Avid XpressDV User Guide

Avid Xpress DV
Users Guide
Release 1.0
for the Windows NT Operating System
tools for storytellers
2000 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

Avid Xpress DV Users Guide Part 0130-04380-01 Rev. A February 2000
Contents
Chapter 1
Desktop Basics
Working with the Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Creating an Emergency Repair Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Using Shortcut Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Using the Windows NT Taskbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Dragging Windows Without Showing the Contents . . . . . . . . . 27
Setting Your Screen Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Setting the Avid Color Scheme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
About the Avid Xpress DV Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Managing the Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
About the Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Changing Project and User Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Deleting Projects and User Profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Starting the Avid Xpress DV Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Accepting Your Avid Xpress DV License Electronically . . . . . . 33
Chapter 2
Starting a Project
Opening a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Identifying a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Creating a New User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Selecting an Existing User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Selecting a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Selecting an Existing Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Creating a New Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Nesting Projects in Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3
Opening a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Closing a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Backing Up Your Project Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Saving Your Project Information on a Drive or Floppy Disk. . 41
Restoring from a Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Ending an Edit Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Quitting the Avid Xpress DV Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Turning Off Your Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Mounting and Ejecting Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Ejecting Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Mounting All Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Using Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Opening and Closing the Help System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Getting Help for Windows and Dialog Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Getting Help for Screen Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Finding Information with the Help Topics Dialog Box. . . . . . . 48
Using the Contents Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Using the Index Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Using the Find Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
How Help Windows Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Using Buttons in a Help Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Printing Help Topics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Copying from a Help Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Changing the Font Size of Help Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Keeping Help on Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Changing the Color of Help Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Adding a Note to a Help Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Accessing Information from the Help Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Chapter 3
Working with the Project Window

Opening and Closing the Project Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Using the Bins Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Displaying Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Creating a Folder in a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Creating a New Bin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Renaming a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Opening and Closing a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Opening Selected Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Closing a Bin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Deleting a Bin or Folder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Viewing Contents in the Trash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Emptying the Trash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Managing Folders and Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Saving Bins Automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Saving Bins Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Retrieving Bin Files from the Attic Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Modifying the Creation Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Using the Settings Scroll List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
About Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Defining Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Reviewing Basic Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Bin Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
General Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Interface Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Displaying Project Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Working with Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Selecting Another User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Modifying Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Working with Multiple Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Duplicating Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Naming Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Selecting Among Multiple Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
5
Deleting Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Copying Settings Between Settings Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Moving Settings Between Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Using Site Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Using the Info Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Displaying Project Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Viewing Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Accessing the Hardware Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Customizing Your Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Creating a New Workspace Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Linking User Settings and Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Switching Between Workspaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Deleting a Workspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Chapter 4
Using Basic Tools

Using the Tools Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Using the Avid Calculator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Using the Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Displaying System Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Reviewing a Log of Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Getting Information with the Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Using the Hardware Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Chapter 5
Logging
Logging Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Logging Preroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Logging Timecode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Naming Tapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Double-Checking the Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Adding a Memory Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Preparing Logs for Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Transferring Bins from MediaLog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Creating Avid Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
6
Importing Shot Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Converting Log Files with Avid Log Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Using Drag-and-Drop Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Logging Directly to a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Logging with an Avid-Controlled Deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Logging with a Non-Avid-Controlled Deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Exporting Shot Log Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Chapter 6
Preparing to Record
Understanding Digital Video (DV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
What Is IEEE Standard 1394? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
What Is DV? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Selecting Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Configuring Decks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Deck Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Deleting Deck Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Setting Deck Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Setting Up the Record Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Selecting a Deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Selecting Audio Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Selecting a Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Selecting Source Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Choosing a Resolution in the Record Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Choosing a Target Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Selecting the Target Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Targeting a Single Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Targeting Separate Drives for Audio and Video . . . . . . . . 155
Interpreting the Time-Remaining Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Recording to Multiple Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Recording Across Timecode Breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Description of Record Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Preparing for Audio Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Choosing the Audio File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
7
Adjusting Audio Project Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Using the Audio Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Resizing the Audio Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Choosing a Peak Hold Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Adjusting Audio Input Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Creating Tone Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Using the Console to Check Audio Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Compression Resolutions and Storage Requirements . . . . . . . . . . 174
Screen Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Digital Video Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Storage Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Chapter 7
Recording
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Special Recording Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Adding Clip Names and Comments On-the-Fly . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Recording and Logging at the Same Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Recording from an IN Point to an OUT Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Setting Both Marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Setting Only One Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Recording On-the-Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Autorecording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Recording from a Non-Avid-Controlled Deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Recording with Time-of-Day Timecode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Recording Audio from a Music CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Batch Recording from Logged Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Preparing to Batch Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Resizing the Record Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Preparing Settings for Unattended Batch Recording . . . . 194
Batch Recording Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Rerecording Your Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Rerecording Master Clips and Subclips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Rerecording Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Saving Two Versions of a Sequence
When Rerecording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Rerecording the Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Chapter 8
Importing Files
Preparing to Import Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Creating and Using Import Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Importing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Using the Drag-and-Drop Method to Import Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Reimporting Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
The Batch Import Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Starting the Reimport Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Chapter 9
Organizing with Bins

Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Adjusting Pan Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Adjusting Default Pan Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Setting the Bin Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
About Bin Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Custom Bin Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Customizing Bin Views in Text View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Saving a Custom Bin View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Bin Fast Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Basic Bin Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Setting the Bin Font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Selecting Clips and Sequences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Duplicating Clips and Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Moving Clips and Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Copying Clips and Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Deleting Clips and Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
9
Assigning Colors to Bin Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

Adding a Color Column to a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Assigning a Source Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Assigning a Custom Source Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Limiting Color Choices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Sorting by Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Sifting by Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Highlighting Offline Media Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Sifting Clips and Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Selecting Offline Items in a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Selecting Media Relatives for an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Using Text View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Arranging Bin Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Moving and Rearranging Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Aligning Bin Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Showing and Hiding Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Deleting a Column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Duplicating a Column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Adding Customized Columns to a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Changing a Custom Column Heading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Managing Clip Information in Text View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Moving Within Column Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Modifying Clip Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Copying Information Between Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Sorting Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Using Frame View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Changing the Bin Background Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Enlarging or Reducing Frame Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Rearranging Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Changing the Frame Identifying the Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Arranging Frames in a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Printing Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
10
Gathering Format Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Preparing Digital Bars and Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Importing Color Bars and Other Test Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Creating Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Creating Video Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Creating Audio Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Chapter 10
Managing Media Files

Using the Media Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Basic Media Tool Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Opening the Media Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Deleting Media Files with the Media Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Consolidating Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
About the Consolidate Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Using the Consolidate Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Loading the Media Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Backing Up Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Finding a Related Media File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Relinking Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Relinking to Selected Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Relinking Consolidated Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Relinking Moved Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Unlinking Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Chapter 11
Viewing and Marking Footage

Customizing the Composer Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Changing the Composer Monitor Background Color . . . . . . . 286
Displaying Tracking Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tracking Format Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Displaying the Clip Information Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Moving the Clip Information Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Displaying the Timecode Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Setting the Font and Point Size for Monitor Displays . . . . . . 293
11
Viewing Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

Loading and Clearing Footage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Loading into the Source Pop-up and Composer Monitors . . . 295
Using the Clip Name Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Switching Between Loaded Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Clearing Sequences from Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Resizing Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Hiding the Video in the Composer Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Resizing the Composer Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Controlling Playback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Using Position Bars and Position Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Using Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Step Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Using the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Home, End, and Arrow Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Playing Video to the Client Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Connecting a Client Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Selecting the Client Monitor Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Supporting a Camera Without Video Input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Adjusting Desktop Video Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Setting Desktop Video Mode and Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Adjusting Video Display Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Marking and Subcataloging Footage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Marking IN and OUT Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Dragging IN and OUT Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Marking an Entire Clip or Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Creating Subclips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Using Locators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Ways to Use Locators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Adding Locators While Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Removing Locators from Source Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
12
Finding Frames and Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322

Cueing a Frame by Using Frame Offset Timecode. . . . . . . . . . 322
Using Timecode to Find a Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Chapter 12
First Edits
Setting Up a New Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Changing the Sequence Clip Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Setting Up Tracks for the New Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Adding Filler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Making the First Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Creating an Instant Rough Cut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Undoing or Redoing Edits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Editing Additional Clips into the Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Performing a Splice-in Edit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Performing an Overwrite Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Lifting, Extracting, and Copying Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Lifting Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Extracting Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Copying Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Using the Clipboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Recovering Material from the Clipboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Playing the New Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Starting a Playback Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Playback Performance Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
How to Proceed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Chapter 13
Using the Timeline

Customizing Timeline Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Description of Timeline Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Using the Timeline Fast Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Additional Procedures for Customizing the Timeline . . . . . . 348
Enlarging and Reducing Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Changing the Timeline Track Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
13
Restoring the Default Timeline View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

Navigating in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Using the Position Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Using the Timeline Scroll Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Displaying Detail in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Controlling Movement in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Selecting and Deselecting Segments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Selecting Segments with the Segment Mode Pointer. . . . 353
Lassoing One or More Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Deselecting Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Performing Segment Mode Edits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Extracting/Splicing Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Lifting/Overwriting Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Deleting Segments with Segment Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Bin Editing into the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
About Effects Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
About Nesting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Using the Track Selector Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Selecting Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Monitoring Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Monitoring Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Monitoring Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Monitoring a Solo Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Patching Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Sync Locking Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Deleting Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Adding an Edit (Match Framing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Removing Match-Frame Edits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Backtiming Edits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Printing the Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
14
Chapter 14
Working in Trim Mode

Customizing Trim Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Using Basic Trim Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Entering Trim Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Exiting Trim Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Selecting Between Trim Sides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Selecting Additional Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Performing a Basic Trim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Reviewing the Trim Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Slipping or Sliding Clips or Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Selecting Segments for Slip or Slide Trimming . . . . . . . . 378
Performing the Slip or Slide Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Creating Overlap Edits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Maintaining Sync While Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Adding Black While Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Trimming with Sync-Locked Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Chapter 15
Working with Audio

About Audio Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Accessing Audio Effect Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Audio Editing Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Using Audio Scrub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Smooth Scrub Versus Digital Scrub. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Multiple-Channel Audio Scrub. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Selecting Tracks for Scrubbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Performing Smooth Audio Scrub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Using the J-K-L Keys to Perform Smooth Scrub . . . . . . . . 393
Using Digital Audio Scrub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Adjusting Digital Scrub Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Performing the Digital Scrub Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Using Waveform Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Displaying Audio Waveforms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
15
Using the Audio Mix Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398

Resizing the Audio Mix Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Adjusting One Audio Track at a Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Ganging and Adjusting Multiple Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Ignoring Existing Volume and Pan Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Adjusting Volume While Playing an Audio Effect . . . . . . . . . 406
Using Audio Gain Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Automation Gain Values and System Clip Gain Values. . . . . 408
Adjusting Volume in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Deleting Audio Gain Keyframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Moving Audio Gain Keyframes in the Timeline. . . . . . . . 411
About the Automation Gain Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
Track Solo Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Selecting Tracks in the Automation Gain Tool . . . . . . . . . 414
Automation Gain Tool Fast Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Recording Audio Gain Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Using the Automation Gain Tool Sliders to
Record Gain Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Using the Automation Gain Tool and Audio Mix Tool . . . . . . 417
Using the Audio EQ Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Audio EQ Tool Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Applying Audio EQ Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Saving Audio EQ Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Removing Audio EQ Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Audio EQ Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Low Shelf Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Small Octave Range Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429
Using Audio EQ Templates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Applying an EQ Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Creating Your Own Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
Adjusting EQ While Playing an Audio Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
16
Digidesign AudioSuite Plug-Ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434

Installing AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
Starting the DAE Application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Using Digidesign AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
Applying an AudioSuite Plug-In to a Clip in the Timeline . . 437
Using a Plug-in Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
AudioSuite Plug-In Fast Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Rendering Plug-in Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
Creating New Master Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
Serial Versus Parallel Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
AudioSuite Controls for Creating New Master Clips . . . 441
Using the AudioSuite Plug-Ins to Create
New Master Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Using an AudioSuite Effect Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Plug-in Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Troubleshooting AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Canceling a Render Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Addressing Error Messages When Rendering a
Plug-in Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Recording Voice-Over Narration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Using the Audio Punch-In Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
Connecting the Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Creating the Voice-Over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Voice-Over Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
Fine-Tuning Audio Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
Fading and Dipping Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
Fading Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Dipping Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
Mixing Down Audio Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
17
Chapter 16
Syncing Methods
Managing Sync Breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Editing to Avoid Sync Breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Fixing Sync Breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
Fixing Sync in Trim Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
Fixing Sync in Segment Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Managing Sync with Multiple Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Using Sync Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Syncing with Tail Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Syncing with Locators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Using Add Edit When Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Chapter 17
Output Options
Preparing for Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
Selecting Video Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
Selecting Audio Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Audio Sample Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Setting the Calibration Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Calibrating Global Output Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
Adjusting Output on Two-Channel
Audio Board Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Preparing Record Tapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Frame-Accurate Recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Manual Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Enabling Assemble-Edit Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477
Using the Digital Cut Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Previewing a Digital Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Recording a Digital Cut to Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482
Using EDL Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
18
Chapter 18
Exporting and Exchanging Material

About Exporting Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487
Preparing to Export a Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
Mixing Down Video Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Exporting Frames, Clips, or Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Using the Drag-and-Drop Method to Export Frames,
Clips, or Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494
About Exporting for Digital Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Exporting for Digital Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Exporting with Microsoft ASF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
About RealMedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499
Exporting with RealMedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499
About MPEG-Ligos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502
Exporting with MPEG-Ligos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502
Customizing Export Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
Exporting as a Graphic File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
About OMF Interchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516
Choosing an OMFI Transfer Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
Exporting as a QuickTime Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519
Selecting QuickTime Codecs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
Exporting as an AVI File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
AVI Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534
About the Avid QuickTime and Avid AVI Codecs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
Using the Avid QuickTime Codec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
Using the Avid AVI Codec. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541
Installing the Avid QuickTime or Avid AVI Codec on
Other Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
Exporting from a Third-Party QuickTime or
AVI Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544
19
Transferring a Project Between Avid Xpress DV Systems . . . . . . . 545

Methods for Transferring Files Between
Avid Xpress DV Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545
Compatibility Requirements for Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546
Transferring a Project and Associated Media Files . . . . . . . . . 546
Transferring Projects, User Profiles, and Site Settings . . . . . . 548
Appendix A
Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins

Supported AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
Core AudioSuite Plug-Ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
Additional Supported Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552
Digidesign D-Fi Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552
Digidesign D-Fx Plug-Ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553
Core Plug-In Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553
Invert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553
Duplicate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553
Normalize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
DC Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
Time Compression/Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
Master Clip Mode Parallel Processing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556
Time Compression/Expansion Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Pitch Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560
Pitch Shift Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563
EQ II Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563
Compressor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565
Using Compression Effectively. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565
Compressor Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566
Limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568
Limiter Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569
20
Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571
Gate Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571
Expander/Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
Expander/Gate Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
Mod Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
Mod Delay Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576
Appendix B
File Format Specifications

Graphic (Image) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578
Preparing Graphic Files for Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
Graphic File Import Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582
Animation Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587
Audio File Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591
OMFI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591
Appendix C
Avid Log Specifications

Understanding Avid Log Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595
Describing an Avid Log File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
Global Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
Column Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 598
Data Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
Sample Avid Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
Glossary
Index
21
Tables
Table 2-1
Help Topic Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Table 2-2
Help Menu Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Table 3-1
Automatic Save and Backup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Table 3-2
General Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Table 3-3
User Interface Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Table 3-4
Settings Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Table 3-5
Settings Scroll List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Table 6-1
Deck Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Table 6-2
Deck Preferences Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Table 6-3
General Record Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Table 8-1
Import Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Table 9-1
Object Icon Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Table 11-1
Timecode Display Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Table 11-2
Video Display Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Table 13-1
Timeline Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Table 13-2
Timeline Fast Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Table 18-1
Export Settings Dialog Box Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Table 18-2
Graphic Format Options Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510
Table 18-3
QuickTime Movie Export Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
Table 18-4
QuickTime Movie Format Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
Table 18-5
AVI Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535
Table 18-6
AVI Video Compression Dialog Box Options . . . . . 537
Table 18-7
Devices for Transferring Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546
Table B-1
Graphic File Import Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583
Table B-2
Animation File Import Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . 588

22
Table B-3
QuickTime Import and Export

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 589
Table B-4
AVI Import and Export Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . 590
Table B-5
OMFI File Import Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592
Table C-1
Compatible Log Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
Table C-2
Avid Log Global Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597
Table C-3
Avid Log Column Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 598
Table C-4
Avid Log Data Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
23
CHAPTER 1
Desktop Basics
Although most of your work is performed within the Avid Xpress DV
application, you will need to use a few basic Windows NT desktop
procedures. For example, you use the desktop to move projects and
user profiles between systems.
This chapter describes the location of the various project files. For
information about moving a project from one system to another, see
the Avid Products Collaboration Guide.
The following sections describe basic procedures involving the
Windows NT operating system and the Avid folders:
Working with the Desktop
About the Avid Xpress DV Folder
Managing the Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders
Starting the Avid Xpress DV Application
This chapter refers to the default installation directory path for the various
Avid folders. If you choose a different directory path during the installation,
you must substitute that path when using this chapter.
24
Working with the Desktop

For information on the
Windows NT operating
system, such as the
desktop and icons, see
your Microsoft
Windows NT Help.
This section describes the following desktop features that you will use
when working with the Avid Xpress DV application:
Creating an Emergency Repair Disk
Using Shortcut Menus
Using the Windows NT Taskbar
Dragging Windows Without Showing the Contents
Setting Your Screen Resolution
Setting the Avid Color Scheme
Creating an Emergency Repair Disk

You or your system administrator needs to create a Windows NT 4.0
emergency repair disk (ERD) to rebuild your system configuration if it
becomes damaged. You need to update the ERD any time you make a
system change, like installing new software.
To create an emergency repair disk:
1. Click the Start button and click Run.
2. In the text box, type:
rdisk /s
3. Click OK.
4. Follow the instructions to create the disk.
5. Store the disk in a safe, dry, static-free location.
If you have a problem, search for Emergency Repair Disk in the
Windows NT Help.
25
Using Shortcut Menus

Instead of using the standard menus to find the command you need in
a window, try using the shortcut menus.
To use a shortcut menu, right-click on a window to bring up a shortcut
menu that shows the most frequently used commands for that
window. For a list of the available shortcuts, see the Avid Xpress DV
Quick Reference.
Using the Windows NT Taskbar

By default, the Windows NT taskbar always appears on the bottom of
your screen, on top of your application. You have two other choices:
Keeping the taskbar hidden behind the application
Setting the taskbar to appear only when you drag the mouse
pointer to it
If you keep the taskbar hidden while running Avid Xpress DV and you
minimize an application such as Help, you will not see the minimized icon. To
see the taskbar and minimized icons, minimize Avid Xpress DV.
To change the taskbar settings:
1. Right-click an unused part of the taskbar.
2. Choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
3. In the Taskbar Properties dialog box, click the Taskbar Options tab.
26
4. Select the options you want:
To keep the taskbar hidden, deselect Always on top and Auto

hide.
To set the taskbar to appear when you want, select Always on

top and Auto hide.
5. Click OK.
The taskbar can to be dragged to the top, bottom, or either side of the monitor.
For more information, see your Windows NT Help.
Dragging Windows Without Showing the Contents

By default, Windows NT systems show the contents of windows when
you drag them. Deselect this option to improve screen display and to
avoid problems repainting the screen.
To deselect the option Show window contents while dragging:
1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then select Control
Panel.
2. Double-click Display.
3. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Plus! tab.
4. Deselect the Show window contents while dragging check box.
5. Click OK.
For a shortcut to the Display Properties dialog box, right-click an empty part
of the desktop, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
27
Setting Your Screen Resolution

Avid Xpress DV is designed to work best with the following screen
resolutions:
1024 x 768 pixels
1152 x 864 pixels
1280 x 1024 pixels
A larger resolution displays more pixels and lets you view more
objects in the monitors. The objects will appear smaller.
To view or change the screen resolution:
Panel.
3. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Settings tab.
4. Under Desktop Area, drag the slider to the resolution you want.
5. Click OK.
Also in the Settings tab, make sure the Color Palette is set to True
Color.
28
Setting the Avid Color Scheme

By default, Avid Xpress DV is set to the gray and purple Avid color
scheme.
To change the color scheme:
Panel.
3. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Appearance tab.
4. Choose a different color scheme from the Scheme menu.
5. Click OK.
About the Avid Xpress DV Folder

The drive:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress DV folder contains
essential operational files and supporting files. In general, you should
not touch any of these files, except where noted in the following
descriptions:
Help folder: This folder contains the Help files. You can find
information about Help in Using Help on page 47.
Avid Xpress DV application: The application icon resides here.

You can start the application by following the procedures
described in Starting the Avid Xpress DV Application on
page 32.
Settings: In addition to Project and User settings, the system

maintains two settings files in this folder that apply to all users
and all projects on the system. You can copy or move the Site
Settings file to other systems on the desktop, using the same
29
procedure described in Moving Settings Between Systems on

page 92.
Supporting Files: A series of files located in the SupportingFiles

folder that add functionality to the application. The system
accesses most of these files from within the application. You can
add third-party effects to the 3rd Party Plug-Ins folder and
AVX_Plug-Ins folder from programs such as Avid Visual
Extensions (AVX) for use in effects editing, as described in the
Avid Xpress DV Effects Guide.
Managing the Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders

Managing projects, user profiles, and settings involves moving,
copying, or deleting files and folders, and changing project or user
names.
About the Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders

When you create a new project or user profile, the system creates the
following files and folders:
When you create a new user, the system creates three items: a user
profile file, a User Settings file, and a user folder containing both.
Each item is given the user name you provide. The new folder is
stored in the Avid Users folder on the internal hard drive.
When you create a new project, the system creates three items: a
project file, a Project Settings file, and a project folder containing
both. Each item is given the project name you provide. This new
folder is stored in the Avid Projects folder on the internal hard
drive.
Avid Projects and Avid Users folders allow you to move entire projects
or selected Project and User settings between systems by copying and
moving files on your desktop.
30
Changing Project and User Names

You cannot change project or user names from within the
Avid Xpress DV application. You must change the name from your
desktop before starting the application.
To change a project or user name:
1. Double-click the internal hard drive to open it.
2. Double-click the Avid Users or the Avid Projects folder to open it.
3. Click the name of the folder you want to change.
The name is highlighted for text entry, and the arrow changes to
an I-beam.
4. Type the new name of the folder.
When you change a user name or project name, make sure you change the
name of the folder and all the files in the folder that have the old name. The
system does not automatically change the names of corresponding files in the
folder.
5. Close the windows and restart the Avid Xpress DV application.
Deleting Projects and User Profiles

You cannot delete projects and user profiles from within the
Avid Xpress DV application. You must make the change from your
desktop before starting the application. The Avid Users and Avid
Projects folders are located in the drive:\Avid folder.
To delete a project or user profile:
2. Double-click the Avid Users or the Avid Projects folder to open it.
31
3. Drag the project or user folder you want to delete to the Recycle
Bin. Empty the Recycle Bin to remove the files from the system.
Deleting a project also deletes any bins that are in that project.
4. Close the windows and restart the Avid Xpress DV application.
Recorded media related to a deleted project is not eliminated with the project
folder. For more information on deleting media files, see Deleting Clips and
Sequences on page 235 and Deleting Media Files with the Media
Tool on page 268.
Starting the Avid Xpress DV Application

The Avid Xpress DV application is located in the Program
Files\Avid\Avid Xpress DV folder on the internal hard drive. For
most users, the desktop is a more convenient location for starting the
application. To create a shortcut on the desktop, see your Microsoft
Windows NT documentation.
To start Avid Xpress DV:
1. Click the Start button.
2. Point to Programs.
3. Point to the Avid folder.
4. Select Avid Xpress DV.
After a few moments, the Open Project dialog box appears.
32
Accepting Your Avid Xpress DV License Electronically

The Avid Xpress DV license agreement appears the first few times you
start the system.
To accept your Avid Xpress DV license electronically:
1. Read the License Agreement, and then click Accept or Decline at
the bottom of the screen.
After the agreement appears a few times, a new button is
displayed at the bottom of the screen.
2. If you do not want to see the license agreement again, click Accept
and Dont Show Again.
A dialog box appears.
3. Type the name of your organization in the dialog box, and click
OK.
The Open Project dialog box appears, and you can begin working
with Avid Xpress DV.
33
CHAPTER 2
Starting a Project
Your work in Avid Xpress DV begins when you turn on the system,
start the application, and open an existing project or create a new
project. This chapter describes these and other procedures for starting
a project. You can use several techniques to safeguard and restore your
work if necessary. These topics are covered in the following sections:
Opening a Project
Backing Up Your Project Information
Ending an Edit Session
Mounting and Ejecting Drives
Using Help
For information on the Microsoft Windows NT operating system and

terminology, see the Microsoft Windows NT Help. For information on
turning on your system, see the Avid Xpress DV Getting Started Guide.
Avid folders. If you chose a different directory path during the installation,
34
Opening a Project
Each time you start the Avid Xpress DV application, the Open Project
dialog box appears.
Users scroll list
Projects scroll list
Use the procedures described in the following sections to establish

your identity as a user with the system and to select or create a project
to open. You can also create additional folders within which to store
projects, or you can quit the application from the Open Project dialog
box.
Identifying a User
To identify a user for the project, you can either create and identify a
new user or select one from a list of existing users. This user name
represents the user profile, which includes the settings associated with
the user.
35
Creating a New User

To create a new user profile:
1. Click New User in the Open Project dialog box.
2. Type the name of the new user, and press Enter.
3. Click OK.
The Open Project dialog box reappears with your user name
highlighted in the list of users.
You are ready to select a project. See Selecting a Project on page 36.
Selecting an Existing User

To select from the list of existing users, click the user name to highlight
it in the Users scroll list on the left side of the Open Project dialog box.
Folders containing collections of users appear in the list with asterisks
preceding them.
To select a user in a folder:
1. Double-click the folder to open it and display the user names.
2. Click a user name to select it.
Selecting a Project
To open a project, you can either open an existing project or create and
open a new project.
36
Selecting an Existing Project

Existing projects appear in the Projects scroll list in the Open Project
dialog box.
Projects pop-up menu
Projects scroll list
To select an existing project, do one of the following in the Open

Project dialog box:
Click an existing project name to highlight it.
Press the first letter of the project name on the keyboard to

highlight it.
To open a project nested in a folder:

1. Double-click the folder name to open it and display the contents in
the Projects scroll list.
2. Click the project name to highlight it.
37
To locate a project in another folder:

1. Click the Projects pop-up menu, and choose a drive from the
Volumes submenu.
2. Double-click a folder name to open it. Continue opening folders
until the Projects scroll list displays the project folder you want.
3. Click the project name to highlight it.
Creating a New Project

To create a new project:
1. Click New Project in the Open Project dialog box.
The New Project dialog box appears.
2. Type the name of your new project in the highlighted text box.
3. Choose either NTSC or PAL from the Video Format pop-up menu.
4. Click OK.
The system creates the new project files and folder, and returns
you to the Open Project dialog box. The project name is
highlighted in the Projects scroll list.
38
Nesting Projects in Folders

You can create folders in the Open Project dialog box for storing
related products. To nest a folder, you must first create a folder.
To create a folder:
1. Click New Folder in the Open Project dialog box.
The New Folder dialog box appears.
2. Type a name for the folder, and press Enter or click OK.
The folder name appears in the Projects scroll list with an asterisk
preceding it.
3. Double-click the folder name to open the folder.
Any new projects you create now are displayed and stored in this
folder. Any existing projects you move into this folder from your
desktop are displayed in this folder.
Opening a Project
After you select the appropriate user and project names in the scroll
lists of the Open Project dialog box, you can open the project in one of
three ways:
Click OK.
Double-click the highlighted project name in the Projects scroll list.
Double-click the highlighted user name in the Users scroll list.
The Composer monitor and the bin open with the selected User
settings loaded.
The title bar of the Project window contains the project name and user
name you selected in the Open Project dialog box.
39
Project name
User name
Close button
Project window
Closing a Project
When you close the current project, you return to the Open Project
dialog box. To close the current project, do one of the following:
With the Project window active, choose Close from the File menu.
Click the Close button in the Project window.
40
Backing Up Your Project Information

For information on
using the Auto-save
feature, see Saving
Bins Automatically on
page 70.
Although Avid Xpress DV automatically saves your bins, projects, and

settings, you should back up these items frequently to avoid losing
any of your work in case your hard drive fails. Because the storage
requirements are minimal, you can back up these files easily to a
variety of storage devices, including:
Floppy disk
Network storage device (such as a file server)
Mass storage device
Saving Your Project Information on a Drive or Floppy Disk

To save your work on a disk or drive:
1. Mount the drive or insert a floppy disk as appropriate.
2. From the Windows NT desktop, double-click My Computer.
Double-click the icon for the targeted storage drive or floppy disk
to open it. Double-click any additional folders to target the
appropriate storage location.
4. Drag a project folder, user folder, or settings file to the targeted
storage location.
5. When the system finishes copying the files, eject the floppy disk or
unmount the drive and store it where appropriate.
41
Restoring from a Backup

To restore a project, user profile, or settings from a backup storage
device:
1. Mount the drive or insert a floppy disk as appropriate.
2. From the desktop, double-click the drive or floppy disk and the
internal hard drive.
3. Drag the copies from the storage device to the appropriate folder
on the internal hard drive:
Project folders and settings files go in the Avid Projects folder.
User folders and settings files go in the Avid Users folder.
Site settings files go in the Avid Xpress DV folder.
4. Start the Avid Xpress DV application.
Ending an Edit Session

To end the session, you must first quit the application, and then turn
off your equipment in the order described in this section.
Quitting the Avid Xpress DV Application

There are three ways to quit Avid Xpress DV:
To quit the Avid Xpress DV application from an open project,

choose Exit from the File menu.
The project closes, and Avid Xpress DV returns to the desktop.
42
To quit the Avid Xpress DV application if you are between

projects, in the Open Project dialog box, click the Quit button.
Quit button
A message box appears.
Click Leave to quit the Avid Xpress DV application. Click Cancel

to return to the Open Project dialog box and select another project.
If you want to turn off your system, see Turning Off Your Equipment on
page 45.
43
To quit the Avid Xpress DV application from an open project:

a. Click the the Close button at the far right of the title bar.
Close button
The Open Project dialog box appears.

b. Click the Quit button.
c. Click the Leave button.
44
Turning Off Your Equipment

When you have finished using your system and want to turn it off
completely, follow these steps to avoid damaging your computer or
media storage drives.
Quit Avid Xpress DV before turning off your equipment. See

Quitting the Avid Xpress DV Application on page 42.
To turn off your equipment:
1. Choose Shut Down from the Start menu to turn off your system.
2. Turn off your speakers and monitors.
3. Turn off each drive.
Move your drives only when the system is completely off.
Never remove drives from your Avid Xpress DV system when it is

turned on.
Mounting and Ejecting Drives

The Eject command makes selected media drives inaccessible to
Avid Xpress DV. If the drive you eject supports the auto-eject feature
(for example, Jaz drives), the command ejects the disk from the drive.
By default, all media drives that are connected to your system are
listed and can be seen by Avid Xpress DV. You can remove one or more
drives from the list at any time by choosing Eject from the File menu.
For example, if you want to use only some of your drives for a
particular project, choose Eject to prevent other drives from appearing
in Avid Xpress DV. The Eject command does not remove drives from
the Windows NT system.
45
c
n
Shut down the Windows NT system completely before you

physically remove or add drives. For information on removing and
adding drives, see the Avid MediaDrive Utilities Users Guide.
On systems with multiple media drives, ejecting unused drives can improve
the performance of the Media tool. You need to eject the drives before you can
open the Media tool.
Ejecting Drives
To eject a disk or make a drive unavailable to Avid Xpress DV:
1. With the Avid Xpress DV application active, choose Eject from the
File menu.
The Select a Drive dialog box appears. The scroll list displays all
drives currently available.
2. Select a drive to eject. Ctrl+click to select additional drives.
3. Click the Eject button.
The drives are no longer available to Avid Xpress DV.
Mounting All Drives

Because the system cannot interface with ejected drives individually,
you cannot mount selected drives. However, you can mount all drives
connected to the system, including those previously ejected.
To mount all drives, choose Mount All from the File menu. All drives
turned on and connected to the system become available to
Avid Xpress DV.
46
Using Help
You can get help and background information for tasks, windows,
dialog boxes, and screen objects through the Avid Xpress DV Help
system.
Opening and Closing the Help System

The Help system is also
included on the
Avid Xpress DV Online
Publications CD-ROM.
To open the Help system, choose Avid Xpress DV Help from the Help
menu. The Help Topics dialog box appears. Use the Contents, Index,
and Find tabs to access the information you need.
To close the Help system, click the Close button in each Help window.
The Help system automatically closes when you close the last open
Help window.
Getting Help for Windows and Dialog Boxes

The Help system provides you with context-sensitive Help for
windows and dialog boxes, such as tools and settings.
To get Help for windows and dialog boxes:
1. Make sure the Avid Xpress DV application is active.
2. Position the mouse pointer anywhere in the window or dialog box
for which you want help.
3. Press the F1 key on the keyboard.
If there is no information about a window or dialog box, the Help
Topics dialog box appears.
47
Getting Help for Screen Objects

You can use Whats This? Help to find out about buttons and other
screen objects.
To get help for screen objects:
1. Using the right mouse button, click the screen object (for example,
a button).
A pop-up menu appears.
2. Choose Whats This? from the menu.
The system displays a pop-up window that explains how you use
the item. Many pop-up windows include a hypertext link (marked
by underlined text) to more information.
For some dialog boxes, such as Import and Print, use the Question Mark
button to access Whats This? Help.
Finding Information with the Help Topics Dialog Box

You see the Help Topics dialog box when you open Help from the
Help menu. A topic is a single page of the Help system. The Help
Topics dialog box includes three different methods for finding topics.
Using the Contents Tab
Using the Index Tab
Using the Find Tab
Using the Contents Tab

The Contents tab provides a list of books that contain topics covering
the entire Help system. Each book opens to display a list of topics.
48
To view the Contents, do one of the following:
From the Help menu, choose Avid Xpress DV Help, and then click
the Contents tab.
From a Help topic, click the Contents button.
To open a book and display a list of topics, select the book title and
click Open, or double-click the book title.
To open a Help window, select the topic and click Display, or
double-click the topic title.
Using the Index Tab

The Index tab provides an alphabetized list of entries, like the index of
a printed book.
To find topics by using the Index tab:
1. Choose Avid Xpress DV Help from the Help menu and click the
Index tab, or click the Index button in a Help topic.
2. In the text box at the top, type a keyword for the topic that you
want to find (for example, type audio to jump to index entries
listed under audio).
3. Open the topic in the list:
If your typing brings you to the topic you are seeking, click the
Display button, or double-click the index entry.
If you do not immediately arrive at the topic, scroll through

the list and double-click an entry that makes sense, or try an
alternative keyword in the text box. When you find the subject
for which you are looking, click the Display button, or doubleclick the entry to view the topic.
49
Using the Find Tab

The Find tab lets you search the entire Help system for words or
phrases and then lists topics that include those words or phrases.
To search for topics by using the Find tab:
1. From the Help menu, choose Avid Xpress DV Help and click the
Find tab, or click the Find button in a Help topic.
2. In the text box, type the word or phrase that you want to find.
A list shows topics that contain the words for which you searched.
As you type additional words, the list is updated.
Do not type quotation marks or asterisks in the text box.

3. To change the way in which you search for a word or words, click
the Options button, and choose your preferences from the Find
Options dialog box.
4. Select a topic in the list, and then click the Display button or
double-click the topic.
The topic is displayed, and the words for which you searched are
highlighted.
50
How Help Windows Work

The Help system consists of the Help Topics dialog box and four types
of windows:
The Help Topics dialog box opens in the center of your screen by
default. The Contents tab contains a list of overview topics
covered in the Help system. Double-click any book icon to see
additional topics. Double-click a topic or select a topic, and click
the Display button to open a window containing the information
you seek.
The How To window opens on the right side of your screen. It

displays step-by-step information for completing tasks. You can
close this window or leave it open as you work. Each time you
click a new How To topic, the window displays the new
information. You can cycle back through the topics by clicking the
Back button. Click on a hypertext link (marked by underlined text)
to open a window with related information.
The Reference window opens on the left side of your screen. It

contains background information, tables of options, or other
information that helps you understand system features and tools.
Each time you click a new Reference topic, the window displays
the new information. You can cycle back through topics by
clicking the Back button. Click on a hypertext link (marked by
underlined text) to open a window with related information.
The Illustration window opens in the left center of your screen. It

contains a graphic illustration of a feature that you can view while
you read about it. Each time you click a new Illustration button,
the window displays the new information.
The Pop-up windows open from screen objects. They also open
from defined terms in the text and from hot spots in
illustrations. In illustrations, the pointer changes to the hand
pointer when placed over an area with a pop-up window
associated with it. You cannot move or resize pop-up windows.
Many pop-up windows include a hypertext link (marked by
underlined text) to more information.
51
Using Buttons in a Help Topic

Each Help topic contains buttons to help you navigate through the
system and perform basic functions. Table 2-1 describes the Help topic
buttons.
Table 2-1
Help Topic Buttons
Button
Description
Contents
Opens the Contents tab.
Index
Opens the Index tab.
Find
Opens the Find tab.
Back
Returns to the topic previously displayed in the window.
Print
Opens the Print dialog box, from which you can print the
current topic.
Browse
(<< or >>)
Click one of the two Browse buttons to cycle through a set

sequence of topics (Reference windows only).
Options
Provides the following features:

Annotate
Allows you to add a note to a topic.
Copy
Allows you to copy information from a

Help topic into another document.
Print Topic
Allows you to print the current topic.
Font
Allows you to change the font size of

topics.
Keep Help
on Top
Provides the option of displaying the Help

window on top of other applications. The
default is On Top.
52
Table 2-1
Button
Help Topic Buttons (Continued)

Description
Use System
Colors
Glossary
Allows you to change the colors for the

display area of Help windows. For
information, see Changing the Color of
Help Windows on page 55.
Opens a glossary of terms.
Printing Help Topics

You can print a single Help topic or a group of topics listed in the
Contents.
To print a Help topic:
1. Open or click the topic to make it active.
2. Click Print in the topic window.
3. Select the print options. When you are ready to print the topic,
click OK.
To print a Help topic from the Contents tab, select the topic you want
to print, and click Print at the bottom of the tab.
To print a book of related topics from the Contents tab, select the book
you want to print, and click the Print button.
If you select a book, all topics within that book, and all topics in other
books contained in that book, will be printed. The system sends each
topic as a separate print job to the printer, so this method can take a
long time. You can more easily print large sections of user information
from the Avid Xpress DV Online Publications CD-ROM.
You can print a pop-up by clicking the right mouse button and
choosing Print.
53
Copying from a Help Topic

To copy information from a Help topic to another document:
1. In the topic window, select the text that you want to copy.
2. Click Options and choose Copy.
3. Place the mouse pointer in another application, such as a word
processor.
4. Choose Paste from the Edit menu to paste copied text into a
document.
You can also paste the text into the keyword text box in the Index
tab or into the text box in the Find tab.
You cannot paste text from one topic into another.
Changing the Font Size of Help Topics

To change the font size of Help topics:
1. Open or click a How To or Reference window to make it active.
2. Click the Options button and choose Small, Normal, or Large from
the Font submenu.
Keeping Help on Top

By default, the Help window remains on top of other application
windows. This feature lets you refer to a Help topic while you are
completing a task on your Avid Xpress DV system.
To change the Keep Help on Top setting:
1. In a Help topic, click the Options button.
2. Choose Keep Help on Top.
54
The submenu displays three choices: Default, On Top, and Not On

Top. The default is On Top.
3. To change the default, select Not On Top.
This setting applies to the Help system immediately and remains
when you close and reopen the file.
Changing the Color of Help Windows

The Help system is set to use two different colors for the display areas
of windows. Reference windows are white, and How To windows are
pale yellow. You can replace this color scheme with the single
windows color (typically white) that is set for your system in the
Windows NT Control Panel.
To use the system color for Help windows:
For information on
changing the color
settings for your entire
system, see your
Windows NT
documentation.
1. Open or click a How To or Reference window to make it active.

