Newbe - EX1 Workflow with Vegas

[Geoffrey Chandler]

I'm new to the Sony EX1 world and I see that Sony divides long takes into smaller files inside of individual folders. It seems a bit clunky to open each folder individually to copy each file to another location for editing. I'm trying to figure out if the free version if Catalyst Browse is the answer. Using Catalyst would I transcode to one big file for use in editing in Vegas? If so, what setting would I use?

AVC/AAC (mp4)
Internet 1920x1080-29.97p

??

[Leslie Wand]

cat browse is good, even better is prepare, though that is paid for.

i transcode to mxf - easier on the timeline. now that i've also started using resolve, i trans to dnxhd.

[Christopher Young]

Originally Posted by Geoffrey Chandler

IIt seems a bit clunky to open each folder individually to copy each file to another location for editing.

As you are on Windows and using Vegas you have a few options.

1. Instead of opening all those little folders just open an Explorer window and in the search window just type in .MP4 and that will find all the MP4 files on that card then just copy them to your destination folder.

2. Open Vegas, if using v13, go to View/Window/Device Explorer and you should see your card listed in the left hand pane. Important... next select Device Properties at the top of this dialogue box and create or navigate to the folder you want the EX files to go into. Now select Import All New Files, or just select the ones you want and import the files. These will all appear in Vegas ready for editing. They will still be individual files though.

3. Download Sony Content Browser 2.4.1. There is a trial version to test out with but if you want it it will cost you $20.00. Well worth it. In Content Browser you navigate to your card and then select Export To NLE. In the export dialogue create or select a folder for your files to go to and then just hit Execute. Bringing in files this way will stitch any files that need combining into one large continuous file.

Content Browser also allows you to view, mark in, mark out, rename files etc. It also has Flash Band removal if you have any really bad frames resulting from photographers flash guns. For $20.00 I wouldn't be without it.

Sony Creative Software - Content Browser 2

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Jack Zhang]

PROTIP: Copy the entire card, file structure and all, to your HDD if you are going to be archiving it. Conversion to any other format destroys your "original negative" of the card.

Get the legacy Clip Browser 2.6 if you're on Windows 7. It's free, fully featured for it's basic functions, (including acquisition metadata that Content Browser charges an arm and a leg for) and is all you need for the EX1. (Content Browser is required for the Sony F3 and PMW-200 and up, The EX1 works fine with Clip Browser)

To join files for editing, export the singular spanned clip (It will show in the clip selection without being broken up, it will show up without a "_01" at the end of the filename) in Clip Browser to "MXF for NLE"

If your clips are shorter than 4GB (around 14mins) you can directly import the MP4 files into recent versions of Vegas. Be aware that Vegas loves to dump .sfk waveform files in the same folder as the source, so make another copy of the folder for editing.

Specifically on Vegas 10: DO NOT use the Device Explorer on cards with spanned clips. Vegas will instantly crash.

[Christopher Young]

Jack you got me curious. I don't ever recall spanned clip problems on Vegas 10. Still have it on one box so I fired it up and pulled in a complete EX3 32GB card via Device Manager and voila no problems with the Clip Transits. Spanned nicely. Wonder what the problem was you were having with V10?

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Jack Zhang]

It was a specific revision of Vegas 10 that instantly crashes when viewing a folder in Device Explorer that has spanned clips in XDCAM. I believe it was 10.0c 64bit.

[Christopher Young]

Ah right Jack! This one here is 10e.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney