Steinberg Nuendo 5 Manual
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561 File handling The dialog contains the following options: ÖThe MIDI file will include the tempo information of the project (i. e. it will include the tempo and time signature events of the Tempo Track Editor or, if the tempo track is deactivated on the Transport panel, the current tempo and time signature). ÖInspector settings other than those specified in the Export options are not included in the MIDI file! To include these, you need to convert the settings to “real” MIDI events and properties by using the Merge MIDI in Loop function for each track, see “Merge MIDI in Loop” on page 397. Importing MIDI files To import a MIDI file from disk, proceed as follows: 1.Select “MIDI File…” from the Import submenu of the File menu. 2.If there is already an open project, a dialog opens in which you can select whether a new project is created for the file. If you select “No”, the MIDI file will be imported into the current project. 3.Locate and select the MIDI file in the file dialog that opens and click Open. •If you choose to create a new project, select the project folder. Select an existing project folder or create a new one. The MIDI file is imported. The result depends on the con- tents of the MIDI file and the Import Options settings in the Preferences dialog (MIDI–MIDI File page). The Import Op - tions are as follows: OptionDescription Export Inspector PatchIf this is activated, the MIDI patch settings in the Inspec-tor – Bank Select and Program Select (used for selecting sounds in the connected MIDI instrument) are included as MIDI Bank Select and Program Change events in the MIDI file. Export Inspector Volume/PanIf this is activated, Volume and Pan settings made in the Inspector are included as MIDI Volume and Pan events in the MIDI file. Export AutomationIf this is activated, the automation data (as heard during playback) are converted to MIDI controller events and in-cluded in the MIDI file, see the chapter “Automation” on page 239. This also includes automation recorded with the MIDI Control plug-in (see the separate PDF docu-ment “Plug-in Reference”). Note that if a continuous controller (e. g. CC7) has been recorded but the Read button is deactivated for the auto-mation track (i. e. the automation is effectively switched off for this parameter), only the part data for this controller will be exported. If this option is deactivated and the Automation Read but-ton is activated, no Continuous Controllers are exported. If the Read button is deactivated, the Controller data of the MIDI part are exported (these will now be handled like “regular” part data). In most cases it is recommended to activate this option. Export InsertsIf this is activated and you are using any MIDI plug-ins as insert effects, the modifications to the original MIDI notes that occur as a result of the effect(s) will be included in the MIDI file. A MIDI delay, for example, will produce a number of repeats to a MIDI note by actually adding addi -tional, “echoing” notes at rhythmic intervals – these notes will be included in the MIDI file if the option is activated. Export SendsIf this is activated and you are using any MIDI plug-ins as send effects, the modifications to the original MIDI notes that occur as a result of the effect(s) will be included in the MIDI file. Export MarkersIf this is activated, any markers you have added (see “Us-ing markers” on page 136) will be included in the MIDI file as standard MIDI file marker events. Export as Type 0If this is activated, the MIDI file will be of type 0 (all data on a single track, but on different MIDI channels). If you do not activate this option, the MIDI file will be of Type 1 (data on separate tracks). Which type to choose depends on what you want to do with the MIDI file (in which application or sequencer it should be used, etc.). Export ResolutionYou can specify a MIDI resolution between 24 and 960 for the MIDI file. The resolution is the number of pulses, or ticks, per quarter note (PPQ) and determines the preci -sion with which you will be able to view and edit the MIDI data. The higher the resolution, the higher the precision. Choose the resolution depending on the application or sequencer with which the MIDI file will be used, though, since certain applications and sequencers may not be able to handle certain resolutions. Export Locator RangeIf this is activated, only the range between the locators will be exported. Export includes DelayIf this is activated, the delay of the MIDI track will be in-cluded in the MIDI file. For more information about the Delay option, see “Basic track settings” on page 373. Song name for Type 0You can use this text field to change the name of the MIDI file as displayed when loading this file in a keyboard. OptionDescription Extract First PatchIf this is activated, the first Program Change and Bank Select events for each track are converted to Inspector settings for the track. Extract First Volume/PanIf this is activated, the first MIDI Volume and Pan events for each track are converted to Inspector settings for the track. Import Con-troller as Auto-mation Tracks If this is activated, MIDI controller events in the MIDI file will be converted to automation data for the MIDI tracks. If this is deactivated, controller data for the MIDI Parts will be imported. Option Description