2. Click the Options button and choose Use System Colors from the
pop-up menu.
3. Click Yes in the message box.
4. Choose Avid Xpress DV Help from the Help menu.
Follow the same procedure to revert to the two-color scheme.
Adding a Note to a Help Topic

To add a note to a Help topic:
1. In the Help topic window, click the Options button.
2. Choose Annotate.
3. Type your note, and then click Save.
A paper-clip icon appears at the top of the topic. Click this icon to see,
edit, or delete your note.
55
Accessing Information from the Help Menu

In addition to the Help system, the Help menu provides other types of
online information. Table 2-2 describes the Help menu choices.
Table 2-2
Help Menu Choices
Menu Item
Description
Shortcuts
Displays a list of topics that describe keyboard

shortcuts for Avid Xpress DV operations.
Online Books
Displays the opening screen of the Avid Xpress DV

Online Publications CD-ROM, if you have loaded
the compact disc into your CD-ROM drive. The
Avid Xpress DV Online Publications CD includes all
software documentation in Adobe Acrobat
Reader format. Use the opening screen to access
any manual. For information on getting the best
performance, click How to Use This Collection.
not access a CD-ROM while you are

c Do
running a time-critical operation, such as
record, render, or play.
Avid Web Site
Launches the default Internet browser and brings

you to the Avid home page. From this page, you
can access all kinds of information about Avid,
including technical support.
About
Displays the name and version of the product,

along with license information.
56
CHAPTER 3
Working with the Project
Window
The Project window provides controls in three different display modes
for structuring and viewing important information about your current
project. These include a display of bins and folders associated with the
project, a list of all settings, and basic information about the format of
the project and use of system memory. These topics are described in
the following sections:
Opening and Closing the Project Window
Using the Bins Display
Using the Settings Scroll List
Using the Info Display
Customizing Your Workspace
Avid folders. If you chose a different directory path during the installation,
57
Opening and Closing the Project Window

The Project window provides three different displays (Bins, Settings
and Info) for structuring and viewing information about your current
project.
Settings button
Bins button
Info button
Use the Project window to:
Create and open bins.
View and modify settings.
View information about the format of the project and the use of
system memory.
58
You can also add folders to your projects that allow you to organize
the projects.
Bins from other projects appear in the Project window in italic.
You can see bins and folders in a flat view, which lists only the folder
contents and not the folder. Flat view is an option in the Project
windows Fast menu. You can also drag bins into folders or folders
into folders.
The Project window opens automatically when you select a project in
the Open Project dialog box.
To close the Project window, do one of the following:
With the Project window active, choose Close from the File menu.
Click the Close button in the Project window.
To reopen the Project window, choose Project from the Tools menu.
59
Using the Bins Display

Bins contain the master clips that are created when you record source
material. (The master clips are linked to the media files.) Bins also
contain the sequences, subclips, group clips, and effect clips that you
create during a project. From the Project window, you can view a list of
bins associated with the project, and open, close, and create bins. You
can also open bins created for another project.
To view a list of bins associated with the project, click the Bins button
in the Project window.
Bins button
60
There are two views for working with clips in a bin: Text view and
Frame view.
In Text view, clips are displayed in a database text format using

columns and rows, with icons representing the various
objects. You can save various arrangements of columns, text,
and objects as customized views.
Text View button
In Frame view, each clip is represented by a single picture

frame, with the name of the clip. You can play back the
footage in each frame and change the size of frames. You can
also rearrange the frames in any order within the bin.
Frame View
button
61
Displaying Bins
By default, your bins display all existing media objects except source
clips and rendered effects. To display only those objects that you need
to organize your project, you can display selected media objects.
To set the bin display:
1. Choose Set Bin Display from the Bin menu.
The Display Bin Selection dialog box appears.
62
2. Select the object types that you want to see: master clips, subclips,
sequences, sources, effects, motion effects, or rendered effects.
3. The option Show clips created by user is selected by default.
Deselect this option only if you want to hide all objects except
those created by the system.
4. Select the option Show reference clips to automatically display
those objects that are referenced by sequences in the bin, whether
those clips were previously in the bin or not.
5. Click OK. The bin displays objects according to your
specifications.
63
Creating a Folder in a Project

To create a folder in a project:
1. Click the Bins button in the Project window.
Bins button
Fast Menu
button
2. Click the Fast Menu button.

3. Choose New Folder from the Bin Fast menu.
A new, untitled folder appears.
4. Click the untitled folder and rename it.
64
Creating a New Bin

To create a new bin from the Project window, do one of the following:
Choose New Bin from the File menu.
Click the New Bin button in the Project window.
Either one of these procedures opens a new (empty) bin that is given
the name of the project as displayed in the title bar of the Project
window. The new bin appears in the Bins list of the Project window. A
corresponding file is placed in the project folder, and a backup copy is
placed in the Attic folder.
The new bin appears in the Project window with a default name
highlighted. Type the name of the new bin, and press Enter.
To place a bin in a folder, drag the bin to the folder icon.
Renaming a Bin
Each new bin that you create takes the name of the project that appears
in the Project window, numbered incrementally.
To change the name of a bin, click the bin name in the Project window,
and type a new name.
Opening and Closing a Bin

To open a bin directly:
1. Click the Bins button in the Project window.
2. Double-click the icon next to the bin name.
65
To open a bin from the File menu:

1. Choose Open Bin from the File menu.
The Open dialog box appears.
Up One Level pop-up
menu
2. Select a bin. Use the Up One Level pop-up menu to find the
correct folder, if necessary.
3. Click the Open button.
Never open a bin that is stored on a floppy disk; otherwise, the

system will not be able to save your work. Always copy the bin to a
project folder on your internal hard drive before you open it.
Opening Selected Bins

To open several bins at once from the Project window:
1. Click the name of one of the bins in the Bins list.
2. Ctrl+click each additional bin you want to open.
3. Choose Open Selected Bins from the File menu.
66
Closing a Bin
To close a bin, do one of the following:
Click the Close button in the upper right corner of the bin.
Choose Close Bin from the File menu.
Deleting a Bin or Folder

To delete a bin or folder within a project:
1. Select the bin or the folder you want to delete in the Bins list.
2. Press the Delete key.
A Trash icon appears in the Bins list in the Project window. It
contains the deleted item. The deleted item is stored in the Trash
until you empty it.
n
c
The Trash is not visible in the Project window until you select your first item
to delete.
Clips, subclips, and effects that are in a bin appear in the Trash after
you delete the bin. However, if you select a clip, subclip, or effect
directly and press the Delete key, the item does not appear in the
Trash.
Viewing Contents in the Trash

If you need to view the contents in the Trash or decide you do not
want to delete those items in the Trash, you must first move the bins
and folders out of the Trash.
67
Trash icon
To view items in the Trash:

1. Double-click the Trash icon in the Bins list to open it.
2. Click the bins or folders you want to remove (or view) from the
Trash, and drag them from the the Trash to the Bins list in the
Project window.
3. Double-click the bin or folder to view it.
68
Emptying the Trash

To empty the Trash:
1. Choose Empty Trash from the Fast menu.
2. Click Empty Trash to delete the bins or folders from the Trash and
from your internal hard drive.
Managing Folders and Bins

You can use the Project window to create hierarchies of folders and
bins that reflect the specific workflow of the current project. This
structure should provide both simplicity and backup security.
Although the specifics may vary depending on your production needs
and habits, the following are a few basic principles:
Limit the number of sequences you create in each project. For

instance, consider creating one new project for each show, episode,
spot, or scene.
Limit the number and complexity of clips in each bin by creating

and organizing bins in three groups, as follows:
a. Create a set of bins for the recording stage.
b. Create a second set of bins for organizing your project.
69
c. Create a third set of bins for the editing stage, including:

-
A current cut bin for storing each work in progress (sequence)
An archive bin for keeping the original version of each cut

(sequence)
A selects or storyboard bin for screening selected clips or cuts

gathered from the source bins
A format cuts bin for storing the final cuts with added format
elements such as segment breaks, color bars and tone, slate, or
countdown
(Option) Create additional folders at the desktop level for better

organization. For example, you can create one folder for each
recording bin and show cut bin, or a folder containing all shot logs
to be imported.
Save these files as a template for future productions of a similar

nature.
Saving Bins Automatically

Avid Xpress DV automatically saves changes to your work on a
regular basis during each session. Two things happen when an autosave occurs:
Any open bins are updated with changes made since the last autosave.
Copies of these bins are placed in the

drive:\Avid\Avid Xpress DV\Attic folder as backup.
To adjust the frequency of automatic saves:

1. Click the Settings button in the Project window.
The Settings scroll list appears.
2. Double-click Bin.
70
The Bin Settings dialog box appears.
3. Type a number in the minutes text box for the auto-save interval
option.
4. Click OK.
Saving Bins Manually

For added security, you can save a bin manually. You might want to do
this immediately after performing an important edit. There are three
ways to save bins manually:
To save a specific bin:

a. Click the bin to activate it.
b. Choose Save Bin from the File menu.
To save selected bins:

a. Activate the Project window by choosing Project from the
Tools menu or by clicking anywhere in the window.
b. Click a Bin icon to select it. Ctrl+click any additional bins.
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c. Choose Save All from the File menu.

The system saves all the selected bins.
The Save Bin command appears dimmed if there have been no changes since
the last time the active bin was saved.
To save all the bins:

a. Click in the Project window to activate it but do not select any
individual bins listed in the Bins list.
b. Choose Save All from the File menu.
The system saves all the bins for the project.
Retrieving Bin Files from the Attic Folder

You retrieve files from the Attic folder in the following circumstances:
When you want to replace current changes to a sequence or clip

with a previous version
When the current bin file becomes corrupted
The Attic folder contains a folder for each project. When a bin is saved,
a copy of the bin file is stored in the project folder in the Attic folder.
The system adds the file name extension .bak plus a version number to
the bin name. The bin file with the highest version number represents
the latest copy of the bin file.
When you view a project folder in Details view, you can also identify
the most recent backup file based on the name and timestamp of
creation displayed in the Date Modified column.
To retrieve a file from the Attic folder:
1. Minimize the Avid Xpress DV application.
2. From the desktop, double-click the
drive:\Avid\Avid Xpress DV\Attic folder.
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The Attic folder opens and displays project folders that contain the
backup files.
3. Double-click the project folder that contains the files you want to
retrieve.
4. Choose Details from the View menu, if the project folder is not
already in the Details view.
The project folder displays the file names and their creation dates.
5. Ctrl+click the files you want to retrieve.
6. Drag the selected backup bin files to the desktop.
This makes a copy of the files, leaving the original files in the Attic
folder.
7. Double-click the Avid Xpress DV button in the taskbar to activate
it.
8. Click the Project window to activate it, and click Bins to display
the Bins list.
9. Choose Open Bin from the File menu. Select one of the backup bin
files you copied to the desktop and click Open.
When you open the backup bin, a link to the backup bin on the
desktop is created in the Other Bins folder.
The Avid Xpress DV system does not allow a bin and a copy of a bin to be
opened at the same time, so you must keep all other bins closed and open the
backup bins one at a time. You might also need to change the creation date to
avoid conflicts. For more information, see Modifying the Creation Date
on page 74.
10. Create a new bin if you do not plan to overwrite existing files.
11. Open the new bin, and open the backup bin in the Other Bins
folder.
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12. Select the material you want to keep from the backup bin, and
drag the files to the new bin.
Repeat steps 9 through 12 for any other backup bins you copied to
your desktop.
13. Select and delete the backup bins in the Other Bins folder.
14. Drag the backup bin files to the Recycle Bin on the desktop.
Once you have moved the objects, modify their creation dates so they
are considered newest by the system. The creation date is modified
whenever you make a change to an object and then save the bin.
Modifying the Creation Date

After you have moved backup bins from the Attic folder, you must
modify the creation date for these backup items so they are considered
the newest items by the system. This prevents them from being
overwritten by a newer item.
To modify the creation date:
1. Click the F button at the lower left corner of the Bin window to put
the bin in Frame view.
2. Choose Select All from the Edit menu.
3. Click the Step Forward button or press the Step Forward key to
advance the pictures displayed by one frame; click the Step
Backward button or press the Step Backward key to move back
again. This modifies the timestamp on these clips to the present
time and date.
4. Close the backup copies of the bins.
5. Quit the Avid Xpress DV application.
6. Drag the backup copies of the bins to the Recycle Bin.
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Using the Settings Scroll List

From the Settings scroll list of the Project window, you can view, select,
open, and alter various User, Project, and Site settings, as described in
this section.
To view the Settings scroll list, click the Settings button in the Project
window.
Settings button
About Settings
Three types of settings appear in the Settings scroll list, as indicated in
the second column of information: User, Project, and Site settings.
User settings are specific to a particular editor. In general, User

settings reflect individual preferences for adjusting the user
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interface in the system. Individual User settings are stored in each

user folder within the \Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress
DV\Avid Users folder on the internal hard drive.
Project settings are directly related to individual projects. When

you change a Project setting, it affects all editors working on the
project. Specific Project settings are stored in each project folder
within the \Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress DV\Avid Projects
folder on the internal hard drive.
Site settings establish default parameters for all new users and
projects on a particular system. They can apply to particular
configurations of equipment installed at the site; for example,
specification and node settings for an external switcher. They can
also include other User or Project settings that you copy into the
Site Settings window. Site settings are stored in a separate Settings
folder within the \Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress DV folder on
the internal hard drive.
Defining Settings
You can use the Settings scroll list to establish a hierarchy of settings
that address the specific needs of each production phase. For example,
you can establish:
User settings that facilitate logging, recording, and organizing

projects, and editing interface preferences
Project settings that reflect the specific needs of the project
Bin View settings that display useful columns of information for

each bin
By establishing these settings once, and selecting the appropriate

setting or bin view in context, you can save time and effort that would
be spent searching for information or adjusting bin headings on-thefly. You can also save these settings along with your template for use
on similar projects, as described in Managing Folders and Bins on
page 69.
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Reviewing Basic Settings

The following list describes basic system settings to review at the start
of your project:
Bin settings
General settings
Interface settings
To view them, double-click each setting in the Settings scroll list of the
Project window.
Bin Settings
Bin settings define general system functions related to bins, including:
Parameters of the Auto-save function
Maximum number of bin backup files stored in the Attic

folder
Table 3-1 describes the Automatic Save and Backup options listed in
the Bin Settings dialog box.
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Table 3-1
Automatic Save and Backup Options
Option
Description
Auto-save interval
Specifies the length of time between attempts to

auto-save project files. The default is 15 minutes.
To avoid interrupting an edit, the Avid Xpress DV
system waits until the system is inactive before autosaving. Use the option Force auto-save at to
specify an interval at which the system will interrupt
an edit to make the auto-save.
Inactivity period
Specifies the length of time the Avid Xpress DV

system waits when the system is inactive before
automatically saving the project files. The default is
0 seconds.
Force auto-save at
Specifies the maximum length of time between autosaves. When the system reaches this time, it will
auto-save the project files even if it must interrupt
an edit to do so. The default is 30 minutes.
Maximum files in
attic
Specifies the total number of files stored in the Attic

folder. When a bin is saved, the Avid Xpress DV
system copies the previous version of the bin to a
special folder called the Attic. The default is 30 files.
Keep more files if there are many editors working on
the system. This ensures that all the bins are backed
up.
When there are multiple editors working on one
system, store bin settings as Site or Project settings.
This will ensure that another user does not override
your settings and delete your backups.
Max Versions of any

one bin
Specifies the total number of single-bin copies stored

in the Attic folder. This setting prevents filling the
Attic with too many copies of one bin, at the risk of
losing the others. The default is five copies.
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General Settings
General settings define fundamental system defaults.
Table 3-2 describes the General Settings options.
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Table 3-2
General Settings Options
Option
Description
Temporary Files Directory
When you use the Drag and Drop Export or an export that creates
an intermediate movie file, Avid Xpress DV must store the
intermediate file, which can be as large as the final export. By
default, the Temporary Files Directory is located in the same
directory as the Avid Xpress DV product.
To improve efficiency or to avoid DISK_FULL errors when
exporting, you can type in a different directory for these temporary
files. The ideal setting for this field is to type in a directory on the
drive to which you will be exporting, or simply one with plenty of
free space.
Default Starting Timecode
This option specifies the timecode value you want the system to use
as the default starting timecode for each new sequence.
Audio File Format
Choose the file format for the audio:
(OMF) WAVE: Compatible with Windows applications
(OMF) AIFF-C: Compatible with many third-party

applications, including Pro Tools
Choose the AIFF-C format for all audio media when you need to
transfer audio media files directly to a Pro Tools or AudioVision
system for audio sweetening.
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Interface Settings
Interface settings determine the level of basic information displayed in
the interface.
Table 3-3 describes the User Interface Settings options.
Table 3-3
User Interface Settings Options
Option
Desciption
Show Labels in Tool palette
When this option is selected, the system displays text

labels with the icons in Tool palettes. To tear off the
Tool palette, click anywhere on the palette, press and
hold the mouse button, and drag the palette to the
location you want.
Show ToolTips
When this option is selected, the system displays

labels for buttons and icons when you position the
pointer over them.You can also turn ToolTips on and
off from the Help menu.
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Table 3-3
User Interface Settings Options (Continued)
Option
Desciption
Delay n seconds before showing
If you select Show ToolTips, you can delay the label

display by entering a value in this text box. A delay
enables you to move the pointer across the interface
without displaying the labels on items between the
starting point and the destination of the pointer.
Windows Standard Alt Key Behavior This option switches between standard Windows Alt
key behavior and Avid system Alt key behavior.
When you select this option, pressing and holding
the Alt key together with another key works as a
keyboard shortcut for certain Windows actions (for
example, opening menus).
When you deselect this option, pressing and
releasing the Alt key and then pressing another key
works as the Windows keyboard shortcut, while
pressing and holding the Alt key together with
another key works as a keyboard shortcut for certain
Avid functions. This is the default option.
For more information on Windows shortcuts, see
your Windows documentation.
For more information on Avid shortcuts, see the
Avid Xpress DV Quick Reference, or choose Shortcuts
from the Help menu.
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Displaying Project Settings

You can display the Settings scroll list of the Project window in
different groups, depending on what you need to view. Table 3-4
describes the different Settings menu options.
Table 3-4
Settings Menu Options
Option
Description
All Settings
Displays all settings available in the

Avid Xpress DV system
Base Settings
Displays Project, User, and Site settings only; no

views are displayed
Title Styles
Displays all the templates you created for the Title

tool
Video Tool Settings
Displays Video Tool settings
Import Settings
Displays all the Import settings
Export Settings
Displays all the Export settings
To change the Settings scroll list display of the Project window:

2. Choose a settings display group from the Fast menu or from the
Settings menu.
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Settings
menu
Fast menu
The Settings menu displays the settings group selected and the
Settings scroll list displays only the settings in that group.
Table 3-5 briefly describes each item in the Settings scroll list. The
table also lists where you can find additional information on a
particular item and indicates whether the item has an associated
dialog box (or window) that you can access from the Settings scroll
list.
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Table 3-5
Setting
Name
Settings Scroll List
Description
For More
Information
Access to
Dialog Box?
Audio
Sets the default audio pan; contains

audio scrub options and audio setup
parameters
See Adjusting Audio Yes

Project Settings on
page 165.
Audio Project
Sets parameters for audio setup
See Preparing for

Audio Input on
page 163.
Yes
AvidNet
Sets preferences for using the

AvidNet Transfer Tool to transfer
files across a network
See the Avid Products

Collaboration Guide.
Yes
Bin
Sets the Auto-save preferences for bins See Bin Settings on Yes
page 77.
Deck Configuration Configures channels and decks into

the system
See Configuring
Decks on page 139.
Yes
Deck Preferences
Sets preferences that affect all decks

configured into the system
See Setting Deck

Preferences on
page 147.
Yes
Desktop Video
Enables digital camera video input;

enables support of cameras with video
input; sets the mode and source for
desktop video; sets parameters for
desktop video display; enables Client
monitor
See Playing Video to Yes

the Client Monitor
on page 306 and
Adjusting Desktop
Video Settings on
page 309.
Record
Defines how the Avid Xpress DV

system records and batch records in
specific situations
See Description of
Record Settings on
page 161.
Yes
Export
Sets parameters for file export
See Table 18-1 on

page 505.
Yes
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Table 3-5
Setting
Name
Settings Scroll List (Continued)
Description
For More
Information
Access to
Dialog Box?
General
Defines default values such as the

default starting timecode and the
audio file format for your project
See General
Settings on page 79.
Yes
Import
Sets parameters for file import
See Table 8-1 on

page 205.
Yes
Interface
Defines the appearance and function

of certain interface elements
See Table 3-3 on

page 81.
Yes
Keyboard
Displays the default keys on the

keyboard
See Using the

Keyboard on
page 304.
Yes
Render
Controls the size of imported graphics See the Avid Xpress DV Yes
and rendered effects to ensure that the Effects Guide.
graphic or effect will be playable
Timeline
Contains the latest Timeline settings
See Description of
Yes
Timeline Settings on
page 344.
Trim
Customizes the Trim mode

environment
See Customizing
Trim Mode on
page 371.
Yes
Workspace
Enables you to associate settings and

windows with a workspace
See Linking User

Settings and
Workspaces on
page 99.
Yes
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Working with Settings

You can view and modify most of your current settings by
double-clicking them in the Settings scroll list of the Project window
and by selecting new options. You can duplicate, rename, copy, and
move settings among files or systems.
Selecting Another User

Because User settings are not project or site specific, you can choose to
display another set of User settings within the Project window.
To select another user:
2. Click and hold the user name to display the User pop-up menu.
3. Select another name from the list.
Modifying Settings
The two types of settings you cannot modify are:
Settings that require the presence of standalone peripherals
Settings that can be modified only from within the tools in which
they are used, such as Bin and Timeline views
To modify available settings:

2. Double-click the name of a setting.
The applicable Settings dialog box appears.
3. Type new values or select new options for the settings.
4. Click the OK, Save, Cancel, Apply, or Close button.
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Working with Multiple Settings

You can have multiple versions of settings in your Settings scroll list in
the Project window that apply to several users at various stages of
production.
For example, you can have:
Two Bin settings: one that automatically saves more often when
you are editing intensively, and one that automatically saves less
often when you are doing organizational work in the bins
Multiple Record settings for recording various types of source

material
Multiple Deck Preferences settings for various types of recording

or for output
Duplicating Settings
To create a new version of a setting:
2. Click the setting you want to copy. Ctrl+click any additional
settings you want to copy.
3. Choose Duplicate from the Edit menu.
A copy of each setting appears in the window. Duplicate settings
with custom settings names followed by a period and a version
number in the second column appear with each custom setting
name. Name your settings to indicate their functions.
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Naming Settings
You can give settings custom names to differentiate among copies or to
indicate a specific use.
To rename settings:
2. Click the Custom setting name column in the Settings scroll list
(the column to the right of the settings name).
Custom setting
name column
3. Type a new name and press Enter.
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Selecting Among Multiple Settings

With multiple settings, only one setting at a time is active. Settings that
are currently active have a check mark to the left of the setting name.
To change the active setting:
2. Click in the space to the left of the setting you want to select as the
active setting.
A check mark indicates that the setting is active.
Deleting Settings
You can delete settings from the Settings scroll list in the Project
window at any time. For example, you might choose to delete one or
more versions of a particular setting, or you might want to delete all
but a few settings to transfer to another Settings window.
To delete a setting:
2. Click a setting to highlight it. Ctrl+click each additional setting
you want to delete.
3. Press the Delete key, or choose Delete from the Edit menu.
The selected settings are immediately removed.
You cannot undo the deletion. You can, however, transfer settings
from other files.
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Copying Settings Between Settings Files

To copy settings between files:
1. With the Settings scroll list active, open the target settings file in
one of two ways:
Create and open a new settings file by choosing New Settings

File from the File menu.
Open an existing settings file by choosing Open Settings File

from the File menu.
2. Locate and select the settings file you want in the Avid Projects or
Avid Users folder, and click Open.
3. Click the setting you want to copy in the Settings scroll list of the
Project window. Ctrl+click any additional settings that you want
to copy.
4. Drag the highlighted settings to the open Settings window.
5. Do one of the following:
Click Add to add the new settings to the project without

affecting the projects current settings.
Click Replace to replace the current version of each setting

with the new settings. Additional versions of each setting are
not affected.
The copied settings are saved when you close or save the file or
project.
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Moving Settings Between Systems

You can move selected settings between existing settings files or into a
new settings file:
To use in other projects
To transfer to other Avid Xpress DV systems
To change one type of setting to another
You can also move selected settings into the Site Settings folder to
establish standard system settings for all new projects and users.
Using Site Settings

When the system opens a new project, it first searches the Site Settings
folder and loads any settings placed there. The system then proceeds
to load any Project and User settings not included in the Site Settings
folder. This feature is useful if you need to establish global settings for
all new users and projects, such as deck configuration settings.
To load settings into the Site Settings folder:
1. Open a project with the settings you would like to establish as Site
settings. If a project does not already exist with the settings you
want, create one and make adjustments to the default settings as
needed.
2. Choose New Setting File from from the File menu.
An Untitled window opens.
3. Click a setting in the Settings scroll list, or Ctrl+click multiple
settings and drag them into the Untitled window.
Copies appear in the Untitled window.
4. Close the Untitled window.
5. Click Save.
The Save As dialog box appears.
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6. In the Save As dialog box, name the settings file Site_Settings.avs.

7. Navigate to the Settings folder in the Avid Xpress DV folder.
8. Click Save.
9. When you are prompted to replace the existing Site_Settings.avs
file, click Yes.
All new users and projects opened from the Open Project dialog box
use these settings as the default settings.
Using the Info Display

The Info display in the Project window allows you to view basic
project information, such as the video format, in a view called Profile
(the default view). It also allows you to see information about system
memory and hardware.
Use the Fast menu to select the information you want displayed.
Displaying Project Info

To open the Info display, click the Info button in the Project window.
Basic project information is displayed.
The items listed in this view are for information only and cannot be
changed.
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Viewing Memory
To view system memory for an open project:
1. Click the Info button in the Project window.
2. Choose Memory from the Fast menu to open the Memory
window.
The Memory window displays the following information:
Objects: The total number of memory handles currently used by

Avid Xpress DV. Objects include memory requirements of the
application, such as windows, as well as clips, sequences, and
other items associated with a project.
Total physical memory: The total number of bytes of RAM

(random-access memory).
Available physical memory: The amount of RAM available for

allocation by Windows NT.
Total page file: The total number of bytes that can be stored in the
paging file. The paging file is used as virtual memory by
Windows NT.
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Available page file: The total number of bytes available in the

paging files.
Working set (minimum and maximum): The set of memory pages

currently available to the application in RAM.
You can view additional memory information through the

Window NT tools Task Manager and Performance Monitor. You can
view information about system activities, such as driver messages,
through the Windows NT Event Viewer. For information on these
tools, see the Windows NT Help.
You can improve performance on large projects by reducing the number of

objects. Close unused bins, unmount unneeded media drives, consolidate
finished elements, and eliminate old material from the project. Then quit and
restart the Avid Xpress DV application. If performance is still slow, restart
your system.
Accessing the Hardware Tool

The Hardware tool gives a visual representation of usage for each
drive and provides operating system information.
For additional
information on the
Hardware tool, see
Using the Hardware
Tool on page 107.
To view hardware for an open project:

1. Click the Info button in the Project window.
2. Choose Hardware from the Fast menu to open the Hardware tool.
Customizing Your Workspace

A workspace is the arrangement and size of tool windows displayed
on your Avid Xpress DV system. If you are accustomed to working
with a particular group of windows arranged and sized in a particular
setup, you can assign them to a workspace setting that you can then
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recall with a workspace button. For example, during recording you

might want to display the Record tool in specific locations. During
effects editing, you might want to display the Effect Palette and Effect
Editor in a particular location and size. To switch between workspaces,
see Switching Between Workspaces on page 101.
While in a workspace, you can move tool windows or open and close
tool windows. The next time you select that workspace, the tool
windows appear with either:
The arrangement from the last time you left the workspace
The arrangement you set for the workspace, regardless of any

changes you made
You cannot assign certain tool windows to a workspace, such as the Hardware
tool, Serial (COM) Ports tool, and Media tool.
You can select your preference in the Workspace Settings dialog box.
For more information, see Creating a New Workspace Setting on
page 96.
Creating a New Workspace Setting

To create a new workspace setting:
2. Scroll to the bottom of the Settings scroll list and click Workspace.
Workspace is highlighted.
A new Workspace setting appears in the Settings scroll list.
If you are duplicating a previously named workspace setting, a .1 appears at

the end of the new name.
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4. Click to the left of the new workspace you want to set.

A check mark appears next to the workspace.
5. Assign a custom name to the new workspace:
a. In the column between Workspace and User, click until you
see a text cursor and box. Make sure you click the Custom
setting name column and not the Setting name.
New workspace
Custom setting
name column
b. Type a name for the new custom workspace, for example,

recording.
c. Press Enter.
6. Open the windows and tools with which you want to associate the
workspace. Resize and move the windows to the location you
want them to appear on the monitors.
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7. Double-click the custom workspace setting.

The Workspace Settings dialog box appears.
8. Select or deselect the following options, depending on your

preference for the behavior of the workspace:
Activate Settings Linked By Name: This setting allows you to

link other settings to the workspace. See Linking User
Settings and Workspaces on page 99.
Continually Update This Workspace: This setting

automatically preserves the workspace in its most recent
arrangement. Future changes to the arrangement of the tool
windows are saved.
Manually Update This Workspace: This setting saves the

workspace in its current arrangement when you click Save
Workspace Now (which appears only after you select
Manually Update This Workspace). Future changes to the
arrangement of the tool windows are disregarded.
9. Click OK.
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Linking User Settings and Workspaces

User settings can be linked to a workspace. You can create a
customized workspace and set up specific options in any Settings
dialog box, and link them together by name.
For example, you can create an Audio workspace that opens the
Audio Mix tool and Audio tool. This workspace can also open a
customized Timeline (with enlarged audio tracks and rubberbanding
displays). Then, you can link this workspace to a Settings dialog box
with customized options selected. You do this by creating a setting and
giving it the same name in the Project window as the name of the
workspace.
To link User settings and a workspace:
1. Create a new workspace setting. See Creating a New Workspace
Setting on page 96.
2. Give the workspace a custom name.
3. Click a setting from the Settings scroll list that you want to link to
the new workspace. For example, click Record. Adjust the Record
setting to what you want.
4. Give this Record setting the same name you gave the workspace in
step 2.
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Linked settings
5. Double-click another setting, for example, Interface. Select the

new options, for example, Show ToolTips, and click OK.
6. Give this setting the same name you gave the workspace in step 2.
7. Double-click the workspace you just created.
The Workspace Settings dialog box appears.
8. Click Activate Settings Linked By Name.
9. Click OK.
All the settings and the new workspace you created are activated.
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Switching Between Workspaces

To switch from one workspace to another:
2. Click to the left of the workspace setting you want to use.
A check mark appears next to the workspace.
Deleting a Workspace
To delete a workspace:
1. Select the workspace you want to delete from the Settings scroll
list of the Project window.
The workspace is highlighted.
The selected workspace is removed from the Settings scroll list.
Make sure a check mark does not appear next to the workspace you want to
delete. You cannot delete the active workspace.
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CHAPTER 4
Using Basic Tools
The Tools menu on the Avid Xpress DV menu bar provides quick
access to a collection of essential tools for use in your projects. This
chapter provides information about several basic tools that you can
use at any time during your project.
Using the Tools Menu
Using the Avid Calculator
Using the Console
Using the Hardware Tool
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Using the Tools Menu

You can open any of the most frequently used system tools from the
Tools menu.
To open a tool, choose its name from the Tools menu.
Using the Avid Calculator

The Avid Calculator helps you calculate video and film durations, and
convert timecode and film key numbers to different formats. For
example, you can:
Convert timecode durations between 30-frames-per-second (fps)

and 25-fps projects
103
Convert a duration in video to the corresponding length in footage

and frames for measuring 35mm film
Convert durations to total frame count
To use the Avid Calculator:

1. Choose Calculator from the Tools menu.
The Avid Calculator window opens.
Format pop-up
menu
2. Choose a format from the Format pop-up menu.

3. Make calculations in the one of the following ways:
Use the top row of numbers on the keyboard to enter numbers

and functions in the Avid Calculator.
Press the Caps Lock key, and then enter numbers and
functions with the numeric keypad.
Use the numbers on the Calculator.
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You do not need to enter leading zeros, colons, or semicolons for

timecode.
4. To convert your totals at any time to another format, choose a
different frame code or key number format from the pop-up
menu.
Using the Console

The Console window provides a number of features, including:
Current system information, including your system ID number
A log of error messages
Detailed information about sequences in the Timeline or about

objects in a bin
Information after you record or import
Do not use the programming features of the Console without

guidance from Avid professionals. Contact your Avid Reseller with
specific questions. (In North America, you can contact Avid
Customer Support.)
Displaying System Information

To display current system information:
1. Choose Console from the Tools menu.
The Console window opens.
105
2. Scroll to the top of the Console window to view your system

information and ID.
This feature is especially useful for finding the system ID when you
need to contact your Avid Reseller or Avid Customer Support.
Reviewing a Log of Errors

To review errors logged to the Console:
1. When an error occurs and a message box appears, close the
message box and choose Console from the Tools menu.
2. Scroll through the Console window to find a log of the error to use
when you need to contact your Avid Reseller or Avid Customer
Support.
Getting Information with the Console

This function provides quick access to bin information such as total
duration of selected clips or total items in a bin, including hidden
items. You can also use this procedure to display information about a
shot, segment, or sequence in the Timeline.
To get information with the Console window:
1. Choose Console from the Tools menu.
The Console window opens.
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2. Select the item about which you want information:
In the Timeline, place the position indicator in the chosen clip

or segment.
In the bin, select an object or multiple objects.
3. Choose Get Bin Info or Get Position Info from the File menu.
Information about the clip appears in the Console window.
Using the Hardware Tool

The Hardware tool provides the following information about the
systems hardware configuration:
The Drives tab lists each online drive. The shaded portion of the
bar next to each drive shows the total size of the drive and the
amount of storage space currently filled.
The System tab lists the operating system, its version and build,
and the physical memory.
To check the hardware configuration of your Avid Xpress DV system,

do one of the following:
Choose Hardware from the Tools menu.
Click the Info button in the Project window, and choose Hardware
from the Fast menu.
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The Hardware tool opens.
Each online drive is listed on the left side of the tool. The name of
each drive and its total size are listed below each Drive icon. The
shaded portion of the bar graph to the right of each drive shows
the amount of storage space currently filled. The number in the
bar graph indicates the amount of available drive storage space for
each drive.
The name of the operating system, version number, service pack,

and build number appear on the System tab. The total physical
memory is also listed in the same location.
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CHAPTER 5
Logging
When you log with a deck or import shot log files, you provide the
Avid Xpress DV system with frame-accurate clip information used to
record the source footage. The logs you create form the foundation for
organizing, tracking, storing, retrieving, and generating lists of edit
information throughout your project. Techniques for preparing log
information prior to recording are covered in the following sections:
Logging Tips
Preparing Logs for Import
Importing Shot Log Files
Converting Log Files with Avid Log Exchange
Logging Directly to a Bin
Exporting Shot Log Files
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Logging Tips
Observe the following important guidelines for preroll, timecode
formats, and naming of tapes when logging prior to recording.
Logging Preroll
Be sure to leave adequate preroll with continuous timecode prior to IN
points when logging your tapes. The recommended minimum preroll
is 2 or 3 seconds for Betacam playback, and 5 seconds for 3/4-inch Umatic playback.
Use Deck Settings (click Add Deck in the Deck Configuration dialog box) to
set the default preroll for tape playback.
Preroll setting
110
Logging Timecode
Within an NTSC project, check the timecode format of each tape (dropframe versus non-drop-frame timecode) when you are logging
without a tape in the deck. Log drop-frame timecode by using
semicolons (;) between the hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. Log
non-drop-frame timecode with colons (:).
Naming Tapes
When you type tape names in the Record tool, consider the following:
It is important that you devise a naming scheme for your tapes.

