Steinberg Nuendo 4 Operation Manual

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Video
About Thumbnail Cache files
ÖTo display video thumbnails in the Project window, the 
option “Show Video Thumbnails” has to be activated in 
the Preferences dialog (Event Display–Video page).
When working with video in Nuendo, video files are dis-
played as events/clips on the video track with thumbnails 
representing the frames in the film. These are calculated in 
real time, i. e. they have to be redrawn during scrolling or 
moving. As this consumes quite a lot of processor power, 
reaction sometimes may be sluggish. To remedy this, you 
can generate a thumbnail cache file.
The cache file is used in situations where the processor 
load is very high and the correct redrawing or real-time 
calculation might use system resources necessary for ed-
iting or processing. When the cache file is used and you 
zoom in on the thumbnails, you will see that they are in a 
lower resolution, i. e. the pictures are not as clean as when 
they are calculated. When the processes that rely heavily 
on the computer CPU are finished, the frames will be au-
tomatically recalculated, i.e. the program automatically 
switches between real-time calculation of the pictures and 
using the cache file.
The generated thumbnail cache file will be stored in the 
same folder as the video file and will get the name of the 
file with the suffix “.videocache”.
Generating thumbnail cache files during video import
Thumbnail cache files can be created when a video file is 
imported into the project.
Proceed as follows:
1.On the File menu, open the Import submenu and select 
“Import Video File…”.
A file dialog is opened.
2.Locate and select the desired video file, activate 
“Generate Thumbnail Cache” in the lower part of the dia-
log and klick “Open”.
The Generate Thumbnail Cache option in the Import Video dialog.
A window will be displayed, showing you the progress 
and the estimated time for the process.
The thumbnail cache file is created.
After the cache file is created, the window will be closed 
and the video clip is inserted as usual. When you now 
start video playback and perform processor consuming 
operations, the thumbnail file is used to display the video 
frames in the Project window. When enough processor 
power is available, the “real” calculated thumbnail frames 
are displayed again.
ÖTo automatically create thumbnail cache files for all im-
ported video files, activate “Generate Thumbnail Cache 
on Import Video File” in the Preferences dialog (Editing–
Video page). 
Generating thumbnail cache files from within the Pool
When you have video files without thumbnail cache files 
(e.g. if you did not create a thumbnail cache file during im-
port or if you are working with an older project), you al-
ways have the possibility to generate the thumbnail cache 
file at a later stage. This is done from within the Pool.
Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Pool window and locate the video file you 
want to create a thumbnail cache file for.
2.Right-click on the file to open the context menu and 
select “Generate Thumbnail Cache”, or select “Generate 
Thumbnail Cache” from the Media menu.
Just as when creating the file during import, the status window opens 
(see above). 
						

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After the file is created, the window will be closed and the 
thumbnail cache file is used when necessary, i.e. under 
high load.
Adopting the Video Frame rate
When using video files within Nuendo, it is important to set 
the project’s frame rate to that of the imported video. This 
ensures that the time displayed in the SMPTE readout of 
Nuendo corresponds to the actual frames in the video.
1.Pull down the Project menu and select “Project Set-
up…” (or press [Shift]+S) to open the Project Setup dialog.
2.If a video file has been placed on a video track in the 
Project window, a button now appears in the frame rate 
section of the Project Setup dialog called “Get From 
Video.” This will automatically detect the frame rate of the 
video file and apply that setting to the project.
Extracting audio from a video file
If a video file contains audio, it can be extracted. Regard-
less of the audio format in the actual file, the imported au-
dio 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 activating “Extract audio” 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 activating “Extract Audio on Import Video File” in the 
Preferences dialog (Editing–Video page) .
This will automatically extract the corresponding audio from a video file 
during import. This is also true if you import files using drag and drop.
By using Extract Audio from Video File on the Media 
menu.
This creates an audio clip in the Pool, but doesn’t add any events to the 
Project window.
Playing back a video file
Video files are displayed as events/clips on the video 
track, with thumbnails representing the frames in the film – 
if “Show Video Thumbnails” is activated in the Prefer-
ences dialog (Event Display–Video page).
A video event on a video track.