562 File handling •It is also possible to import a MIDI file from disk by drag- ging and dropping it from the Windows Explorer or the Mac OS Finder into the Project window. The Import Op - tions apply as well. Support for the Yamaha XF data format Nuendo supports the Yamaha XF format. XF is an exten- sion of the standard MIDI file format that allows saving of song-specific data with a MIDI file of type 0. When importing a MIDI file containing XF data, this data is placed in parts on separate tracks called “XF Data”, “Chord Data”, or “SysEx Data”. You can edit such a part in the List Editor (e. g. to add or change lyrics). Nuendo can also export XF data as part of a MIDI file of type 0. If you do not want to export the XF data together with the MIDI data, mute or delete the track(s) containing the XF data. Exporting and importing MIDI loops Nuendo allows you to import MIDI loops (file extension “.midiloop”) and to save instrument parts as MIDI loops. MIDI loops are handy, as they contain not only MIDI notes and controllers, but also the associated VST instrument and instrument track preset settings. How to import and export MIDI loops is described in detail in the chapter “VST instruments and instrument tracks” on page 215. Exporting and importing track archives You can export Nuendo tracks (audio, FX, group, instru- ment, MIDI, and video) as track archives for import into other Nuendo projects. All the information associated with the tracks will be exported (Mixer channel settings, auto - mation tracks, parts and events, etc.). If you select the “Copy” option (see below), a separate “media” folder will be created, containing copies of all referenced audio files. ÖProject-specific settings (such as tempo) are not part of the exported track archives. ÖFor creating track presets from tracks, see “Working with track presets” on page 356. Exporting tracks as track archives 1.Select the tracks you wish to export. 2.Pull down the File menu, open the Export submenu and choose “Selected Tracks…”. 3.You are prompted to choose between two options: •Click Copy to include copies of the media files in the ex- port. A file dialog opens in which you can choose an existing empty folder or create a new folder for saving the track archive (as XML file) and its me -dia subfolder, which will contain any associated audio or video files. Import to Left LocatorIf this is activated, the imported MIDI file will be placed so that it starts at the position of the left locator – otherwise it will start at the beginning of the project. Note that if you choose to have a new project created automatically, the MIDI file will always start at the beginning of the project. Import MarkersIf this is activated, standard MIDI file markers in the file will be imported and converted to Nuendo markers. Import dropped File as single PartIf this is activated and you drag and drop a MIDI file into the project, the whole file will be placed on a single track. Ignore Master Track Events on MergeIf this is activated and you import a MIDI file into the cur-rent project, tempo and signature track data in the MIDI file are ignored. The imported MIDI file will play according to the current tempo and signature tracks in the project. If this option is deactivated, the Tempo Track Editor will be adjusted according to the tempo information in the MIDI file. Auto Dissolve Format 0If this is activated and you import a MIDI file of type 0 into the project, the file will automatically be “dissolved”: For each embedded MIDI channel in the file, a separate track will be inserted in the Project window. If this is deactivated, only one MIDI track will be created. This track will be set to MIDI Channel “Any”, allowing all MIDI events to play back on their original channels. You can also use the “Dissolve Part” function on the MIDI menu to distribute the events onto different tracks with different MIDI Channels at a later stage. Import to Instrument tracksIf this is activated and you drag a MIDI file into the project, an instrument track is created instead of a MIDI track. Furthermore, the program will load the corresponding track preset for the instrument track (based on the pro -gram change events included in the MIDI file). !Do not change the order of events within the XF data or the event data itself, unless you have a lot of expe - rience with XF data. Option Description
563 File handling •Click Reference to include merely a reference to the files in the export. A file dialog opens in which you can choose an existing folder for saving the track archive (as single XML file). 4.Click OK to save the track archive. Importing tracks from a track archive The Import Track Archive function lets you import tracks exported from another Nuendo project. ÖNote that the sample rates of the active project and the track archive have to match. If necessary, you have to convert the sample rate, see below. 1.Pull down the File menu, open the Import submenu and select “Track Archive…”. 2.In the file dialog that opens, select the XML file and click Open. The Import Options dialog opens. In the Project Settings area, you can see a comparison between the settings of the track archive and the active project. 3.Click in the Import column on the left to select the de- sired track(s) or click “Select all Tracks”. A checkmark is shown for all selected tracks. 