Any possible work around for audio synched with merge clips - AAF/OMF Export (feature film)?

[alexanderc49502990]

I've been cutting a feature film for several months now (for the first time using PP), and have unfortunately only just stumbled across the, what appears to be, years old problem of the PP Merge Clips issue when synching sound, where if you sync sound recorded on a separate device, through the Merge Clips function, it doesn't retain the original clip names to allow for easy handover to separate system workflows (such as Resolve or Pro Tools) via AAF, OMF export. Which is pretty devastating news.

At present having scoured the web and this forum, my only option appears to be to purchase Plural eyes or similar, resync the proxies outside PP, bring back in and then recut the entire timeline. Which has several thousand cuts in the audio and visual combined. An absurd amount of work. Big time regretting the use of Premiere Pro right now. This feels a ridiculous problem to be having.

Anyone out there that has advice on any way that involves less work than a full timeline rebuild would be great to hear from. Or indeed conformation that working with Pluraleyes and rebuilding the timeline is the correct way forwards would be very much appreciated.

FYI The original footage was shot on Sony F55 at 4k, with Sony's relatively new X-OCN codec - hence the choice to use 2k Proxies and relink later.

Thanks in advance.

[excited_Genie16B8]

Unfortunately the only 'help' I can offer is sort of a 20/20 hindsight lesson.

You started work on a paid project without testing the entire workflow?

[alexanderc49502990]

Many thanks Jim.

[Trevor_Asq]

The info is in the XML. You could try exporting an XML, import to Resolve, export as XML and import back to PP (I'd do it in a fresh project as it'll make a lot of clips).

[alexanderc49502990]

Many thanks for taking the time to reply Trevor, I'll investigate and give your suggestion a try today. 

[Trevor_Asq]

Do let us know how it works for you. I suspect it may fall down on larger sequences!

[alexanderc49502990 · Accepted solution]

Thanks Trevor,

I've managed to make it work by putting an xml through FCP7 instead of Resolve (resolve seemed to struggle with the sound part of it via xml). I then put an xml back out of FCP7 and returned it into Premiere. This then gave me a timeline free of merged clips. Though there's a few odd bits of sound that have lost wave form and will need to be replaced manually, it's a lot better than having to rebuild the entire timeline.

Now I want to move forwards with the rest of the edit without using merged clips (for obvious reasons), do you or anyone reading this know if it's possible to organise synced clips in bins without merging them? It appears not, but then that would mean there's no way to truly edit/organise dual system sound synced with video clips on premiere without some far from perfect workaround like the one I've done... which seems kind of crazy.

Many thanks again.

[R Neil Haugen]

Creating multi-cam sequences for them instead of merged clips would be the one idea. Jarle Leirpoll has a section on this in his book "The Cool Stuff in Premiere Pro" ... and notes it's faster to use multi-cam to sync in PrPro than 'merging' clips.

PremierePro.net - discover the cool stuff in Premiere Pro

Basically, you can sync the clip & the audio without having the problems with Merged Clips & audio ...

Neil

[alexanderc49502990]

Thanks for replying Neil, unfortunately when I looked into Multi-cam sequences they appear to bring their own problems further down the workflow.

Thanks again though.

[Trevor_Asq]

I do usually use multicam to sync double sound, but then I’m usually editing with multiple cameras. That said I don’t use the multicam audio, I flatten it and use it raw. Shame merge clips is so messed up.

[R Neil Haugen]

I think Jarle's suggestion is to take a clip & it's audio, using the Camera 1 option, make them a multi-cam clip and send to Processed bin. You can do a whole bin at a time, and with separate camera/audio clips you get a series of sequences, one for each clip. You can then flatten for use in OMF, AAF. and XML needs, and this makes all audio available later for use later if you need.

Neil

[Trevor_Asq]

But does this work with seperate sound where there’s  multiple mics? This, and my experience, indicates not... Better audio management for multicam sequence – Adobe video & audio apps

[NateW99]

I'm now encountering this problem with not being able to export merged clips into AAf files.  Just want to say that I find it to be INSANE that this hasn't been resolved. It makes the merged clips feature completely useless if you can't pass off the project to the sound department.  It is a HUGE flaw in Premiere Pro design.  I'm a longtime user of Premiere and Adobe products and this is really a big issue.  Very disappointed that merged clips can't be exported to an AAF.  Costing me time and money.

[R Neil Haugen]

Best help I can think of is to ping Jarle Leirpoll​ ...

Neil

[Jarle Leirpoll]

Rest assured that the Premiere Pro team is aware of these issues, and are working on fixing them. I agree it's long overdue, though.

[NateW99]

Thanks for the responses guys, appreciate the customer support for sure.  So I seemed to have found something that worked.  Ran the audio through Adobe Audition and rendered and replaced the audio with the Audition clips.  Then exported as an OMF with embedded audio but no video.  I did not expect this to work, and I don't know why it did, but it seems to have solved the issue.

I also don't quite understand why the merged clip audio doesn't come over in the AAF when you choose to embed the audio int he export settings.  Seems like regardless of meta-data the AAF should still be able to simply embed whatever raw audio files the merged clips are pointing too.  I guess I don't understand how or why the clip merging process clears away whatever info the AAF needs to embed the audio.  I'm sure it's technical and complicated, but it seems like the merged clips must still be pointing to the raw audio files in order to function.  At very least the AAF exporter could render and embed the audio itself?  The data is there!

Anyway, the render and replace with audition and then export as an OMF worked for me this time.

[runklejumblinatorial]

So, how's that progress coming on the broken-ness of merged clips?  It's been two years, and PP2020 still doesn't let you un-merge them.  Still can't include them in AAF exports, and you can't even send them to Adobe Audition.  This is a defective product.  This cloud pricing model is supposed to guarantee continuous updates, but Adobe leaves bugs unfixed for YEARS.  I WANT MY MONEY BACK.

[Wedelski]

Massive flaw!  Can't even describe how much hair I've pulled out of my head this weekend.  What should literally take 20mins has now eaten up nearly three days.  Adobe, this is so far from Pro.  So so very far away from Pro.

When this problem with Merged Clips is still left unfixed in 12.1.3 (I'll bet you $10 it will still be a problem, any takers?) could you at least put up a warning box when merging clips that says something like "Warning: merging clips will obliterate your sound metadata. Proceed at your own risk."  A warning box like that would have saved me so much trouble.  Or maybe just get rid of Merged Clips altogether until you fix this.  I don't know.  Send help.