In the Track list and Inspector, you will find the following 
options:
!Please note that the cache file will not be automati-
cally updated if a video file is edited. Whenever you 
change a video file (e.g. in a video editing applica-
tion), you need to create a new thumbnail cache file 
manually, as described above. (To refresh the “real” 
thumbnails of an edited video file, resize the video 
track so that they are calculated again.)
!The frame rate setting will change to that of the video 
file and the project start time will be altered to reflect 
the change in frame rate if needed. For example, 
when switching the project frame rate from 30fps to 
29.97fps, the start time will be changed so that all 
the events currently in the project will remain at the 
same positions in relation to realtime. If you want the 
project start time to remain the same, you must man-
ually change it back after clicking the “Get From 
Video” button.
!These functions are not available for mpeg video files.
Button Description
Lock When this is activated, the video event will be locked, see 
“Locking events” on page 50.
Show Frame 
NumbersWhen this is activated, each thumbnail is shown with the 
corresponding video frame number.
Snap 
ThumbnailsWhen this is activated, the individual thumbnail images 
will be positioned exactly at their respective start time po-
sition. Also, no more than one thumbnail per frame will be 
shown, even if you zoom in a lot.
Mute Video When this is activated, video playback will be stopped, 
but playback of any other events in the project will con-
tinue (to decrease the processor load). You may have to 
use the Track Controls Settings dialog to make this but-
ton visible in the Track list. 
						

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To view the video on the computer screen (as opposed to 
on an external monitor, see below), proceed as follows:
Under Mac OS, first make sure that “Onscreen Window” 
is selected in the Video Output section in the Device Setup 
dialog (Video Player page).
Pull down the Devices menu and select Video (or use a 
key command – by default [F8]).
A video window appears. In Stop mode, this displays the video frame at 
the project cursor position.
Playback of the video is performed together with all other 
audio and MIDI material, using the Transport panel.
Video quality in QuickTime
When you are using QuickTime as video playback en-
gine, you can activate high quality mode, by selecting 
“High Quality” on the Video window context menu, or by 
activating “Use high-quality video settings when available” 
in the Device Setup dialog–Video Player page (in the 
Video Properties section for QuickTime).
If the QuickTime video was recorded with the corresponding quality set-
tings, this will make the video display sharper and smoother. 
Note that this will also lead to increased processor load.
Setting the Window size
If you are playing back video in a window on your com-
puter screen, you may want to adjust the size. 
For the QuickTime and DirectX player, you can drag the 
borders, just like resizing other windows.
You can also right-click in the video window to open the context menu 
and select one of the Size options.
For the DirectShow video player (Windows), open the 
Device Setup dialog from the Devices menu, click Video 
Player in the Devices list and use the buttons in the Video 
Properties section to select a size.
Playing back video in full screen mode
When viewing video on the computer screen, you can 
choose to let the video occupy the whole screen during 
playback or in Stop mode:
For DirectShow video, right-click in the video window to 
switch to full screen. Right-click again to exit full screen.For DirectX and QuickTime, right-click in the Video win-
dow to open the context menu and select “Full Screen 
Mode”. Right-click again or press [Esc] on your computer 
keyboard to exit full screen mode.
Disabling Video Playback
In the Track list and Inspector of a video track, there is a 
Mute button. (Note that this can be hidden for the Track 
list, see “Customizing track controls” on page 507.) When 
you mute a video track, the video will not play and the 
CPU resources it used will be freed up for other purposes. 
When performing complex editing tasks that do not re-
quire watching the video, temporarily muting the video 
track can help speed up performance of Nuendo by re-
ducing the strain on the CPU.
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 common stan-
dard for communicating with video-related peripheral 
equipment.
To play back a video file via hardware connected to the 
FireWire port, select “FireWire” on the Outputs pop-up 
menu of the Device Setup dialog (Video Player page).
When FireWire is selected as output, a number of format options appear 
on the Format pop-up, allowing you to select between various video for-
mats 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 Nu-
endo. By using the Frame Offset parameter, you can compensate for this 
effect. Each hardware setup could have different 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.
ÖNote that there is a difference in the frame offset in 
stop versus playback. 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 pro-
cessing delays are noticeable. 