4.Choose which media files to use. •Select “Use Media Files From Archive” if you want to import the track without copying the media files into your project folder. •Select “Copy Media To Project Folder” if you want to import the media files into your project folder. For the “Perform Sample Rate Conversion” option, see below. 5.Click OK. The tracks are imported, complete with all contents and settings. Sample rate conversion on track archive import A track archive may contain media files with a sample rate that is different from the sample rate of your currently ac - tive project. You can see the sample rate difference in the Project Settings area. •To convert the sample rate of a track archive to the sam- ple rate used in the active project on import, select the “Copy Media To Project Folder” option and then “Perform Sample Rate Conversion”. ÖUnconverted files with another sample rate than the one used in the project will play back at the wrong speed and pitch. Converting audio tracks (multi- channel to mono and vice versa) Splitting multi-channel tracks When your project contains multi-channel tracks (e. g. ste- reo or surround tracks), you can split these into several mono tracks. This is useful in the following situations: •When you want to export the tracks of your project for further processing in an application that only supports mono tracks. •When you want to create a project from multi-channel tracks that are not stereo or surround (polyphonic mono). This format is often used for production sound, created by a field re-corder, for example. •When you want to edit individual channels of a multi- channel file. This allows you to access the individual channels from your remote con- trol console. The number of mono tracks that is created during this pro- cess depends on the number of channels comprised in the multi-channel file. The multi-channel audio material of the source track is split into mono events which are in - serted on the new tracks. In the project’s Audio folder, a subfolder called Split is created which contains the new mono files.
564 File handling To split a multi-channel track, proceed as follows: 1.If you only want to split particular multi-channel tracks, select them in the Project window. If you want to split all multi-channel tracks of your project, you do not have to make a selection. 2.On the Project menu, open the Convert Tracks sub- menu and select “Multi-Channel to Mono…”. A dialog opens. 3.On the Source Tracks pop-up menu, select whether you want to split all or only the selected multi-channel tracks. 4.On the Options pop-up menu, you can specify what happens when the multi-channel file is split. The following options are available: The option below allows you to decide how the created files will be named. •Activate “Use Numbers For File Names” if you want the tracks and files to get the name of the source track, fol - lowed by a number. This is useful if you are working with source files that do not contain ste- reo or surround material, but polyphonic mono audio. •Deactivate this if you want the file and track names to be followed by letters, denoting the corresponding speaker channels, e. g. “Audio 01_L” and “Audio 01_R”. This is useful if you are working with true multi-channel files. Note that if the source track was connected to an output bus with a matching chan- nel configuration, the new mono tracks are automatically routed to the corresponding channels within this output bus. 5.Click OK. The track is split into the corresponding number of mono tracks. ÖYou can also split several multi-channel tracks simul- taneously. Notes •The number of tracks created always corresponds to the channel configuration of the source track, even if the channel configurations of the source track and the source file do not match. For example if a 5.1 surround file is in - serted on a stereo track, two new tracks containing the first two mono files are created. (However, in the project’s Audio folder, you will find six mono files, one for each channel in the original 5.1 file.) Likewise, if the source track configuration is 5.1, but contains a stereo file, six tracks are created, but only the first two contain files. •All channel settings of the source tracks are copied to the tracks created by the split operation. Converting mono tracks into multi-channel tracks Just as it is possible to split multi-channel tracks into sep- arate mono tracks, you can convert mono tracks into multi- channel tracks. This is useful in the following situations: •When working with dual-mono tracks from other appli- cations, e. g. Pro Tools. Converting these into interleaved tracks makes further editing and mixing more convenient. OptionDescription Keep Source TracksNew mono tracks are inserted below the source tracks. Mute Source TracksAs above, but the source tracks are muted. Delete Source TracksNew mono tracks are inserted and the source tracks are deleted. Create New ProjectA new project is created, containing only the resulting split tracks. !When a multi-channel source track contains a mono file and you perform a split, this mono file is copied onto the first two destination tracks. However, since panning information is not considered during the split, the volume of the new mono file may not corre - spond to that of the file on the original track.
