Audio Media Options

When importing AAF or OMF tracks into Pro Tools, use the Audio Media Options pop-up to select whether to copy, consolidate, or link to the source audio media.

 

Audio Media Options

Link to Source Audio Media (Where Possible)

Select this option to translate the AAF or OMF file to a Pro Tools session that refers to as many of the original media files as possible. In this case, the Pro Tools session points to the BWF (WAV) or AIF files from the source project.

When importing audio embedded in an AAF sequence, Pro Tools copies the audio to a new drive or folder even if this setting is selected.

Copy from Source Media

Use this setting to copy referenced audio to a new drive or folder.

You can perform sample rate conversion on audio during translation.

OMFI Audio Media and Copy from Source Media Mode

When importing an AAF or OMF sequence with the Copy from Source Media option enabled, Pro Tools can copy OMFI format .WAV and .AIF audio files directly into the session. However, Pro Tools treats OMFI audio files as read-only.

Destructive edits or processes (such as the Pencil tool) cannot be applied to these files, unless they are first converted into standard audio files.

To convert OMFI audio files during import:

Choose Force to Target Format mode, rather than Copy from Source Media mode, when setting import options. For more information, see Force to Target Session Format.

To convert an OMFI audio file that exists in the current session:

1 Select the audio to be converted.

2 Apply the Consolidate command to convert the selected audio (Edit > Consolidate Clip).

3 Edit and process your newly converted files as normal.

Consolidate from Source Media

Use this setting to copy the audio from the source project to the Pro Tools session, while removing all unused areas in the copies. For example, you might only be using ten seconds of a ten-minute audio file in your project. Consolidating this audio saves a great deal of disk space by preserving only the audio you use and a user-defined amount of handle, and discarding the rest.

You can sample-rate convert the audio during translation.

Force to Target Session Format

Use this setting to convert source media to the session audio file format if the source media file format differs from the session file format.

Handle Size (Milliseconds)

If you have selected Consolidate from Source Media, you can specify the number of milliseconds of each original audio file to retain both before and after the clip boundaries defined in the source project. This enables you to extend clip boundaries even after you’ve consolidated, by the amount you specify.

It is a good idea to have at least 1000 milliseconds of handle, so you can “trim out” edits that sound “clipped” or “up-cut.”