						

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Playing back a video file using graphics cards (Windows 
only)
Multi-head graphics cards which support overlay function-
ality can be used to display the video picture on an exter-
nal TV or computer monitor in full screen mode. As of this 
writing, the manufacturers nVIDIA and Matrox have work-
ing solutions available. Check the card’s documentation 
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, e. g. 
the “Decklink” card (Blackmagic) can be used. For further 
information, check the documentation of the video card.
Video playback preferences
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 many 
frames are shown in the thumbnails), you may have to raise this value.
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 Au-
dio 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 information about operations on video clips in the 
Pool, see the chapter “The Pool” on page 296.
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). Nu-
endo 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 se-
lections 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 certain 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 
activated.
However, it will still be shown in the ruler. 
Listed below are three examples of how you can use Nu-
endo’s Edit Mode for matching audio and MIDI to video. 
						

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Adjusting the position of the audio event
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 cer-
tain 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 desired video frame is displayed!
Adjusting the length of the audio event
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.On the Audio menu–Process submenu, select “Time 
Stretch”.
7.Click the “Use Locators” button.
The time stretch ratio is set up so that the audio event will fit the locator 
range.
8.Make the desired settings and click Process.
The audio is stretched or compressed to fit the range.
Creating fades
If you want the audio to fade in, reaching full volume at a 
certain position in the video, and fade out at another posi-
tion, here is a quick way of achieving this:
1.In Edit Mode, select the Range Selection tool.
2.Make a selection range in the audio event, roughly 
covering the section 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, respectively.
While you are dragging, the project cursor position follows the edge of 
the range, allowing you to pinpoint the desired fade-in and fade-out po-
sition 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.
ÖWhen using the Fades handles of an audio event in 
Edit Mode, the cursor will follow their position as well, al-
lowing you to adjust fades to picture in this manner.
!Make sure you don’t exceed the 75% to 125% limit!
!This assumes that the audio event is already posi-
tioned and sized correctly according to the video. 
						

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Working with film transfers
Frame rates
Since Nuendo has been created from the ground up as a 
total media production system, it must be capable of work-
ing with all different types of video and film frame rates.
Standard frame rates
There are several frame rate standards in use today. They 
are as follows:
 23.98 frames per second (23.98 fps) used for cinema film to 
NTSC transfer.
 24 frames per second (24 fps) used for cinema film cameras.
 25 frames per second (25 fps) used for PAL/SECAM video 
signals.
 29.97 frames per second (29.97 fps) used for NTSC video 
signals.
 30 frames per second (30 fps) historically used for black and 
white NTSC video signals. This frame rate is often used in:
1) Music recording as a reference for synchronizing audio re-
corders and MIDI sequencing devices. 
2) Most field recorders also use 30 fps SMPTE during film 
shoots at 24 fps so that after a 2-3 pull-down is performed for 
NTSC video transfer, the frame rate becomes 29.97 fps.
Film transfers
When working with film projects, video post-production 
editors typically transfer the film footage to video for use 
with computer video editing systems. Once the film has 
been edited, it can be transferred back to film for presen-
tation in theaters or may remain in video format for televi-
sion broadcast and release on videotape or DVD.
Pull-up and Pull-down
When film footage is transferred to video, the frame rate 
must be converted from 24 fps to either 25 fps (PAL/SE-
CAM) or 29.97 fps (NTSC). This process introduces a 
slight speed change as a result of the mathematical rela-
tionships between the different frame rates.
The film to NTSC conversion is done as 2-3 pull-down 
and the film is running at 23.98 fps to maintain the exact 
2-to-3 relationship. (Result: The film is running ~0.1% 
slower in NTSC TV.)The audio recorded along with the film must also have 
these speed changes applied to it in order to remain in 
sync with the picture once it has been transferred to 
video. Sometimes the speed change is applied at the 
same time as the film transfer and is recorded directly on 
the videotape. This allows the video editor to hear the au-
dio along with the transferred video while editing.
These speed changes also result in pitch changes. Other 
artifacts can also be added to the audio since direct digital 
transfers from the field recorder to the videotape are not 
possible since either sample rate conversion or an analog 
transfer must be used as a result of the speed change.
Most audio engineers therefore prefer to use the original 
source material when working with film audio. Once the 
original audio has been digitally transferred into Nuendo, 
the speed change must be compensated for in order to 
have the audio stay in sync with the video. Nuendo has the 
flexibility to apply these speed changes to either the audio 
or video independently to compensate for the speed 
change. 
