Example Workflow: Working with a Guide Track

For live concert videos, the video is captured separately while the audio is recorded in Pro Tools. The video editor will use a guide audio track that is edited along with the video in their video editing software (such as Avid Media Composer). The edited guide track is then returned to Pro Tools, but it needs to be expanded to the conformed original source tracks for mixing and mastering.

1 Multitrack audio is recorded in Pro Tools while chasing timecode. A mono or stereo mix is recorded simultaneously as a guide track for the video editor.

2 The picture and audio guide tracks are edited in a video editing application (such as Avid Media Composer).

3 The edited audio guide tracks are exported from the video editor as an AAF (or OMF) sequence, including handles of at least 2 frames.

4 The AAF (or OMF) sequence is imported into Pro Tools as a new session.

5 The original source audio files and unedited guide track are also imported into the session.

6 The original unedited guide track is relinked to the session (see Relinking the Original Unedited Guide Track).

7 The Pro Tools editor Right-clicks the name of the guide track and selects Expand to New Tracks > By Timecode Only. The original source tracks expand to new tracks with edits and fades that match the guide track.

Relinking the Original Unedited Guide Track

After importing the AAF (or OMF) sequence and original source audio files into the session, it is recommended that you relink the edited guide track to the original unedited source audio.

To relink the original unedited guide track:

1 Open the Project Browser for the session and open the Audio Files folder.

2 Right-click the edited guide track audio file in the browser and choose Relink Selected.

3 In the upper pane of the Relink window, navigate to the original unedited guide track audio file that was recorded in Pro Tools.

If the original unedited file is not available, you can relink to any of the source audio files as long as they have the same start and end times as the guide track.

4 In the Select Files To Relink pane, select the edited guide track file.

5 Drag the original unedited guide track audio file into the Candidates pane. If a dialog appears stating that one or more files are shorter than the media file you are trying to relink, click Yes to select it for relinking anyway.

6 Check the box to the left of the file in the Candidates pane so that the Link icon appears.

7 Click Commit Links at the top of the Relink window and then close the Relink window.

You can now Right-click the name of the guide and select Expand To New Tracks > By Timecode Only. All expanded tracks should be synchronous with the guide track.