For example, tapes with similar names can be easily sorted and
viewed together in a bin. However, it may be difficult to
distinguish among tapes with similar names when you try to
locate a specific tape quickly. Name tapes based upon the amount
and complexity of your source material.
Tape names must be alphanumeric characters (AZ, 09), with no

spaces before the name. They can include uppercase and
lowercase letters. The maximum length of a name is 32 characters.
It is possible to have a single tape listed as several different tapes if

you alter the case of the letters. This can cause significant
problems in keeping track of clips. Choose a case convention and
maintain it throughout a project.
If you are planning to generate an edit decision list (EDL) for

import into an edit controller for online editing, double-check the
controllers specifications beforehand. Some edit controllers will
truncate source tape names to as few as six characters, while
others will eliminate characters and truncate to three numbers.
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Double-Checking the Logs

When importing shot logs for video, the Avid Xpress DV system
compares the video duration to the video out minus the video in.
If the system detects a discrepancy, it reports the error and does not
bring the clip into the bin. The best way to ensure that clips are not
discarded on import is to double-check the logs for discrepancies in
duration and marks.
Adding a Memory Mark

You can add a memory mark to a particular location on a tape. The
Mark Memory button in the Record tool allows you to add one mark
per tape. The Go to Memory button allows you to move through the
tape to the marked location. You can clear the memory mark by using
the Clear Memory button.
The memory mark is not stored on the tape. When you remove the
tape from the deck, the mark is cleared.
Go to Memory button
Clear Memory button
Mark Memory button
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Preparing Logs for Import

Avid Xpress DV provides many useful tools to help you prepare
frame-accurate log information for import to the bin from any number
of sources. This process may involve one or more of the following
methods:
For Avid Log Exchange
information, see
Appendix C.
To log the material on any personal computer, use the Avid

MediaLog application, and transfer the bins directly into
Avid Xpress DV with minimum effort.
Use a word processor or standard text editor to create and import

logs, including those using the Avid Log Exchange (ALE) format.
Transferring Bins from MediaLog

For information on
specific MediaLog
procedures, see the Avid
MediaLog Users Guide
for Macintosh or the Avid
MediaLog Users Guide
for Windows NT.
n
n
MediaLog is a standalone application that speeds the process of

creating and importing log information from a Macintosh or
Windows NT computer. MediaLog mirrors the Avid Xpress DV
interface for creating projects, bins, and clip information in the bin and
includes serial deck control for logging directly from tape.
MediaLog for Windows NT is included with your Avid Xpress DV system. If
you would like to purchase MediaLog for Macintosh, contact your Avid
Reseller for more information.
The bins you have imported contain master clips only with no associated
media files. Before you can view or manipulate these clips, you must create the
associated media files by batch recording the source material. For information
about batch recording, see Batch Recording from Logged Clips on
page 192.
113
To transfer bins from MediaLog:

1. Save the MediaLog bins to a floppy disk.
If you are transferring bins from a MediaLog for Macintosh, make sure the
disk is DOS-formatted or that your Windows NT system can mount
Macintosh disks using a third-party utility.
If your MediaLog folders are available through a server or other
networked source mounted on your desktop, locate the MediaLog
folder there instead.
2. Quit the Avid Xpress DV application.
3. In the Windows NT Explorer, open the project folder where you
want to store the MediaLog bins. This folder is usually located on
the internal hard drive in the Program Files\ Avid\
Avid Xpress DV \Avid Projects folder.
4. Insert the floppy disk from MediaLog into the Avid Xpress DV
systems floppy drive.
5. Double-click the Floppy Drive icon.
6. Ctrl+click to select the bins in the Directory window, and drag
them to the project folder.
7. Restart the application and open your project.
8. Associate the imported bins with your project by doing the
following:
a. Choose Open Bin from the File menu.
b. Locate the new bin by using the Open Bin dialog box.
c. Double-click the bin to open it within your project.
The new bin appears in the Bins list of the Project window.
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Creating Avid Logs

You can prepare an Avid log on any type of Macintosh or IBM
compatible computer by using a word processing application or a text
editor. To ensure accuracy, you must follow the Avid log specifications.
You can use any text editor to create Avid logs. However, you must
save the file as a text document (ASCII format).
Your Windows NT system ships with a text editor called WordPad.
WordPad can handle large files and it allows you to save the files as
text documents. To start WordPad, click the Start button, and then
point to Programs. Point to the Accessories folder, and then click
WordPad. To create Avid logs by using a word processor:
1. Enter shot log information according to the specifications.
For Avid log

specification
information, see
Appendix C.
2. Save your file as a text file in the Save As dialog box.
The Avid Xpress DV system accepts only text files (ASCII format).
When you are logging manually, document the following information:
Identify the source tape for each shot.
Document each clips name, start timecode, and end timecode.
This is the minimum information required to record successfully. You

can also add other information such as comments or auxiliary
timecodes. You can make a separate log file for each videotape, or you
can log clips from several different videotapes into one log.
Importing Shot Log Files

You can import any log created or converted to meet Avid log
specifications. You can also combine or merge events while importing
a log so that fewer master tapes require recording.
115
The system imports any additional information logged with each clip.
To save this display after importing the log, save the bin.
To import shot log files into a bin:
1. Open a bin, click anywhere in an open bin to select it, or create a
new bin for the shot log import.
2. Choose Import from the File menu.
The Import File(s) into Bin dialog box appears.
Up One Level pop-up menu
Files of Type
pop-up menu
Options button
3. Choose Shot Log from the Files of Type pop-up menu.

By default, the system displays file types that belong to the chosen
category only.
116
4. Choose the option All Files to display all files in a chosen folder,
regardless of file type. Use this option if you want to batch import
multiple file types.
When batch importing multiple files and file types, you should establish
global Import settings in advance. See Creating and Using Import
5. Click the Options button to open the Import Settings dialog box if
you want to select options for combining events on import from
the Import settings.
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6. After selecting the appropriate options, click OK to close the

Import Settings dialog box and return to the Import File(s) Into Bin
dialog box.
7. Use the Up One Level pop-up menu to locate the folder containing
the source file.
8. Select the file.
9. Click Open.
When the system finishes importing the file, the clips appear in the
selected bin.
Converting Log Files with Avid Log Exchange

You can use the Avid Log Exchange (ALE) utility included with your
system to quickly convert shot log files created by other sources. You
can then import the files directly into bins, as described in Importing
Shot Log Files on page 115.
The ALE utility allows you to:
Modify the text in a log file.
Convert log files to the ALE file.
Convert an ALE file to either an ATN or FLX file.
Any options you set in the ALE utility are saved each time you exit the
ALE utility.
When you are converting an ATN file that contains multiple sections
to an ALE file, multiple ALE files are created. The Avid Log Exchange
window displays only the first ALE file created. The succeeding ALE
files are given the same file name with incremental numbering. For
example, the file Nations1.atn is converted to Nations1.ale,
Nations1_2.ale, Nations1_3.ale, and so on. The converted output files
are stored in the folder containing the original input file.
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To convert a log file to an ALE file:

1. Click the Start button, and then point to Programs.
2. Point to Avid, point to Utilities, and then click Avid Log Exchange.
The Avid Log Exchange window opens.
3. Choose Open from the File menu.

The Open dialog box appears.
4. Double-click the file you want to convert.
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5. Depending on the type of file you are opening, one of the

following occurs:
If the file type is recognized by the ALE utility, the file appears
in the Avid Log Exchange window.
If the file does not contain the Windows NT line-ending

format, then the Line Endings dialog box appears.
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Do one of the following:

-
Click Display & Save to open the file in the Avid Log
Exchange window and change the file to the Windows NT
format.
Click Display Only to open the file in the Avid Log Exchange
window but not save the file.
Click Ignore to display the file as is without changes.

The file appears in the Avid Log Exchange window.
For specific information

on the various file types
shown here, see
Appendix C.
If the file type is not recognized, the Choose File Type dialog
box appears.
a. Select the type of file you are converting.

b. Click OK.
The file appears in the Avid Log Exchange window.
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6. Use the Options menu to select the tracks to include in the Tracks
column of the log. The default track selections are Log V, Log A1,
and Log A2.
After you import the log into an Avid bin, the system records all
tracks shown in this column when batch recording.
7. Choose Clean from the Options menu if you want Avid Log
Exchange to clean the ALE output file to eliminate overlapping
timecodes for clips. By default, Clean is selected.
When you choose Clean, the utility removes the end timecode
from any clip that overlaps the start of the next clip.
8. If you chose Clean, you can also choose Relaxed from the Options
menu to prevent deleting events that come earlier in the transfer.
Relaxed is not set by default.
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9. Choose ALE from the Convert menu.

The default output selection is the Avid Log Exchange (ALE)
format. This is the required format for import into an Avid bin.
The Avid Log Exchange window displays the converted ALE file.
The converted file has the same file name as the original file,
except the file name extension matches the converted file format.
10. (Option) Choose the original file from the Window menu if you
want to convert the file again, using different options.
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11. Choose Close from the File menu.

If you made changes in the editor, a message box appears.
12. Click Yes.

The converted file is stored in the same folder as the original log
file.
Using Drag-and-Drop Conversion

Use this shortcut to convert any type of file into an ALE file.
Before you use the drag-and-drop conversion, check the options in the ALE
utility. The current options are used when you perform the drag-and-drop
conversion.
To convert a log file by using drag-and-drop conversion:
1. Create a shortcut for the ALE utility.
2. Open the folder that contains the files you want to convert,
positioning the folder so the shortcut icon for the ALE utility is
visible.
3. Select the files you want to convert.
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4. Drag the selected files to the shortcut icon for the ALE utility, and
release the mouse button.
5. Depending on the type of files you are converting, one of the
following occurs:
If the file type is recognized by the ALE utility, a message box

appears, indicating the conversion was successful.
If the file type is not recognized, the Choose File Type dialog
box appears.
a. Select the type of the file you are converting.
125
b. Click OK.
A message box appears, indicating the conversion was
successful.
If the file type is an ALE file, the ALE Convert Type dialog box
appears.
c. Select a file type for the converted output file.

d. Click OK.
A message box appears, indicating the conversion was
successful.
6. Click OK to close the message box.
The converted files have the same file names as the original files,
except the file name extension matches the converted file format.
For example, the .ale extension is added to the new file names for
the Avid format. The converted files are stored in the folder
containing the original log files.
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Logging Directly to a Bin

You can log clips directly to a bin by using the Record tool in one of
two ways described in this section:
For complete
information on working
with bin columns and
clip information, see
Using Text View on
page 245.
Log directly to a bin with an Avid-controlled deck for

semiautomated data entry.
Log manually during or after viewing of footage offline with a

non-Avid-controlled deck or other source.
Logging with an Avid-Controlled Deck

When you log with a compatible video deck controlled from within
Avid Xpress DV, you can automate part of the logging process by
using buttons to enter frame-accurate timecode information from the
deck. This method is more accurate than manual entry because
timecodes are transferred directly from tape to the bin.
To log clips to a bin by using the Record tool:
1. Make sure the deck is properly connected, and turn on power to
the video deck.
2. Open the bin in which you want to store the clips.
3. Choose Record from the Tools menu.
127
The Record tool opens.

Record/Log Mode button
Mark IN button
Deck Selection
pop-up menu
4. Select a deck in the Record tool, and then load your tape into the
deck.
The Select Tape dialog box appears.
128
5. Use the options in the dialog box as follows:
Click Cancel to stop the process at any time.
Select the option Show other projects tapes to display the

tape names and associated project names for all bins that have
been opened in the current session.
Click Scan for tapes to scan the system and display tape
names and associated project names for all media files that are
currently online (in other words, volumes that are currently
mounted on the system).
6. Provide the system with a tape name in one of the following ways:
Select the name of the tape from the list in the Select Tape
dialog box and click OK.
Click New if the tape is not in the list. A new tape name line
appears in the dialog box. Type the new name and click OK.
The tape name is displayed in the Record tool.

A message that the system is waiting for you to mark an IN point
is displayed in the message bar. The Log button displays an IN
point.
7. Mark either an IN point or an OUT point for the clip you want to
log, using one of the following methods:
Mark IN
Use the deck controls in the Record tool to cue your source
tape to the start or end point, and click the Mark IN or Mark
OUT button.
Click the Mark IN button in the Record tool to enter the mark.
(The Log button replaces the Mark IN button in the Record
tool after you enter a Mark IN point.)
If the footage starts at a known IN point or ends at a known

OUT point, type the timecode in the text box next to the Mark
IN or Mark OUT button, click the Go To IN or Go To OUT
button to scan the tape forward to the mark, or press Enter to
enter it.
Mark OUT
Log button
Go To IN
Go To OUT
129
After you set the mark, the icon in the Log button changes to the
corresponding OUT or IN mark, and a pencil appears on the
button.
8. To finish logging the clip, do one of the following:
Mark the remaining IN or OUT point on-the-fly by using the

Mark IN and Mark OUT buttons.
Type a timecode for the clips IN, OUT, or duration in the

timecode text boxes next to the corresponding icon and press
Enter.
The system automatically calculates the appropriate timecode for

the remaining IN point, OUT point, or duration, and enters the
clip into the bin. The clip name, which is chosen and automatically
numbered by the system, is highlighted and ready to be changed.
You must enter at least two of the three timecode marks (IN point,
OUT point, or duration) to complete the log entry.
9. Type a new name for the clip before clicking any of the buttons in
the Record tool.
You should change the clip name immediately because it is very easy to forget
the contents of each clip among the dozens that you log. You can, if necessary,
accept the clip name and proceed with the logging process, and then change
the clip names in the bin later.
10. Repeat these steps until you have logged all your clips.
While viewing the footage, you can continuously update your marks
on-the-fly by clicking the Mark IN or Mark OUT button repeatedly
before entering the second mark.
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Logging with a Non-Avid-Controlled Deck

You can use the Record tool to log clips directly to a bin from a source
that is not Avid-controlled. For example, you can log clips from a deck
that is not connected to the system or from handwritten or printed log
information for a tape that was previously logged but is not currently
available.
When logging with the Record tool, you should leave the deck empty. If a tape
remains in the deck, the system determines drop-frame or non-dropframe from that tape, whether or not it matches your tapes timecode format.
To log with a non-Avid-controlled deck:
1. If there is a deck connected to the system, eject the tape from the
deck.
For NTSC projects, when you are logging within the Record tool, you should
leave the deck empty. If a tape remains in the deck, the system will determine
drop-frame or non-drop-frame from that tape, whether or not it matches your
tapes timecode format.
2. Double-click Deck Preferences in the Settings scroll list of the
Project window to open the Deck Preferences dialog box.
3. For NTSC projects, choose Non-Drop-Frame or Drop-Frame from
the When no tape in deck log as pop-up menu.
4. Click OK to close the dialog box.
5. Open the bin where you want to store the clips.
131

Mark IN button
Channel
Selection
buttons
Message
bar
Mark IN text
box
Timecode
display
Deck controls
Clear OUT
button
Deck Selection
pop-up menu
Mark OUT
text box
Source Tape display
Mark OUT button
Mark IN button
7. Click the Record/Log Mode button in the Record tool until the
LOG icon appears.
8. Click the Source Tape display button. A dialog box appears.
9. Click Yes to open the Select Tape dialog box.
10. Double-click the name of the tape in the dialog box, or click New
and enter the name of the tape. Click OK.
11. Select the tracks that you want to log, using the Channel Selection
buttons in the Record tool.
132
12. Type the start and end timecodes in the Mark IN and Mark OUT
text boxes.
13. Click the Log button.
The clip is logged to the bin.
Exporting Shot Log Files

You can export a shot log file from the Avid Xpress DV system in
either Tab Delimited or Avid Log Exchange formats for making
adjustments in a text editor or for importing to another system.
To export a shot log based on clip information in a bin:
1. Open the bin containing the clips you want to export and switch to
Text view.
2. Click a clip icon to select it. Ctrl+click each additional clip you
want to export.
3. Choose Export from the File menu.
The Pick Export Settings dialog box appears.
4. Choose the Export settings by doing one of the following:
If you have previously created an Export setting for exporting

shot log files, choose the setting from the Export pop-up
menu. Then go to step 9.
For information on creating Export settings, see Customizing
Export Settings on page 503.
133
If you want to review or edit Export settings, go to step 5.
5. Click Customize.
The Export Settings dialog box appears.
6. To select a file type, choose either Avid Log Exchange or Tab

Delimited as the file type.
7. Type a name in the Save Setting As text box at the top of the dialog
box to name the Export setting. The export setting name is added
to the list of formats available from the Export dialog box.
8. Click OK to close the Export Settings dialog box.
134
9. Click OK to close the Pick Export Settings dialog box.

The Export As dialog box appears with a default file name in the
File Name text box, based on the file type.
10. (Option) Change the file name but keep the default file name
extension.
11. Select the destination folder for the file, and click Save.
The file is exported and appears at the chosen destination.
135
CHAPTER 6
Preparing to Record
Recording is the process of creating digital media from videotape or
audio input. Before you begin recording process in Chapter 7, you
need to prepare for it as described in the following sections:
Understanding Digital Video (DV)
Selecting Settings
Setting Up the Record Tool
Preparing for Audio Input
Compression Resolutions and Storage Requirements
Prior to recording, see the Avid Xpress DV Getting Started Guide to

ensure you have properly connected your recording equipment such
as a camera or deck.
136
Understanding Digital Video (DV)

The initials DV in the product name Avid Xpress DV stand for digital
video. More specifically, they refer to digital video that is transferred
through equipment conforming to IEEE Standard 1394. This
equipment (cameras, decks, cables, connectors, and processing
boards) is sometimes referred to as FireWire or I-Link.
DV connections let you transfer digital data (both video and audio)
directly from a DV camera to a digital nonlinear editing system with
no conversion losses. DV technology simplifies the process of bringing
footage from your camera into your Avid Xpress DV system, and gives
you high-quality video at low lost.
What Is IEEE Standard 1394?

IEEE 1394 is an internationally standardized, low-cost digital interface
that integrates entertainment, communication, and computing
electronics into consumer multimedia. IEEE 1394 is a hardware and
software standard for transporting data at 100, 200, or 300 megabits
per second (Mb/s). Because its a digital interface, there is no need to
convert digital data into analog, resulting in a loss of data integrity.
What Is DV?
Digital Video (DV) is an international standard created by a
consortium of 10 companies to serve as a consumer digital video
format.
DV, originally known as DVC (Digital Video Cassette), uses a 1/4-inch
tape to record very high-quality digital video. The video is sampled at
the same rate as D-1, D-5, or Digital Betacam video (720 pixels per
scanline), although the color information is sampled at the D-1 rate
4:1:1 in 525-line (NTSC) and 4:2:0 in 625-line (PAL) formats.
137
Selecting Settings
A number of settings have a direct bearing on the recording process.
Before you record, review the following options:
General settings include options for NTSC tape formats and drive
filtering.
The Avid Xpress DV system will not prevent you from using nonAvid drives, but their reliability cannot be ensured.
The Audio File Format pop-up menu allows you to choose AIFF-C
or WAVE as the default audio media for the project. For more
information, see Choosing the Audio File Format on page 163.
Record settings include essential options for recording, batch

recording, autorecording, and recording to multiple media files.
138
Record to multiple files allows you to create longer clips

whose media files would otherwise exceed the
Avid Xpress DV systems file-size limitation of 2 gigabytes
(GB).
Record across timecode breaks causes the system to begin

recording a new master clip at each timecode break. Select this
option when you are performing unattended batch recording
or autorecording. Deselect this option if you plan to record the
entire tape as a single clip by recording to multiple media files.
For a complete description of the Record settings, see Table 63 on page 162.
Configuring Decks
Deck Configuration settings allow you to establish deck control
parameters for a single deck or for multiple decks. As with all settings,
you can create multiple versions, allowing you to select among them
for frequent changes in hardware configurations.
139
Deck Configuration settings and global deck control preferences

appear as separate items in the Settings scroll list in the Project
window.
Deck control settings
You must manually configure the appropriate hardware connections before

Deck Configuration settings can take effect. For more information, see the
setup documentation for your Avid Xpress DV system.
To configure a deck or multiple decks:
2. Double-click Deck Configuration.
The Deck Configuration dialog box appears.
140
3. If you are configuring your system for the first time, click the Add
Channel button to add a new channel box on the left side of the
Deck Configuration dialog box and automatically open a Channel
dialog box.
4. Choose one of the following items from the Channel Type pop-up
menu, depending on your system configuration:
Direct, if you are connecting a deck directly to the serial port
FireWire, if you are connecting a deck by means of a FireWire

connection
141
5. Choose the port to which you are connecting the deck from the
Port pop-up menu.
If you are not sure which port to choose, check the 9-pin serial port connectors
on the back of the system. If the ports are not labeled, see the hardware
documentation supplied with your system.
6. Click OK to close the Channel dialog box.
A dialog box appears with a question asking if you want to
automatically configure the channel now.
7. Click Yes if you want to automatically configure the channel.
A new channel appears in the display area of the Deck
Configuration dialog box, along with the autoconfigured deck.
Decks appear on the right side.
Channels
appear on the
left side.
You can reopen the Channel settings to change the options at any time by
double-clicking the channel box.
142
8. If you did not autoconfigure the deck, click the channel box to
select it.
9. Click Add Deck to open the Deck Settings dialog box.
n
n
With a deck already connected to the system, you can click the
Autoconfigure button to bypass the Deck Settings dialog box and
automatically configure a deck with the default settings.
Not all DV devices respond to the Auto-configure command. Due to this
limitation, Auto-configure will select only the generic devices. When a digital
camera is attached to your system, choose the proper device from the Deck
Type pop-up menu. When a deck with a transcoder is attached, choose the
applicable deck from the Deck Type pop-up menu.
.
10. Select settings based on your device. For information on Deck
settings, see Deck Settings Options on page 144.
11. Click OK to close the Deck Settings dialog box and return to the
Deck Configuration dialog box.
143
You can reopen the Deck Settings dialog box to change the options at any time
by double-clicking the deck box in the Deck Configuration dialog box.
12. Repeat steps 2 to 11 for each additional channel or deck you want
to configure.
13. (Option) Select the Verify configuration against actual decks
option if you want the system to check the deck configuration
against the devices physically connected to the system.
The system checks the deck configuration after you click Apply in
the Deck Configuration dialog box and when you start
Avid Xpress DV. A message warns you if the configuration does
not match the deck.
14. Type a name in the Configuration Name text box to name the deck
configuration. The new deck configuration will appear in the
Settings scroll list of the Project window.
15. Click Apply to complete the configurations and close the Deck
Configuration dialog box.
16. If necessary, double-click Deck Preferences in the Settings scroll
list of the Project window to adjust global deck control options.
For more information, see Table 6-2 on page 147.
Deck Settings Options

You can access the Deck Settings dialog box by doing one of the
following:
Click the Add Deck button in the Deck Configuration dialog box.
Choose Adjust Deck from the Deck Selection pop-up menu in the
deck controller section of the Record tool.
Double-click on the deck name in the Deck Settings dialog box.
Table 6-1 describes the Deck Settings options.
144
Table 6-1
Deck Settings Options
Option
Description
Name
Type your custom name for the tape deck. The default name matches the
deck type.
Description
Enter notes about the deck.
Deck Type
Choose your manufacturer and model from the menus.
Address
For VLXi use only (see your VLXi documentation). If you are using
direct serial port deck control, this option is unavailable.
Preroll
Specifies how many seconds the tape rolls before a record or digital cut
starts. The default is based on the type of videotape recorder (VTR).
Fast Cue
Speeds up long searches if your decks can read timecode in fast forward
or rewind mode. Otherwise, this option is not useful.
Switch to ff/rew
(seconds)
When this option is selected, the system switches

to fast forward or rewind if the target timecode is
beyond the specified number of seconds from your
current location on the tape.
By default, the deck switches to fast forward or
rewind to reach a target timecode that is more than
60 seconds away.
If your deck shuttles very quickly, you can increase
this number so that the system uses fast cue only
for long searches.
Switch to search
(seconds)
When this option is selected, the system switches

out of fast forward or rewind when it is within the
specified number of seconds of the target timecode.
By default, the system switches to search mode
when it is 60 seconds from the target timecode.
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Deleting Deck Configurations

To delete a deck configuration:
2. Double-click Deck Configuration.
Delete
button
3. Click the names of the currently configured channel and deck in

the display area. The entire display area should have a red border.
4. Click Delete.
5. Click Apply to complete the changes and close the dialog box.
146
Setting Deck Preferences

Deck preferences are global settings for basic deck control. These
settings apply to all decks connected to your system, regardless of
your deck configuration. You can open the Deck Preferences dialog
box from the Settings scroll list of the Project window.
Table 6-2 explains the Deck Preferences options.
Table 6-2
Deck Preferences Options
Option
Description
When no tape in deck log

as
Choose the timecode format (Drop-Frame or Non-drop Frame) for logging

clips when no tape is in the deck. When a tape is in the deck, the system
automatically uses the existing timecode format on the tape.
Allow assemble edit for

digital cut
When this option is selected, you can use the assemble-edit features in the
Digital Cut tool along with the assemble-editing capabilities of your record
deck. Select this option to record frame-accurate digital cuts quickly and
without striping entire tapes in advance. For more information about
digital cuts and assemble editing, see Chapter 17.
147
Table 6-2
Deck Preferences Options (Continued)
Option
Description
Stop key pauses deck
This option defines the function of the Stop key (space bar) on the
keyboard. Select this option to map the space bar to the Pause button on the
deck. Deselect this option to map the space bar to the Stop button.
If the videotape heads are down in Stop key pauses deck mode, pressing
the space bar brings up the heads and pauses the deck.
The Stop button in the Record tool always stops the decks.
Shuttle holds speed
When this option is selected, the Shuttle button continues shuttling at a

constant speed instead of stopping when you release it.
Stop any paused decks

when quitting
When this option is selected, any paused decks are stopped when you quit
the Avid Xpress DV application. Selecting this option saves wear on the
deck heads.
Poll deck during

digital cut
This option is selected by default. When it is selected, the Avid Xpress DV

system checks the deck for the current timecode and displays it in the
timecode window of the deck controller. If you see degraded image quality
on your digital cut (particularly visible as noise during black), deselect this
option and record the digital cut again. With the option deselected, the
timecode display in the deck controller will not be updated for the duration
of the digital cut.
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Setting Up the Record Tool

The Record tool provides controls for cueing, marking, and logging
footage, and specifies recording parameters such as source and target
locations.
To open the Record tool, choose Record from the Tools menu.
Deck Selection
pop-up menu
Selecting a Deck
The Deck Selection pop-up menu in the Record tool contains a list of
decks or cameras that were connected to the system, powered up, and
initialized when you entered Record mode. The first deck or camera in
the list is selected by default, unless all decks or cameras are offline.
149
To activate playback from an available deck or camera, do one of the

following:
Choose the name of a previously configured deck or camera from

the menu.
Choose Auto-configure to automatically establish the default deck

settings for a VTR that is currently connected to the system.
Not all DV devices respond to the Auto-configure command. Due to this

limitation, Auto-configure selects only the generic devices. When a digital
camera is attached to your system, choose the proper device from the Deck
Type pop-up menu. When a deck with a transcoder is attached, choose the
applicable deck from the Deck Type pop-up menu.
If you forgot to turn on or connect a deck or camera prior to entering
Record mode, make sure that the deck is connected and the power is
turned on; and then choose Check Decks to reestablish deck control.
Selecting Audio Input

To select audio input, choose one of the following from the Audio popup menu:
CD, when recording directly from a CD-ROM.
Analog, when recording from a stereo mixer or a CD-ROM player.
Microphone, when recording from a microphone.
1394, when recording directly from a camera, transcoder, or deck.
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Selecting a Tape
To select a source tape:
1. Load a tape into your deck. The Select Tape dialog box appears.
2. In an NTSC project, play the tape briefly so that the system can
detect the timecode format of the tape (drop-frame or non-dropframe). Otherwise, the system maintains the timecode format set
in the Deck Preferences dialog box, regardless of the format on the
tape, and you might receive a message indicating a wrong tape.
n
For information on tape
naming conventions,
see Naming Tapes on
page 111.
Drop-frame timecode appears in the timecode indicator with semicolons

between hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. Non-drop-frame timecode
appears with colons.
3. Provide the system with a tape name in one of the following ways:
Select the name of the tape from the list displayed in the Select
Tape dialog box, and click OK.
Click New if the tape is not in the list. Type the new name in
the dialog box, and click OK.
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Selecting Source Tracks

You can select the tracks to record from the source tape. Click the
Channel Selection buttons in the Record tool to select only those tracks
that you want to record. The TC (timecode) track will be selected by
default.
Channel
Selection
buttons
If you are not seeing the source video or hearing source audio in
Record mode, click the Channel Selection buttons to make sure the
correct tracks have been selected.
You can select or deselect all tracks at once by pressing and holding
the Alt key, and clicking any Channel Selection button.
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Choosing a Resolution in the Record Tool

Choose a video resolution from the Resolution (Res) pop-up menu in
the Record tool.
Bin pop-up
menu
Resolution popup menu
Choosing a Target Bin

You select a target bin as the destination for the master clips created
when you record on-the-fly. You can also select a target bin containing
the logged clips you will use to batch record your media.
153
To choose a target bin, do one of the following:
Choose an existing bin from the Bin pop-up menu in the Record
tool.
Activate a previously created bin by choosing Open Bin from the

File menu; then locate and open the bin in the Open Bin dialog
box.
Create a new bin by choosing New Bin from the File menu and
then naming and opening the new bin in the New Bin dialog box.
Selecting the Target Drives

Targeting drives for the recorded media is a three-step process:
1. Make sure you are in Record mode. If the Record tool is in Log
mode, click the Record/Log Mode button to return to Record
mode (that is, the REC icon appears.)
2. Decide whether to record audio and video to a single drive or to
separate drives, as described in the following sections.
3. Choose the specific target drives from the pop-up menus, as
described in the following sections.
Targeting a Single Drive

By default, the Record tool targets a single media drive for recording
the audio and video for each clip. Use this option when you are
recording in a single-field resolution, for instance, and playback
performance is generally not an issue.
To target a single drive:
2. Click the Single/Dual Drive button in the Record tool until it
displays the Single-Drive icon.
154
Single/Dual Drive
button
Time
remaining
display
Target Drive pop-up

menu
3. Choose a drive from the Target Drive pop-up menu.

The name shown in bold in the menu has the most storage available.
Time remaining is calculated based on your resolution selection.
Targeting Separate Drives for Audio and Video

Targeting separate drives for video and audio tracks can improve
performance because the system is not required to address all the
information in separate locations on a single drive. You can also record
for the longest continuous amount of time because the system stores
material on two drives rather than one.
155
To target separate drives for audio and video:

2. Click the Single/Dual Drive button in the Record tool until it
displays the Dual-Drive icon.
Target Drive
pop-up menu
TimeRemaining display
Single/Dual Drive
button
3. Choose separate drives for audio and video from each Target
Drive pop-up menu.
The names shown in bold in the menus have the most storage
available. Time remaining on each selected drive is calculated based
on your resolution selection.
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Interpreting the Time-Remaining Display

You can interpret the numbers in the Time-Remaining display in the
Record tool based on the following factors:
Each recorded clip is limited by the Avid Xpress DV system to a

maximum file size of 2 GB. Any clip whose size exceeds 2 GB will
have more than one media file associated with it.
When adequate space exists on the chosen drive, the time

remaining displayed in the Record tool is based on 2 GB per clip at
the chosen resolution. This number reappears for each clip
recorded, as long as there is adequate drive space.
When you choose another resolution, the Time-Remaining display

adjusts accordingly.
When the storage space on the chosen drive is less than 2 GB, the
time remaining begins to decrease for each clip recorded until the
drive is full.
Recording to Multiple Media Files

You can record video and audio to multiple media files across multiple
drives, with the following advantages:
You can create longer clips whose media files would otherwise
exceed the file size limitation of 2 GB.
You can group all drives with the multiple file options, enabling
the system to record long clips continuously; for example, satellite
feeds.
The system makes more efficient use of drive space, particularly

when recording long clips.
157
To record video or audio to multiple media files:

2. Double-click Record.
The Record Settings dialog box appears.
3. Select the option Record to multiple files.

4. Select the option Prepare multiple files for (minutes). You can
accept the default or type a different time limit in the text box.
If you think that any of your recorded clips might exceed

30 minutes, make sure you enter a higher estimate in this text box;
otherwise, the system will stop recording at 30 minutes.
5. Click OK to close the dialog box and apply the options.
158
Target Drive
pop-up menu
7. To record to multiple files across drives, choose Change Group

from the Target Drive pop-up menu in the Record tool.
159
The Drives dialog box appears.
8. Ctrl+click multiple drives to include in the recording session, or

click the All button to select all drives.
9. Click OK to close the dialog box and apply the changes.
10. Proceed with recording.
For media file management purposes, any clip whose media exceeds
the 2-GB limit will have more than one media file associated with it.
When you view the Timeline for the clip loaded in the Source popup monitor, you will also notice edit breaks based on the separate
media files. The breaks do not appear in the Timeline for the
sequence in the Composer monitor.
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Recording Across Timecode Breaks

You can select the option Use control track instead of timecode for
preroll when recording across timecode breaks.
Preroll option
For a complete
description of
procedures for locating
and changing settings,
see Using the Settings
Scroll List on page 75.
Control track preroll allows you to record all the footage following a
timecode break. Otherwise, the system uses approximately 1 to
6 seconds of unbroken timecode following the break to perform the
preroll before recording begins.
This option is especially useful when you are batch recording across
timecode breaks, but you can also select this option when you are
manually recording one clip at a time.
Description of Record Settings

The Record settings specify how to record clips. Table 6-3 describes
the General Record Settings options.
161
Table 6-3
General Record Settings Options
Option
Description
Record to multiple files
When this option is selected, the system writes recorded video or

audio to multiple files across multiple drive partitions. Select this
option for clips that might exceed the 2-GB file size limit.
Prepare multiple files for

(minutes)
When this option is selected, the system preallocates space on the

drive partitions to accommodate the specified number of minutes.
(The preallocation can take a long time.)
The system records for only the specified number of minutes; be
careful not to underestimate. The default is 30 minutes.
Use control track instead of

timecode for preroll
When this option is selected, the system does not use timecode to
perform 1 to 6 seconds of preroll before recording. Instead, it uses the
control track to time the preroll, and records all footage after the
timecode break.
This option is useful when you are batch recording across timecode
breaks or when you are manually recording one clip at a time.
Record across timecode breaks
When this option is selected, the system records sections of

discontinuous timecode on a tape as separate clips.
Deselect this option to make the system stop recording and report an
error when it encounters a timecode break.
Switch to emptiest drive when
When this option is selected, the system switches to another storage

drive when the specified amount of time remains.
Switch to emptiest drive when

current drive is full
When this option is selected, the system switches to the target media
storage drive with the most available space when the current target
drive becomes full during batch recording. The system switches
before starting to record the clip, based on the number of minutes in
the clip. For complete instructions, see Batch Recording Clips on
page 195.
If you do not select this option, recording stops when a drive becomes
full.
Stop deck when done

Pause deck when done
Select one of these options either to stop the deck or to pause the deck
after recording.
162
Preparing for Audio Input

The Avid Xpress DV system supports direct input of four channels of
audio only when a digital camera or a digital deck is connected via
FireWire and the audio sample rate is set to 32 kHz. If a digital camera
or digital deck is not connected and the audio sample rate is not set to
32 kHz, Avid Xpress DV supports input of two channels of audio.
Source track assignments are mapped directly to audio tracks in the
recorded clips.
Prepare for audio input by following the procedures described in this
section:
Choosing the Audio File Format
Adjusting Audio Project Settings
Using the Audio Tool
Using the Console to Check Audio Levels
Choosing the Audio File Format

AIFF-C and WAVE audio media files can be mixed within a project.
The system default is OMF (WAVE) audio.
Choose the AIFF-C format for all audio media when you need to transfer
media files directly to a Pro Tools system for audio sweetening.
163
Audio is written in the chosen file format when you:
Record audio tracks in Record mode.
Create tone media by using the Audio tool.
Mix down audio tracks by using Audio Mixdown.
Import files by using the Import dialog box.
Apply an AudioSuite Plug-In that creates new source audio.
If you switch the audio format in the middle of a project, all new audio
media files are written in the new format with the following
exceptions:
Media files written when rendering audio effects: The system

uses the file type of the A-side (outgoing audio) media for a
transition. For example, if the A-side of an audio dissolve is in
OMFI (AIFF-C) format and the B-side (incoming) is in OMFI
(WAVE) format, the rendered file is OMFI (AIFF-C).
Audio media files written when using the Consolidate feature:

Media files that are copied or created during a consolidate
procedure retain their original file types.
To choose the audio file format:

2. Double-click General.
164
The General Settings dialog box appears.
3. Choose either OMF (AIFF-C) or OMF (WAVE) from the Audio File
Format pop-up menu.
4. Click OK to apply the settings and close the General Settings
dialog box.
Adjusting Audio Project Settings

You can use the Audio Project Settings dialog box to check the current
configuration of audio hardware, and to choose various input options.
To open the Audio Project Settings dialog box:
165
2. Double-click Audio Projects.