When a specific speed change has been applied to either 
audio or video, it is called a “pull-down” or “pull-up” de-
pending on the direction of speed change. The specific 
amount and direction of speed change depends on the 
type of transfer the film underwent. Transfers to PAL/SE-
CAM and NTSC each require a different speed change in 
order to keep the audio in sync. These speed changes 
arise during the Telecine process.
The Telecine process
A telecine machine is the device used to transfer film to 
videotape. It transfers images from each frame of film to 
frames of video in a very specific way. Having a clear un-
derstanding of this process will help alleviate the confu-
sion surrounding pull-up and pull-down sample rates and 
keeping film audio in sync. 
						

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Film frames vs. video fields
One of the first things that needs to be understood is how 
video signals are formatted in general. Each frame or sin-
gle image of a video signal is composed of two video 
“fields”, each containing half of the image. The first field 
contains all the odd horizontal lines of resolution and the 
second field contains the even horizontal lines of the im-
age. This is called “interlacing” and is needed to minimize 
the flicker effect that would result if the image was pre-
sented all at once.
Since the film frame is a single, complete image (like a 
35mm photograph), there are no fields involved. The tele-
cine machine must transfer part of the film image to one 
field and then the rest to another field of video. This may 
sound simple at first but as you will see, it can become 
quite complex.
Transferring film to PAL/SECAM video
Film transfers to PAL/SECAM video are relatively straight-
forward. Film runs at 24 fps and PAL video runs at 25 fps. 
If you speed up film by roughly 4% (or 4.16
%, to be pre-
cise), it will be running at 25 fps. So, film transfers to PAL 
video result in a 4% “pull-up” in speed. The audio must 
also be pulled up by 4% in order to remain in sync with the 
video.
When properly done, the first frame of film will be trans-
ferred to both fields of the first frame of video and so on. 
All that is needed is the 4% increase in speed for this to 
be a one-to-one transfer. 
If the project is going to be returning to film for the final 
presentation, the audio can be slowed back down to nor-
mal speed when transferring back to film in order to pre-
serve the fidelity and performance values of the original 
material.
Transferring film to NTSC video
Transferring film at 24 fps to NTSC video at 29.97 fps 
presents a few more difficulties than the PAL transfer. 
Simply speeding up film to 29.97 fps would cause both 
the visual and audio elements to become too fast and 
high-pitched to be usable. There is no neat mathematical 
relationship between 24 fps and 29.97 fps. Another 
method was devised called the 2-3 Pull-down.
What is 2-3 Pull-down?
The 2-3 pull-down is a combination of speed change and 
frame-to-field-counting that results in a smooth transfer to 
NTSC video without any unwanted or noticeable pitch 
changes in the audio. Here are the steps involved during 
the process:
1.The film speed is slowed or “pulled” down to 23.976 
fps (-0.1%).
At this speed there is a mathematical relationship between 23.976 and 
29.97.
2.The first frame of film is transferred to the first two 
fields of video.
3.The second frame of film is transferred to three fields 
of video, the two fields of the second video frame and just 
the first field of the third video frame.
This is where the “2-3” part of the name comes from. Each alternating 
frame of film is transferred to two fields of video then three fields of video 
and so on. 
!The only downside to PAL transfers is that a 4% in-
crease in the speed will result in a 4% increase in the 
pitch as well! This could affect the perception of a 
character’s delivery of a line or the timbre of sound 
effects or musical tonalities. If the final project is to 
remain in the video format, pitch-correcting this 
anomaly might be desired.
!Transferring film to PAL/SECAM video requires a 
4% pull-up in speed for both the picture and sound 
elements. 
						

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4.The third film frame is transferred to the second field of 
video frame three and the first field of video frame four.
This is a block diagram of the 2-3 pull-down process. Notice that 4 
frames of film are transferred to 5 frames of video using the 2-3 field 
technique.
5.The remaining film frames are transferred in this man-
ner, alternating between 2 and 3 fields of video, until the 
end of the transfer.
After four frames of film have been transferred this way, an even five 
video frames will be created. Over the course of one second, 24 frames 
of film and 30 frames of video will have gone by. Since they are running 
at -0.1%, the actual frame rate is 29.97 video frames per second, the 
NTSC standard.