565 File handling •If you have recorded a stem of multi-mono surround tracks. Saving the recordings in one interleaved file allows you to assign this “stem” to one single channel in the Mixer (facilitating editing as well as giving you a better overview). The selected destination format and the order of the tracks in the track list determines which tracks are combined. Requirements •The number of source tracks and the destination format must match, i. e. the source tracks must “fit evenly” into a number of multi-channel files of the selected destination format. 4 mono files can be converted into 2 stereo files or into one multi-chan- nel file in LRCS format, for example. The tracks are combined according to their order in the track list (but they do not have to be adjacent). For stereo, the first two mono tracks (counted from the top) make up stereo track 1, the next two make up stereo track 2, and so on. •The tracks which are combined have to reside on the same level in the track list, i. e. either on the top level or within the same folder track. •The mono source tracks must match in terms of channel settings and automation, i. e. they must hold the same edits. The program tolerates minor discrepancies (you get a warning message and the settings of the topmost track of each group are used). However, when the channel settings differ considerably, the function cannot be ap - plied. In this case, you should check whether you have selected the cor-rect tracks. •If the separate audio events have different volume enve- lopes, these are calculated into the new clip. ÖThis function always combines the “raw” audio into new files. Therefore, the source tracks must have the same channel settings, otherwise the result would sound differently. To combine mono files with different channel settings, use the Audio Mixdown function instead, see the chapter “Export Audio Mixdown” on page 473. Performing the conversion To convert several mono tracks into one or more multi- channel tracks, proceed as follows: 1.If you only want to convert particular mono tracks, se- lect them in the Project window. If you want convert all mono tracks in your project, you do not have to se-lect them. 2.On the Project menu, Convert Tracks submenu, select “Mono to Multi-Channel…”. A dialog opens. 3.On the Source Tracks pop-up menu, specify whether you want to combine all mono tracks in your project or only the selected mono tracks. 4.On the Options pop-up menu, you can specify what happens when the files are combined. The following options are available: !You cannot convert mono tracks containing audio parts. Only audio events are supported. !You cannot convert tracks containing events in Musical mode. Therefore, make sure that Musical mode is not activated for any of the events. !You should not raise the level of the source events over 0 dB, or clipping will occur in the created files. The only exception to this are files in 32-bit-float for - mat (however, these are not supported by all applica- tions). OptionDescription Keep Source TracksA new multi-channel track is inserted below the last source track. Mute Source TracksAs above, but the source tracks are muted. Delete Source TracksA new multi-channel track is inserted and the source tracks are removed from the project. Create New ProjectA new project is created, containing one or more multi- channel tracks with the new files.
566 File handling 5.On the Destination Format pop-up menu, select the format for the multi-channel file or files. Note that the number of selected tracks must match this format. If you have selected fourteen mono tracks, for example, you can select Stereo or one of the 7-channel surround formats. If the number of tracks and the destination format do not match, a warning message is displayed and the process is aborted. 6.Click OK. The corresponding number of multi-channel tracks is created. Events re-siding at the same position on the timeline are converted into a multi- channel event on the new track. If the lengths of the source events do not match exactly, the overlap will be included in the new events. In the project’s Audio folder, a subfolder called Merge is created which con - tains the new multi-channel files. ÖIf the outputs of the mono tracks are routed to sepa- rate channels within one output bus, this bus will be se- lected as output for the multi-channel track. Clip packages In postproduction it is common practice to create sounds by combining or “layering” several different sound compo - nents (e. g. for explosions, background atmospheres, or effect sounds). Usually, these sound combinations are be - ing reused at a later stage. This might be in the same project (e. g. for recurring situations within one movie), or a different project (such as a later episode of a series or for a different production). When working with these sound combinations, the audio engineers need to be able to modify the separate sound components, in order to make adjustments due to last minute changes in the setup, for example. Using clip packages in Nuendo In Nuendo, you can create the above-mentioned “sounds” by arranging, editing and grouping their components (i. e. audio events or parts) in the Project window. These groups can then be selected, moved and copied as one. However, groups are not reflected in the Pool or the MediaBay. Furthermore, they are restricted to a single project and cannot be exported for use in other projects (other than as audio mixdown). To be able to manage all components making up a special sound in Nuendo, you can save them in “clip packages”. This has the following advantages: • Clip packages for a project can be easily saved and loaded, e. g. in other projects. • Clip packages can be archived for later use. • Clip packages are an easy way to transfer all components of a special sound between users or computers. Clip packages are container files that include all the se- lected audio material (as opposed to mere file references). Therefore, they can be used “as they are” without running the risk of using incomplete sounds due to missing files. However, this does not apply to sound content from VST Sound archives, see below. Considerations •Clip packages contain copies of the audio files. Any offline processes you applied to the audio are saved in the file and cannot be modified or undone later. •Clip packages contain volume and pan automation of the audio, as well as any fades, crossfades and volume envelopes. Insert or send effects or EQ settings of the corresponding tracks are not included. •Imported or exported clip packages are automatically added to the Pool. •Clip packages contain only the portion of an audio clip that is actually used by an event. This section is extended by 2 seconds at the beginning and the end of the event so that you are still able to adjust the event borders. !Audio clips set to musical time base (see “Switching between musical and linear time base” on page 63) are always copied in entirety into the clip package. !If a clip package contains audio material from VST Sound archives, this is not copied into the clip pack - age. In this case, a reference to the original VST Sound archive is saved. For these clip packages to work in another project or studio, the referred VST Sound files need to be present on the system.
567 File handling Creating (exporting) clip packages When you have created the desired sound in the Project window, you can transform it into a clip package. Proceed as follows: 1.Select the audio that makes up the sound. You can either select audio events and parts or create a selection range. If you create a selection range which includes empty space before the audio, this is included in the file. •If you want to include your automation data in the clip package, make sure to read-enable the corresponding track before exporting the clip package. ÖOnly audio material will be part of the clip package. If any other material is selected, this will be ignored. 2.On the File menu, open the Export submenu and se- lect “Clip Package…”. You can set up a key command for this in the Key Commands dialog (File category). The Export Clip Package dialog opens. 3.In the upper section of the dialog, you specify the folder in which to save the clip package. •To save the clip package in the default folder (the “Clip Packages” folder within the Project folder), click on the button in the top right of the dialog to open a pop-up menu and select “Use Project’s Clip Packages Folder”. •To save the clip package in another folder than the de- fault folder, click on the button in the top right of the dialog to open a pop-up menu and select “Choose Folder…”. At the bottom of the menu, the last 5 locations are available. 4.In the Attributes Inspector section, you can specify certain attribute values for your clip package. To open the Attributes Inspector, click the button at the bottom left of the dialog. •Click on an attribute value field to open a pop-up menu with the available values or double-click to enter an at - tribute value as text. For detailed information on working with attributes, see “The Attribute In- spector” on page 347. 5.In the Name field at the bottom of the dialog, enter the name for your sound. 6.Click OK to save the clip package and close the dialog. Previewing clip packages Clip packages can be previewed in the MediaBay and in the Pool. For this purpose, a mixdown file is created to - gether with the clip package. For the preview file, all events and tracks that are not part of the clip package are muted and all insert effects and EQs are bypassed. Please note that only the Main Mix output bus is used for the mixdown. The mixdown will be in the format set for the Main Mix bus. In some cases what you hear during preview differs from what you hear when you load the actual clip package. This happens in the following situations: •If you have included audio events or parts in the clip package that are located on tracks for which the effects have been “frozen” (see “Freezing (rendering) insert effects for a track” on page 202). These effects will be heard in the preview although they are not part of the clip package. •If you have included tracks that are set to a different out- put than the Main Mix bus, these will not be heard in the mixdown although they are part of the clip package. •If automation data for the Bypass Effect parameter has been recorded for tracks, this effect will be heard in the preview, although it is not part of the actual clip package.