The Audio Project Settings dialog box appears.
Most items in the dialog box are informational and cannot be changed
from within the Audio tool. They include:
The type of audio card installed.
The slot number where the card is located.
The audio Sync mode. This mode is set to either DV or Internal.

When the 1394 Input Source is set, the sync option is DV. When the
Analog, Microphone, or CD Input Source is set, the sync option is
Internal.
You can make adjustments to any of the other options by clicking the
option and choosing another item from the pop-up menu. Any
changes made are saved as Project settings. These selections include:
Sample Rate pop-up menu, which allows you to choose audio rate
settings. The options are:
-
32 kHz
44.1 kHz
48 kHz
166
The broadcast standard for most high-end video postproduction

houses is 48 kHz. Choose the rate based on the requirements of
your facility.
Input Source pop-up menu, which includes four options for the
type of input:
-
CD
Analog
Microphone
1394
Render Sample Rate Conversion Quality pop-up menu, which

allows you to set the conversion quality of all non-real-time
sample rate conversions. The options are:
-
High and Slow
Balanced
Low and Fast
Convert Sample Rates When Playing pop-up menu, which allows

you to choose whether or not to perform the conversion rate. The
options are:
-
Always
Never
If you choose the option Never, the segments not set at the sample
rate chosen in the Audio Project Settings dialog box will play as
silence.
167
Using the Audio Tool

Use the Audio tool primarily for mixing and monitoring audio. The
Audio tool, along with your hardwares audio parameters, allows you
to do the following in preparation for input:
Check and manage your audio hardware setup.
Set audio levels before recording.
In addition, controls in the Audio tool allow you to calibrate, set levels,
and generate customized calibration tones for output to the speakers
or a record device.
To open the Audio tool, choose Audio from the Tools menu.
Resizing the Audio Tool

To resize the Audio tool, click the lower right corner and drag it to the
preferred size.
168
Choosing a Peak Hold Option

The Peak Hold (PH) pop-up menu in the Audio tool provides two
options for displaying peak levels in the meters, as follows:
When you choose Peak Hold, the meters display a normal rising
and falling volume trail in the meters. This is the default option.
When you choose Infinite Hold, each meter permanently retains a

single bar at the peak volume level measured during playback.
The bar continues to rise and hold with each new peak.
To enable either Peak Hold or Infinite Hold, click the Peak Hold
button in the Audio tool and choose an option from the pop-up menu.
To delete the peaks and start over at any time, click the Reset Peak (RP)
button in the Audio tool.
Reset Peak
button
Peak Hold button
169
Adjusting Audio Input Levels

To adjust audio input levels with the Audio tool:
1. Click the In/Out toggle buttons on the Audio tool for the
appropriate channels to display the I for Input.
In/Out toggle buttons
2. Play back the source audio (for example, from a digital camera or
videotape). If the recording includes reference tone, cue to the tone
and play it back.
3. Adjust the output on the playback device so that the devices
volume meter shows the appropriate level for the reference signal
(for example, 0 dB for videotape playback).
4. Click the Input button (Microphone icon) in the Audio tool to
display the Input Level slider.
170
Input button
Input Level slider
5. View the meters, and adjust the slider to the appropriate level.
Creating Tone Media

To create tone media:
1. Choose Create Tone Media from the Peak Hold pop-up menu in
the Audio tool.
Peak Hold pop-up menu
171
The Tone Media Parameters dialog box appears.
2. Set the appropriate calibration tone parameters in the dialog box.

You can also use the default output tone of 14 dB (digital scale)
with a 1000-Hz signal.
3. Choose a target bin for the tone master clip and a target drive for
the tone media from the pop-up menus.
4. Click OK.
After a few seconds, a master clip appears in the target bin. The
default name reflects the options you chose. You can rename the clip
by typing a new name.
Using the Console to Check Audio Levels

Once you have played back audio through the Audio tool, you can use
the Console to view a list of precise information about the peak levels.
To check peak levels in the Console:
1. Choose Audio Tool from the Tools menu.
172
The Audio tool opens.
Reset Peak
button
2. Click the Reset Peak button to clear the systems record of the
most recent maximum peaks.
3. Play a sequence or portion of the sequence.
4. After playing back the audio, open the Console by choosing
Console from the Tools menu.
5. In the Console command line, type DumpMaxPeaks.
Console
command
line
6. Press Enter.
A list of peak values appears in the Console.
173
Compression Resolutions and Storage

Requirements
When the Avid Xpress DV system records and stores video, it employs
compression techniques that affect the size of the resulting files and
the resolution of the images they contain. The less compression, the
higher the image resolution, and the more drive space the file takes up.
Screen Resolution
The screen resolution for the Avid Xpress DV application is different
for NTSC and for PAL:
NTSC resolution is 720 x 486 non-square pixels covering all the

active video. This also includes 10 lines of blanking or vertical
internal timecode (VITC) per frame (5 lines per field).
PAL resolution is 720 x 576 non-square pixels covering all the

active video. This also includes 16 lines of blanking or VITC per
frame (8 lines per field).
Digital Video Resolutions

The Avid Xpress DV application uses two digital formats: DV25 4:1:1
for NTSC and DV25 4:2:0 for PAL.
Storage Requirements
Avid Xpress DV stores approximately 4.4 megabytes per second, 266.7
megabytes per minute, and 4.6 gigabytes per minute. These values are
approximate.
174
CHAPTER 7
Recording
When you record, you convert source material from videotape to
master clips that contain reference information. You also create
associated media files that contain the digital audio and video. Once
you prepare the record tools, as described in Chapter 6, you can record
the source material in one of several ways, as described in the
following sections:
Before You Begin
Special Recording Procedures
Recording and Logging at the Same Time
Recording Audio from a Music CD
Batch Recording from Logged Clips
Rerecording Your Material
175
Before You Begin

Depending on your immediate needs and chosen recording method,
use the following guidelines for working through this chapter:
If you want to use add locators, create subclips, or log errors to the
Console during recording, read Special Recording Procedures
on page 177.
If you have no logs and would like to begin recording right away,
see Recording and Logging at the Same Time on page 177.
If you want to record video to multiple media files across multiple

drives, see Recording to Multiple Media Files on page 157.
If you have logs already entered in a bin and would like to

automate the recording process with playback from an Avidcontrolled deck, see Batch Recording from Logged Clips on
page 192.
If you are rerecording deleted media or have imported a sequence

that lacks the associated media files, see Rerecording Your
Material on page 197.
If you have not already prepared a structure of bins for your

project, as described in Managing Folders and Bins on page 69,
consider the following tips before recording:
-
You can create one bin for each source tape. This method
avoids slowing the system with large bins, associates each bin
with a source tape for better organization, and simplifies
rerecording.
You can name the bin after the tape so that when you
autorecord or record on-the-fly without noting a tape name,
the system will automatically name each clip after the bin
(tape) and number them sequentially for easy reference.
176
Special Recording Procedures

This section describes several optional procedures that you can use
during the recording process.
Adding Clip Names and Comments On-the-Fly

The annotate feature allows you to type clip names and comments
during the recording of a clip. The information is saved in the clip
Name and Comments columns in the bin. You can add comments
about the clip such as color correction or editing directions.
To add clip names and comments on-the-fly:
1. Start typing the clip name at any time during the recording of a
clip.
The Annotate window opens, allowing you to see the text as you
type.
2. After typing the clip name, press the Tab key and begin typing
comments.
You cannot edit the text until after the recording is complete, but you
can backspace and retype the information.
Recording and Logging at the Same Time

When you record without entering log information in a bin ahead of
time, the system creates clips and associated media files while you
record. Recording in this manner involves manually cueing source
footage with an Avid-controlled deck by using the deck controls in the
Record tool.
177
There are several ways to record and log at the same time:
Recording from an IN point to an OUT point. This method lets

you specify the exact timecode location to begin and end
recording. You can also specify only an IN point or an OUT point
and enter the other mark on-the-fly. These procedures are
described in Recording from an IN Point to an OUT Point on
page 178.
Recording on-the-fly. This method is easier than setting marks,

but it is less precise. It involves using the deck controls in the
Record tool to cue, play, and stop the source footage manually
while recording. These procedures are described in Recording
On-the-Fly on page 181.
Autorecording. This method requires the least amount of

supervision and effort but usually calls for more recording time
and drive storage space. It involves playing each source tape from
a cue point near the beginning and letting the system record the
entire tape, automatically naming and entering each clip into the
bin. These procedures are described in Autorecording on
page 184.
Two additional techniques you can use when recording and logging
at the same time are described in Recording from a Non-AvidControlled Deck on page 187 and Recording with Time-of-Day
Timecode on page 190.
Recording from an IN Point to an OUT Point

Recording from an IN point to an OUT point allows you to specify
exactly where to begin and end recording. You can specify only an IN
point or an OUT point, and the system enters the other mark on-thefly.
Use this method in the following circumstances:
If logs exist in written or printout form but not in the proper

format for quick import into the system
178
If the IN and OUT points are rough and need to be doublechecked for accuracy
If you are familiar enough with the source material to estimate the
timecode for the IN point, the OUT point, or both, quickly and
accurately
To record by specifying an IN point and an OUT point:

Mark IN
1. Cue the tape to the start of the clip you want to record and mark
an IN point.
Mark OUT
2. Cue the tape and mark the OUT point, or set the OUT point onthe-fly when you stop recording.
Record button
3. Click the Record button in the Record tool.

4. The Record tool automatically rewinds the tape to the preroll
point before the IN point of the clip, and the tape begins to play.
The box to the right of the Record button flashes bright red, and
the message bar displays the message that the system is recording.
5. While the system is recording, you can type a clip name or enter
comments about the clip.
When the tape reaches the clips OUT point or you click the Record
button again, recording stops, and the system creates a new clip in the
bin.
Setting Both Marks

To record by specifying an IN point and an OUT point:
1. Make sure you have selected the proper Record settings as
described in Selecting Settings on page 138 and set up the
Record and Audio tools, as described in Chapter 6.
Mark IN
Mark OUT
2. Set either an IN point or an OUT point for the clip you want to
record, using one of the following methods:
Use the deck controls in the Record tool. Cue your source tape
to where you want to start or end the clip, and click the Mark
IN or Mark OUT button.
179
Go to IN
If the material starts at a known IN point or ends at a known

OUT point, you can type the timecode in the display area next
to the mark. Press Enter to enter the mark.
To double-check the accuracy of the IN or OUT point, click the Go

to IN button. The system cues the tape and pauses the deck at the
mark. You can play the tape and reset the mark, if necessary.
3. To finish logging the clip, use either of the following methods:
Set the corresponding IN or OUT point.
Type a timecode for the clips duration in the display area next
to the Duration mark (below the OUT point) in the format
HH:MM:SS:FF.
The system automatically calculates the appropriate timecode for

the corresponding IN point, OUT point, or duration.
4. Click the Record button in the Record tool.
The Record tool automatically rewinds the tape to the preroll
point before the IN point of the clip, and the tape begins to play.
The box to the right of the Record button flashes bright red, and
the message bar displays the message that the system is recording.
5. While the system is recording, you can type a clip name. To enter
comments about the clip, press the Tab key after typing a clip
name and enter comments in the comment box. The information
that you type does not appear on the screen until you have
completed recording. (After you log clips, you can modify
information to correct input errors or to add information.)
When the tape reaches the clips OUT point or you click the
Record button again, recording stops, and the system creates a
new clip in the bin.
180
Setting Only One Mark

To set only one mark and enter the other mark on-the-fly:
Mark an IN point, and click the Record button to begin recording.

Then, click the Record button again to stop recording on-the-fly
and mark an OUT point.
This method is useful if you do not need a precise OUT point. You
save time because you do not have to shuttle to locate the OUT
point before recording.
Set an OUT point only, and then move to a position on the tape
that is a few seconds before where you want to start recording.
Play the tape, and then immediately click the Record button to
begin recording on-the-fly. When the tape reaches the clips OUT
point, recording stops.
This method is useful if you do not need a precise IN point but do
need to stop at a precise OUT point, for example, just before a
timecode break.
Recording On-the-Fly
Use the recording on-the-fly method in any of the following
circumstances:
If you are eager to begin editing immediately and no adequate

logs exist for importing to the system or setting marks
If you are recording from a source deck that cannot be controlled

by the Record tool or a VLXi unit
If your source tape does not have timecode
If you are recording from a digital source such as a CD-ROM or

camera
If you are recording from a live source, such as a studio feed or an

in-house router
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There is a slight delay of several frames after you manually select a spot to
start and to stop recording. Therefore, use this method when you dont need
precise beginning and end points in your clip.
In some circumstances, the recorded material may exceed the logical
file size of the Avid Xpress DV application. For example, the
maximum size of a media file cannot exceed the size of a 2-GB
partition. A 2-GB file at a high resolution consists of approximately 10
to 18 minutes of footage. In such a case, consider recording the clip in
shorter overlapping pieces, breaking it at points that are likely to be
cut out during editing.
To record on-the-fly:
1. Click the Record/Log Mode button in the Record tool until the
REC icon appears. The Record tool is ready to record.

Record button
Trash button
Open/Close triangle
Name text box

Cmnt text box
Deck controls
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2. (Option) Click the Open/Close triangle in the Record tool to

display the Name and Cmnt (Comment) text boxes, if you plan to
enter clip names or comments during recording.
3. Use the deck controls in the Record tool to locate the position on
the tape where you want to start recording.
Single-frame step back

Fast forward
Play
Rewind
Single-frame step forward
Stop
Eject
Pause
4. Play the deck and when it gets up to speed, click the Record
button.
Make sure you have cleared any previous marks so that the deck does not
begin cueing to the previous location.
5. While the system is recording, you can type a clip name in the
Name text box. Press the Tab key after typing a clip name to enter
comments about the clip.
6. Click the Pause button at any time to pause play. You can also
abort the record procedure by clicking the Trash button in the
Record tool. The clip will be discarded.
7. To stop recording and enter the OUT point of the clip, click the
Record button, or press the Esc key.
The system creates a new clip in the bin.
There is a slight delay of several frames after you manually select a spot to
start and to stop recording. Therefore, use this procedure when you dont need
precise beginning and end points in your clip.
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Autorecording
Autorecording can save you time by allowing you to bypass both the
logging process and the time it takes to cue each clip. However, this
process requires the most storage space, and more time is spent while
the system is actually recording entire tapes.
When you autorecord, you mount and cue your tape to a starting
point and start the autorecording process through the Record tool.
When you have long, continuous clips (for example, footage from a
live event), the recorded material for a single clip may exceed the 2-GB
limit for file sizes in Avid Xpress DV. In this case, you must select the
option Record to multiple files in the Record Settings dialog box.
Follow the tips and techniques described in this procedure to allow
the system to complete the recording process for an entire tape
unattended.
To autorecord:
2. Double-click Record.
184
The Record Settings dialog box appears.
3. Select the following options:
Record across timecode breaks if you want the system to

begin a new master clip at each timecode break.
Record to multiple files if you intend to record the entire

tape as one master clip. Make sure you deselect Record
across timecode breaks.
4. Click OK.
5. In the Record tool, click the name of the camera or deck and
choose Adjust Deck from the menu.
6. Double-click the deck box for the video deck from which you are
recording.
185
The Deck Settings dialog box appears.
7. Deselect Fast Cue, and set the preroll to approximately 4 seconds.

8. Click OK to close the Deck Settings dialog box.
9. Click Apply to close the Deck Configuration dialog box.
10. Create one bin for each source tape. This keeps bins to a
manageable size and automatically names all clips from each tape
after the names of their respective bins.
11. Name each bin after the source tape. By default, all clips are
named after the tape and numbered incrementally beginning
with .01.
12. Choose Record from the Tools menu, and open the bin for the first
tape.
13. Load the source tape and cue past any false starts.
186
Mark OUT
14. (Option) If you want the system to stop recording at a chosen

point on the tape, cue the tape to a chosen OUT point and click the
Mark OUT button in the Record tool.
15. Play the tape, and wait 4 seconds before clicking the Record
button.
The system automatically records the entire tape.
Recording from a Non-Avid-Controlled Deck

If you have a deck that cannot be controlled directly by the system,
you can record with manual deck control as follows:
1. Open the Record tool and prepare to record, as described in
Chapter 6.
2. Choose the audio input:
Choose Analog when inputting from a stereo mixer or a CDROM player.
Choose Microphone when inputting from a microphone.
Choose 1394 when inputting directly from a camera,

transcoder, or deck.
3. Click the Toggle Source button in the Record tool to disable the
deck controls.
The Deck Offline icon appears, and the the Tape Name display
remains.
187
Toggle Source button
The TC button also disappears. The footage will be recorded with time-of-day
timecode generated by the system.
4. Click the Tape Name display to open the Select Tape dialog box
and identify the source tape.
You can select Show other projects tapes to display the tape
names and associated project names for all bins that have been
opened in the current session.
Because the media file database does not open when you start your
Avid Xpress DV system, tape names of all online media files do not appear
automatically.
If the tape name for which you are searching does not appear in the Select Tape
dialog box, click the Scan for tapes button. Tape and project names are
listed.
188
New Tape Name button
List of tapes
Show Tapes option
For guidelines on
naming tapes, see
Logging Tips on
page 110.
5. Provide a tape name in one of the following ways:
Select a tape name from the list. Tape names and associated
projects are listed in two columns.
Click New if the tape is not in the list, and type a new tape
name in the text box that appears at the bottom of the Tape
Name list.
You can stop the process any time by clicking Cancel.

6. Click OK. The tape name is displayed in the Record tool.
7. Play the tape manually, and click the Record button to stop and
start the recording of each clip.
189
Recording with Time-of-Day Timecode

When you record with an Avid-controlled deck, you can record your
footage with time-of-day timecode rather than source timecode.
To record with time-of-day timecode:
1. Open the Record tool and prepare to record, as described in
Chapter 6.
2. When selecting tracks, deselect the TC button.
3. Record by using any of the techniques described in Recording
On-the-Fly on page 181.
Recording Audio from a Music CD

Avid Xpress DV allows you to record selected tracks from a music CD
using the Record tool. Once the audio is recorded, you can then edit
the audio clip to an audio track in your sequence.
To record audio from a music CD:
1. Insert the music CD in the computers CD-ROM drive.
2. Start the CD player application and select the track you want to
record.
3. Minimize the CD player application.
190
Record button
Toggle Source button set to No Deck control
Audio popup menu
Selected
Bin
5. Click the Toggle Source button until it is set to No Deck control.

The Select Tape dialog box appears.
6. Click the New button in the Select Tape dialog box.
7. Name the tape. Select the tape.
8. Click OK.
9. Choose CD from the Audio pop-up menu.
10. Click the New Tape button.
11. Click the Record button.
Avid Xpress DV records the audio to the selected bin.
12. Click the Record button again or press the Esc key to stop the
recording.
The audio file appears in the bin.
13. When you are finished recording music from the CD, quit the CD
player application.
191
Batch Recording from Logged Clips

Once you have imported a log or manually logged a group of clips to a
bin, you can automate the record process by using the batch recording
capabilities of Avid Xpress DV. If you want to batch record, your
source tapes must have timecode.
You can also use the batch record process to rerecord existing clips.
The rerecording process is described in Rerecording Your Material
on page 197.
To batch import media without timecode, see Reimporting Files on

page 215.
To batch record clips:
1. Review the procedures for preparing to batch record.
See Preparing to Batch Record on page 194.
2. Open the bin that stores the logged clips.
3. Select the clips to batch record by doing one of the following:
Choose Select All from the Edit menu, or press Ctrl+A to

select all the clips.
Ctrl+click to select specific clips.
4. Choose Batch Record from the Bin menu.
192
The Batch Record dialog box appears.
5. Select options in the dialog box:
If the bin contains some clips that are already recorded and
you do not want to rerecord those clips, select Record only
those items for which media is currently unavailable.
If your selections include a sequence for batch recording, the

dialog box prompts you for handle-length information.
6. Click OK.
If you have not loaded a tape, the system prompts you to insert
the first tape.
7. Insert the tape into the video deck and click Mounted.
8. Click OK to confirm the tape and deck entries and begin the
recording process. The system records each clip from the tape, in
start timecode order.
193
Preparing to Batch Record

Preparing for batch recording involves an option of resizing the
Record tool and establishing settings that allow you to batch record
with minimal system supervision.
Resizing the Record Tool

Because your clips are already logged in the bin, you can simplify the
interface during batch recording by hiding the deck controller and
logging controls in the Record tool.
To resize the Record tool during batch recording, click the Open/Close
triangle to the left of the deck controller.
Preparing Settings for Unattended Batch Recording

Unattended batch recording allows you to record a large number of
clips with a minimum of system supervision by selecting Record
settings that avoid pauses in the record process.
To prepare for unattended batch recording, select these options in the
Record Settings dialog box:
Switch to emptiest drive when current drive is full
Record across timecode breaks
194
Batch Recording Clips

To batch record clips:
1. Make sure you selected the correct Record settings and set up the
Record tool, as described in Chapter 6.
2. Open the bin that stores the clips you want to record.
3. Select the clips to batch record:
Choose Select All from the Edit menu to select all the clips.

If the clips that you want to batch record are not highlighted in the active bin,
Batch Record appears dimmed in the Bin menu.
5. Select options in the dialog box:
If the bin contains some clips that are already recorded and
you do not want to rerecord those clips, select the option
Record only those items for which media is currently
unavailable. If this option is not selected and some of the
195
selected clips have media files, the system deletes the media
files and rerecords new media files.
For more information
on handle lengths when
rerecording, see
Rerecording
Sequences on
page 198.
If your selections include a sequence for batch recording, the

dialog box prompts you for handle-length information. The
system will create new master clips based on the length of
edited clips in the sequence.
If you are batch recording the original source master clips used in the
sequence, the sequence will be updated automatically. Therefore, you might
want to deselect the sequence during this procedure.
6. Click OK.
If you have not loaded a tape, the system prompts you to insert
the first tape.
7. Insert the tape into the video deck, and click Mounted.
9. If the system needs another source tape, the system prompts you
for the tape. At this point, you have several options:
Insert the new tape, and click Mounted to continue the

recording process.
Click Skip this clip to skip just the first clip from the tape
and continue recording the remaining clips.
Click Skip this tape to skip all the clips from the mounted
tape. The system then prompts you for the next tape.
Click Abort to end the batch recording process. You can also
stop recording at any time by clicking the Trash button in the
Record tool.
196
To skip specific clips in the process of batch recording a particular tape, you
must abort each clip manually by clicking the Trash button and then clicking
the next clip in the Abort window to continue.
When the system has finished batch recording, a message box notifies
you that the process is complete.
Rerecording Your Material

Rerecording is the process of capturing previously recorded source
footage based on existing clips and sequences. Rerecording uses the
batch record process and does not require extra logging time because
the clip information for items such as source tracks, timecodes, and
Compression settings already exists in the bin.
There are several situations in which you might want to rerecord:
You can rerecord a sequence after you transfer it to another

system.
You can rerecord low-resolution clips at a higher resolution setting

after they have been edited into a sequence.
You can quickly rerecord selected clips if you make an error while
recording the first time (for example, if you forget to check audio
levels or set the wrong resolution).
You can rerecord clips if you accidentally delete media files.
Rerecording requires your original source footage. Do not delete the

media files if the source footage is no longer available, unless you
will not need the material again.
197
Rerecording Master Clips and Subclips

The procedure for rerecording master clips and subclips is identical to
the process for batch recording logged clips. See Batch Recording
from Logged Clips on page 192.
Although the procedure is the same, the result is slightly different, as
follows:
Master clips are linked to entire media files and serve as sources
for subclips and sequences. Therefore, when you rerecord a master
clip, changes in Compression settings and levels affect all subclips
and sequences created from the master clip.
Subclips are smaller sections of master clips. When you rerecord a

subclip, the system creates a new master clip that is linked to new
media files and reflects the shortened length of material.
Therefore, rerecording subclips streamlines the record process.
Also, rerecording breaks the link from the subclip to the original
master clip. If you edit the subclip into a sequence, however, the
sequence will reflect any changes in the newly recorded subclip.
Rerecording Sequences
Rerecording a sequence creates new master clips and associated media
files based on the length of each clip edited into the sequence. It breaks
any links to the original source clips, and only the sequence and its
new master clips are linked to the newly recorded media files.
When you rerecord the sequence, the record process creates media
files for each clip in the sequence. You cannot make changes after the
media files are created without repeating the entire procedure.
198
Saving Two Versions of a Sequence When Rerecording

To save the original version of your sequence before rerecording, you
can create a duplicate. For example, use this method if you create a
sequence at a low resolution to save storage space and want to
rerecord the sequence at a higher resolution while retaining the first
version.
To make a duplicate of the sequence:
1. Select the sequence in the bin, and choose Duplicate from the Edit
menu.
2. (Option) Create a new bin by choosing New Bin from the File
menu, and move the duplicate sequence to the bin.
This second step is optional, but it saves you from the confusion of
mingling new sequences and master clips with existing ones.
Rerecording the Sequence

When you rerecord the sequence, the recording process creates media
files for each clip in the sequence.
To rerecord a sequence:
1. Open or activate the bin containing the sequence or clips.
2. Select the sequences or the clips you want to rerecord:
Choose Select All from the Edit menu to select all the clips in
the bin.

4. To preserve clips that already have existing media, select Record
only those items for which media is currently unavailable.
199
5. Click the Handle Length text box and type the number of
additional frames you want to record at the heads and tails of the
new master clips.
The Handle Length text box appears only if a sequence is selected for batch
recording.
6. Click OK. If you have not loaded a tape, the system prompts you
to insert the first tape.
7. Insert the tape into the video deck, and click Mounted.
If another source tape is needed, the system prompts for the tape.
At this point, you have several options:
Insert the new tape, and click Mounted to continue the

recording process.
Click Skip this clip to skip just the first clip from the tape
and continue recording the remaining clips.
Click Skip this tape to skip all the clips from the mounted
tape. The system then prompts you for the next tape.
Click Abort to end the batch recording process. You can also
stop recording at any time by clicking the Trash button in the
Record tool.
200
CHAPTER 8
Importing Files
When you import files, the system converts them into objects in a bin.
You can manipulate and edit these objects as you would any other clip
or sequence. Any corresponding media files are stored on a target
drive that you specify. You can import files using the procedures in the
following sections:
Preparing to Import Files
Creating and Using Import Settings
Importing Files
Using the Drag-and-Drop Method to Import Files
Reimporting Files
201
Preparing to Import Files

Before you begin the import process, make sure the system and the
files are ready for import as follows:
To read about issues and tips for mixed-resolution projects, see

Creating and Using Import Settings on page 202.
For graphics file and OMFI (Open Media Framework

Interchange) file import, prepare the files in advance according to
specifications described in Appendix B.
For a complete description of all options in the Import Settings

dialog box, see Table 8-1 on page 205.
Creating and Using Import Settings

You can create one or more sets of import parameters and save them as
an Import setting. For example, you can create one setting for
importing QuickTime files and another for importing files from
AudioVision. This feature is especially useful when you use the dragand-drop method to import multiple files (see Using the Drag-andDrop Method to Import Files on page 215).
The default Import setting and any additional Import settings you
create appear in the Settings scroll list (see Using the Settings Scroll
List on page 75). After you select a setting in the Settings scroll list,
the parameters remain the default settings for all imported files, unless
you change them during import.
To create a new Import setting:
2. Click Import.
202
4. Name the setting by clicking the Custom setting name column

(between the setting name and the setting type identifier), typing a
name, and pressing Enter.
Custom setting
name column
5. Adjust the options for the setting as described in the following

procedure.
To adjust the parameters in an Import Settings dialog box:
2. Double-click an Import setting.
203
The Import Settings dialog box appears. The following illustration

shows the default settings.
3. Select the appropriate options.

4. Click OK.
Table 8-1 describes the Import Settings options.
204
Table 8-1
Import Settings Options
Option
Suboption
Description
Aspect Ratio,
Pixel Aspect
601, non-square
Select this option to import images with the dimensions used

by the Avid Xpress DV system: 720 x 480 (NTSC) or
720 x 576 (PAL). Also use this option for 720 x 540 images, or
other images that fit the 4:3 aspect ratio. You can use this option
to maintain field data when you import two-field media that
follows exact NTSC or PAL dimensions.
The system converts the existing pixel dimensions, if necessary,
so that the image fills the screen.
If the aspect ratio of the original frames does not match the
4:3 aspect ratio used by the Avid Xpress DV system, the
imported frames might be distorted.
For best full-screen resolution of files created in a squarepixel
environment, use 648 x 480 (NTSC) or 768 x 576 (PAL). To create
a single resolution for both NTSC and PAL, use
720 x 540.
Maintain, nonsquare
Select this option for an image that was created in a non-square

pixel environment, but does not match exact NTSC or PAL
dimensions. Maintain, non-square will preserve up to 480
(NTSC) or 576 (PAL) lines, and will either remove additional
lines or pad with black if there are fewer lines.
This option might be most useful with Avid Xpress DV when
you use material that has been created for non-DV products
with a standard NTSC size of 720 x 486. In this situation, the top
four lines and the bottom two lines are cropped.
Maintain, non-square never scales or resizes.
205
Table 8-1
Option
Suboption
Import Settings Options (Continued)

Description
Maintain, square Select this option for an image that was created in a squarepixel environment, such as a graphics application. Use this
option primarily for icons, logos, and other graphics that cannot
be resized and are not intended to fill the entire screen.
The Avid Xpress DV system maintains the source file pixel
aspect ratio for the imported frames, translating the squarepixel aspect ratio to the digital video non-squarepixel environment.
The system fills the rest of the screen with video black. If the
image has an alpha channel, this black will be keyed out in the
alpha channel.
Do not use this option if you are importing:
Images in the 720 x 480 (NTSC) or 720 x 576 (PAL)

non-square-pixel dimensions
A full-screen square-pixel image that has already

been stretched to non-square-pixel dimensions
206
Table 8-1
Option
Suboption
Description
Maintain and
Resize, square
Select this option for an image that was created in square-pixel

terms.
The system fits the longest dimension to the screen size and fills
the missing pixels in the shorter dimension with video black,
creating a border. If the image has an alpha channel, this black
will be keyed out in the alpha channel.
For example, a 540 x 300 image would have its longer
dimension resized to 720, and the shorter dimension resized in
proportion (to 400). The remaining short side pixels are
replaced with black.
For best full-screen resolution of files created in a squarepixel
environment, use 648 x 480 (NTSC) or 768 x 576 (PAL). To create
a single resolution for both NTSC and PAL, use
720 x 540.
Do not use this option if you are importing:
File Field
Order
Images in the 720 x 480 (NTSC) or 720 x 576 (PAL)

non-square-pixel dimensions
A full-screen square-pixel image that has already

been stretched to non-square-pixel dimensions
This pop-up menu allows you to select the field dominance of

the media you are importing.
When the field dominance of the imported media matches the
field dominance of the project format, no special processing is
required.
This setting does not apply to OMFI imports when the import
resolution matches the OMFI file.
Non-interlaced
This option allows you to import still images to all formats

without concern for the temporal ordering of the fields. This is
the default value.
Odd
This option selects odd-field processing during import. The first

line in the image belongs to the odd field.
207
Table 8-1
Option
Color Levels
Alpha
Suboption
Description
Even
This option selects even-field processing during import. The

first line in the image belongs to the even field.
RGB
Select this option if the imported graphics file uses RGB

graphics levels. Most computer-generated graphics use RGB
graphics levels. The RGB color values are remapped to ITU-R
601 (formerly CCIR 601) video color values appropriate for the
Avid Xpress DV system.
RGB, dithered
Select this option if the imported graphics file uses complex

color effects, such as a gradation, and you are importing at a
high resolution (2:1). Do not use this option to reimport an
image that has already been imported with dithering.
601
Select this option if the imported graphics file uses video levels
based on the ITU-R 601 (formerly CCIR 601) standard. These
graphics include Avid color bars (available in Program
Files\Avid\Avid Xpress DV\SupportingFiles\Test_Patterns)
or images that include superblack (zero black) for keying
purposes.
Use Existing
When this option is selected, the system imports the image

using the existing alpha channel information.
Invert Existing
This option reverses the black and white elements of the alpha
channel if they differ from the matte key requirements of the
system: a white background, a black foreground, and a gray
transparency blend between the two.
208
Table 8-1
Option
Suboption
Description
Ignore
When this option is selected, the system imports an image that

contains alpha channel transparency information as one opaque
graphic. The imported graphic appears as a single master clip
in the bin.
an image contains an embedded alpha channel but the

n Ifsystem
does not support alpha channel import for the file
type, select this option to import the image successfully.
For information on alpha channel support, see Graphic
File Import Specifications on page 582.
Single Frame
Import
Autodetect
Sequential Files
Duration of n
seconds
This option specifies the duration of the master clip created

from the import. The default is 10 seconds. This option does not
apply to importing sequential image files because each file
represents one frame of the clip; therefore, the total number of
files determines the total duration.
Format: Slide
Select this option for all graphics.

When this option is selected and you are importing sequential
files, the system recognizes that a sequence of connected files is
present and automatically imports the whole sequence. This is
the default option.
When this option is deselected, the system does not
automatically import a whole sequence of files that have
sequential extensions. You can then select any single file for
import.
You can import sequential files for any of the supported stillimage formats. For information on preparing a sequence of
image files, see Animation Files on page 587.
You can now choose this setting whenever you import a frame, clip, or
sequence. For more information, see Importing Files on page 210
and Using the Drag-and-Drop Method to Import Files on
page 215.
209
Importing Files
You can access files for import from any folder or drive source
mounted on the desktop, such as a floppy disk, fixed drive, removable
drive, or network server. You can import more than one file at a time,
including files of multiple types.
Consider copying all graphics files to a single folder on the internal
hard drive before you import the files. Using this folder helps you
manage graphics from multiple sources and streamlines the
reimporting process because all graphics will point to the same
original path.
For information on
using the drag-anddrop method, see
Using the Drag-andDrop Method to
Import Files on
page 215.

about the files
displayed in the Import
File(s) into Bin dialog
box, click the Details
button.
To import files:
1. If you have created one or more Import settings, select the Import
setting that you want to use from the Settings scroll list (see
Creating and Using Import Settings on page 202).
2. Open the bin in which you want to store the imported files. Click
anywhere in the bin to select it.
210
Look In pop-up menu
Details button
File browser
File to import
Files of Type pop-up menu
Options button
Resolution pop-up menu

Media Drive pop-up menu
4. Choose an import file type from the Files of Type pop-up menu to
display only files of the chosen file type in the source file list:
Choose Shot Log to import Avid Log Exchange (.ALE) files

containing clip information to a bin. For more information
about Avid log specifications, see Appendix C.
Choose either Graphic or Audio to import one of more than 30

supported graphics and audio file types. For more
information on the various file types and their import
specifications, see Appendix B.
211
Choose OMFI to import files that have been saved in the

OMFI file format, such as sequences transferred from an
effects or digital audio workstation.
Choose Sequential Files to import a sequence of files. The first

file in the sequence appears. To automatically select the entire
sequence of files, you must select Autodetect Sequential Files
in the Import Settings dialog box.
By default, the system displays only file types that belong to the
chosen category in the file browser section of the dialog box.
5. (Option) Choose All Files from the Files of Type pop-up menu to
display all files in a chosen folder, regardless of file type. Use this
option if you want to batch import from multiple file types.
6. To adjust the Import settings, click Options. The Import Settings
dialog box appears, in which you can edit various parameters. The
contents of the Import Settings dialog box depend on the file type
you selected. The following illustration shows the choices for a
graphic file.
212
For a complete description of all options in the Import Settings dialog box, see
Table 8-1 on page 205.
7. Select the options you want. Click OK to save the settings, close
the Import Settings dialog box, and return to the Import File(s)
into Bin dialog box.
8. Choose a destination drive for the imported file from the Media
Drive pop-up menu.
9. Use the Look In pop-up menu to locate the folder containing the
source files.
213
10. Select files or deselect files from the source file list by doing one of
the following:
To add a single file, Ctrl+click the file to import from the

source file list.
To add a group of files, click the first file in a group, and then
Shift+click the last file in a group.
To deselect a single file from the file browser section,

Ctrl+click a highlighted file name.
If you are importing a sequential series of image files, you must select
Autodetect Sequential Files in the Import Settings dialog box. Then add only
the first file in the series to the File browser section.
11. Click Open.
When the system finishes importing the files, the clips appear in
the selected bin.
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Using the Drag-and-Drop Method to Import Files

To import one or more files by using the drag-and-drop method:
2. Select the setting you want to use for import. Select either the
default Import setting or one you have created.
To view or modify the parameters, double-click the setting. For
more information, see Creating and Using Import Settings on
page 202.
3. Open the bin in which you want to store the imported files.
4. From the desktop, open the folder that contains the files you want
to import. You may have to resize the Avid Xpress DV application
in order to access the desktop.
5. Click the file you want to import, and press and hold the mouse
button. Drag the file to the bin, and release the mouse button. To
select multiple files, Ctrl+click the files, press and hold the mouse
button, drag the files to the location you want, and release the
mouse button.
Reimporting Files
If you are working with master clips or sequences that contain
imported material, you can use the Batch Import command to
reimport the imported files. For example, you might want to:
Upgrade the video resolution of the imported files to an online

resolution for distribution.
Replace low-quality material with high-quality material finished

with other applications, such as Avid Marquee and Avid
Media Illusion.
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Create new media files when the media files are lost or
accidentally deleted.
Reimporting requires your original source file. Do not delete the

media files for imported files if the source files are no longer
available unless you will not need the material again.
The Batch Import command allows you to reimport the imported files
while automatically linking the new imported material with the
original master clips and sequences. When you play your sequence
after reimporting the files, the new imported material plays in your
sequence.
When you reimport a media file, the entire media file, including all
tracks, is reimported. For example, if only the video track of an
imported file that contains both video and audio was edited into the
sequence, the reimport process will import both the video and audio
from the source file.
OMFI files can contain only one master clip when you reimport them.
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The Batch Import Dialog Box

The Batch Import dialog box allows you to select a source file for each
master clip that you selected in a bin. Avid Xpress DV finds the source
file automatically if the source file is located in the same folder as the
last time you imported the file. The Batch Import dialog box appears
when you select a master clip or sequence and choose Batch Import
from the Clip menu.
Look In popup menu
File browser
File to import
Status line
Clip Info
section
Media Drive
pop-up menu
Import
Options
section
Resolution
pop-up menu
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File Browser Section

The file browser in the Batch Import dialog box allows you to search
for the source file that you want to import for the current master clip
shown in the Master Clip text box. You can click Open to open folders
or to select the file for importing. Clicking Cancel allows you to cancel
the entire import operation. If you click Cancel, none of the source files
are imported.
Status Line
The Status line in the Batch Import dialog box indicates the status of
the current importing process.
Clip Info Section
The Clip Info section provides information about the imported master
clips you selected in the bin.
Master Clip: Shows the name of the current master clip for the
source file you are importing.
Original Path: Displays the item listed in the Original Path text
box in the file browser.
Clip n of n: Indicates the number of the master clip that you are
currently processing in relation to the total number of selected
master clips.
The buttons in the Clip Info section help you step through the list of
master clips. They also start the reimport process.
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Click
To
Back Clip
Return to the previous master clip.
Skip Clip
Bypass the current master clip.
OK to Original
Path
Select the source file listed in the Original Path text box
for import and start the reimport process.
OK to All
Start the import process by using the source files in the

default folder that was chosen for the previous clip. If a
default folder was not chosen, then the original folder of
the first clips source file is used.
If a source file is not found, the Status line displays a
message that you need to select an import media file.
Import Options (All Clips) Section

The Import Options (All Clips) section of the Batch Import dialog box
contains global settings that affect all the files you are importing.
Use source compression for OMFI: When selected, the resolution

for OMFI files compressed with native resolution types (4:1s, 3:1,
1:1) is used. This allows for fast import of these files. When not
selected, the resolution in the Resolution pop-up menu is used as
the resolution for import. This option always overrides the OMFI
Resolution setting in the Import Settings dialog box.
Override clip settings with current settings: Allows you to

change the Import settings for all imported files. By default, each
file will import using the Import settings for the last time it was
imported.
If you change the Import settings by using the Import Options section, the
new settings will apply to all the files you are importing.
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Select (All Clips) Section

The Select (All Clips) section of the Batch Import dialog box contains
global settings that affect all the files you are importing.
Media Drive pop-up menu: Allows you to choose a destination

drive for the media files.
Resolution pop-up menu: Allows you to choose a video

resolution.
Starting the Reimport Process
Before beginning the reimport process, consider mounting any removable

media drives that held the original graphics.
You can streamline the reimport process by copying all graphics files
to a single folder on the internal hard drive before you import the files.
Then, import the files from this folder so that all graphics point to the
same original path.
To reimport imported files:
1. Open the bin and select the imported master clips and sequences
that you want to reimport.
2. Choose Batch Import from the Bin menu.
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3. Select one of the following:
Offline only: Reimports only the selected imported master

clips that are missing their media files.
All clips: Reimports all the selected imported master clips; for
example, if you need to change the video resolution of the
imported master clips.
The Batch Import dialog box appears.