It is important to have a clear understanding of 2-3 pull-
down in order to make accurate decisions regarding audio 
pull-down and video pull-up when working with NTSC film 
transfers in Nuendo. Film speed is faster than NTSC video 
speed. When the audio is pulled down, it allows production audio 
(DAT tapes or files from a field recorder) from a film shoot 
to play in sync with NTSC video. Even though 29.97 fps is 
a faster frame rate than 24 fps (film speed), the video is 
running -0.1% slower than the original film due to the 2-3 
transfer process and hence the need to slow the audio 
down a bit.
Compensating for film transfers to 
video
When working with film transfers to video, it is necessary 
to compensate for the change in speed that results from 
the telecine process. With Nuendo, there are two basic 
ways this can be done. The first is by adjusting the play-
back speed of the audio to match the speed of the video. 
The second is to adjust the speed of the video file to 
match the original speed of the film and production audio 
in Nuendo.
Adjusting audio playback speed
When adjusting audio playback speed to match the video, 
there are two scenarios based on the two video formats 
that film is transferred to, NTSC and PAL/SECAM. Since 
the telecine process for each video format results in differ-
ent speed changes, there are two types of playback ad-
justments possible. For NTSC, the speed change is down 
-0.1%. For PAL/SECAM, the change is up +4.1667%.
!Many video editors working with NTSC video refer to 
30 fps as “film speed” as opposed to 24 fps. The 
reason for this is if you speed NTSC video (29.97 
fps) up by 0.1%, you are running at the same speed 
as the original film at 24 fps. Conversations regard-
ing this can often get very confusing. Make sure you 
have a clear understanding of the material you are 
working with when dealing with film transfers and 
frame rates. It will avoid many mistakes and save time 
in the long run. 
						

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Audio pull-down -0.1% (NTSC)
When working on a film project that has been transferred 
to NTSC video, most audio engineers prefer to use the 
original source tapes from the film shoot in order to retain 
the highest quality and fidelity. Audio that has been trans-
ferred to the videotape during the film transfer has suf-
fered a generation loss and speed change.
Since the video is running -0.1% slower than the original 
film, the audio must also be slowed down by the same 
amount as the film in order to remain in sync. 
To slow down audio playback in Nuendo, an external sam-
ple clock source will be needed to “pull” the clock speed 
down by 0.1%.
Your audio card must be set to external sync and con-
nected to the clock device via Word Clock, VST System 
Link or some other clocking method for this to work.
Since the video and audio playback speeds are indepen-
dent in Nuendo, the video will remain at the same speed 
while the audio is slowed down (pulled down). This will 
ensure that the production audio and film transfer will re-
main in sync.
You may receive an OMF, AES 31 or OpenTL file that 
contains audio from the original source tapes conformed 
to the edited video or you may have to record the source 
tapes into Nuendo yourself. Either way, you have audio in 
Nuendo that is edited to the picture but will not stay in 
sync with the video unless you pull down the sample rate. 
The idea is that when you have completed the audio mix 
for your film project, the video will be sped back up to film 
speed for the final transfer back to film and your audio mix 
can then be played at the standard 48 kHz sample rate 
(no pull-down) and will remain in sync with the picture.Using this method preserves the quality of the original au-
dio recording made during filming and allows for a digital 
mixdown transfer at film speed without any generation 
loss or sample rate conversion.
Audio Pull-up +4.1667% (PAL/SECAM)
Audio pull-up (+4.1667%) is the same concept applied to 
PAL/SECAM video transfers. Since the film is sped up by 
4.1667% during transfer, audio in Nuendo must be run-
ning at +4.1667% speed in order to remain in sync with 
the video during editing and mixing. 
In this case, the external clock must be set to +4% 
varispeed. 
Once the project is complete, Nuendo’s sample clock can 
be returned to normal (48 kHz) for the final mixdown at film 
speed. Once again, this allows for a digital transfer of the 
final master at the correct speed for theatrical presenta-
tion.
Non-standard audio pulls
It is also possible to use pulled sample rates that do not fit 
one of the above scenarios. These sample rates would 
only need to be used in exceptional circumstances when 
an error has occurred elsewhere in the process of making 
a film. These settings could be used to correct for sync er-
rors made at another studio or problems with video editing 
systems. Just about anything is possible. 
