes and 
adjust the sample clock of the audio hardware to run at 47.952kHz 
(48kHz pull-down), so that the audio stays in sync with the video 
transfer. (Most films are edited on video and then transferred back to 
film for the final version, reversing the 2-3 pull-down process.)
Once the film’s soundtrack is completed, the audio clock is returned to 48kHz to make 
a final audio mix that will then stay in sync with the final film print running at 24fps. This 
requires an audio clock source capable of running at the pulled down samplerate 
(47.952kHz).
•The second, and simpler, option is to speed the video back up to the 
original film speed. That way the audio clock can run at 48kHz and re-
main in sync with the video. This avoids expensive audio master clocks 
and confusing transfer processes. This is possible with digital video 
files used within Nuendo.
Both the DirectX and Quicktime players have the option of playing back the video at 
normal speed, pull-up speed (+0.1%) or pull-down speed (-0.1%). Typically, the pull-
up speed would be used more often since it correlates to common film making prac-
tices. The video pull-down speed would only be used in special situations or to correct 
an error that has occurred somewhere during the transfer process. There might be a 
rare instance when you have a 24fps video file that you want to playback at video 
speed which would require using the video pull-down function.
Here are some basic conventions regarding film and NTSC video:
• 48kHz audio is running at film speed.
• 47.952 or 48kHz pull-down is film audio running at video speed.
• Video pull-up is running at film speed.
• SMPTE running at 30fps is for audio running at film speed.
• SMPTE running at 29.97 is running at NTSC video speed.
• SMPTE running at 29.97 is also film audio running at video speed or pulled-
down. 
						

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The relationship between film and PAL video is different. The 0.1% video 
pull-up does not work for PAL systems. The descriptions above apply to 
NTSC video systems.
Playing back a video file via FireWire (Mac OS X only)
For Apple computers equipped with a FireWire port, you can easily 
use this to connect to external video hardware, as OS X has built-in 
video support for the most common formats (NTSC/PAL/DVCPRO). 
FireWire is capable of high data-transfer speed and is the most com-
mon standard for communicating with video-related peripheral equip-
ment.
•To play back a video file via hardware connected to the FireWire port, 
select “FireWire” in the Outputs pop-up of the Device Setup–Video 
Player dialog.
When FireWire is selected as output, a number of format options appear on the For-
mat pop-up, allowing you to select between various video formats and resolutions.
• Adjust the Frame Offset value to compensate for DV processing delays in the 
external device.
Due to delays while processing DV video through the FireWire port, the video image will 
be behind or later than the corresponding audio in Nuendo. By using the frame offset 
parameter, you can compensate for this effect. Each hardware setup could have differ-
ent processing delays so you must experiment to determine what value is appropriate. 
Usually, 7 frames is a good starting point. All values for the frame offset are positive and 
indicate how many frames the video will be delivered earlier in order to compensate for 
the processing time.
• Note that there is a difference in the frame offset in stop versus play-
back. The frame offset is defeated in stop and scrub modes so that you 
can see the correct frame of video since the processing delays are not 
an issue in these modes. It is only used during playback when process-
ing delays are noticeable. 
						

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Playing back a video file using graphics cards (Windows only)
Multi-head graphics cards which support overlay functionality can be 
used to display the video picture on an external TV or computer mon-
itor in full screen mode. As of this writing, the manufacturers nVIDIA 
and Matrox have working solutions available. Check the card’s docu-
mentation for information on how it handles video output and how to 
set it up for multi-monitor display.
Playing back a video file using video cards
Video cards can also be used to display the video on an external TV or 
computer monitor. As of this writing, the following cards can be used:
Mac OS X: Decklink (Blackmagic)
Windows: Liquid Chrome (Pinnacle Systems) and Decklink (Black-
magic). For further information, check the documentation of the video 
card.
Extracting audio from a video file
If a video file contains audio, it can be extracted. Regardless of the au-
dio format in the actual file, the imported audio file will always be in the 
format (Sample Rate and Record Format) that is specified for the 
Project in the Project Setup dialog.
There are three ways to extract audio from a video file:
•By checking the Extract audio option in the Import Video dialog.
This will add the audio to the currently active audio track. The new audio event will start 
at the same time as the video event, so that they are in sync with each other.
•By using Import Audio from Video File from the File menu.
This is just as above, but no video clip is created, only an audio event (starting at the 
project cursor position on the selected track).
•By using Extract Audio from Video File on the Pool menu.
This creates an audio clip in the Pool, but doesn’t add any events to the Project window.
These functions are not available for mpeg video files. 
						