4. Choose a destination drive for all the media files from the Media
Drive pop-up menu.
5. Choose a video resolution for all the reimported files from the
Resolution pop-up menu.
6. (Option) By default, the file will be imported using the Import
settings from the last time it was imported. You can change the
Import settings for all clips being imported by doing the
following:
a. Select Override clip settings with current settings.
b. Click Current Settings to open the Import Settings dialog box.
c. Select the appropriate options.
d. Click OK to close the Import Settings dialog box.
7. (Option) Select Use source compression for OMFI to import files
with the resolution that was used to create the files. Do not select
this option if you want to use the resolution set in the Resolution
pop-up menu.
8. Begin the batch import process by doing one of the following:
Click OK to Original Path if the source files for the master

clips are located in the original folder.
Click OK to All if the source files for the master clips are
located in the current folder of their original folder.
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If a source file is not found, a message that you need to select an

import media file is displayed in the Status line. Do the following:
a. Choose a source file for the current master clip, using the file
browser. The Clip Info section of the Batch Import dialog box
provides information about the current master clip you are
processing.
b. Click Open when the source file name is displayed in the File
Name text box.
If a source file is found in multiple locations, the Choose Batch
Import File dialog box appears.
Choose the file path you want by clicking one of the buttons:
Click
To
Choose Default
Select the default path for the current file
Choose Original Select the original path for the current file
Always Default
Select the default path for all the files
Always Original Select the original path for all the files
Clicking Cancel allows you to cancel the entire import operation. If you click
Cancel, none of the source files are imported.
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CHAPTER 9
Organizing with Bins
The Avid Xpress DV system provides powerful database tools for
organizing and managing your recorded material. You can work with
bins using two different views. You can rename, sort, sift, duplicate,
and delete clips and sequences. You can also print single-clip frames or
whole bins. These topics are covered in the following sections:
Before You Begin
About Bin Views
Basic Bin Procedures
Using Text View
Using Frame View
Printing Bins
Gathering Format Elements
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Before You Begin

There are several procedures you might want to perform before
organizing your project because they affect the display of information
in bins or the way the clips play back during screening:
If you would like to center the pan between left and right speakers
for some or all of the clips in a bin, see Adjusting Pan Defaults
on page 224.
If you would like to customize the types of objects (clips, subclips,

and so on) displayed in a bin, see Setting the Bin Display on
page 225.
Adjusting Pan Defaults

The way your footage was recorded in the field and recorded on
Avid Xpress DV will affect the way sound pans between the speakers.
By default, the system pans audio tracks 1 and 3 to the left speaker
output and pans audio tracks 2 and 4 to the right speaker output.
You can set global pan settings before or during editing by using the
Audio Settings dialog box and selecting All Tracks Centered.
For information on using the Audio Mix tool to adjust pan for
individual clips in a sequence, see Using the Audio Mix Tool on
page 398.
Adjusting Default Pan Settings

The Audio Settings dialog box provides options for adjusting the
default audio pan when editing with new clips, and digital audio
scrub parameters for monitoring and analyzing audio tracks and
transitions.
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To open the Audio Settings dialog box:

2. Double-click Audio.
The Audio Settings dialog box appears.
By default, the audio tracks for clips alternate with track 1 on the left
speaker and track 2 on the right speaker for monitoring and output.
The option All Tracks Centered instructs the system to center the pan
of all tracks between the two speakers for monitoring and output.
Setting the Bin Display

You can use the Display Bin Selection dialog box to display clips
referenced by a sequence, even if the clips were not previously in the
bin. Place a sequence in a new bin and follow this procedure.
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To set the bin display:

1. Choose Set Bin Display from the Bin menu.
The Display Bin Selection dialog box appears.
Table 9-1 briefly describes the icons listed in the Display Bin
Selection dialog box.
Table 9-1
Object Icon Descriptions
Object Icon
Master Clips
Object Description
A clip that references audio and video media files
formed from recorded footage or imported files.
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Table 9-1
Object Icon Descriptions (Continued)
Object Icon
Object Description
Subclips
A clip that references a selected portion of a master

clip.
Sequences
A clip that represents an edited program, partial or

complete, that you create from other clips.
Sources
A clip that references the original videotape source

footage for master clips.
Effects
A clip that references an unrendered effect that

you create.
Motion Effects
A file in the bin that references effect media files

generated when you create motion effects.
Rendered Effects
A clip that references an effect media file

generated when you render an effect.
2. Select the object types that you want to see: master clips, subclips,
sequences, and so on.
3. The option Show clips created by user is selected by default.
Deselect this option only if you want to hide all objects except
those created by the system.
4. Select the option Show reference clips to automatically display
objects that are referenced by sequences in the bin, whether those
clips were previously in the bin or not.
5. Click OK. The bin displays objects according to your
specifications.
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About Bin Views

There are two display views for working with clips in a bin: Text view
and Frame view.
In Text view, clips are displayed in a database text format, using

columns and rows, with icons representing the various objects.
Column
headings
Object icons
Fast Menu
button
Text View button
For information on
specific Text view
features, see Using
Text View on
page 245.
To enter Text view, click the Text View button (labeled T) in the
lower left corner of the bin.
In Frame view, each clip is represented by a single picture frame,

with the name of the clip. You can play back the footage in each
frame and change the size of frames. You can also rearrange the
frames in any order within the bin.
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Clip frame
Clip name
Frame View button
For information on
specific Frame view
features, see Using
Frame View on
page 255.
To enter Frame view, click the Frame View button (labeled F) in

the lower left corner of the bin.
Custom Bin Views

To the right of the Text View button is the Bin View pop-up menu (Text
view only) for selecting different Bin views.
Text View button
Bin View pop-up menu
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Customizing Bin Views in Text View

You can create and save customized bin views that you can easily
access from the Bin View pop-up menu. You can customize the bin
view by adding, hiding, or rearranging Bin columns. The only
required column heading is the clip name, which is displayed by
default.
To customize views of the bin, you can add, hide, copy, or rearrange
standard or customized columns in any combination to create your
own custom views. You can name and save them to suit your needs.
When you create a new Bin view, the system saves the settings for this
view so that you can later access and alter, copy, or delete these
settings. New Bin View settings appear in the Settings scroll list of the
Project window.
Saving a Custom Bin View

Any time you add, hide, or delete a column, the bin view name
changes to italic with the file name extension .n to indicate that it no
longer matches the original view. If you select a new Bin View setting
while the current setting is untitled or italic, the system discards the
current setting.
If you do not save the view after adding or deleting headings, it is discarded.
To save a bin view:
1. Open a bin and click the Text View button (T).
2. Add or hide columns according to preference. The bin view name
becomes italic.
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3. Choose Save As from the Bin View pop-up menu.

The View Name dialog box appears.
4. Type a name for the custom view and click OK.
Bin Fast Menu

All Bin menu commands are also available in the Bin Fast menu,
located in the lower left corner of every bin. The Fast menu is
convenient when you are working with several open bins and need to
access Bin menu commands quickly.
To open the Bin Fast menu, click the Fast Menu button in the lower left
corner of the bin.
Basic Bin Procedures

There are some basic procedures that you can use in either Text view
or Frame view for manipulating clips in the bin. They include
selecting, deleting, duplicating, moving, copying, and sifting clips and
sequences.
When you are working with bins, an asterisk appears before the bin
name in the bins title bar. This asterisk indicates that the changes to
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the bin have not been saved. Once you save the bin, the asterisk is
removed.
To view a complete list of the bins in your project, see Using the Bins
Display on page 60.
Setting the Bin Font

To set the font displayed in bins:
1. Choose Set Font from the Edit menu.
The Font Selection dialog box appears.
2. Click the Font pop-up menu, and choose from the list of available
fonts.
Any font loaded in the Fonts folder appears in the list. For information on
adding fonts to your system, see your Windows NT documentation.
3. Type another point size for the font in the Size text box.
4. Click OK. The new font appears in all bin views.
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Selecting Clips and Sequences

Use one of the following procedures to select clips or sequences in a
bin:
Click the clip or sequence icon (Text view), or click the picture area
of the clip or sequence (Frame view).
Select multiple clips or sequences by Ctrl+clicking additional

items, or by clicking and dragging a lasso around several items.
To reverse your selection, choose Reverse Selection from the Bin menu.
The items that you previously selected are deselected, and those that
were previously deselected are selected.
Duplicating Clips and Sequences

When you duplicate a clip or sequence, the system creates a separate
clip linked to the same media files. You can move, rename, and
manipulate this clip without affecting the original clip.
To duplicate a clip or sequence:
1. Select the clip or sequence that you want to duplicate, or Ctrl+click
multiple clips.
A copy of the clip or sequence appears in the bin, with the original
clip or sequence name followed by the file name extension
.Copy.n, where n is the number of duplicates created from the
original clip or sequence.
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Duplicated Clip
Clip
Moving Clips and Sequences

You can move clips and sequences to other bins in order to group and
organize various types of material based on project needs.
To move clips or sequences from one bin to another:
1. Create or open another bin. Give the bin a name that represents its
purpose or contents.
2. Position or resize the original bin and the new bin so that you can
see both of them at the same time.
3. Select the clip or sequence that you want to move, or Ctrl+click
multiple clips or sequences.
4. Drag the clips or sequences to the new bin.
If the destination bins display has been set to show reference clips, the
referenced object types do not appear until you save the bin.
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Copying Clips and Sequences

When you copy clips or sequences, you essentially clone the same clip
or sequence in another bin. In other words, any change you make to
the copy will affect the original as well. You cannot copy clips to the
same bin, and you cannot return a clip copy to the same bin where the
original resides.
When you press the Alt key and drag a clip or sequence to make a
copy, the system does not add the file name extension .Copy.n to the
clip or sequence as it does when duplicating.
When you copy clips from one bin to another, the custom columns that
you created in the first bin are also copied to the second bin. The
custom columns appear in the order in which you created them.
To copy clips or sequences from one bin to another bin:
1. Position the bins so that you can see both of them at the same time.
You may need to resize the bins to do this.
2. In the original bin, click the clip or sequence that you want to copy,
or Ctrl+click multiple clips or sequences.
3. Press and hold the Alt key, drag the clips or sequences to the
destination bin, and release the mouse button.
Deleting Clips and Sequences

To delete clips or sequences from a bin:
1. Select the clips and sequences that you want to delete.
2. Choose Delete from the Edit menu, or press the Delete key.
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The Delete dialog box appears, showing information about the

selected items.
3. Select the items for deletion.

4. (Option) Delete the associated media files for master clips and
effect clips. You can select both clips and media files for deletion,
or you can select only the media files if you want to retain the clips
for rerecording later.
5. Click OK.
If you choose to delete media files, a dialog box appears.
6. Click Delete.
236
Assigning Colors to Bin Objects

You can assign colors to clips, subclips, sequences, and effect clips to
help you manage and organize the bin objects. Colors assigned to bin
objects are referred to as source colors.
Adding a Color Column to a Bin

To add a Color column to a bin:
1. With a bin in Text view, choose Headings from the Bin menu.
The Bin Column Selection dialog box appears.
2. Ctrl+click Color from the scroll list to select it.

3. Click OK.
The Color column appears in the bin.
By default, a new column appears as the last column in the bin. To move the
Color column, select the Color column heading and drag it to the left.
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Assigning a Source Color

To assign a color to a clip, subclip, sequence, or effect clip in a bin:
1. With a bin in Text view, select the bin objects to which you want to
assign a color.
2. Choose Set Clip Color from the Edit menu, and choose a color
from the submenu.
The color appears in the Color column and on the clip icon.
You can also assign a color by clicking in the Color column and choosing a
color from the pop-up menu.
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Assigning a Custom Source Color

To assign a custom color to a clip, subclip, sequence, or effect clip in a
bin:
assign a color.
2. Choose Set Clip Color from the Edit menu, and choose Pick from
the submenu.
The Windows NT Color dialog box appears.
3. Select a color and click OK.
The custom color appears in the Color column and on the clip
icon.
After you assign a custom color, the color appears as Other in the Set Clip
Color submenu.
Limiting Color Choices

When assigning colors to bin objects, you can limit the color choices to
only the colors currently used in the bin.
To limit the colors available when assigning colors to bin objects:
assign a color.
2. Alt+click in the Color column in the bin.
A menu of all the colors you are using in the bin appears. Any
custom colors you assigned are labeled Other.
3. Choose one of the colors.
The color appears in the Color column and on the clip icon.
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Sorting by Color
To sort bin objects by color:
1. Click the Color column heading in the bin.
2. Choose Sort from the Bin Fast menu.
The objects in the bin are sorted by color.
Colors are sorted by hue, saturation, and value.
Sifting by Color
To sift bin objects by color:
1. Choose Custom Sift from the Bin Fast menu.
2. Type the name of the color in the text box.
3. Choose Color as your sift parameter.
4. Click OK.
The objects in the bin are sifted by the color you specified.
Highlighting Offline Media Clips

You can choose to highlight the clips in the Timeline that have offline
media. The clips appear red, indicating their media is offline.
Choosing offline overrides any previous source or local color
selections.
To highlight the clips that have offline media:
1. Click in the Timeline to activate it.
2. Choose Show Offline Clips from the Timeline Fast menu.
Any offline media is displayed in red in the Timeline.
240
When you are working with nested layers, a clip that contains offline media
appears red even if the missing media is nested many layers deep.
Sifting Clips and Sequences

When you sift clips, the bin displays only those clips that meet a
specific set of criteria. For example, you can do a custom sift to display
only those clips containing the word close-up in the heading
column. The dialog box provides you with six different levels of
criteria.
To sift clips and sequences:
1. Choose Custom Sift from the Bin menu.
The Custom Sift Parameters dialog box appears.
Sift criteria text box
Column pop-up menu
Operator
pop-up
menu
2. Click the Operator pop-up menu and choose one of the sifting
options.
241
3. Click the first Sift criteria text box, and type the text that you want
to use as a sift criterion. When sifting by color, type the name of
the color exactly by using uppercase and lowercase letters, in the
text box.
4. Click the Column pop-up menu, and choose a column heading to
which you want to apply the criterion.
5. Type additional sift criteria, and make additional column
selections, as necessary.
6. Click OK.
Only the clips that meet your criteria remain in the bin, with the
word sifted added to the bin name.
After you have sifted the clips in a bin, you can display the bin in a
sifted or an unsifted state as follows:
To view the entire bin, choose Show Unsifted from the Bin menu.
To view the sifted bin, choose Show Sifted from the Bin menu.
The word sifted appears in parentheses after the bin name when
you are viewing a sifted state.
Selecting Offline Items in a Bin

Offline items are clips, subclips, or sequences that are missing some or
all of their original media files or have never been recorded.
To identify offline items, choose Select Offline Items from the Bin
menu or the Bin Fast menu. The bin highlights all items that are
missing media files.
242
Selecting Media Relatives for an Object

When you identify the media relatives of a selected clip or sequence, the
system highlights all other clips linked to the selected clip, such as
subclips or other sequences.
To identify media relatives:
1. Open the bin that contains the chosen clip or sequence.
2. Open any other bins that might contain the media relatives that
you want to find.
3. Resize and position the bins so that you can see their contents. Text
view is best for viewing as many objects as possible.
4. Select the chosen clip or sequence, and choose Select Media
Relatives from the Bin menu or the Bin Fast menu.
243
The system highlights all related objects in all open bins.
Highlighted
media relatives
Highlighted items
You can also use the Media tool to look at the recorded video and audio data
files stored on your media drives.
244
Using Text View

Text view provides the most complete view of clip information. It uses
database columns that you can rearrange and customize to suit your
needs.
To enter Text view, click the Text View button (labeled T) in the lower
left corner of the bin.
Text View button
Arranging Bin Columns

This section provides procedures for adding, hiding, moving,
duplicating, and deleting columns from a bin.
245
Moving and Rearranging Columns

To move a text column in a bin:
1. Click the heading of the column that you want to move.
The entire column is highlighted.
2. Drag the column to the position you want, and release the mouse
button.
The column appears in the new position, and columns to the right are
moved to make room.
246
Aligning Bin Columns

When you align bin columns, the system maintains the same order of
columns from left to right but spaces them according to the length of
their contents. This is especially useful for removing spaces left after
you move or rearrange columns.
To align bin columns, choose Align to Grid from the Bin menu, or
press Ctrl+T.
Showing and Hiding Columns

You can select individual or multiple headings to be displayed or
hidden in the bin.
To choose column headings:
1. With a bin in Text view, choose Headings from the Bin menu.
The Bin Column Selection dialog box appears.
247
2. Select the headings you want to add to the bin:
Click the name of a heading to select it.
Click a highlighted heading to deselect it.
Click Select All to highlight all the headings in the bin.
Click Deselect All to deselect all the headings in the bin.
3. Click OK. Only the headings highlighted in the dialog box appear
in the bin or bin view.
Deleting a Column
Deleting a statistical column is the same as hiding the column; in other
words, you can restore the column at any time using the Bin Column
Selection dialog box. When you delete a Custom column, however,
you must re-create the column.
To delete a column:
1. Click the column heading.
2. Choose Delete from the Edit menu, or press the Delete key.
The column disappears from the view, and surrounding columns close
to fill the space.
Duplicating a Column
You can duplicate existing columns containing timecode information
in other compatible columns that you target in a dialog box.
To duplicate a timecode column:
1. Select the column you wish to duplicate by clicking its heading.
248
The Bin Selection dialog box appears.
The dialog box contains column names compatible with the

column you selected in step 1. The column must contain the same
type of data for the copy to occur.
3. Select a column name from the list and click OK.
The column of information appears in the column you designated.
Adding Customized Columns to a Bin

You can add your own column headings to describe information about
clips and sequences. For example, you might want to add a column
heading to describe what kind of shot (close-up, wide shot, master
shot, extreme close-up, and so on) is used in a clip.
To add a new custom column:
1. Click an empty area to the right of the current headings in the
headings box.
2. Move any existing column to the right or left in order to create an
empty area.
249
3. Type the column heading you want, and press Enter. Column
headings must contain fewer than 30 characters, including spaces.
Headings
box
Custom
heading
This places the pointer in the data box, beside the first clip in the
bin.
4. Choose Align to Grid from the Bin menu after you have entered
the new column heading.
5. Type the information, and press Enter to move to the next line.
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Changing a Custom Column Heading

You can change the heading name of custom columns only. You cannot
change any of the standard statistical or film column headings.
To change the name of a custom column:
1. Press and hold the Alt key, and click the heading to highlight it.
2. Type the new text for the heading, and press Enter.
Managing Clip Information in Text View

There are several ways to manage clip information in Bin columns.
These methods include copying information between cells, moving
information between whole columns, sorting clip information, and
modifying clip data, as described in this section.
Moving Within Column Cells

Use the keyboard shortcuts to move from cell to cell in bin columns:
Tab: Moves the pointer to the parallel cell in the next column. You
can continue to press the Tab key to scroll through the cells to the
right until the cell in the last column is highlighted. The next time
you press the Tab key, the cell in the first column is highlighted.
Shift+Tab: Moves the pointer to the cell in the previous column.

You can continue to press Shift+Tab to scroll through cells to the
left until the cell in the first column is highlighted. The next time
you press Shift+Tab, the cell in the last column is highlighted.
Enter key on the main keyboard: Enters any new information

typed in the cell and moves the pointer down to the cell in the next
row. You can continue to press Enter to scroll down the column
until the last cell in the column is highlighted. The next time you
press Enter, the first cell in the column is highlighted.
Shift+Enter key on the main keyboard: Moves the pointer up to

the cell in the previous row. You can continue to press Shift+Enter
251
until the cell in the top row is highlighted. The next time you press
Shift+Enter, the cell in the last row is highlighted.
Modifying Clip Information

You can change or modify the information in certain columns for your
master clips, subclips, tapes, and other objects stored in the bin. This is
especially useful if some of the data is incorrect or if you need to
conform information for organizational purposes.The following
conditions apply to modifying clip information:
When you modify a clips information, related objects are

automatically updated to reflect the new data. For example, if you
change the name of a clip, the updated name appears in the
sequences that use the clip.
Some data cannot be modified after recording because changes

would prevent you from playing back and editing the material
successfully.
Sequence data cannot be changed, even though it appears in your

bin. The only way to modify sequence data is to edit the sequence
itself. You can, however, change the name and start time for the
master timecode track, as described in Changing the Sequence
Clip Info on page 326.
You can modify some data directly for master clips, subclips, and
other objects stored in a bin.
Modifying Data Directly
When you modify information in a bin directly, you click a cell and
type the new information. For example, you can type a new name for a
clip or correct the start and end timecodes.
To modify the clip data directly:
1. Enter Text view.
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2. Click the cell that you want to modify. Select only one item at a
time.
3. Click the cell again to enter text.
If the pointer does not change to an I-beam, you may be
attempting to modify a column that cannot be directly modified.
4. Type the new information, and press Enter.
Copying Information Between Columns

The following procedure describes how to copy information in one
column to another column.
To copy information between columns:
1. Select the column that you want to copy.
2. Choose Duplicate from the Edit menu, or press Ctrl+D.
A dialog box prompts you to target a column for the data.
3. Select the target column for the data, and click OK.
Sorting Clips
Sorting clips arranges them in either numerical or alphabetical order,
based on the data in the column you select as the sorting criteria. You
can sort clips in several different ways, including an ascending sort, a
descending sort, and a multilevel sort.
You can sort clips and sequences in Text view only. If you need to view sorted
clips in Frame view, sort them in Text view first and then return to Frame
view.
Sorting Clips in Ascending Order
To sort clips in ascending order:
1. In Text view, click the heading of the column that you want to use
as the criterion.
The column is highlighted.
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2. Choose Sort from the Bin menu, or press Ctrl+E.

The objects in the bin are sorted in ascending order. See Sorting
Clips in Descending Order on page 254.
If the Sort command appears dimmed in the menu, you have not selected a
column.
To reapply the last sort, choose Sort Again from the Bin menu with no
column selected. This step is especially useful after you have added
new clips to a sorted bin.
Sorting Clips in Descending Order
To sort clips in descending order:
1. In Text view, click the heading of the column that you want to use
as the criterion.
The column is highlighted.
2. Press and hold the Alt key while you choose Sort Reversed from
the Bin menu or while you press Ctrl+E.
Sort Reversed displays the objects in descending order. See Sorting
Clips in Ascending Order on page 253.
Performing Multilevel Sorting with Columns
You can select multiple columns in a bin and perform a multilevel sort
using the information in the columns.
To do this, rearrange the columns in the bin to establish the primary
column. The column that appears farthest to the left in Text view
becomes the primary criterion for the sorting operation.
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Using Frame View

In Frame view, each clip is represented by a single frame, with the
name of the clip displayed below the frame. The system uses the head
frame as the default, but you can play back the footage within any clip
and select any frame to represent the footage. You can make the
pictures larger to see more detail or smaller to see more clips in the
window. You can also rearrange the frames in any order.
Each frame appears on your screen with its assigned name directly
beneath it.
Clip frame
Clip name
Frame View button
Changing the Bin Background Color

Bin color changes affect one bin at a time. Bin color changes can be
applied to Frame view only. Text view remains black and white.
To change the bin background color:
1. Activate the bin you want to change, and make sure you are in
Frame view.
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2. Choose Set Bin Background from the Edit menu, and select a color
from the pop-up palette.
The bin color changes, based on your selection.
Enlarging or Reducing Frame Size

You must enlarge or reduce all frames in the bin together. You cannot
change the size of an individual frame.
To enlarge the frame size, choose Enlarge Frame from the Edit
menu. The display size increases each time you choose this option,
up to five times.
To reduce the frame size, choose Reduce Frame from the Edit
menu. The display size decreases each time you choose this
option, up to five times.
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Rearranging Frames
Frame view allows you to rearrange the display of the frames in the
bin by moving them.
To rearrange frames:
1. Click a single frame, and drag it to its new position.
To rearrange more than one frame at a time, Shift+click or lasso
multiple frames and drag them to a new position in the bin.
2. Click the background area of the bin to deselect the clips.
When you return to Text view, the order of the clips is changed there as well.
Changing the Frame Identifying the Clip

By default, Frame view displays the first frame of each clip in the bin.
You can, however, change the displayed frame.
To change the frame identifying the clip:
1. Select the clip that you want to change.
2. Press and hold the K key on the keyboard (Pause), and press the L
key (Play) to roll the footage within the frame forward at slow
speed. To move backward through the footage, press and hold the
K key and press the J key (Reverse Play).
3. When you see the frame that you want use, release the keys.
Avid Xpress DV saves the displayed frame as part of the bin
configuration.
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Arranging Frames in a Bin

To rearrange up the frames in a bin after you have changed their
display, use one of the following procedures:
To align all frames to an invisible grid, choose Align to Grid from

the Bin menu.
To spread out the frames evenly to fill available space in the bin
window, choose Fill Window from the Bin menu.
Printing Bins
Avid Xpress DV allows you to print entire bins or individual frames in
hardcopy form.
To print entire bins in Text or Frame view:
1. Make sure your printer is correctly configured. See your printer or
Windows NT documentation, or your system administrator.
2. Click the T (Text view) or F (Frame view) button in the lower left
corner of the bin.
3. Choose Page Setup from the File menu.
The Page Setup dialog box appears, reflecting specific options for
the type of printer you have.
4. Select the appropriate options from the Page Setup dialog box, and
then click OK.
5. Choose Print Bin from the File menu. The Print dialog box
appears, reflecting specific options for the type of printer you
have.
6. Select the print options in the Print dialog box, and then click OK.
The system prints the active bin.
To print a frame in Frame view, you must use a printer capable of printing
graphics files.
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Gathering Format Elements

While organizing your project, you can gather various format
elements into a single bin that you can open and use later during
editing.
Some useful format elements might be:
Bars and tone
Head and tail leader
Repeated titles
Countdowns
Graphic elements (repeated animations, and so forth)
This section describes techniques for creating digital bars and tone, as
well as leader clips for use in sequences. For information on creating
or importing graphic elements and titles, see the Avid Xpress DV Effects
Guide.
Preparing Digital Bars and Tone

Your Avid Xpress DV system includes a set of test pattern PICT files.
You can choose the type of test pattern you want to use and import it
to the system at any time.
When you are ready to output a digital cut, you can generate tone to
go along with bars using the Calibration tone features of the Audio
tool. For more information, see Preparing for Output on page 470.
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Importing Color Bars and Other Test Patterns

The following procedure describes the method for importing a PICT
file. This method is available to all users because your Avid Xpress DV
system includes a SMPTE bars PICT file.
To import a test pattern from a PICT file:
1. Open an existing bin, or create a new one for the test pattern.
2. Select the destination bin.
4. Navigate to the Test_Patterns folder. The Test_Patterns folder is

located in the SupportingFiles folder inside the Program
Files\Avid\Avid Xpress DV folder.
5. Import any test pattern file to the Test_Patterns folder by
following the procedures in Chapter 8.
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6. Create a clip of tone media by using the Audio tool. For more
information, see Creating Tone Media on page 171.
Consider recording tone at both 44 kHz and 48 kHz for use in
various projects. Match the resolution of the tone to the audio
resolution of the sequence.
7. Create a new sequence with the SMPTE bars, and edit the tone
media clip onto audio tracks 1 and 2.
8. Edit the end of this sequence to an appropriate length (1 minute is
a standard length for sequences).
9. Rename the sequence to indicate its purpose.
Creating Leader
Film editors traditionally use standard head and tail leaders for cueing
and syncing material. You can use digital leader in Avid Xpress DV to
mark the beginning and ending of tracks, and to help you maintain
sync. You can create your own leader for video or film, as described in
this section. Whatever your choice for specification, be sure to make all
your leader clips the same length, with common sync points.
Creating Video Leader

To create leader for picture tracks:
1. Create a black screen in the Title tool for tail leader or a white
screen for head leader. For information on using the Title tool, see
the Avid Xpress DV Effects Guide.
Optionally, you can type a title on the screen that says Tail
Leader or Head Leader.
2. Name this clip Head Leader or Tail Leader when you save the title.
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3. Create a subclip from an appropriate length of the clip, according

to your chosen specifications.
4. (Option) Mark a sync frame in the subclip as follows:
a. Load the clip into the Source pop-up monitor.
b. Find an appropriate sync point and add a locator.
c. (Option) Double-click the locator in the Source pop-up
monitor to add a sync point notation that appears on the
monitor.
Once the leader is prepared, you can splice the leader during editing
onto the tracks that you want to keep in sync. You can use the sync
points for visually aligning tracks.
Creating Audio Leader

To create tail leader for audio tracks:
1. Load a clip that includes a section of recorded tone into the Source
pop-up monitor.
2. Create a subclip from an appropriate section of the clip, according
to your chosen specifications.
3. Name this new subclip Head Leader or Tail Leader.
4. Load this subclip into the Source pop-up monitor.
5. Prepare the sound levels by using one of the following options:
For leader without a sync point (no audio pop), open the
Audio Mix tool and bring the audio level all the way down for
the entire clip.
For leader that includes a sync point (audio pop), do the

following:
a. Find the appropriate sync point.

b. Step one frame backward and place an add edit before the
sync frame; then step two frames forward and place an add
edit after the sync frame.
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c. Move the position indicator before the first add edit, and open
the Audio Mix tool.
d. Bring the audio level all the way down.
e. Move the position indicator after the second add edit, and use
the Audio Mix tool to bring the level all the way down.
For information on adding an edit, see Adding an Edit
(Match Framing) on page 367.
Once the leader is prepared, you can splice the leader during editing
onto the audio tracks that you want to keep in sync. You can use the
sync points for visually aligning tracks.
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CHAPTER 10
Managing Media Files
When you record footage, the system creates digital media files for the
video and audio tracks on the media drives attached to your system.
In addition to the bin tools that allow you to organize the clips that
reference these media files, your Avid Xpress DV system provides
useful tools and features for directly managing media files for storage
and playback efficiency, for backup, and for transfer between systems.
These procedures are described in the following sections:
Using the Media Tool
Consolidating Media
Backing Up Media Files
Finding a Related Media File
Relinking Media Files
Unlinking Media Files
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Using the Media Tool

The Media tool is your window to the recorded video and audio data
files stored on your media drives. As an important counterpart to the
bins, the Media tool provides similar database tools for manipulating
digital media files in tandem with your organization of clips and
sequences.
Basic Media Tool Features

The Media tool provides many of the same controls for viewing and
managing information that you use with bins:
The two display views in the Media tool function like those in
bins: Frame view and Text view.
You can use the same Frame view options described in Using
Frame View on page 255.
You can use Text view headings and options for columns of clip
and media file data. You can also use procedures such as
customizing the display of columns, moving within columns, and
sorting information, as described in Using Text View on
page 245.
The Media Tool Fast menu gives you quick access to the same
commands available in the Bin Fast menu.
You can highlight, move, copy, duplicate, delete, sort, and sift clips
in the Media tool. You can also select media relatives, sources, and
unreferenced clips, as described in Basic Bin Procedures on
page 231.
Media Tool database and display options are saved as User

settings. When you close the Media tool, the view you are in
(Frame or Text) is saved and any customizations of columns are
saved.
You can print Media Tool data by using the same procedures for
printing bins, as described in Printing Bins on page 258.
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The Media tool also has a number of unique features:
Unlike a bin, the Media tool can display all the tracks recorded for
each clip as separate media files. Therefore, when you view,
delete, and manipulate files, you have the added option of
specifying individual video and audio tracks.
Unlike a bin, the Media tool does not display sequences and
subclips. Only master clips, precompute (rendered effect) clips,
and associated media files are available for display.
The following Bin menu commands do not apply to the Media

tool: Batch Record, Batch Import, Relink, Modify, and
AutoSequence. You must perform these functions from a bin.
Opening the Media Tool

To open the Media tool:
1. Choose Media Tool from the Tools menu.
The Display Media Selection dialog box appears.
2. Select the display options as follows:

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The Media tool loads the media database only for the drives you select. The
more drives you select, the more memory is required for the Media tool to
open.
You can select individual media drives or all drives.
You can display files for the current project, for selected
projects, or for all projects.
Only projects with associated online media and the current project appear in
the Project(s) list in the Display Media Selection dialog box.
You can display only recorded master clips, precompute

(rendered effect) clips, or media files, or any combination of
the three.
3. Click OK.
The Media tool opens.
Precompute
clip
Media file
Master clip
Text View button
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Deleting Media Files with the Media Tool

You can use the Media tool to delete selected media files without
harming the related master clips, subclips, and sequences.
If you use the Media tool to delete selected media files, you will no longer have
access to visuals of the deleted material. If you load a clip for which a media
file has been deleted, a blank screen appears with the message Media
Offline. If you need to use those clips again, you must rerecord from tape.
Depending on your needs, you can do one of the following:
Delete selected audio or video tracks and retain other tracks from
a clip.
Delete entire sets of media files and related clips from within the
Media tool.
Delete all unrelated media upon completion of a project, and

retain only the media required for playback of a finished sequence
as described in Consolidating Media on page 270.
To delete selected media files:

1. Open the Media tool.
2. In the Display Media Selection dialog box, select the types of files
(master clips, precompute clips, or media files) that you want to
delete.
3. Select one or more media files (audio, video, or both) or master
clips whose media files you want to delete.
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4. Choose Delete from the Edit menu, or press the Delete key to open
the Delete Media dialog box.
5. Select the media files that you want to delete:
Audio media file (A1, A2, A3, A4). The master clip linked to
that file is silent. Subclips and sequences created from the
master clip are affected in the same way.
Video media file (V1). The master clip linked to that file is
black, and the message Media Offline is displayed in the
Source pop-up or Composer monitor. Related subclips and
sequences are affected in the same way.
Precompute media file (V, A). The section of the sequence

with the effect is black, and the message Media Offline is
displayed.
Audio mixdown file (A). The section of the sequence with the
mixdown is silent.
6. Click OK.
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7. Click Delete.
The selected media files are deleted.
Consolidating Media
When you consolidate media files, the system finds the media files or
portions of media files associated with selected clips, subclips, or
sequences. It then makes copies of them and saves the copies on a
target drive that you specify. Because the Media tool displays only
master clips, you cannot consolidate subclips or sequences with the
Media tool. You can consolidate master clips, subclips, and sequences
in the bin.
About the Consolidate Feature

The Consolidate feature allows you to create copies of the sequences
media files to a selected drive. This makes it relatively simple to move
source files with you when you work on a different system. Using the
Consolidate feature has the advantage of copying only the amount of
media necessary; you save only the sequences and clips used in the
project. For example, it will not copy an entire 1-hour audio file in
order to consolidate a single 10-second clip.
The Consolidate feature operates differently depending on whether
you are consolidating master clips, subclips, or sequences. There are
also different advantages in each case, as follows:
Master clips: When you consolidate a master clip, the system

creates exact copies of the media files. If you link the original
master clip to the new files, the system creates a master clip with
the file name extension .old that remains linked to the old files. If
you maintain the link between the original master clip and the old
media files, the system creates a new master clip with the file
name extension .new that is linked to the new files. The new clips
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are also numbered incrementally beginning with .01.