-4% Pull-down
If a film project was transferred to PAL/SECAM video and the audio ed-
iting and mixing was performed at video speed (48 kHz) without using 
audio pull-up, the final mix would be running at video speed not film 
speed. In this case a -4% pull-down could be used to correct this and 
get the audio running at film speed again. The downside to this is that the 
final transfer to film would have to either be analog or through a sample 
rate converter in order to be recorded with the film.
+0.1% Pull-up
This pull-up is not normally used except in situations similar to the one 
described above but for NTSC video. It could be used to correct the 
speed of a project finished at video speed (without pull-down) prior to 
transferring it to film. Since film is moving 0.1% faster than NTSC video, 
the audio mix could be sped up to film speed using +0.1% pull-up for the 
transfer.
!When you are running at a non-standard sample rate 
(47.952 kHz = 48 kHz pull-down), digital transfers 
into Nuendo from external equipment must be made 
with the external equipment locked to the same sam-
ple clock as your audio card. Most devices are capa-
ble of a 0.1% change in sample rate and will function 
normally. 
!Any audio mixdowns that are exported from Nuendo 
when the sample clock is pulled down, will play back 
in other applications and devices faster since that 
sample clock will be running at the standard 48 kHz.
!Devices such as the Rosendahl Nanosync are capa-
ble of varispeed and have presets for the 4.1667% 
necessary with PAL film transfers and the -0.1% for 
NTSC. 
						

							480
Video
Other pull-up/pull-down options
There may be other scenarios where non-standard pull-ups and pull-
downs can be used to correct mistakes. Nuendo provides further pull-
up/pull-down options for such situations in the Project Setup dialog and 
the respective section in the Project Synchronization dialog (see below).
Timeline adjustments when using pull-ups or pull-downs
When the audio clock of your audio card is being slowed 
down or sped up from an external clock source, Nuendo 
has no idea that it is running slower or faster than normal. 
The time displays (minutes:seconds, timecode) will be-
come inaccurate since they are based on a sample count, 
not the independent clock source.
Nuendo provides an adjustment of the timeline to com-
pensate for these changes. This setting is found in the 
Project Setup dialog:
The Pull-up/Pull-down pop-up menu in the Project Setup dialog.
Whenever you apply an audio pull to Nuendo from an ex-
ternal clock, you should also set this menu to the appropri-
ate choice. This allows Nuendo to recalculate the sample 
count to reflect the adjusted sample rate. 
For example, if the setting is switched from no pull-down to 
-0.1% pull-down, events in the timeline will appear longer 
since the sample rate has been slowed down. The event 
display will show the accurate length of events relative to 
timecode, minutes and seconds. The project setup info 
line at the bottom of the Nuendo Track list will also indicate 
whether pull-up or pull-down is applied to this project.
Moving events
When you change the setting in the Pull-up/Pull-down 
pop-up menu and there are events already in the timeline, 
Nuendo prompts you to choose whether or not to keep 
the original sample start times or not.
 Selecting “No” allows events to follow the timecode and min-
utes:seconds clock change and remain at their SMPTE start 
times.
 Selecting “Yes” forces Nuendo to leave events at the same 
sample start time regardless of the clock speed change.
Video Pull-up and Pull-down
Nuendo also provides a method to adjust for film transfers 
by speeding up or slowing down playback of the video 
files in your project. Depending on the situation, it can be 
helpful to make the video file playback at film speed and 
not adjust the audio playback at all.
Adjusting the video playback speed back to film reverses 
the process used when adjusting audio playback speed. 
For NTSC video, the video playback speed must be ad-
justed up +0.1% back to film speed. 
Altering the video playback speed is done in the Device 
Setup dialog (Video Player page). You have two options: 
0.1% pull-up and 0.1% pull-down.
!All the examples used here are with 48 kHz as the 
standard sample rate for the film and video industry. 
However, it is possible to accomplish the same tasks 
using 44.1 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz (this is double the 
standard sample rate and commonly used for higher 
fidelity), 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz, provided you have 
an external clock device capable of pulling these 
higher sample rates.
!Nuendo does not offer a video pull-down for PAL/
SECAM since the -4% speed change necessary ex-
ceeds the video player’s capacity for varispeed.