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Replacing the audio in a video file
Nuendo has a special function for replacing the audio in a video file:
1.Pull down the File menu and select Replace Audio in Video File.
2.In the file dialog that appears, locate and select the video file on your 
hard disk, and click Open.
A new file dialog appears.
3.Locate and select the audio file that you want to insert into the video 
file, and click Open.
The audio is added to the video file, replacing its current audio track (if any).
•By combining the functions Extract Audio, Export Audio Mixdown and 
Replace Audio in Video File, you can create a complete audio track for 
a video file.
Project window and Browser editing operations
Video clips are played back by events just as audio clips are. You can 
use all the basic editing operation on video events, just as with audio 
events. The following operations are not possible on the video track:
•Drawing, Gluing, Muting and Scrubbing.
•The video track has no editor and does not make use of parts.
Pool operations
For more about operations on video clips in the Pool, see page 499. 
						

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Before you start
When working on a project involving a video file, there are several 
points to bear in mind:
Have you selected the right player?
The player is used not only for playback of the video file, but also to pro-
vide file information in the Pool and in the Import Video dialog. There-
fore, to make sure that you have chosen the right player for a particular 
type of video file, check the file information displayed in the Import 
Video dialog or the Pool prior to trying to import or playing back the file.
When this information reads “0x0 pixel”, “0.000 s” and “0 Frames”, 
the video file is either corrupt, or the format is not supported by the 
codecs available to the selected video player. You will either have to 
change the video player, or install the required codec.
Trying to import or play back a file not supported by the selected video 
player leads to unpredictable results – if no information on the number 
of frames, the length and the pixel resolution is available in the Import 
Video dialog or the Pool, you cannot import/play this file properly with 
this particular video player.
You can change the video player in the Device Setup dialog. After hav-
ing done so, make sure to remove any previously imported video file 
from the Pool first, and re-import it.
Editing a video file
Nuendo allows you to cut, copy, paste and trim video events, i. e. your 
video track may contain more than one video event. Make sure that 
these video files are of the same file format and resolution in order for 
them to play properly. 
• When using the DirectShow video player on a Windows system, you may 
find that only the first event on the video track is played back correctly. 
In such a case make sure that the video track contains no more than 
one video event. When you need to edit your video files (i.e. cut, copy, 
paste or trim video events), it is therefore recommended to use the Di-
rectX Video player. 
						

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When working with a Windows operating system, you may find that 
you are unable to edit a video file copied from a CD. This is because 
files copied from CD are write protected by default. Right-click the file, 
and uncheck the “Read-Only” option in the File Properties dialog.
When you have a video file in a format not supported by Nuendo, use 
an external application to convert it to a format that Nuendo can import.
Options
In the Preferences dialog (Event Display–Video page), there are two 
options for video playback:
•Show Video Thumbnails.
When this is activated, thumbnail frames of the video contents are shown in the track.
•Video Cache Size.
This determines how much memory is available for video thumbnails. If you have long 
video clips and/or work with a large zoom factor (so that a lot of frames are shown in 
the thumbnails), you may have to raise this value.
The Edit Mode
Video playback follows the Nuendo transport, so that the video frame 
at the current project cursor position is shown, during playback and in 
Stop mode (e.g. if you move the project cursor manually or use fast 
forward/rewind). Nuendo has a special Edit Mode that makes use of 
this fact, allowing you to edit audio while getting continuous visual 
feedback on the video display:
•If you activate “Edit Mode” on the Transport menu, the project cursor 
will automatically follow when you make selections or perform editing 
operations (such as moving, resizing, adjusting fades, etc.).
Since the video automatically follows the project cursor, you will instantly get a visual 
feedback when you edit! This makes it very easy to e.g. move an audio event to a cer-
tain spot in the video.
•To avoid obscuring the view, the project cursor will be hidden from the 
event display in Stop mode if Edit Mode is selected.
However, it will still be shown in the ruler.  
						