Consolidating master clips does not save storage space because
the system copies the same amount of media for each clip.
Consolidating a Master Clip
Link the master clip

to new or old files.
Original media files
Master Clip.old.01
Copy of media files
Master Clip
Master Clip.new.01
Subclips: When you consolidate a subclip or group of subclips,

the sytem copies only the portion of the media files represented in
the subclip, and creates a new master clip that is the duration of
the subclip and a new subclip. The file name extension .new is
attached, along with incremental numbering beginning with .01.
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Consolidating a Subclip
Master Clip
Subclipped copy of media files
Subclip
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Master Clip.new.01
Subclip.new.01
Sequences: When you consolidate a sequence, the system copies

only the portions of media files edited into the sequence, and
creates new master clips for each clip in the sequence. The file
name extension .new is attached to the master clips, along with
incremental numbering beginning with .01. The sequence is not
renamed but is automatically relinked to the new media files.
Consolidating a Sequence
Clip A
Clip B
Edited copy of media files
Clip C
Clip A.new.01
Clip B.new.01
Clip C.new.01
New links are established.

Original links are broken.
Sequence
n
n
Because the Media tool displays only master clips, you cannot consolidate
subclips or sequences with the Media tool. You can consolidate master clips,
subclips, and sequences in the bin.
Because a consolidated sequence is linked to the new files by default, consider
duplicating the sequence each time you consolidate if you need to maintain
links to the original files.
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Using the Consolidate Command

To consolidate master clips, subclips, or sequences:
on rendering effects, see
the Avid Xpress DV
Effects Guide.
1. If you are consolidating a sequence, duplicate the sequence to

maintain links to the original files, if necessary, and render any
unrendered effects.
2. With the bin open, select the clips or sequence to consolidate.
3. Choose Consolidate from the Bin menu.
The Consolidate dialog box appears.
4. (Option) Select one or more of the following:
Video and Audio on same Volume(s) to store the

consolidated media files on the same target drive. Deselecting
this option allows you to select separate drives for the audio
and video media files.
Delete original media files when done to delete original

media files automatically.
Skip media files already on the target disk if some related

media files are already located on the target drive.
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Relink selected clips to target disk before skipping to ensure

that all selected clips are linked to media on the target drive.
This option appears when you select Skip media files already
on the target disk.
5. Select a target drive from the Target Drive(s) list. To select

additional target drives, Ctrl+click the drive name.
Make sure that you choose a target drive with enough storage
space for all the consolidated media files and the ability to play
back media. Drive filtering does not apply to the consolidate
process.
6. If you are consolidating subclips or sequences, type a handle
length for the new clips, or leave it at 60 frames (NTSC) or 50
frames (PAL) to accept the default. The handle length is the
number of safety frames before and after the chosen media.
7. If you are consolidating a group clip or a sequence that contains
group clips, select the option Consolidate all clips in a group
edit to copy media for all the clips in the group.
8. Select the Do Audio Sample Rate Conversion check box to
convert any sample rates not set at the rate set in the Audio Project
Settings dialog box. For information on setting the sample rate, see
Adjusting Audio Project Settings on page 165.
9. Click OK. If you are consolidating master clips and did not choose
to delete the original media files, a second dialog box appears and
offers you a choice.
10. Link the original master clips to the new or old media files,
according to preference.
11. Click OK.
Another way to back up media files is to copy them directly onto
another hard drive by using the Windows NT desktop. You
cannot, however, take advantage of the storage-saving features of
the Consolidate command, and it is more difficult to identify
particular media files when searching directly through folders.
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Do not make copies of media files from the Windows NT desktop

while the Avid Xpress DV application is running. Also, do not keep
duplicate copies of media files online; either delete the originals,
take the backups offline, or store the backups in a folder with a
different name.
Loading the Media Database

The media database is a catalog of master clips and precomputes
stored on the external media drives. One use of the media database is
to display master clips and precomputes in the Media tool.
Bins also contain references to some of the media files based on the
contents of the bin. Avid Xpress DV does not maintain the entire
database in memory at all times. Instead, it builds up a partial
database for the bins that have been opened in the current session in
order to preserve as much memory as possible for editing.
If you store the master clips and the edited sequences for a project in
separate bins, there are two scenarios in which sequences might
appear to be offline. In this case, you need to load the entire database
to relink clips to their media files. The scenarios are:
Rerecording: When you rerecord the master clips while the

sequences bin is closed, quit Avid Xpress DV, restart the
application, and open the sequences bin only.
Consolidating: When you consolidate the master clips and relink

them to the consolidated media while the sequences bin is closed,
quit Avid Xpress DV, restart the application, and open the
sequences bin only.
To update offline sequences with the new media files, choose Load
Media Database from the File menu. The system loads all online
master clips and precomputes.
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n
c
You need not load the media database more than once during a single editing
session because the database remains in memory until you quit the
application or restart the Avid Xpress DV system.
If a bin continues to display the message Media Offline after
loading the media database, either the media files are missing or the
links have been broken. For more information, see Relinking
Media Files on page 279.
Backing Up Media Files

The OMFI MediaFiles folders on your external media drives contain
the individual media files created when you recorded source material.
Unlike the smaller Avid Projects and Avid User folders, these folders
are too large to back up onto floppy disks.
The options for backing up media files include:
Consolidating or making copies of media files for transfer to

another system
Archiving larger media files and folders to a dedicated massstorage system
Finding a Related Media File

The Reveal File command allows you to select a clip in a bin and
automatically open its related media file. This is useful if you want to
delete, move, or label the media file.
To find a related media file:
1. Select the clip in a bin for which you want to find the media file.
The clip is highlighted.
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2. Choose Reveal File from the File menu.

The system searches all available drives, opens the
Windows NT Explorer, and highlights a related media file.
Related media file
If more than one file is related to the clip, a message asks if you
want to see the next file. If you click OK, you need to bring the
Explorer window forward by pressing and holding the Alt key
and pressing the Tab key until you select the OMFI MediaFiles
folder.
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Relinking Media Files

Sometimes, after you consolidate or move material between systems,
the clips or sequences lose their links to the original media files. When
a clip becomes unlinked, it displays the message Media Offline. If
appropriate media exists online, you can use the Relink command to
reestablish the link.
When you select subclips or sequences and choose the Relink
command, the system searches for master clips that contain the same
material included in the selection.
You can also relink master clips to appropriate media files. The system
compares information such as source tape name, timecode
information, and channels recorded. If the search is successful, the
system establishes new links to the available media files. You can
instruct the system to search specific drives or all available drives.
To relink clips, subclips, or sequences:
1. Select the unlinked object or objects in the bin.
2. Choose Relink from the Bin menu.
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The Relink dialog box appears.
3. Select an option from the Relink operation on selected clips

section, depending on the type of object you are relinking, either
non-master clips or master clips.
Select Relink offline non-master clips to any online items to

relink clips and sequences to the master clips that contain the
same material.
Select Relink all non-master clips to selected online items to

relink related subclips or sequences to the highlighted clip in
the bin.
Select Relink offline master clips to online media files to

relink master clips to media files that share similar database
information.
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4. Choose an option from the Relink to media on volume pop-up

menu:
Choose All Available Drives to search across all media drives

that are online.
Choose a specific drive volume if you know the location of the

media or if you want to relink to media on a specific media
drive.
5. (Option) Select Relink only to media from the current project.

6. (Option) Select Match case when comparing tape names.
7. Click OK.
The system searches the selected media drives, and relinks clips
and sequences if possible.
The system disregards capture rate, video resolution, and audio
resolution when matching media files.
To maintain the original record settings for a subclip or sequence, use the
Batch Record command; do not use the Relink command.
Relinking to Selected Clips

You can also use the Relink command for connecting subclips or
sequences to selected master clips and subclips.
To relink to selected master clips and subclips:
1. Move the subclips or sequences that you want to relink into the
bin containing the clips.
2. Select the clips targeted for relinking.
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4. Select Relink all non-master clips to selected online items to

relink related subclips or sequences to the highlighted clip in the
bin.
5. Choose an option from the Relink to media on volume pop-up
menu:
Choose All Available Drives to search across all media drives

that are online.
Choose a specific drive volume if you know the location of the

media or if you want to relink to media on a specific media
drive.

8. Click OK.
The subclips or sequences are linked to the selected clips or
subclips.
Relinking Consolidated Clips

If the appropriate media exists online, you can reconnect consolidated
clips, subclips, or sequences to the new or old media files.
For example, if you consolidated a sequence and forgot to create a
duplicate, and later decide to use the original media files instead of the
consolidated media files, you can break the new link and reestablish
the old link to the original files.
Because subclips and sequences do not point directly to the media files, you
can perform this procedure only by using the source master clips.
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To relink consolidated subclips or sequences:

1. Select the new master clips for a consolidated subclip or sequence
(the clips will have the file name extension .new), and unlink them.
For information on unlinking, see Unlinking Media Files on
page 284.
3. Select Relink offline master clips to online media files to relink
master clips to media files that share similar database information.
4. Choose a specific drive volume that contains the original media
files from the Relink to media on volume pop-up menu.
7. Click OK.
The clips are relinked to the original media files.
Relinking Moved Projects

If you move projects between systems with similar media existing at
each site but recorded separately, your clips and sequences will
display the message Media Offline. You can use the Unlink and
Relink commands to reconnect the files at either site.
For example, if you have a project that requires sharing work between
two different sites, you can record the source material once at each site
and exchange only the project folder at each stage, rather than move
large media drives back and forth. The project folder can be exchanged
on floppy disks or instantly across a network. Because the media files
maintain slightly different parameters at each site, you must relink the
material each time.
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Unlinking Media Files

You can use the Ctrl and Shift keys to modify the Relink command for
unlinking clips from their media files.
To unlink master clips from their current links:
1. Select the master clips to unlink.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift, and choose Unlink from the Bin menu.
The clips are unlinked and display the message Media Offline.
Because subclips and sequences do not point directly to the media files, you
can perform this procedure only by using the source master clips.
If you have similar material from different sources, you can duplicate
a set of clips, unlink the duplicates, and then modify the sources of the
duplicates before recording the new source material.
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CHAPTER 11
Viewing and Marking
Footage
Before making your first edit, you can review your footage, add
locators to clips, mark IN and OUT points, or create subclips. By
viewing and marking your material in advance, you can concentrate
on editing and refining your sequence at a later time without having to
pause and set marks each time you load a new clip. Techniques for
playback, viewing, and subcataloging clips are described in the
following sections:
Customizing the Composer Monitor
Viewing Methods
Loading and Clearing Footage
Resizing Monitors
Controlling Playback
Playing Video to the Client Monitor
Marking and Subcataloging Footage
Finding Frames and Clips
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Customizing the Composer Monitor

The Composer monitor can be customized by displaying or hiding
labels on buttons and changing the background color. You can also
customize the appearance of the Timeline by displaying a variety of
information about your sequence. You can customize Trim mode by
changing the Transition Play Loop settings for Preroll, Postroll, and
Intermission.
Changing the Composer Monitor Background Color

To change the background color of the Composer monitor:
1. Click in the Composer monitor to make it active.
2. Choose Set Composer Background from the Edit menu.
3. Choose a shade of gray for the background from the pop-up
palette.
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Displaying Tracking Information

Tracking information consists of any type of format used to identify
clips, audio and video tracks, individual frames, or footage durations
while you work. The Avid Xpress DV interface displays this
information in the Tracking Information menu, located above the
Composer monitor. This information is updated continuously to
reflect your current position in the footage. You can choose various
alternative tracking formats from submenus.
By default, the tracking information area displays no information until
you select a tracking format. In addition, tracking data is not displayed
when you dont have material loaded in the monitor. If you load a clip
and no information is currently displayed, you can still open the
submenu by clicking in the area above a monitor.
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To choose a tracking information format:

1. Load a clip or sequence into the Composer monitor.
2. Click in the information display area above the Composer
monitor, and choose a format from the Tracking Information
menu.
Tracking Information menu
Tracking Format Options

The Tracking Information menu contains a number of options for
information to display above the monitors.
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The following is a summary of the contents of the menu.
The upper portion of the menu lists options for summary

information, such as master timecode (Mas), duration of the entire
clip (Dur), IN to OUT duration (I/O), absolute timecode (Abs),
and time remaining (Rem).
The second portion of the menu lists options for displaying the
timecode for a specific track (V1, A1, A2, and so forth). This list
contains options only for the tracks existing in the currently
loaded clip or sequence. For example, a clip with only one audio
track does not show an option for A2.
The third portion displays the Clip Name for the track that you
choose from a submenu. The name displayed is continuously
updated based on the location of the position indicator.
The bottom portion allows you to select None to turn off the
display.
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Displaying the Clip Information Window

The Clip Information window displays statistical information about
the clip. You can open the Clip Information window from a bin, Source
pop-up monitor, or Composer monitor. This window also updates
information automatically.
To open the Clip Information window from a Source pop-up or
Composer monitor:
1. With the monitor active, click and hold in the gray area just below
the title or video.
The Clip Information window opens.
2. Drag the window to a new location to leave the window open.
Click and hold

here.
Only fields with data are displayed.
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As you move the position indicator through the clip in the

monitor, the information in the window is updated.
Around the monitors, you can click almost anywhere within the gray area to
open the Clip Information window.
If no clip is loaded in a monitor, the Clip Information window does not open.
To open the Clip Information window from a bin:
1. Press Ctrl+Alt and click the clip for which you want to display
information.
2. Drag the window to a new location to leave the window open.
Moving the Clip Information Window

To move the Clip Information window:
1. While clicking and holding the mouse button to display the Clip
Information window, move the pointer over the window and drag
it to a new location or another monitor.
An outline of the window appears.
2. Release the mouse button.
The Clip Information window is redisplayed.
Displaying the Timecode Window

Each Source pop-up monitor displays one line of timecode. The
Timeline also displays one line of timecode. The Timecode window
allows you to display one line of timecode in a separate window.
To set a timecode display:
1. Choose Timecode Window from the Tools menu.
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The Timecode window opens.
2. Click anywhere in the Timecode window.

3. Choose an option from the Timecode pop-up menu. For a
description of the Timecode options, see Table 11-1 on page 293.
Close button
Timecode pop-up menu
The window displays the timecode you have chosen.

4. Click the Close button to close the Timecode window.
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Table 11-1
Timecode Display Options
Option
Description
Mas
Displays master timecode at the present location
Dur
Displays total duration of the sequence
I/O
Displays duration between IN and OUT points
Abs
Displays absolute time duration at the present

position
Rem
Displays time remaining at the present position
V2
Displays the source track of the video on track 2
V1
Displays the source track of the video on track 1
A1
Displays the source track of the audio on track 1
A2
Displays the source track of the audio on track 2
Clip Name
Displays the name of the clip
None
Hides the display
Setting the Font and Point Size for Monitor Displays

This feature allows you to apply a font and point size to a sequence or
clip name.
To set the font and point size:
1. With the Composer monitor active, choose Set Font from the Edit
menu.
The Font Selection dialog box appears.
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2. Choose a font from the Font pop-up menu, and type a point size in
the Size text box.
3. Click OK.
The new font and point size are applied to the sequence name or clip
name.
Viewing Methods
You can work with clips and sequences in several different ways,
depending on your needs and preferences. Each method has its own
uses and advantages, as follows:
Viewing in bins: You see pictorial images of the clips in your bins
by using Frame view. You can also list the clips by name by using
Text view. See Using Text View on page 245.
Viewing in the Source pop-up monitors: You can load clips and
sequences into the Source pop-up monitors to view and mark or
subcatalog clips for use in a sequence that you build in the
Composer monitor.
Viewing in the Composer monitor: You can load a sequence into

the Composer monitor to view, mark, or modify an existing
sequence. You cannot load clips directly into the Composer
monitor.
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Viewing in the Timeline: Use the Timeline to view individual

tracks for either a sequence or a source clip.
Loading and Clearing Footage

You load individual or multiple clips into the Source pop-up monitor,
and you load sequences into the Composer monitor by using different
methods. You can also use the Clip Name menus to display or clips
and sequences.
Loading into the Source Pop-up and Composer Monitors

To load a clip or sequence into the Source pop-up monitor:
1. Open a bin and locate the clip or sequence.
2. Double-click the clip or sequence. Ctrl+click to load multiple clips
or sequences.
For each clip or sequence that you selected, a Source pop-up
monitor opens.
You can also load sequences by clicking the sequences and dragging
them from the bin to the monitor.
To load a sequence into the Composer monitor:
1. Open a bin and locate the sequence.
2. Drag the sequence into the Composer monitor or the Timeline.
Ctrl+click to load multiple sequences.
When you start a new sequence, you must drag the first clip into the
Timeline; you cannot drag it into the Composer monitor.
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Using the Clip Name Menu

When you have clips loaded in a monitor, you use the Clip Name
menu located above each monitor to switch between various loaded
clips or to clear clips from monitors.
Switching Between Loaded Sequences

If you have loaded multiple sequences into the Composer monitor,
you will see only one sequence displayed at a time.
To view an alphabetical list of the loaded sequences and choose an
alternate sequence for viewing:
1. Click the name of the current sequence displayed above the
monitor to reveal the Clip Name menu.
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Clip Name
menu
2. Choose a different sequence name from the menu. The selected

sequence replaces the current sequence in the monitor.
To see the list of sequences sorted in the order in which they were loaded into
the monitor, press the Alt key while opening the Clip Name menu.
Clearing Sequences from Monitors

To clear the monitor or the sequence names from the menu:
1. Click the name of the sequence currently displayed above the
Composer monitor to display the Clip Name menu.
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2. Choose one of the following commands:
Clear Monitor removes the displayed sequence from the

screen, leaving black. The sequences are still loaded.
Clear Menu deletes the list of all loaded sequence names and
leaves only the sequence currently displayed.
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Resizing Monitors
You can resize the Composer monitor and any Source pop-up monitor
to provide more area for displaying the Timeline or other windows.
You can either hide the video completely or resize the monitor using
the following procedures.
Hiding the Video in the Composer Monitor

You can resize the Composer monitor, displaying only the position
bars, the editing buttons, and the information portion above the
monitors. No video is displayed.
To hide the video in a monitor, click the bottom right corner and drag
up until the video disappears.
Drag
from
here.
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The video disappears. Only the position bars, the editing buttons,
and the information portion above the monitors are displayed.
To redisplay the video in the monitor, click the bottom right corner and
drag down until the video reappears.
Resizing the Composer Monitor

You can resize the Composer monitor to a variety of sizes.
To resize the monitor:
1. Click in the Composer monitor to make it active.
2. Click the lower right corner of the window, and drag to the new
size you want the monitor to be.
The monitor is displayed with the new size.
Controlling Playback
There are several ways to play, view, and cue clips.
Instantly access frames or move through footage by using the

position indicator within the position bar under the monitors.
Play, step (jog), or shuttle through the footage by using userselectable buttons.
Play, step, or shuttle by using keyboard equivalents.
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If you try to play a sequence and the outline of the Composer monitor flashes,
another window is covering the Composer monitor. Click the Composer
monitor to bring it forward or move the window that is covering it.
Using Position Bars and Position Indicators

You can quickly access frames within a clip loaded into a monitor or
move through the footage by using the position indicators that appear
in the position bars under the Source pop-up and Composer monitors.
The position indicator also appears in the Timeline when you are
viewing a sequence.
You can move the position indicator within the position bar under
the monitor by clicking anywhere in the position bar or by
dragging the position indicator to the left or right. The speed with
which you drag the position indicator determines the speed at
which you move through the footage.
Position bar
Position indicator
In the Timeline, the position indicator shows your position within

the sequence. It is always in the same position as the position
indicator in the Composer monitors position bar. Click anywhere
in the Timeline to relocate the position indicator, or drag the
position indicator through footage at varying speeds.
You can go directly to the beginning or end of a clip or sequence

by clicking at the far left or far right of the position bar or the
Timeline.
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Position indicator in Timeline
Using Buttons
You can use the buttons that appear beneath the Composer monitor
and in the Source pop-up monitors to play and step through your
footage. You can also use the keyboard to manipulate footage.
Step Buttons
You can use the Step (or Jog) buttons under the monitors to play the
clip backward or forward in one-frame increments. If you press and
hold the Alt key while clicking either button, you can advance 10
frames forward or 10 frames backward.
To play forward or backward in 10-frame increments, press the 1 key
(backward) or the 2 key (forward) on the keyboard.
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Step Backward
Step Forward
To step (or jog) through footage:

1. Load a clip into a Source pop-up monitor or a sequence into the
Composer monitor.
2. Click the appropriate button to:
Step one frame forward
Step one frame backward
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Using the Keyboard

You can view your Keyboard settings by double-clicking Keyboard in
the Settings scroll list of the Project window.
The Keyboard window varies, depending on the type of keyboard
attached to your Avid Xpress DV system. If an Avid-supported
international keyboard is attached to your Avid Xpress DV system,
then the Keyboard window will match that keyboard.
Step buttons
Workspace buttons
Delete key
Play button
Home key
End key
Stop
Play buttons
Arrow keys
The J-K-L keys on the keyboard allow you to play, step (jog), and
shuttle through footage at varying speeds. This feature, also referred
to as three-button or variable-speed play, allows you to use three fingers
to manipulate the speed of playback for greater control.
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To shuttle through the footage by using the J-K-L keys on the

keyboard:
1. Load a clip into the Source pop-up monitor or a sequence into the
Composer monitor.
2. Use the following keys to shuttle at varying speeds:
Press the L key to move forward through the footage at

normal speed. You can increase the speed according to the
following table:
Press the L Key
To Play Footage at
NTSC Rate
PAL Rate
2 times
2x normal speed
60 fps
50 fps
3 times
3x normal speed
90 fps
75 fps
4 times
5x normal speed
150 fps
125 fps
5 times
8x normal speed
240 fps
200 fps
Press the J key to move backward at the same shuttle speed

increments.
Press the K and L keys together for slow forward (8 fps for
NTSC, 6 fps for PAL).
Press the K and J keys together for slow backward.
Press the K key and tap the L key or the J key to step through
footage one frame at a time.
3. To pause the shuttling, press the K key.

4. To stop shuttling, press the space bar.
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Home, End, and Arrow Keys

In addition to using the buttons in the application, you can use keys on
your keyboard to navigate through clips and sequences.
The Home key takes you to the beginning of a clip or sequence.
The End key takes you to the end of a clip or sequence.
The Left Arrow key moves the footage one frame backward.
Pressing and holding the Alt key while pressing the Left Arrow
key moves 10 frames backward.
The Right Arrow key moves the footage one frame forward.
Pressing and holding the Alt key while pressing the Right Arrow
key moves 10 frames forward.
Playing Video to the Client Monitor

You might want to see your sequences and effects as they will appear
on an external display monitor. To do this, connect a Client monitor to
your Avid Xpress DV system.
This section describes how to connect a Client monitor to your system
and how to configure your system to play video to the Client monitor.
Connecting a Client Monitor

Avid Xpress DV uses the hardware inside a camera or digital deck to
create the video signal that the Client monitor displays.
To use a Client monitor, you must have a camera or digital deck

connected to your Avid Xpress DV system.
For details on connecting a camera or deck and a Client monitor to
your system, see the Avid Xpress DV Getting Started Guide.
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Selecting the Client Monitor Setting

After you connect the camera or digital deck and Client monitor to
your Avid Xpress DV system, you must configure your system to play
video to the Client monitor. Use the Video Display setting in the
Settings scroll list to configure your system.
To configure Video Display settings:
2. Double-click Video Display.
The Video Display Settings dialog box appears.
307
3. If it is not already selected, select DV camera supports digital

video input.
4. Select External Video (client monitor enabled).
5. Select your video source in the External Video Source section:
S-Video Select this option if you are routing your video signal
from the S-Video output on your camera or deck to the S-Video
input on the Avid Xpress DV systems capture board.
Composite Select this option if you are routing your video
signal from the Composite output on your camera or deck to the
Composite input on the Avid Xpress DV systems capture board.
If you need more information, refer to the manufacturers
instructions for your digital camera or deck.
6. Click OK.
Avid Xpress DV sends the video to the Client monitor.
Supporting a Camera Without Video Input

If you connect a camera that does not have video input, your
Avid Xpress DV system must use internal video signal processing for
video display in the Composer monitor and Source pop-up monitors.
You cannot use the Digital Cut tool.
To support a camera without video input:
3. If DV camera supports digital video input is selected, a check
mark appears in the box. Deselect it by clicking the check box.
External Video (Client monitor enabled) is dimmed.

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Digital Cut is dimmed in the Clip menu.
The next time you connect a digital camera with video input, reselect
DV camera supports digital video input. Avid Xpress DV returns
the desktop video settings to their previous state and uses the digital
camera to generate the desktop video display.
Adjusting Desktop Video Settings

You select the desktop video mode and source using the Video Display
Settings dialog box. You can adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation,
hue, and sharpness parameters of the video in the Record monitor on
the desktop. You do this by adjusting the sliders in the External Video
Source Adjustments section of the Video Display Settings dialog box.
For a description of the video display adjustments, see Table 11-2 on
page 313.
You also use the Video Display Settings dialog box to have
Avid Xpress DV display video on your Client monitor. For more
information, see Playing Video to the Client Monitor on page 306.
Setting Desktop Video Mode and Source

Avid Xpress DV uses one of two methods to create the video signal
displayed on the desktop monitor, Client monitor, or both. The system
either creates the video signal for display by using an internal software
process (the software codec), or routes the signal through an external
hardware device (the hardware codec) that creates the signal for display.
Internal video signal processing requires no external hardware. When
you use this option instead of the external video signal processing, you
see greater responsiveness during certain system functions, such as
scrub, single-frame play, effect editing, and effect preview. However,
you cannot use a Client monitor with the internal video signal
processing.
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External video signal processing keeps all video and audio signals
synchronized, and allows you to view your video on a Client monitor.
You must leave your digital camera or deck connected to the system
for external video signal processing to work.
To set the desktop video mode:
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If you have a digital camera with digital video input or a

digital deck connected to your system, select DV camera
supports digital video input.
If you do not have a digital camera or a digital deck connected

to your system, or if your digital camera does not have digital
video input, deselect DV camera supports digital video
input.
4. Select either External video or Internal video as the Video Display

mode.
You must have a camera or digital deck connected to your

Avid Xpress DV system to use the External Video mode or to connect
a Client monitor. If you need more information, see the
manufacturers instructions for your digital camera or digital deck.
When you select External video, the Composer monitor and
Source pop-up monitors (desktop video) display the same video
signal as the Client monitor.
5. If you selected External Video, select your video source in the
External Video Source section:
S-VideoSelect this option if you are routing your video signal
from the S-Video output on your camera or deck to the S-Video
input on the Avid Xpress DV systems capture board.
CompositeSelect this option if you are routing your video signal
from the Composite output on your camera or deck to the
Composite input on the Avid Xpress DV systems capture board.
If you need more information, refer to the manufacturers
instructions for your digital camera or deck.
6. Click OK.
Avid Xpress DV sends the video to the desktop monitor, Client
monitor, or both.
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Adjusting Video Display Appearance

You adjust the settings for the desktop video appearance parameters
by using sliders in the Video Display Settings dialog box.
To set the desktop video appearance parameters:
3. Adjust the video appearance parameters by using Table 11-2.

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Table 11-2
Video Display Adjustments
Setting Name
Range
Description
Brightness
0 to 255
Controls the brightness of the picture. 0 is

darkest and 255 is brightest.
Contrast
0 to 255
Controls the contrast of light and dark

areas in the picture. 0 is the least contrast,
and 255 is the most contrast.
Saturation
0 to 255
Controls the intensity of colors. 0 is least

intense, and 255 is most intense (fully
saturated).
Hue
0 to 255
Adjusts the color balance. Measured as

values on a color wheel, the start and end
values are both red.
Sharpness
0 to 3
Adjusts the perceived sharpness of edges in

the picture. 0 is smoothest (no change to the
video signal), and 3 is sharpest (most
interpolated changes).
You can reset the appearance to the Avid Xpress DV default settings by
clicking the Return to Default button.
4. Click OK.
Marking and Subcataloging Footage

You can speed the editing process by marking clips with IN and OUT
points in advance, by subcataloging using locators, and by creating
subclips.
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Marking IN and OUT Points

You can mark IN and OUT points for your clips in advance, which
provides several advantages:
You can quickly build a sequence by splicing the marked clips into
place one after another.
You can use the process of rough cut or storyboard editing, which
allows you to instantly splice several prepared clips into a
sequence. See Creating an Instant Rough Cut on page 333.
You can play back and mark clips in the bin before loading a single
clip, saving several steps.
Even if your marks are not accurate now, Avid Xpress DV allows you
to trim the edit points and fine-tune the sequence later without
reediting the material.
To mark IN and OUT points before adding them to a sequence:
1. Load a sequence into the Composer monitor, or load a clip into a
Source pop-up monitor.
2. Play or step through the material. Use the J-K-L keys when
playing a clip in a bin.
3. Click the Mark IN button under the monitor to mark an IN point
and stop playback. Use the Mark IN key on the keyboard when
marking a clip in a bin. (Mark IN on the keyboard does not stop
playback.)
The sawtooth icon appears on the left side of the monitor to
indicate the mark IN frame.
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Sawtooth
icon
Mark IN button
Mark Clip button

Clear OUT button
Clear IN button
Mark OUT button
4. Continue playing or stepping through the material.

5. Click the Mark OUT button under the monitor to mark an OUT
point and stop playback. Use the Mark OUT key on the keyboard
when marking a clip in a bin.
The sawtooth icon appears on the right side of the monitor to
indicate the mark OUT frame.
To clear a mark and set a new one, do one of the following:
To clear the IN point, click the Clear IN button (or press the D
key).
To clear the OUT point, click the Clear OUT button (or press the F
key).
To clear both the IN and OUT points, press the Clear Both Marks
key (the G key).
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To set a new IN point, click the Mark IN button when you reach a
different frame.
To set a new OUT point, click the Mark OUT button when you
reach a different frame.
Dragging IN and OUT Points

You can press the Alt key and drag marked IN and OUT points to
visible locations. This allows easier positioning based on visual
feedback.
Marking an Entire Clip or Segment

Use the Mark Clip button to select an entire clip or an entire segment
from a sequence. (A segment in a sequence consists of the material
between any two edit points.)
To mark an entire clip or segment:
2. In the case of a sequence, move the position indicator to the
segment that you want to mark.
3. In the Track Selector panel in the Timeline, select the tracks
corresponding to the cuts you want to mark.
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Track Selector panel
4. Click the Mark Clip button under the monitor.
Mark Clip button
317
To ignore the current track selection and mark the smallest clip at the current
position in the sequence, press and hold the Alt key while you click the Mark
Clip button.
Creating Subclips
When you mark footage with IN and OUT points, you can either save
the entire clip along with the new marks, or you can create subclips
based on the marks you set to break up longer master clips into
smaller segments of selected footage.
This is similar to creating circle takes of all of your best footage before
editing. Subclips do not directly reference the original media. Subclips
remain linked to the master clips from which they are created, and the
master clips, in turn, reference the recorded media files located on
your storage drives. As a result, none of the original footage is lost.
You can create subclips directly from the marked section of material in
the monitors by using one of the following methods:
Use the Alt key: Press and hold the Alt key, and then drag the
picture from the monitor to the bin in which you want to store the
subclip.
Use the Make Subclip button: Click the Make Subclip button
located in the Tool palette to create the subclip and place it into the
active bin by default. If you press the Alt key while you click the
Make Subclip button, a dialog box allows you to select the
destination bin for the subclip.
The new subclip will be listed in the bin, preceded by a subclip icon
and identified with a numbered .Sub.n file name extension, as shown
in the following illustration.
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A new subclip as
referenced in Text
view

on trimming, see
Chapter 14.
Subclips do not limit your access to the original, recorded master clip
material when trimming. Therefore, if you must trim beyond the
marked IN to OUT points of the subclip to make it longer or shorter,
your system accommodates the adjustments during the trim.
Using Locators
Locators are a type of electronic bookmark. Locators allow you to find
and identify specific frames during editing.
Ways to Use Locators

Locators have many possible uses. A few basic examples are:
Visual track alignments: Use locators at matching points in

synchronized audio and video tracks, so that if the tracks lose
sync, you can visually realign the locators in the Timeline to
restore sync. For more information on sync, see Chapter 16.
Trim markers: Use locators in the Timeline to return directly to an

edit you have designated for further trimming at a later time.
Cutaway markers: Use locators to identify cutaway shots with

comments, so that when you return to cover jump-frame edits
with cutaway footage, you can quickly access the clips.
Replace markers: Use locators to mark filler segments with

comments to identify the items that should replace the filler.
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When you insert a locator, it appears as an orange oval in the Timeline,

in the position bar, and at the bottom of the frame in the monitor.
Locator displayed in the

monitor, the position bar, and the
Timeline
Add Locator button
Adding Locators While Editing

To add locators during an editing session:
2. (Option) Select a specific track by using the Track Selector panel.
See Using the Track Selector Panel on page 360.
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3. Cue to the frame and click the Add Locator button. The Add
Locator button is located below the Composer monitor.
The locator oval appears in the Timeline, in the position bar, and at
the bottom of the frame in the monitor.
4. Double-click the locator in the position bar under the monitor, or
click the large oval on the frame.
The Locator Info dialog box appears.
5. Type the locator information and click OK. The amount of

information you can enter is limited to 255 characters.
The information is stored with the marked frame, and the first line
of the information appears at the bottom of the clip in the monitor.
Removing Locators from Source Material

To remove a locator from a clip:
1. Open the clip in a Source pop-up monitor.
2. Move the position indicator to the frame that contains the locator.
The locator is removed.
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Finding Frames and Clips

Once you have recorded, viewed, marked, and subcataloged
numerous clips for a project, you might have difficulty relocating
specific clips or frames among several bins. Avid Xpress DV allows
you to quickly locate and cue footage.
Cueing a Frame by Using Frame Offset Timecode

To cue a frame by using frame offset timecode:
1. Using the numeric keypad, type a plus (+) sign to move forward
or a minus sign () to move backward from the current position.
2. Type a number for the frame offset, and press Enter on the
numeric keypad. Use the following formats:
One or two digits: Type 1 through 99 to specify a number of

frames forward or backward. For instance, type 42 to move
backward 42 frames.
Three digits: Type 100 or a greater number to move forward

or backward a specified number of seconds and frames. For
instance, if you type +100 and the master track timecode is
selected on the Tracking Information menu, you move
forward 1 second and 0 frames.
Using Timecode to Find a Frame

At any time during editing, you can type timecode values by using the
numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard to cue a loaded clip
or sequence to a specific frame. In addition, you can cue backward or
forward from the current location in the clip or sequence by a specified
number of minutes and seconds plus frames using positive or negative
frame-offset values.
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The system interprets the numbers you type with the numeric keypad
according to the type of tracking format you have chosen in the row of
information displayed above the monitor.
To cue to a frame based on a known timecode:
1. Type the timecode for the frame by using the numeric keypad on
the right side of the keyboard.
2. Use one of these formats:
SMPTE timecode: Use two digits each for the hours, minutes,
seconds, and frames with no leading zeros. For example, type
1230200 to enter 01;23;02;00.
Current timecode: If you are finding a timecode that starts at

the same time as the current timecode, just type the last digits.
For example, if the current timecode is 1;05;12;13 and you type
4;25, the system finds the frame at 1;05;04;25.
3. Press Enter on the numeric keypad.
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CHAPTER 12
First Edits
After you have viewed and marked your clips or created subclips, you
are ready to create a sequence. This chapter introduces you to
procedures that you use to build a basic sequence, as described in the
following sections:
Setting Up a New Sequence
Making the First Edit
Undoing or Redoing Edits
Editing Additional Clips into the Sequence
Lifting, Extracting, and Copying Material
Playing the New Sequence
How to Proceed
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Setting Up a New Sequence

To start a new sequence:
1. Choose New Sequence from the Clip menu. One of the following
occurs:
If just one bin is open, or if several bins are open and you have
clicked a specific bin to activate it, the new sequence appears
in the bin. It also appears in the Composer monitor and in the
Timeline, with the generic title Untitled Sequence n. Each
new sequence is numbered incrementally until you rename it.
If several bins are open but none is activated, the Bin Selection
dialog box appears.
2. Select the bin in which to store the new sequence, or click the New
Bin button to create and open a new bin.
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3. Click OK.
An untitled sequence appears in the bin, in the Composer monitor,
and in the Timeline.
4. To rename the new sequence, immediately type a new name while

the name is highlighted in the bin.
If you click anywhere in the interface after creating the new sequence, you
deactivate the sequence name field. You must click the sequence name again to
rename the sequence.
Changing the Sequence Clip Info

The following optional procedure allows you to rename the new
sequence and set a customized start timecode by using the Get
Sequence Info command.
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To rename a sequence and set a customized timecode:

1. With your sequence loaded and the Composer monitor active,
choose Get Sequence Info from the File menu.
The Sequence Info dialog box appears.
2. Type a new name in the Name text box.

