Working with Video: EDLs, SMPTE timecode, BWAV
Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 7:42 pm
I am a post production producer for television, as well as a musical hobbyist who has used Ableton Live since version 3. At my encouragement, the network where I work (one of the biggest networks in the U.S.) purchased two copies of Live for a digitizing project involving the transfer of interviews originally recorded to analog cassettes. The digitized files were then edited down to the best material, and later imported into Avid to be used in a television documentary.
While Ableton was a perfectly functional solution for digitizing and editing this audio, there are a few features that would make it much more appealing to broadcast professionals life myself:
1. The ability to generate and print an EDL (edit decision list) from audio files in the arrangement view timeline
2. The ability to display the arrangement view timeline using SMPTE time code (HH:MM:SS:FF).
3. Support for the Broadcast WAV format (also called BWAV or .bwf), including the ability to export a .bwf and edit .bwf meta data (including SMPTE time code).
4. Support for OMF/MXF files.
Given that Ableton already incorporated Quicktime video support, I think it only makes sense to add supplementary video production features that would make Live a compelling option for producers (particularly those without access to a complete ProTools rig).
While Ableton was a perfectly functional solution for digitizing and editing this audio, there are a few features that would make it much more appealing to broadcast professionals life myself:
1. The ability to generate and print an EDL (edit decision list) from audio files in the arrangement view timeline
2. The ability to display the arrangement view timeline using SMPTE time code (HH:MM:SS:FF).
3. Support for the Broadcast WAV format (also called BWAV or .bwf), including the ability to export a .bwf and edit .bwf meta data (including SMPTE time code).
4. Support for OMF/MXF files.
Given that Ableton already incorporated Quicktime video support, I think it only makes sense to add supplementary video production features that would make Live a compelling option for producers (particularly those without access to a complete ProTools rig).