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Application Examples
Listed below are three examples of how you can use Nuendo’s Edit 
Mode for matching audio and MIDI to video.
1.If required, set the snap point in the audio event so that it identifies a 
significant point in the audio recording.
This would be the position in the audio that you want to match to a certain position in the 
video. If you don’t set the snap point, the start of the audio event will be used instead.
2.Activate Edit Mode on the Transport menu.
3.Select the audio event.
The project cursor position is automatically moved to the position of the snap point.
4.While watching the video display, move the audio event towards the 
correct position.
Since the project cursor automatically follows the snap point position and the video 
automatically follows the project cursor, you just need to move the event until the de-
sired video frame is displayed!
If you have a video section and an audio event for it, that doesn’t quite 
fit, you can use time stretch to change the length of the audio:
1.Use the method described above to position the start of the audio 
event at the correct position according to the video.
2.In Edit Mode, select the Range Selection tool and double click in the 
audio event.
This creates a selection range that spans the whole audio event.
3.Click the right edge of the selection range and drag to adjust it to the 
desired length.
While you are dragging, the project cursor position follows the right edge of the range, 
allowing you to pinpoint the desired end position in the video.
4.Use “Locators to Selection” (on the Transport menu) to set the locators 
to the selection range you just made.
5.With the Arrow tool, select the audio clip to be stretched.
6.Select Time Stretch from the Process submenu on the Audio menu.
7.Click the Set To Locators Range button.
The time stretch factor is set up so that the audio event will fit the locator range.
Make sure you don’t exceed the 75% to 125% limit! 
						

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8.Make Accuracy and Algorithm settings as desired, and click Process.
The audio is stretched or compressed to fit the range.
If you want the audio to fade in, reaching full volume at a certain posi-
tion in the video, and fade out at another position, here is a quick way 
of achieving this:
This assumes that the audio event is already positioned and sized cor-
rectly according to the video.
1.In Edit Mode, select the Range Selection tool.
2.Make a selection range in the audio event, roughly covering the sec-
tion that should be played at full volume.
3.Click and drag the edges of the selection range so that they exactly 
correspond to the end of the fade-in and the start of the fade-out, re-
spectively.
While you are dragging, the project cursor position follows the edge of the range, al-
lowing you to pinpoint the desired fade-in and fade-out position in the video.
4.Pull down the Audio menu and select “Adjust Fades to Range”.
The fade-in and fade-out handles of the audio events are automatically adjusted.
• When using the Fades handles of an audio event in Edit Mode, the cursor 
will follow their position as well, allowing you to adjust fades to picture in 
this manner.  
						

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ReWire 
						

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Introduction
ReWire and ReWire2 are special protocols for streaming audio be-
tween two computer applications. Developed by Propellerhead Soft-
ware and Steinberg, ReWire provides the following possibilities and 
features:
•Real-time streaming of up to 64 separate audio channels (256 with 
ReWire2), at full bandwidth, from the “synthesizer application” into 
the “mixer application”.
In this case, the “mixer application” is of course Nuendo. An example of a “synthesizer 
application” is Propellerhead Software’s Reason.
•Automatic, sample accurate synchronization between the audio in the 
two programs.
•The possibility to have the two programs share one sound card and 
take advantage of multiple outputs on that card.
•Linked transport controls that allow you to play, rewind etc, either from 
Nuendo or from the synthesizer application (provided it has some kind 
of transport functionality).
•Automatic audio mixing functions of separate channels as required.
In the case of Reason for example, this allows you to have separate mixer channels for 
the different devices.
•Additionally, ReWire2 offers the possibility to route MIDI tracks in 
Nuendo to the other application, for full MIDI control.
For each ReWire2 compatible device, a number of extra MIDI outputs will be made 
available in Nuendo. In the case of Reason, this allows you to route different MIDI 
tracks in Nuendo to different devices in Reason, having Nuendo serve as main MIDI 
sequencer.
•Less total system requirements than when using the programs together 
in the conventional way.