3. Drag the pointer across the Start timecode, and then type a new
timecode.
4. Click OK.
Setting Up Tracks for the New Sequence

When you create a new sequence by using the New Sequence
command, and no material is loaded into the Source pop-up monitor,
the Timeline is empty.
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To add a new track to a sequence loaded in the Composer monitor,

choose New Audio Track or New Video Track from the Clip menu.
The new track appears in the Timeline.
When you add a new track to a sequence, the Avid Xpress DV system
assigns a consecutive number to it. You can change the numbering
scheme of tracks rather than use the consecutive numbering default.
To add a new track and change the numbering system:
1. Press and hold the Alt key, and choose New Audio Track or New
Video Track from the Clip menu.
The New Track dialog box appears.
Track Type pop-up menu
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Track Number pop-up menu
2. If you want to switch from the type of new track you chose (for
example, from a new video to a new audio track), click the Track
Type pop-up menu and choose the other option.
3. If you want to select a track number other than the default
consecutive numbering offered by the dialog box, click the Track
Number pop-up menu and choose another number. You cannot
choose the number of an existing track.
4. Click OK. The new track appears in the Timeline and in the Track
Selector panel.
Adding Filler
You can add a small amount of black filler at the start of your
sequence. A brief moment of black before the start of your sequence is
sometimes useful during playback or when recording a digital cut.
You can also add filler at any time during editing to another part of the
sequence.
You cannot add filler to the end of a sequence.
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To add filler:
1. Choose Load Filler from the Clip menu. The system loads a 2minute clip of filler into a Source pop-up monitor.
2. Select the length of filler, as needed, using the Mark IN and Mark
OUT buttons.
Mark IN
Splice-in
button
Overwrite
button
Mark OUT
3. Click the Splice-in or the Overwrite button to edit the black into
the sequence.
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Making the First Edit

Whether you establish a new sequence in advance or do not prepare a
sequence and want to begin editing right away, use the following
procedure to begin editing:
1. Load the first clip into a Source pop-up monitor. If you have not
already marked IN and OUT points for the clip in advance or
created a subclip, view and mark the clip as necessary.
Source Track
buttons
Source Track
Monitor buttons
2. Click buttons in the Track Selector panel to select the tracks you
want to include in the edit. Only the tracks that have been
recorded for the clip appear as source tracks in the Timeline. For
more information on using the Track Selector panel, see Using
the Track Selector Panel on page 360.
For example, with a talking head, you might select tracks V1
(picture) and A2 (sound), if the voice was recorded on that track.
You would deselect track A1, which might have unwanted wild
sound picked up from a second microphone or no sound at all.
As another example, if you are laying down a music track first,
you would select track A1 or A2, depending upon where the
music was recorded, and deselect V1.
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Splice-in
button
3. Click the Splice-in button to add the edit to the sequence in the
Composer monitor.
The Composer monitor displays the end of the last frame of the
new edit. (You can drag the position indicator in the Timeline or
the position bar beneath the Composer monitor to review the clip.)
The edit also generates a graphical display of the cut in the
Timeline.
Screen display of the first edit in a sequence
The end of the

last frame of the
new edit
Source clip
Timeline generated by the edit
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Creating an Instant Rough Cut

As an alternative to creating a new sequence by editing clips one at a
time, you can quickly create a rough cut by selecting and loading
multiple clips directly from the bin in Text view and dragging them
into the Timeline.
To create a rough cut from a bin:
1. To create a more accurate rough cut, view and mark clips in the
bin in advance. See Marking IN and OUT Points on page 314.
2. In the bin, sort the clips in the order in which you want them to
appear in the sequence.
3. Select the tracks for the edit.
If no sequences are loaded in the Composer monitor, the Timeline has no

features.
4. Shift+click or lasso the clips. Choose Select All from the Edit menu
if there are no other clips in the bin.
5. Drag the highlighted clips to the Timeline to splice the clips into
place.
The clips are spliced together to form a new sequence based on the
order in which they were listed in the bin.
Undoing or Redoing Edits

You can undo or redo up to 32 previous actions listed in the Edit
menu.
To undo only the previous edit or function, choose Undo from the
Edit menu.
To redo only the previous edit or function, choose Redo from the
Edit menu.
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Editing Additional Clips into the Sequence

The primary edit functions are splice-in and overwrite. In most cases,
you perform three-point edits in which you set three marks two in
the source material and one in the sequence, or the reverse. The fourth
mark is determined automatically. The way you set marks depends
upon the type of edit you perform, as described in this section.
Performing a Splice-in Edit

A splice-in edit inserts material from the Source pop-up monitor into
the sequence without replacing material already in the the sequence.
Existing material in the sequence is moved beyond the new material,
lengthening the overall duration of the sequence.
New Clip
Insertion point
Before
Splice-in
Clip X
Clip Y
After
Splice-in
Clip X
Clip Y
Clip Z
Existing clips are moved down.
New Clip
Clip Z
To perform a splice-in edit:

1. Double-click a clip to open a Source pop-up monitor.
2. Mark an IN point and an OUT point.
3. Mark an IN point in the sequence as follows:
a. Move the position indicator in either the Timeline or the
position bar of the Composer monitor to the point where you
want to splice the clip into the sequence.
b. Click the Mark IN button, or press the Mark IN key on the
keyboard.
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n
Splice-in
button
If you dont mark an IN point, the system splices the new clip into the
sequence at the current location of the position indicator.
4. Click the yellow Splice-in button to complete the edit.
Performing an Overwrite Edit

An overwrite edit replaces a section of the sequence with the material
you select from a Source pop-up monitor. Unlike a splice-in edit, an
overwrite edit replaces existing material and therefore does not
lengthen the overall duration of the sequence.
New Clip
Material to be overwritten
Before
Overwrite
Clip X
After
Overwrite
Clip X
Clip Z
Clip Y
Clip Y
New Clip
Clip Z
To perform an overwrite edit:

1. In the Source pop-up monitor, mark an IN point or an OUT point,
but not both, to show the start or end of the clip you want to use.
2. In the Composer monitor, mark both an IN point and an OUT
point to select the material in the sequence you want to overwrite.
You can also mark an OUT point and move the position indicator
in the Timeline or position bar to the IN point.
Overwrite
button
3. Click the red Overwrite button to complete the edit.
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Lifting, Extracting, and Copying Material

Extract/Splice-in and
Lift/Overwrite are
Segment mode
functions you can also
use to remove and
reposition segments.
For more information,
see Performing
Segment Mode Edits
on page 355.
Lifting, extracting, and copying allow you to remove or reposition

material quickly in your sequence. For example, you can move a clip
from the end of your sequence to the beginning; or you can remove the
material from the sequence altogether. Lifting, extracting, and copying
place the removed material into the Clipboard. You can then paste the
material elsewhere in the sequence or in another sequence altogether.
These procedures are described in this section.
Lifting Material
The Lift function removes selected material from a track in the
sequence and leaves black filler or silence to fill the gap. You can later
move or fill this gap with other footage. When you lift material, the
overall duration of the track (or sequence) remains the same.
Material is placed in
the Clipboard.
Lifted Clip X
Clip W
Black Filler
Clip Y
Clip Z
To lift material:
1. Mark IN and OUT points at the start and end of the material in the
sequence that you want to lift.
2. Select the tracks containing the material. The system will perform
the function on selected tracks only.
Lift
button
3. Press the Lift button to complete the edit.
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There is no interface equivalent. The Lift button appears only on the keyboard.
Extracting Material
The Extract function removes selected material from a track in the
sequence and closes the gap left by its removal. As a result, when you
extract material, you shrink the duration of the track or sequence.
Extracted Clip Y
Before
Extract
After
Extract
Clip X
Clip Y
Material is
placed in the
Clipboard.
Clip Z
Track is shortened.
Clip X
Clip Z
To extract material:
sequence that you want to extract.
Extract
button
3. Press the Extract button to complete the edit.
There is no interface equivalent. The Extract button appears only on the

keyboard.
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Copying Material
The Copy to Clipboard function makes a duplicate of selected material
in the sequence and leaves the material intact. When you copy
material, the sequence remains unaffected. The material can then be
inserted into the sequence elsewhere or into another sequence.
To copy material to the Clipboard:
sequence that you want to copy.
Copy to
Clipboard
button
3. Click the Copy to Clipboard button.

The system copies the selected material to the Clipboard and
leaves the sequence untouched.
Using the Clipboard

The Avid Xpress DV Clipboard is a cut, copy, and paste tool adapted to
the special needs of the editing environment. You can place a marked
section of the sequence into the Clipboard at any time by clicking the
Lift, Extract, or Copy to Clipboard buttons.
The Copy to Clipboard function is useful for moving or repeating
material in a sequence without moving multiple segments in Segment
mode or for rebuilding the section at another location. For example,
you can:
Copy a portion of a sequence for pasting into another sequence.
Isolate and copy a portion of an audio track for looping music or

repeating a sound effect.
Copy graphic elements for repeating at other locations in a format

cut.
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Recovering Material from the Clipboard

The Clipboard allows you to restore lifted or extracted segments
quickly. This is especially useful if you have performed one or more
edits since removing the material. In contrast, if you restore the
material by using the Undo function, the system also undoes all edits
performed in the meantime. The Clipboard provides the benefit of
restoring the material while maintaining subsequent edits.
To restore material from the Clipboard:
1. Open the Clipboard as a Source pop-up monitor by choosing
Clipboard Monitor from the Tools menu.
2. Click the Mark Clip button to mark the entire segment.
Mark Clip button
3. Locate the IN point in the sequence from which the segment was
removed. Move the position indicator here, or mark an IN point.
4. Splice or overwrite the material into the sequence.
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Playing the New Sequence

You can play a sequence at any time and view it in the Composer
monitor.
To play a sequence:
1. Make sure that the Video Track Monitor icon is located on the
topmost video track to display all video tracks and effects during
playback.
2. Make sure the Audio Track Monitor button for the audio track is
selected to ensure proper playback of all audio tracks.
3. Go to the start of the sequence in the Composer monitor or
Timeline by clicking the left side of the position bar to reposition
the position indicator at the beginning or by pressing the Home
key on the keyboard.
4. Use the position indicator, buttons, or keyboard to play or step
through footage, viewing it in the Composer monitor.
Starting a Playback Loop

You can play back your sequence in a continuous loop by augmenting
the Play IN to OUT command with the Ctrl key. You must mark IN
and OUT points in the sequence to determine the range of the
playback loop.
You can also use this technique to isolate and continuously play back a small
portion of the sequence during a difficult edit.
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To start a playback loop:

1. Mark IN and OUT points in the sequence. To play back the entire
sequence, mark the IN point at the beginning and the OUT point
at the end.
2. Press the Alt key and the Play IN to OUT key.
The playback loop begins and continues until you press the space bar
or click anywhere with the mouse.
Playback Performance Tips

As you continue to edit, you might find the playback performance of
the system diminishing as the sequence grows in length and layers.
This can happen when you are using a great deal of RAM for playback
of large and complex sequences. The following are a few tips for
improving playback performance:
Check the number of media objects in use for your project in the
Memory window, as described in Viewing Memory on page 94.
If this number is large (for example, more than 50,000 objects on a
system with 32 MB of RAM), reduce the number of media objects
by doing one of the following:
-
Close bins that are not in use.
Reduce the number of clips in the open bins.
Unmount drives that are currently not in use. See Mounting

and Ejecting Drives on page 45. You can remount the drives
at any time by choosing Mount All from the File menu.
Restart the computer once a day to refresh the system memory.
Split the sequence into two or more segments, if possible.
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How to Proceed
If you have finished a rough cut and are ready to fine-tune the
sequence, proceed with the following:
To learn about the Timeline and Segment mode editing

techniques, see Chapter 13.
To make frame-accurate adjustments to your edits by using Trim

mode, see Chapter 14.
To edit with audio or to mix audio tracks in preparation for

playback or output, see Chapter 15.
To edit with synced tracks, see Chapter 16.
To add effects to your sequence, see the Avid Xpress DV Effects

Guide.
To output the finished sequence, see Chapter 17.
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CHAPTER 13
Using the Timeline
The Avid Xpress DV system represents each edit and effect in a
graphical Timeline structure to help you track and manipulate the
elements of your sequence. In addition, the Timeline has its own set of
editing tools that you can use to create and revise edits and transitions
across multiple tracks.
The audio and video tracks in the Timeline play in the Composer
monitor. You can continually edit your sequence and review your
changes in the Composer monitor until you are pleased with the
result. These features are described in the following sections:
Customizing Timeline Views
Navigating in the Timeline
Printing the Timeline
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Customizing Timeline Views

You can customize your Timeline to display a variety of information
about your sequence as well as the clips and transitions it contains.
You use the Timeline Fast menu and the Timeline settings to change
the display.
Examples of customizing your Timeline include:
Visual detail: If you want to display more detailed information

about clips with which you are working, you can enlarge the video
tracks to display clip names and durations, and source and media
names.
Audio detail: If you are doing advanced audio work with

multiple tracks or fine-tuning difficult audio edits, you can enlarge
audio tracks to display waveform plots and audio levels.
Description of Timeline Settings

The Timeline Settings options allow you to customize the Timeline.
To access the Timeline Settings:
2. Double-click Timeline.
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The Timeline Settings dialog box appears.
Table 13-1 describes the Timeline Settings options.
Table 13-1
Timeline Settings Options
Option
Description
Show Marked Region
When this option is selected, the system highlights the region from the IN
point to the OUT point.
Show Marked
Waveform
When this option is selected, the system shows waveforms drawn between an
IN point and an OUT point instead of over the entire composition.
Auto-Patching
When this option is selected, the system automatically patches the enabled
source tracks to the tracks enabled in the Timeline.
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Using the Timeline Fast Menu

You can also customize the appearance of the Timeline by using
various options from the Timeline Fast menu.
Click the Fast Menu button

to display the options.
To choose an item from the Timeline Fast menu, click the Fast Menu
button and scroll through the menu to select or deselect an option.
Selected options have check marks next to them.
Table 13-2 lists the Timeline Fast menu options.
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Table 13-2
Timeline Fast Menu Options
Timeline Fast Menu

Option
Description
Default Setup
Sets the Timeline display back to the default.
Show Clip Names
Switches on and off the display of clip names in the

Timeline.
Show Clip Durations
Switches on and off the display of clip durations in

the Timeline.
Show Source Names
Switches on and off the display of source material

names in the Timeline.
Show Media Names
Switches on and off the display of original media

names in the Timeline.
Show Offline Clips
When this option is selected, any clips in the

Timeline with media offline are highlighted in red.
Show Render Ranges
Indicates unrendered effects; see the

Show Audio Levels
Switches on and off the display of audio levels for

each audio track in the Timeline. It is easier to see
this display if you expand the audio track in the
Timeline.
Show Sample Plot
Switches on and off the display of sample plots for

each audio track in the Timeline. It is easier to see
this display if you expand the audio track in the
Timeline.
Clip Color
Displays local and source colors assigned to clips.
Track Color
Displays a Color palette from which you can

choose a color for the tracks displayed in the
Timeline.
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Additional Procedures for Customizing the Timeline

The Avid Xpress DV system allows you to enlarge and reduce the sizes
of the Timeline tracks, and change the colors of the tracks and
background.
Enlarging and Reducing Tracks

You can enlarge or reduce the height of one or more tracks to improve
visibility and to display more information within the tracks. Use this
feature to:
Reduce and view all the tracks in a multilayer sequence, and

enlarge them when finished
Enlarge all tracks to view waveform plots or other displays in

multiple tracks
To enlarge or reduce the height of selected tracks:

1. Select the tracks in the Timeline that you want to resize.
Choose Enlarge Track or Reduce Track from the Edit menu.
Press Ctrl+L to enlarge the track, or press Ctrl+K to reduce the

track.
Move the pointer over the Track Selector panel until it changes
to a bar intersected by a double-headed arrow. Drag the edge
up or down to make the track narrower or wider. This method
applies to only one track selection at a time.
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Changing the Timeline Track Color

To change the background color of the tracks in the Timeline:
1. Click the Timeline to make it active.
2. Choose Track Color from the Timeline Fast menu.
3. Choose a color for the tracks from the Color palette.
If you want to choose a custom color for the tracks, press the Alt key
while performing this procedure. When you release the mouse button
on the Color palette, the Color dialog box appears.
Restoring the Default Timeline View

To restore the default view in the Timeline, choose Default Setup from
the Timeline Fast menu.
Navigating in the Timeline

The Timeline provides various controls for quickly moving through a
sequence and adjusting your view of details displayed in the tracks
while editing. You can use the position indicator, the Timeline scale
bar, or the Timeline scroll bar to navigate within the Timeline. In
addition, marked sections of the sequence are highlighted in the
Timeline for visual reference.
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Position indicator
Scale bar
Scale box
Scroll box
Scroll bar
Using the Position Indicator

The position indicator in the Timeline marks your place in the
sequence. It also determines how some of your commands are
interpreted. When you drag the position indicator in the Timeline, the
smaller position indicator within the Composer monitors position bar
also moves.
Using the Timeline Scroll Bar

The Timeline scroll bar appears along the bottom of the Timeline on
the right side of the Timeline toolbar.
The Timeline scroll bar functions like any standard scroll bar. You can
drag the scroll box to reposition yourself within the Timeline, or click
the arrows to scroll left or right.
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Displaying Detail in the Timeline

The scale bar stretches and contracts the Timeline area centered
around the position indicator. This allows you either to zoom in to
focus on a specific area of your sequence or to zoom out to display
your whole sequence. This feature is especially useful when you have
a lengthy sequence with many edits.
Scale bar
Scale box
Timeline toolbar
Scroll box
Scroll bar
To zoom in on a section of the Timeline at the position indicator and

then zoom back to your original display:
1. Click the scale box and drag it to the right.
The following happens:
The Timeline expands horizontally.
The Timeline track shows more detail.
The position indicator splits into a solid blue line and a dotted
blue line (or shadow), marking the beginning and end of the
current frame. You can click either the line or the shadow to
move exactly one frame forward or backward.
2. Click the scale box, and drag it back to the left.

The Timeline shrinks to its original size.
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Controlling Movement in the Timeline

While working in the Timeline, you can use the Ctrl and Alt keys to
control the movement of both the position indicator and any segments
that you move in Segment mode.
To snap to the head of transitions as you move through the

Timeline sequence, press and hold the Ctrl key as you drag either
the position indicator or any segments selected in Segment mode.
To snap to the tail of transitions, press the Ctrl+Alt keys as you

drag either the position indicator or any segments selected in
Segment mode.
To snap the selected segments to an edit point in the track above or

below the current track, press and hold the Ctrl key as you drag
the segments in Segment mode.
To move frame-by-frame, press the Alt key as you drag either the
position indicator or any segments selected in Segment mode.
Selecting and Deselecting Segments

Segment editing is a unique feature of digital, nonlinear editing.
Unlike traditional tape editing, segment editing allows you to
instantly reposition entire segments as though you were physically
dragging portions of your sequence across a tape. You can move
audio and video tracks separately or together, and individual or
multiple segments can be repositioned at the same time.
The basic workflow for segment editing is as follows:
Select the segments either by clicking a Segment Mode pointer

and making selections or by lassoing segments with the mouse.
You can select one or several segments or tracks, as described in
the following sections.
Move the segments by dragging with the mouse. Use either the
Extract/Splice-in button or the Lift/Overwrite button to move the
segment to a new position.
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Use additional segment editing techniques, if you want, to edit

clips directly from a bin, to quickly delete segments, or to mark
material in the Timeline.
Selecting Segments with the Segment Mode Pointer

When you enter Segment mode, the pointer becomes enlarged and
changes to yellow to indicate Extract/Splice-in mode or red to indicate
Lift/Overwrite mode. Outside the Timeline, the pointer changes back
to the standard arrow or I-beam, allowing you to perform other
functions while in Segment mode.
To select segments with the pointer:
1. Click one of the Segment Mode buttons located in the Timeline
toolbar next to the scroll bar. The arrow changes to an enlarged
pointer.
2. Click a segment in any track to select it. Ctrl+click additional
segments to select a group.
Lassoing One or More Segments

The system automatically enters Segment mode when you lasso
segments from left to right.
To lasso segments, draw a lasso beginning in the area above the tracks
in the Timeline. Drag left to right and down to select more than one
segment.
Begin
Lasso box
Segment
End
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Extract/Splice-in mode is enabled by default when you draw a lasso.

To switch to Lift/Overwrite mode, click the Lift/Overwrite button
after drawing the lasso.
Observe the following guidelines when lassoing segments:
Position the cursor above the tracks before dragging. If you click
within the tracks, you simply relocate the position indicator to that
position. To lasso segments in the middle of the Timeline between
multiple tracks, press and hold the Alt key while you click and
drag the lasso.
Lasso at least two transitions or all transitions included in multiple

segments. If your lasso surrounds only one transition, you enter
Trim mode.
Drag from left to right.
Deselecting Segments
If you need to deselect one or more selected segments, do one of the
following:
To deselect an entire track, click the Track button in the Track

Selector panel. For example, if you lasso segments on V1, V2,
and A1, you can click the V2 and A1 track buttons to leave only
the segment on the middle track, V1, selected.
To deselect one or more segments, use the Segment Mode pointer

to Shift+click specific segments on any track, leaving the
remaining tracks selected.
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Performing Segment Mode Edits

There are two methods for editing segments or adding clips:
Extract/Splice-in, indicated by a yellow arrow
Lift/Overwrite, indicated by a red arrow
Observe the following guidelines when editing segments:
Transition effects on either side of a moved selection are deleted.

Transition effects inside the selection are preserved.
When you are finished making an edit, Segment mode continues

to affect edits you make in Trim mode, unless you click the active
Segment Mode button to deactivate it.
Observe the following guidelines when selecting tracks:
You cannot simultaneously move segments that are separated

along the same track. You can, however, move segments separated
on different tracks.
You cannot overlap the source and destination tracks. For

example, you can move audio segments from A3 and A4 to A1
and A2, but you cannot move them from A3 and A4 to A2 and A3
(A3 overlaps).
With a group, you can click any one of the selected segments to
drag the entire group to a new position.
You can select black filler as a segment.
Extracting/Splicing Segments
Use Extract/Splice-in to move the selected segments in the Timeline
without affecting the adjacent material. The total duration of the
sequence is unaffected.
Like the standard Splice-in function, the Extract/Splice-in edit inserts
the segment into the new position. However, as an additional function,
it also extracts (removes) the segment from its previous position and
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closes the gap. For example, if you lasso segments on V1, V2, and A1,
you can click the V2 and A1 track buttons to leave only the segment on
the middle track (V1) selected.
Before Splice-in
Clip W (selected clip)
After Splice-in
Clip W
Clip Y
Clip Y
Clip Z
Surrounding clips are unchanged.

(selected clip)
Clip Z
To perform an Extract/Splice-in edit:

1. Click the Extract/Splice-in button (yellow arrow) in the Timeline
toolbar.
2. Select the segments you want to move.
3. Click the segment, and drag it to its new position.
The system extracts the selected segment from its old position,
closes the gap left by its removal, and then splices the material
back into the sequence at the newly selected location.
5. Click the Extract/Splice-in button again if you want to leave
Segment mode.
To cancel a segment edit in progress, drag the edit out of the Timeline and
release the mouse button. Alternatively, choose Undo from the Edit menu.
Lifting/Overwriting Segments
Use Lift/Overwrite to replace existing material at the new position,
while leaving blank space in the previous position. The total duration
of the sequence is unaffected.
Like the standard Overwrite function, the Lift/Overwrite edit deletes
and replaces underlying material at the new position, effectively
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creating new edits. It also lifts the segments from the previous
position, leaving black or silence of the same duration on the middle
track (V1) selected.
Before Overwrite
Clip W (selected clip)
After Overwrite
Clip W
Clip Y
Clip Y
Blank filler
Clip Z
(selected clip)
Clip Z
Underlying materials are overwritten.
To perform a Lift/Overwrite edit:

1. Click the Lift/Overwrite button (red arrow) in the Timeline
toolbar.
2. Select the segments you want to move.
3. Click the segment, and drag it to its new position.
The system lifts the selected segment from its old position, leaving
black, and then overwrites the material onto the sequence at the
newly selected location.
5. Click the Lift/Overwrite button again if you want to leave
Segment mode, or continue to lift and overwrite segments.
To undo a segment move, choose Undo from the Edit menu or press Ctrl+Z.
Deleting Segments with Segment Mode

Segment mode allows you to quickly delete whole segments in the
Timeline without having to first mark IN and OUT points. In addition,
you can select multiple segments in separate tracks anywhere along
the Timeline to delete them all at once.
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To delete segments quickly:

1. Click one of the Segment Mode buttons:
Extract/Splice-in (yellow) deletes the segments and closes the

remaining gaps. The total duration of the sequence is
shortened, and any synchronized tracks lose sync.
Lift/Overwrite (red) deletes the segments but leaves blank

space or silence in their place. The total duration of the
sequence remains the same, and sync is maintained.
2. Select one or multiple segments.

3. Press the Delete key. The segments are deleted.
If the segment has an effect, the system deletes the effect first.
Bin Editing into the Timeline

Bin editing allows you to bypass the process of loading clips into a
Source pop-up monitor, setting marks, and clicking the Splice-in or
Overwrite button. You can use Segment mode to edit clips directly
from a bin into the sequence in the Timeline.
To perform a direct edit from a bin into your Timeline:
1. For a more accurate edit, mark IN and OUT points for each clip or
create subclips, as described in Marking and Subcataloging
Footage on page 313. Otherwise, the entire clip is edited into the
sequence.
2. Click one of the Segment Mode buttons:
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Lift/Overwrite (red arrow) acts as an overwrite edit, causing

the clip to overwrite material of the same length in the
sequence, while maintaining the same duration of the
sequence.
Extract/Splice-in (yellow arrow) acts as a splice edit, inserting

the clip into the sequence, moving existing material down,
and lengthening the total duration.
3. Drag a clip from the bin into the Timeline. You can edit only one
clip at a time.
4. When you find the right location for the clip, release the mouse
button. The Timeline reflects the new edit.
Once you have completed the edit, you remain in Segment mode until you
click the active Segment Mode button again to deactivate it.
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting in the Timeline

You can use the traditional shortcut keys for cutting, copying, and
pasting segments selected in the Timeline.
To cut or copy and paste:
1. Select the segment by using one of the Segment mode buttons.
2. Choose Copy from the Edit menu (Ctrl+C) to copy or choose Cut
from the Edit menu (Ctrl+X) to cut.
3. Move the position indicator to the new IN point, and press Ctrl+V
to paste the segment in the Timeline.
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About Effects Editing

Effects editing techniques fall into the following basic categories:
Motion effects, such as freeze-frame and slow- or fast-motion

effects, involve applying frame-motion parameters to selected
footage, usually on a single video track.
Transition effects, such as dissolves and wipes, involve

transitioning from one edited clip to another on the same video
track.
Segment effects, such as picture-in-picture, keys, or color effects, are

applied to whole segments. They commonly require multiple
layers of video.
About Nesting
When editing effects, you can use a procedure known as nesting. This
involves stepping into existing tracks to reveal added layers for
combining multiple images and digital video effects. When the effect
is applied, you can step out to view and render the effect as one
segment on the track.
For more information on nesting techniques and effects editing, see the
Using the Track Selector Panel

As your project progresses, you might need to add and edit with
additional audio or video tracks. You use multiple tracks of video
primarily for effects. The Avid Xpress DV system allows you to edit up
to four tracks of video and eight tracks of audio.
While working with multiple tracks, you can use the Track Selector
panel to select, manipulate, delete, lock, patch, and monitor your
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tracks. You can use multiple tracks to layer audio effects and sound or
to add video titles and other effects.
Multiple video tracks do not immediately play back at the same time until you
apply an appropriate effect that composites the layers. Multiple audio layers,
however, do play back immediately if correctly monitored.
Source Track Monitor buttons
Source Track buttons
Sync Lock and Lock buttons
Record Track buttons
Record Track Monitor buttons
Video Track Monitor button with Monitor icon
Audio Track Monitor button with green Speaker icon
Audio Track Monitor button with black Speaker icon
Sync Lock All button
Timecode button
The source side of the panel displays only those tracks available for
the clip currently loaded. For instance, a clip that has audio digitized
only for track A1 does not display an A2 track in the Track Selector
panel.
The record side of the panel displays only those tracks currently in use
for the sequence. However, if you edit source material with a track
selected that does not yet exist on the record side, by default the track
appears on the record side after the edit takes place.
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Selecting Tracks
You can select tracks on either the record side or the source side of the
Track Selector panel as follows:
You can edit selected tracks on the source side directly into the
sequence, assuming you have selected parallel tracks on the
record side.
You cannot edit deselected tracks on the source side into the
sequence, regardless of record track selections.
You cannot edit deselected tracks on the record side into the
sequence, regardless of source track selections.
For example, you might select the source and record tracks for V1, A1,
and A2 to edit the picture and audio from the source clip into the
sequence. Select only V1 source and record tracks to edit the picture
without the sound, or select only A1 and A2 source and record tracks
to edit the sound without the picture.
Monitoring Tracks
You determine the monitoring of tracks by clicking the monitor
column of either the source-side or record-side tracks to activate or
deactivate the monitor buttons. Video and Audio Track Monitor
buttons behave differently in some circumstances, as described in this
section.
Monitoring Video
The Video Track Monitor button determines whether you see video
during playback. You can turn it off at any time to monitor only audio
during editing. When there are multiple video tracks, all tracks below
the monitored track are active during playback.
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When you edit with multiple tracks, you can activate the monitor on a
lower track to monitor only the video on that track. This feature is
especially useful when you have multiple layers of video effects and
need to see one track without additional layers. You can also monitor a
solo track, as described in Monitoring a Solo Track on page 364.
If you reposition the Video Track Monitor icon, be sure to return it to the
topmost track to view, render, or output all the tracks together. Unmonitored
tracks are not included in playback.
To monitor video tracks, click the Video Track Monitor button for the
track you want to monitor.
Monitoring Audio
There are two types of monitor icons that appear in the monitor
column for audio tracks: a black Speaker icon and green Speaker icon.
A Speaker icon of either type indicates that the track is monitored for
playback and output. However, only the track with the green icon is
monitored for audio scrubbing.
The following characteristics apply to audio track monitoring:
You can deselect the Monitor button for any or all tracks if, for
example, you want to isolate a selected track or turn off all tracks
to edit with video only. You can simultaneously monitor as many
as four audio tracks.
To activate audio scrub for a particular track, Alt+click the

Monitor button for that track. The Audio Track Monitor button
appears green.
To monitor audio tracks, click the Audio Track Monitor button for
the track you want to monitor.
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Monitoring a Solo Track

You can monitor a single video or audio track during editing. Solo
monitoring has several advantages:
You can view any individual layer of a composited effect.
You can isolate an individual audio track with a single mouse click
(without manually deselecting the other audio tracks).
You can eliminate slow cueing and playback when working with a
complex sequence by monitoring a specific track.
To select a track for solo monitoring, press and hold the Ctrl key, and
click in the monitor column on the Track Selector panel for the chosen
video or audio track. The Track Monitor button changes to green to
indicate solo monitoring.
To deselect solo monitoring, press and hold the Ctrl key, and click again
in the monitor column on the Track Selector panel. The Monitor icon
returns to normal functionality.
Patching Tracks
When working with multiple tracks, you occasionally encounter a
circumstance where you must edit source audio or video onto a track
other than the parallel track displayed in the Track Selector panel. To
edit the source material onto another record track above or below it,
you must patch the source track to the targeted record track.
You can perform only one patch per edit, but there is no limit on the
number of times you can patch from the same source track. Audio can
patch only to audio, and video only to video.
To perform a patch, drag from a source track (audio or video) to

the targeted record track (a white arrow appears during the
patch).
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New source
track order
identifies the
patch.
An audio patch from

a source track to a
record track
During patch
After patch
To undo a patch, manually repatch to the previous track.
The selected source track moves beside the record track to which it is
patched as soon as you draw the arrow and release the mouse. The
patched track remains highlighted in preparation for your edit. You
can proceed to select any other tracks required for the edit.
When you are patching from one video track to another, the Video
Track Monitor icon moves to the track you patch to. Be sure to return
the icon to the topmost track, when necessary, to play back and
output all video tracks.
Sync Locking Tracks

The Sync Lock feature allows you to maintain synchronization among
several tracks while adding or removing frames in Trim mode. For
example, if you insert an edit into one track that is sync locked to a
second track, the system automatically inserts filler in the second track
to maintain sync between them.
There are several unique aspects to sync locking:
Sync locking applies to single-roller trims only; dual-roller trims

do not break sync.
You can sync lock any number of tracks in any combination. In

other words, the tracks do not require matching timecode or
common sources and can include multiple video tracks as well as
audio tracks.
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Sync locking affects entire tracks. This means that parallel

segments in other sync-locked tracks are affected when you trim
anywhere in the sequence.
Sync locking affects Trim mode. This feature is especially useful when
you are working with multiple tracks and want to maintain sync
between two or more tracks while trimming.
To sync lock the tracks, click in the center column between track
selectors to activate the Sync Lock icon for each synchronized track.
To resume editing on individual tracks, click again to remove the Sync
Lock icon.
Deleting Tracks
You can remove one or more tracks from a sequence if you no longer
need the tracks.
To delete one or more tracks from the sequence:
1. Click the Record Track buttons for the tracks, and press the Delete
key.
The Delete Track(s) dialog box appears.
2. Click OK.
The tracks are deleted.
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If you want to bring back a track you deleted, choose Undo from the
Edit menu.
Adding an Edit (Match Framing)

The Add Edit function places an artificial edit point between the
frames of a clip. The edit appears in the Timeline as a transition
between two clips, but when you play the clip, the footage appears
unchanged because the frames are continuous.
Add edit placed between frames
Footage plays back continuously.
This form of edit is also known as a match frame. In traditional analog

editing, match framing is used to accomplish specific tasks, such as
creating a dissolve between two clips. In Avid Xpress DV, however,
add edits (or match frames) function differently. Use match frames
primarily to divide and isolate portions of a clip or sequence in order
to modify that portion without affecting the rest of the footage. Once
you make the adjustment (for example, adding an effect), playback of
the clip is no longer seamless because the two portions of the clip are
different.
You can add an edit to a single audio or video track, or you can place
the add edit across several tracks at once.
To add a match-frame edit:
1. Move the position indicator to the chosen frame.
2. Select the tracks where you want to add the edit.
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Add Edit
button
3. Click the Add Edit button below the Composer monitor.

The edit appears in the sequence with an equal sign to indicate a
match-frame edit.
Removing Match-Frame Edits

To remove match-frame edits, do one of the following:
Choose Undo from the Edit menu.
Enter Trim mode at the match-frame edit point, and then press the
Delete key.
If you have made other edits since you performed the Add Edit
function, when you use the Undo command, you will lose those
additional edits.
Backtiming Edits
Backtiming an edit is effectively the reverse of the process you
normally use for marking footage. Instead of marking from the IN
points forward, you mark according to the OUT points.
For example, you might have a track of audio (music or voice) that
ends at a specific point, and you want to synchronize a video clip to
end on a particular clip. You can backtime the edit to match the end
points of the tracks.
Here are a few concepts to consider:
Avid Xpress DV needs only three marks to perform a backtimed

edit when four edits of unequal duration exist in the sequence.
The IN and OUT points set in the Timeline always take
precedence.
If you do not mark an IN point in the sequence, the system uses

the position indicator as the IN point.
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If you do not mark an OUT point in the clip and no OUT point is
set in the sequence, the system uses the end of the clip as the OUT
point.
If you mark OUT points in both the Source pop-up monitor and in
the Timeline, the system uses the OUT point in the Timeline.
To backtime an edit:
1. Mark an OUT point in the Timeline where you want the edit to
end. Also, mark an IN point where the edit is to start.
2. Select the appropriate tracks.
3. Open a clip in the Source pop-up monitor.
4. Mark an OUT point in the Source pop-up monitor to synchronize
to the OUT point in the sequence.
Overwrite
button
5. Click the Overwrite button, or press the Alt key and drag the clip
from the Source pop-up monitor to the Timeline.
The source material is added to the sequence, with the
synchronized ending.
Printing the Timeline

To print the Timeline:
1. Click the Timeline to make it active.
2. Choose Print Timeline from the File menu. The Print dialog box
appears.
3. Select the printing options.
4. Click OK.
The system prints the current view of the Timeline.
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CHAPTER 14
Working in Trim Mode
Basic editing in the Timeline initially produces a rough cut, which can
be loosely defined as a series of straight-cut edits with many rough
edges and few effects. After creating a rough cut, you can enter Trim
mode and fine-tune the transitions between each clip or between
whole segments. You can also trim edits as you build a sequence,
rather than create a rough cut first. The following sections describe the
Trim mode procedures:
Customizing Trim Mode
Using Basic Trim Procedures
Creating Overlap Edits
Maintaining Sync While Trimming
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Customizing Trim Mode

You can customize Trim mode by changing the Transition Play Loop
settings for preroll, postroll, and intermission.
To customize the Transition Play Loop settings:
2. Double-click Trim.
The Trim Settings dialog box appears.
3. Configure the Trim settings you want.

You set and alter the lengths of the preroll, postroll, and
intermission intervals by clicking the appropriate text box and
typing a new value.
Using Basic Trim Procedures

You can enter Trim mode in several different ways, depending on the
type of trim you expect to perform. Once in Trim mode, you can:
Select trim sides.
Perform and review the trim.