568 File handling Importing Clip packages can be imported as follows: •You can drag and drop clip packages from the Windows Explorer or Mac OS Finder, from the MediaBay or from the Pool into the Project window. •You can double-click on a clip package in the MediaBay to insert it at the Project cursor. •You can use the MediaBay context menu and select where to insert the clip package in the active project: at a specific timecode position, at the cursor, the left locator or at origin (the same position as in the original project). There is one thing to note: When importing a clip package that contains events from tracks set to musical timebase, the musical positions (bars and beats) of the events and not the timecode positions are taken into account. This might not always be what you want (e. g. when working on projects with a different tempo). •You can open the Import submenu of the File menu, and select “Clip Package…”. In the dialog that opens, select the clip package you want to import. •You can select the clip package in the Pool, and select one of the “Insert into Project” options from the Media menu (or the Pool context menu) to insert the package at the corresponding position. •You can also use the regular Copy and Paste commands to copy a clip package from the Windows Explorer/Mac OS Finder, the MediaBay, or the Pool into the Project win - dow. •You can add clip packages to the Pool (without insert- ing them into the project) using the regular import func- tion, see “About the Import Medium dialog” on page 329. What happens on import? When you import a clip package, the following happens: •The corresponding audio parts and events are copied to the project folder. •In the Project window, events are inserted that corre- spond to the original events. These events will be grouped. •The first event is inserted on the selected track. If no track is selected, new tracks are added below the existing tracks and the events are inserted on these. The order of the tracks is the same as in the original project. •If the sample rate of the audio files within the clip pack- age does not correspond to the sample rate of the project into which it is inserted, the files are automatically converted to the project sample rate. •If automation data for volume and pan was saved in the clip package, a corresponding automation curve is cre - ated together with the event. On import, you will be asked if you want to insert the automation, allowing you to decide whether you want to replace any existing automation data. •Automation data for the SurroundPanner is only applied correctly on import when a target track with the correct surround format is selected. Clip packages in the MediaBay Clip packages can be managed like other media types in the MediaBay, see the chapter “The MediaBay” on page 334. •You can filter the MediaBay Results list to show only clip packages.
569 File handling Clip packages in the Pool In the Pool, clip packages are available in a separate folder (see the chapter “The Pool” on page 320). •The Pool functions “Prepare Archive”, “Export Pool”, “Import Pool”, and “New Library” will include any clip packages you created or imported. •The Info column displays the length of the clip package and the text you entered for the “Content Summary” at - tribute (if any). ÖContrary to other file types, clip packages do not have a direct counterpart in the Project window. When you in - sert them into a project from within the Pool, the clip pack- ages are separated into the audio events and parts they contain. Therefore, it is impossible to show the selected clip package in the Project window: simply because it does no longer exist as such.