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Entering Trim Mode

To enter Trim mode, use one of the following methods:
Click the Trim Mode button in the Tool palette.

By default, the system enters Trim mode and selects the tracks
nearest the position indicator for dual-roller trimming. This
method is useful for selecting straight-cut transitions on one track
or across video and audio tracks. By default, only the transitions in
the tracks highlighted in the Track Selector panel are selected for
trimming. If the transitions are not straight cuts (overlap cuts or Ledits), the system highlights the topmost track nearest the position
indicator.
Lasso the transitions in the Timeline.

Draw the lasso by clicking at a point above the top track in the
Timeline and dragging to surround the transitions. This method is
useful when you need to select multiple transitions staggered
across parallel tracks (overlap cuts) for simultaneous trimming.
You can drag from right to left or from left to right, and you can
lasso single transitions across several contiguous tracks. Avoid
lassoing more than one transition on a single track because this
activates Segment mode.
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Lasso drawn across four tracks
Transitions are selected for dual-roller trim.
To select transitions located below several track layers, you can draw a lasso
within the Timeline by pressing the Alt key while you drag.
Exiting Trim Mode

To exit Trim mode, use one of the following methods:
Click the Trim Mode button in the Tool palette.
Click the Step Forward or the Step Backward button under the
Composer monitor.
Press the Escape key on the keyboard.
Click a specific location in the Timecode (TC1) track at the bottom

of the Track Selector panel. The position indicator moves to that
location.
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Selecting Between Trim Sides

A-side B-side A and B
You can trim a transition on either the outgoing side (A-side or tail),
the incoming side (B-side or head), or both sides (dual-roller).
To select sides of a transition to trim:
Click the outgoing (A-side) or incoming (B-side) monitor to define

which side of the transition to trim. The pointer changes to a
single-roller A-side, single-roller B-side, or dual-roller icon,
depending on the position.
Click in between the two frames displayed in the Composer

monitor to trim both sides.
Selecting Additional Transitions

While in Trim mode, you can select additional transitions for trimming
in different contexts:
Select tracks on
the record side
to add transitions.
To select additional transitions on contiguous tracks for trimming

on the same side, click the corresponding Record Track buttons in
the Track Selector panel.
Likewise, you can deselect tracks in the Track Selector panel to
remove transitions on those tracks from the trim procedure.
To select additional transitions for single-roller trimming in

varying locations on different tracks, Shift+click the transitions in
the Timeline.
This method is useful when you are working with staggered
transitions across multiple tracks. It also allows you to select both
A-side and B-side transitions for simultaneous trimming in
opposite directions (asymmetrical trim). This is not possible with
dual-roller trims.
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Two A-sides and one B-side selected for asymmetrical trimming
As you move the pointer back and forth across a transition, the roller
icon changes from an A-side roller (facing left) to a B-side roller (facing
right) to indicate the type of selection.
You do not see the dual roller in the Timeline. To select both sides, you
must first select one side, and then Shift+click to select the other side.
To quickly add multiple transitions to the currently selected transition,

press and hold the Shift key and lasso the additional transitions.
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You can select and trim two heads or tails simultaneously, in any
combination, for each track in the sequence. All selected transitions are
trimmed the same number of frames. This allows you to save time
and, in some cases, to maintain sync by performing a single-trim
procedure across multiple tracks and transitions.
Performing a Basic Trim

After you select your transitions and trim sides, you can perform a
basic trim.
To perform a trim, use one of the following procedures:
1 frame
10 frames
Use the Trim buttons to trim forward or backward by one- or tenframe increments.
Use the numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard, as

follows:
-
To move the transition a specific number of frames, type a

plus sign (+) or minus sign () and the number of frames (from
1 to 99) you want to move forward or backward. Then press
Enter.
If the number of frames is larger than 99, type an f after the
number to indicate frame count. For example, to enter 200
frames, type 200, then type f, and press Enter.
To move the transition to an exact timecode, type a timecode

number larger than 99, including frames. For example, type
102 to enter 1 second and 2 frames (1:02).
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Use controls in the Timeline by clicking a roller at the selected

transition and dragging forward or backward in the sequence.
For greater control:

-
Press the Alt key as you drag one frame at a time.
Press the Ctrl key to snap to other transition points.
As you trim, all selected transitions in the Timeline move in unison.

The Trim counter displays the frame count backward or forward for
one or both trim sides, and the monitors display the new incoming or
outgoing frames.
Reviewing the Trim Edit

To review the most recent trim edit or to play the currently selected
transition while in Trim mode:
1. Click the Play Loop button.
The system enters a playback loop. This repeatedly begins at a
preroll point before the transition and ends at a postroll point,
pausing briefly before beginning playback again.
2. Stop the playback loop by clicking the Play Loop button again.
3. To exit Trim mode, click the Timecode button (TC) at the bottom of
the Track Selector panel, or click the Step Forward or Step
Backward button.
Slipping or Sliding Clips or Segments

Slip and slide procedures are two unique Trim mode techniques that
allow you to make frame-accurate adjustments to a selected clip. They
occur without affecting the overall duration of the sequence or the
sync relationships between multiple tracks. Procedures for performing
them are described in this section.
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Selecting Segments for Slip or Slide Trimming

There are three ways to select segments for either slip or slide
trimming:
While in normal Editing mode, make a selection for slipping and

sliding. Then, enter Trim mode by dragging a lasso from right to
left around a segment (two or more transitions). To select a
segment for slide trimming, press the Alt key while you drag the
lasso.
Drag right to left around at least two transitions.
IN
OUT
To drag a lasso around a segment on a lower track, press the Alt

key while you drag a lasso. You enter slide trim by default. To
switch to slip trim, double-click the segment.
You can also select two or more contiguous segments within a
track for slipping or sliding as a whole by dragging the lasso
around four or more transitions.
Be sure to draw the lasso from right to left; if you draw from left to
right, you enter Segment mode.
While in Trim mode, double-click a segment to select it for slip

trimming. To select it for slide trimming, press the Alt key while
you double-click the segment.
You can also select two or more segments on different tracks for
simultaneous slip or slide trimming. To do so, press the Shift key
as you repeat this procedure. However, you cannot use the Shift
key to select additional segments on the same track.
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While in Trim mode, press the Shift key and select both the head
and tail of a clip for slipping. Alternatively, select the outgoing tail
frame of the preceding clip and the incoming head frame of the
following clip in the sequence to prepare the clip for sliding.
You can also use this method to select two or more contiguous
segments on the same track, and additional segments on other
tracks for slipping or sliding as a group.
You must select all multiple selections for either slipping or sliding. You
cannot perform both functions simultaneously.
You can slip and slide the video and audio for a clip together.
Alternatively, you can slip and slide a single segment of video or audio
independently from the rest of the clip.
The type of trim you perform (slip or slide) determines which frames
are updated, as follows:
In slip trimming, the two inner monitors for the head and tail
frames of the clip change because only the contents of the clip are
adjusted. The frames that precede and follow the clip are not
affected.
Surrounding material
remains fixed.
Before slip
Slip 1 frame to the right.

1
Frames
After slip
In slide trimming, the two outer monitors for the outgoing (Aside) and incoming (B-side) frames change because the clip
remains fixed while the footage before and after it is trimmed.
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Surrounding material is selected.

Before slide
Slide 1 frame to the right.

1
Frames
After slide
Performing the Slip or Slide Trim

To slip or slide a clip or segment:
1. After selecting the segments, as described in Selecting Segments
for Slip or Slide Trimming, do one of the following:
Click any roller in the Timeline, drag the selected material to

the left or right, and release.
Use the numeric keypad to enter specific frame-count or

timecode values, and press Enter.
Use the trim keys to shift the selection by 1-frame or 10-frame

increments.
Key
Slips
10 frames forward
10 frames backward
period (.)
1 frame forward
, (comma)
1 frame backward
2. Monitor the progress of the trim by using the monitors, the Trim
counters, and the Timeline.
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When you reach the end of available material while slipping a clip,
the trim stops. Similarly, when you reach the next transition while
sliding a clip along a track, the trim stops.
3. When you finish, exit Slip mode or Slide mode either by clicking
another transition for trimming, or by clicking the Trim mode
button or pressing the Esc key to exit Trim mode.
Creating Overlap Edits

You can use an overlap edit (or L-edit) to smooth a transition by giving
the viewer the illusion that the audio or video is shared between two
separate but adjacent clips.
Audio overlap example
V1
Before
trimming A1
A2
Clip A
Clip B
Clip C
V1
After
trimming A1
A2
Clip A
Clip B
Clip C
Clip B audio is extended.
Clip C audio is trimmed in.
To create an overlap edit:

1. Perform a straight-cut edit between two clips, including audio and
video tracks.
If the timing of the video edit is crucial, mark edit points

according to video.
If the timing of the audio transition is crucial, edit to audio.
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2. Perform a dual-roller trim on either the video track or the audio

tracks, but not both.
If the video transition occurs at the right place, but you want
the audio from one clip to linger into the other (or the reverse),
trim the audio tracks accordingly.
If the audio transition occurs at the right place, but you want
the video to transition either before or after the audio cut, trim
the video track accordingly.
Maintaining Sync While Trimming

The Avid Xpress DV system provides two features to ensure that you
do not break sync unintentionally between two or more video and
audio tracks when performing single-roller trims.
You can add black to maintain the overall duration of the track.
You can trim with tracks sync locked.
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Adding Black While Trimming

Because single-roller (A-side or B-side) trims shorten or lengthen the
duration of the track being trimmed, any relationships that exist with
other tracks downstream of the trim will be thrown out of sync.
To add black while trimming, press and hold the Alt key while
performing any of the A-side or B-side trim procedures to maintain
the overall duration of the track and the sync relationships. The
system adds a black segment to fill the duration of trimmed frames.
No black is added, and sync breaks appear in the Timeline.
Trimming without
adding black
Black fills the trim duration, and sync is maintained.

Adding black while
trimming
You can add black only while performing single-roller trims because dualroller trims do not cause sync breaks.
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Trimming with Sync-Locked Tracks
Sync-locked tracks aid only single-roller trim functions in Trim mode because
dual-roller trims do not cause sync breaks.
To trim with sync-locked tracks:
1. While in Trim mode, click next to the tracks you want to keep in
sync. The Sync Lock icon appears, and the location of the position
indicator determines the sync point across tracks.
Sync Lock icon
Timecode button
You can also click the Sync Lock All button next to the Timecode button to
switch sync lock on and off for all tracks.
2. Perform single-roller trims as necessary, with the following
results:
When you trim the A-side of a transition forward, all other

segments locked in sync move forward with the trim. If the
transitions are staggered, this might split one or more of the
segments at the sync point established by the position
indicator, leaving fill.
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Before trimming forward,

three tracks are sync locked.
After trimming forward,

sync is maintained from
position indicator forward.
If you trim the B-side of the transition in the same direction,

the additional sync-locked segments slide back in the
sequence to maintain sync until they encounter another
segment in the same track. At this point, you can trim no
further and the system emits a warning sound.
When you trim back the A-side of a transition, additional

segments locked in sync move back as well. If the segments
are staggered and one of the additional sync-locked segments
encounters another segment on the same track, you can trim
no further and the system emits a warning sound.
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Before trimming forward,

three tracks are sync locked.
After trimming forward,

sync is maintained from
position indicator forward.
If you trim the B-side of the transition in the same direction, all
other segments locked in sync move forward to stay in sync. If
the transitions are staggered, this action might split one or
more of the sync-locked segments at the sync point
established by the position indicator. Fill is added where the
split occurs.
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CHAPTER 15
Working with Audio
You edit audio by using many of the same techniques and tools you
use to edit video, including Segment mode and Trim mode functions.
Your Avid Xpress DV system also provides several unique features
that facilitate audio editing, such as audio scrub, waveform displays,
and tools for adjusting and mixing audio levels and pan between
speakers. In addition, you can adjust the bass, treble, and midrange
frequencies of segments by using the Audio Equalization (EQ) tool.
These procedures are described in the following sections:
About Audio Tools
Accessing Audio Effect Tools
Audio Editing Aids
Multiple-Channel Audio Scrub
Using the Audio Mix Tool
Using Audio Gain Automation
Using the Audio EQ Tool
Digidesign AudioSuite Plug-Ins
Recording Voice-Over Narration
Fine-Tuning Audio Transitions
Mixing Down Audio Tracks
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About Audio Tools

The Avid Xpress DV system provides a collection of tools for
managing and fine-tuning audio volume, pan, equalization, and
transitions. The general purpose of each tool is as follows:
Use the Audio tool primarily for mixing and monitoring audio.
For more information, see Preparing for Audio Input on
page 163 and Selecting Audio Output on page 471.
Use the Audio Mix tool primarily for adjusting pan and volume
levels on clips or whole tracks within a sequence. For more
information, see Using the Audio Mix Tool on page 398.
Use the Audio Gain Automation feature in the Timeline for finer
control over volume keyframes and ramps within a sequence. For
more information, see Using Audio Gain Automation on
page 407.
Use the Audio EQ tool for adjusting the sound characteristics of

audio clips in the sequence based on three-band control over bass,
treble, and midrange frequencies. For more information, see
Using the Audio EQ Tool on page 419.
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Accessing Audio Effect Tools

You can access the following tools from the same window:
Audio Mix (for adjusting pan and volume)
Automation Gain
AudioSuite
Audio EQ
To access one of the audio effect tools:

1. Choose one of the tools from the Tools menu.
2. To switch to another tool, choose the name from the Audio Effect
pop-up menu.
Audio Effect pop-up

menu
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To keep more than one tool open at the same time, choose the tool
from the Tools menu or press and hold the Alt key while choosing
a new tool from the Audio Effect pop-up menu.
To prevent confusion, the Avid Xpress DV system allows only one copy of an
audio effect tool to be open at a time.
The following section describes two features that help you locate
transitions and monitor audio samples while editing or adjusting
sound with the tools.
Audio Editing Aids

The Avid Xpress DV system provides audio scrub features and
waveform plots specifically designed for frame-accurate cueing,
marking, and editing of audio. You can use these features any time
during editing or while making adjustments with the audio tools.
Using Audio Scrub

The term audio scrub originated in the film industry. It describes the
process of scrubbing a magnetic audiotape across the playback
heads to monitor a portion of sound. This process helps isolate
portions of audio to accurately mark edit points or to analyze
transitions for careful trimming.
Smooth Scrub Versus Digital Scrub

You have two options for scrubbing audio in either the sequence or the
source material:
Smooth audio scrub mimics the variable-pitch playback of

traditional analog tape.
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Digital audio scrub takes advantage of the digital environment by

sampling incoming frames, outgoing frames, or both at normal
pitch and playback rate.
Each type of scrub has its advantages:
Smooth scrub makes it easier to examine sound at varying speeds.
Digital scrub allows you to focus quickly on individual bits of

incoming or outgoing audio for frame-accurate edits and
adjustments.
Try both and see which one works better in different situations.
Multiple-Channel Audio Scrub

The Avid Xpress DV system allows you to scrub multiple channels of
audio.
To set the system to multiple-channel audio scrub:
Audio Scrub
Performance
pop-up menu
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3. Choose More Audio Tracks from the Audio Scrub Performance

pop-up menu.
Selecting Tracks for Scrubbing

By default, the Avid Xpress DV system selects the topmost audio track
unless you make a selection. Always check the position of the Audio
Track Monitor button with the green Speaker icon and select the
correct track, if necessary, to avoid marking or trimming the wrong
track.
Audio Track Monitor button with

green Speaker icon
To select a track for scrubbing, press and hold the Alt key while
clicking the Audio Track Monitor button in the Track Selector panel.
The Speaker icon changes to green to indicate that it is selected for
scrubbing.
If you chose More Audio Tracks in the Audio Settings dialog box, the
system will use as many tracks as possible to scrub, even those tracks
where the Speaker icon is not green. As long as a track is on, it will be
included for scrubbing. If you chose Minimum Audio Tracks, the
system will scrub only those tracks with the green Speaker icon.
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The following table shows how many tracks can be scrubbed at the
varying speeds of play.
When you play footage forward or

backward at:
You can scrub:
Normal speed
8 tracks
Two times normal speed
8 tracks
Three times normal speed
2 tracks
Five times normal speed
0 tracks
Eight times normal speed
0 tracks
Performing Smooth Audio Scrub

You perform the smooth audio scrub procedure by using the J-K-L
keys, as described in this section.
Using the J-K-L Keys to Perform Smooth Scrub

You can use three-button play with the J-K-L keys to perform smooth
audio scrubbing of selected tracks of audio at variable speeds. You
cannot activate digital audio scrub with three-button play. You can
monitor while stepping (jogging) or while shuttling at fixed rates up to
three times normal speed. The audio cuts out at greater than three
times the normal speed and comes back after the speed drops below
three times the normal speed.
To monitor audio with three-button play:
1. Select the correct track and adjust playback volume as necessary.
2. Play the audio, using the three-button variable speed playback
procedures described in Using the Keyboard on page 304.
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Using Digital Audio Scrub

Digital audio scrub enables you to sample selected frames of incoming
or outgoing audio as you move through the footage, without a change
in pitch or speed. The following are unique characteristics of digital
scrub:
The frames of audio you hear are always at your point of

destination. For example, if you step forward 10 frames, you hear
a selected number of audio frames from a point behind the
position indicator (outgoing frames) to a point in front of the
position indicator (incoming frames) as it reaches the new
destination point.
The audio is always sampled in a forward playback direction;

whether you step backward or forward through the material, you
hear the same audio sampling at each destination frame.
Digital scrub example
This entire section is sampled.
Step 10 frames.
Selected
track
Outgoing frames
(behind position indicator)
Incoming frames
(ahead of position indicator)
Adjusting Digital Scrub Parameters

The default parameters for the number of frames you hear as you
scrub are zero frames of outgoing audio (behind the position
indicator), and one frame of incoming audio (ahead of the position
indicator). To isolate frames for marking or trimming, usually the
default parameters are sufficient.
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You can increase these settings to include more frames of audio on

either side for example, when you want to sample whole words or
parts of words as you scrub to find edit points within a phrase. Or you
can reverse the settings to sample frames behind the position indicator
(outgoing frames) as you scrub. You should avoid increasing the
number of sampled frames on both sides at once because this can
make it difficult to isolate an edit point or trim point based on the
location of the position indicator.
To adjust the parameters for digital scrub:
3. Click in a text box and type a new number of outgoing or

incoming frames on the source side, the record side, or both.
The new parameters are now in effect.
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Performing the Digital Scrub Procedure

To locate an audio edit point in either source-side or record-side audio
by using digital scrub:
1. Select an audio track for scrubbing, and adjust the output volume,
if necessary.
2. Press the Caps Lock key to activate digital audio scrub.
You can also activate digital audio scrub by pressing and holding the Shift key
while you drag the position indicator or click the Step (Jog) buttons.
3. Move through the material in one of the following two ways to
hear the scrub:
Drag the position indicator.
Click the Step buttons to step through in fixed increments:

1 frame backward, 1 frame forward, 10 frames backward, or
10 frames forward.
When you have found the correct frame, mark the location, trim the
transition, or perform any other function you choose.
If you are sampling incoming frames (with the default scrub
parameters, for example), the system moves the position indicator to
the head of the last sampled audio point. If you are sampling outgoing
frames, the system moves the position indicator to the tail of the last
sampled audio point.
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Using Waveform Plots

You can use waveform plots to help you visually locate points in an
audio track for editing or trimming.
Displaying Audio Waveforms

To display audio waveforms:
1. If you are searching for a point in a known section of the tracks,
zoom in and show more detail in the sequence to isolate a section
of the audio. With less audio to display, the system draws the
waveform plot faster.
2. Choose Show Sample Plot from the Timeline Fast menu. The
Sample Plot option displays the entire amplitude of the audio
waveform. This is the same as the sample voltage values you
would see on an analog oscilloscope waveform.
Press Ctrl+period at any time during the redraw of the waveform plot to stop
the redraw.
Waveform energy plot
3. To maximize the visibility of your waveform display, use any of

the following optional procedures:
Continue to expand or shrink your view of the Timeline (by

using the scale bar), effectively spreading out the waveform
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plots to show detailed variations in the audio levels. You can

also use the up and down arrows for zooming.
Enlarge or reduce the height of selected audio tracks, and

subsequently the waveform displays, by pressing Ctrl+L to
enlarge or Ctrl+K to reduce.
You can also increase or reduce the size of the sample plot
image itself, without enlarging its track, by pressing
Ctrl+Alt+L to enlarge, or Ctrl+Alt+K to reduce. This is useful
when viewing detail in quiet passages.
4. Move through the audio shown in the waveform by using any of

the playback methods. You hear sound as you track the audio
visually. When you have the position indicator at the point you
want in the waveform, you can mark, trim, or perform any other
function.
Using the Audio Mix Tool

For additional
information on audio
levels for digital cut
output, see Preparing
for Output on
page 470.
The default volume for master clips is set to zero (that is, with no
attenuation) when you first record the media. The pan option in the
Audio Settings dialog box determines how the system plays back the
default pan. If you set the default pan to Alternating Left - Right,
even tracks are sent to the left channel and odd tracks are sent to the
right channel.
The Audio Mix tool allows you to:
Adjust the pan and volume for an individual clip, a whole track,
several tracks at once, or a whole sequence.
Adjust the volume, pan, or both for one track at a time.
Adjust the volume, pan, or both for multiple tracks

simultaneously by ganging them together.
The system uses these adjustments for all playback, including output
to a digital cut.
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The Audio Mix tool adjusts entire clips only. You can adjust volume levels
within a clip in the Timeline by using Audio Gain Automation. For
information, see Using Audio Gain Automation on page 407.
Open the Audio Mix tool by choosing Audio Mix from the Audio
Effect pop-up menu or from the Tools menu.
Play Loop button
Output Options
pop-up menu
Fast Menu button
Display/Hide
Sliders button
Audio Effect
pop-up menu
Stereo Mix
Tracks pop-up
menu
Track Selection
button
Volume level
Pan level and

slider
Resizing the Audio Mix Tool

You can simplify the Audio Mix Tool display by clicking the Display/
Hide Sliders button to switch between hiding and displaying the
volume sliders.
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With the window collapsed, you can continue to adjust levels by

selecting a track and typing values by using the numeric keypad on
the keyboard or by typing a value in the Volume Level display.
You can resize the entire Audio Mix tool by dragging the edge or
corner of the tool. You can resize the Audio Mix tool only when the
sliders are displayed.
Adjusting One Audio Track at a Time

To adjust one audio track at a time in the Audio Mix tool:
1. Load a clip or sequence, and activate the appropriate monitor:
To adjust a track in a source clip, make sure the Source pop-up

monitor is active.
To adjust a track in a sequence, make sure the Composer

monitor is active.
2. Select the track or portion of a track to be adjusted:
To adjust the track in a single edited clip in a sequence, move

the position indicator to the clip.
To adjust an isolated section of audio on a track, mark IN and

OUT points. Adjusting a clip with an IN point and an OUT
point adjusts the entire clip.
To adjust levels from an IN point through the end of the track,

mark an IN point only. One point also adjusts the entire track
from the beginning of the clip that includes the IN point.
To adjust levels globally throughout the track, mark no IN or

OUT points.
3. Choose Audio Mix from the Tools menu.

The Audio Mix tool opens.
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Output Options
pop-up menu
Stereo Mix Tracks

pop-up menu
Audio Effect
pop-up menu
Track Selection
button
Gang buttons
The Audio Mix tool contains eight panels, one for each audio track
you can monitor and adjust. The Audio Mix tool can display only
tracks that exist in the sequence, or tracks that were recorded with
the source clip.
4. Choose the type of audio output from the Output Options pop-up
menu:
Choose Stereo Mix to direct even tracks to the left channel and
odd tracks to the right channel.
Choose Mono to make adjustments with all levels panned to

center between speakers.
Choose Direct Out when a digital camera is connected to the

system. With Avid Xpress DV, if you are outputting to a
camera at 48 kHz, the maximum output is two channels. If
you are outputting to a camera at 32 kHz, the maximum
output is four channels.
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5. Select the audio track to be adjusted by doing one of the following:
Click the Track Selection button for the audio track to be

adjusted.
Alt+click the Track Selection button, and then choose a track

from the pop-up menu.
6. With the Audio Mix tool active, use any playback method (such as
the J-K-L keys on the keyboard) to play, shuttle, or step through
the audio to check for necessary volume or pan adjustments.
7. Decide whether to raise or lower the volume or to pan left or right.
This action adjusts the volume or pan for a single clip.
Volume Level display

Click Gang buttons to select a track
or to gang multiple tracks.
Audio Level slider
Pan Value display
To change a value in the panel, use any of the following methods:
Click a number along the vertical edge of the Audio Level

slider.
Click the slider and type a value.

Values are cumulative until you press Enter. For example, if
you want to enter the value 12, simply type it. However, if you
type 1 and then want to change the value to 2, press Enter
before typing the 2.
Click the slider and then drag it.

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Click the Volume Level display and type a value.
Alt+click the slider to reset the volume to 0 dB.
Adjust pan by clicking the Pan Value display to reveal the

pop-up slider, and then dragging the slider to a new position.
If the sequence is playing, notice that play stops when you make
an adjustment (the Audio Mix tool does not provide real-time
audio control). You can adjust volume while playing the clip. See
Adjusting Volume While Playing an Audio Effect on page 406.
Pop-up slider for pan
8. Apply the adjustments to a chosen region of the track by using the

Fast Menu button located at the upper right of the tool.
Stereo Mix Tracks
pop-up menu
Fast Menu
button
Track Selection
button
Options in the Fast menu appear dimmed until you select a track
by clicking the Track Selection button. (To apply the adjustments
to multiple tracks, click additional Track Selection buttons.) The
options vary, depending upon the types of marks you set within
the clip or sequence, as follows:
With IN and OUT points: Commands apply adjustments to

selected tracks between the points.
With an IN point (no OUT point): Commands apply

adjustments to full clips from the IN point to the end of
selected tracks.
With no points: Commands apply globally (across entire

tracks).
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The Clip Gain values set by the Audio Mix tool are the values for the entire
segment; for example, you cannot set a subsection of a segment without
affecting the entire segment. To set gain for a portion of a segment, use Audio
Gain Automation. See Using Audio Gain Automation on page 407.
To apply the adjustments, do one of the following:
The Set commands (Set Pan, Set Level) apply the same pan or
volume levels currently set in the Audio Mix tool to all
segments in the marked region of the tracks.
The Adjust Pan/Vols command opens a dialog box for adding

incremental adjustments to all current settings across
segments in the marked region of selected tracks.
For example, when you type 1 in the Gain Adjustment text

box and click OK, the various audio level settings across all
segments of the marked region of selected tracks will be
lowered by exactly 1 dB.
The Remove Pan/Vols command deletes all audio mix

adjustments that have been applied to segments in the marked
region of selected tracks. Each audio clip is restored to its
previous pan and volume settings.
9. Play through the audio again, using the J-K-L keys.

10. Repeat steps 7 through 9 until you are satisfied with the pan and
volume levels.
The system uses the new settings whenever you play back or
record the sequence.
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Ganging and Adjusting Multiple Tracks

You can gang multiple tracks in the Audio Mix tool to maintain the
same relative settings between tracks when you make adjustments.
This is useful in a variety of circumstances. For example, you can gang
tracks to raise the overall volume of a portion of a sequence while
maintaining variations in level adjustment among tracks.
To gang and adjust multiple tracks:
1. Click the Gang button in the required panels. Click the button a
second time to deselect it.
2. Adjust either volume or pan for one of the tracks by using any of
the techniques described in the previous section, and the other
tracks will maintain the same relative levels.
When you gang two or more panels, you gang both the Volume and
Pan sliders.
To set all ganged sliders to the same value:
For volume, click the number along the vertical edge of the
Volume slider or type a value in one of the Volume Level displays.
For pan, click the Pan Value display and type a value.
Ignoring Existing Volume and Pan Settings

You can have the Avid Xpress DV system ignore the volume settings
established with the Audio Mix tool when you play back or perform a
digital cut. You can also deactivate the pan settings by choosing Mono
or Direct Out from the Output Options pop-up menu.
To turn off current volume adjustments, select Ignore Volume next to
the Output Options pop-up menu at the top of the Audio Mix tool.
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The volume controls disappear. Deselect the option to restore the

current settings.
To turn off pan adjustments, choose one of the following from the
Output Options pop-up menu:
Direct Out plays back the tracks when a digital camera is attached
and the audio sample rate is set to 32 kHz.
Mono pans all tracks to center during output.
When you choose Direct Out, the pan controls disappear in the Audio
Mix tool. Choose Stereo Mix to restore the current settings.
Adjusting Volume While Playing an Audio Effect

You can use the Play Loop button to create or change the volume on an
Audio Mix effect while you play the clip.
Play Loop button
To adjust volume while playing an effect:

1. Choose an existing Audio Mix effect, or identify an area of the clip
with IN and OUT points.
2. Click the Play Loop button. The Avid Xpress DV system
repeatedly loops through the audio effect.
3. Adjust the volume as necessary.
4. Click the Play Loop button to stop. The Avid Xpress DV system
automatically saves your changes as part of an Audio Mix effect.
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Limitations
If there is not an existing Audio Mix effect on the clip before you start,
you will not hear any changes until you click the Play Loop button to
stop and replay the effect.
As you adjust the volume values on an existing Audio Mix effect, you
might not hear the results immediately. It takes a few seconds for the
Avid Xpress DV system to apply the changes to the clip. The response
time for this feature is considerably longer than it is when changing
EQ parameters while using Play Loop. You might need to click the
Play Loop button to complete the edit and then play the effect to hear
the result.
To improve the response time, you can do the following:
Monitor as few audio tracks as possible.
Deselect the video track if practical.
Use IN and OUT points to choose a narrow interval to adjust.
For additional ways to change the volume while playing an audio effect, see
Recording Audio Gain Information on page 416.
Using Audio Gain Automation

Audio Gain Automation (also known as audio volume
rubberbanding) allows you to change the volume of a segment by
adding and manipulating gain keyframes in the Timeline.
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The following illustration shows an expanded audio track containing

gain keyframe information.
Gain values in decibels
Graphic representation of keyframes and gain

ramps in the Timeline
The Avid Xpress DV system uses a linear ramp to change the volume
from one gain keyframe to the next.
Automation Gain Values and System Clip Gain Values

When you add a keyframe, the Avid Xpress DV system adds the point
at the level currently set for that track in the Audio Mix tool.
Values set by the Volume sliders in the Audio Mix tool are referred to
as system clip gain values. Audio gain keyframes are not additive to
the system clip gain values. When you move a gain keyframe up or
down, it cancels the system clip gain for that point in the sequence.
Use of Automation Gain disables Gain sliders in the Audio Mix tool.
For more information, see Using the Automation Gain Tool and
Audio Mix Tool on page 417.
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Adjusting Volume in the Timeline

To use Audio Gain Automation to adjust volume:
1. Select an audio track for adjusting volume.
2. Choose Show Audio Levels from the Timeline Fast menu.
n
n
If there is audio volume data on a clip and Show Audio Levels is not chosen
from the Timeline Fast menu, the system displays a pink triangle on the clip
to indicate that audio volume data is present but not displayed.
You can enable both Show Audio Levels and Show Sample Plot in the
Timeline Fast menu to display audio gain meters and keyframe information
superimposed over waveform plots in the Timeline.
3. (Option) Expand the audio track by pressing Ctrl+L or by pressing
and holding the Ctrl key and dragging in the Track Selector panel.
To drag in the Track Selector panel, press and hold the Ctrl key
and move the pointer in the panel. When the pointer changes to a
bar intersected by a double-headed arrow, drag it to expand or
shrink the track as shown in the following illustration.
The following illustration shows the expanded audio track with

volume data.
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4. Click the Add Keyframe button in the Tool palette to add

keyframes along the Timeline. The Avid Xpress DV system adds a
keyframe to each enabled track.
A straight line appears in the selected audio track. The line shows
the current gain level for that track in the Audio Mix tool.
You adjust gain in the Automation Gain tool by dragging keyframes in the
Timeline or by moving the position indicator to a keyframe and adjusting the
slider.
After you add the first keyframe to a segment, you can adjust the gain
for the entire clip. When you move the keyframe up or down, the
corresponding Volume slider in the Automation Gain tool moves also.
Deleting Audio Gain Keyframes

To delete audio gain keyframes, do one of the following:
To delete a single keyframe, move the pointer over the keyframe.

When the pointer changes to the hand pointer, press the Delete
key. If there are identical keyframes in other active tracks, the
system deletes them also. (Do not press the mouse button.)
To delete groups of keyframes, mark an IN point and an OUT

point or mark the entire segment, and then delete any keyframe in
the marked area.
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Moving Audio Gain Keyframes in the Timeline

To move audio gain keyframes in the Timeline, do one of the
following:
Click a keyframe and drag it up or down to increase or decrease

the gain at that point. If there is a point at the same position on
another enabled track, it moves also.
To snap to the decibel lines, press and hold the Ctrl key while you drag the
point.
Move a keyframe horizontally to move the start or end of a ramp.

Place the pointer over a keyframe. When the pointer changes to
the hand pointer, press and hold the Alt key, click the keyframe,
and drag it.
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Move several keyframes vertically on a track at the same time by

placing IN and OUT points to select the area you want. When you
move one keyframe up or down within the marked area, all
keyframes within the marked area move in relation to each other.
This process works for all enabled audio tracks.
This procedure is similar to ganging sliders on an audio mixing board

or in the Audio Mix tool.
About the Automation Gain Tool

Before this section discusses recording volume in the Timeline, it
describes the Automation Gain tool described in detail. The following
illustration shows the Automation Gain tool.
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Recording status light

Cancel button
Fast Menu button
Record button
Track Solo
button
Track Selection
button
Gang button
The Automation Gain tool contains the following recording features:
The Record button starts and stops the recording.
The Cancel button stops a recording without saving the recorded

data.
The Recording status light is black when there is no activity, green

during a preroll, red during recording, and blue during a postroll.
The Preroll text box allows you to provide a visual cue before the
recording begins. The Avid Xpress DV system backs up the
position indicator for the prescribed number of seconds.
The Postroll text box gives the same kind of visual cue at the end
of the recording.
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Track Solo Button

The Track Solo button (Speaker icon) lets you mute and solo
individual audio tracks during audio gain automation recording.
Button Color
Description
Green (default)
The audio track is on.
Yellow
The track is soloed. You can solo more than one track
at a time.
Gray
The audio track is muted.
To switch between solo and on, click the Track Solo button or press
the number keys 1 to 8. The number keys (at the top of the
keyboard) let you quickly select a track.
To switch between on and mute, use the Alt+click or Alt+number

keys.
When you turn off solo, the button returns to its previous state (mute
or on). To change the previous state of a button, Alt+click the button.
While the Automation Gain tool is active, the Avid Xpress DV

system overrides any other mappings of the number keys 1 to 8 at
the top of the keyboard. Number keys on the right side of the
keyboard are not affected.
Selecting Tracks in the Automation Gain Tool

To apply adjustments to a chosen region of the track, you must select
the tracks and then choose an option from the Automation Gain Tool
Fast menu located at the upper right of the tool.
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Track
Selection
button
The options in the Fast menu appear dimmed until you select a track
by clicking the Track Selection button. To apply the adjustments to
multiple tracks, click additional Track Selection buttons.
To access the Track Selection pop-up menu options and choose either a
track or None, do one of the following:
Press and hold the Alt key while clicking the Track Selection
button.
Click and hold the Track Selection button.
Automation Gain Tool Fast Menu

To make the Automation Gain Tool Fast menu active for a given track,
click the Track Selection button for that track.
The following illustration shows the Fast menu when an In/Out area
is marked. When no area is marked, the words In/Out are replaced by
the word Global. This allows you to perform the operation on the
entire sequence track rather than only the marked region.
The Automation Gain Fast menu is similar to the Audio Mix Tool Fast
menu with the addition of the following items:
Filter Automation Gain In/Out removes approximately 50 percent

of the keyframes in the marked region. If you press and hold the
Alt key while choosing the menu item, the system removes all
keyframes in the selected area, except for the minimum and
maximum peaks. The Avid Xpress DV system tries to save major
gestures while removing redundant points on a linear ramp. This
is useful for deleting extra keyframes after a recording. For more
information, see the examples later in this section.
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When there are no mark IN/OUT points on the track, the menu
item is Filter Automation Gain Global. This option allows you to
remove keyframes from the entire track.
Remove Automation Gain In/Out removes all the audio keyframes

within the marked region.
Recording Audio Gain Information

You can instruct the Avid Xpress DV system to record your actions
while playing the clip as you move sliders to adjust the volume. The
system creates the corresponding keyframes and saves them as part of
a pan/volume audio effect. After you finish the recording, you can
move, add, and delete keyframes to achieve the results you want.
Using the Automation Gain Tool Sliders to Record Gain Information

The following procedure describes how to record audio gain
information.
To record audio gain information by using the Automation Gain Tool
sliders:
1. Select an audio track for adjusting volume.
2. Choose Show Audio Levels from the Timeline Fast menu.
If there is audio volume data on a clip and Show Audio Levels is not chosen
from the Timeline Fast menu, the system displays a pink triangle on the clip
to indicate that audio volume data is present but not displayed.
3. (Option) Expand the audio track by pressing Ctrl+L, or by
pressing and holding the Ctrl key and dragging in the Track
Selector panel.
4. Move the position indicator to the section of audio that you want
to adjust and mark IN and OUT points.
5. Click the Record button to start recording your actions.
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6. Listen to the audio and adjust the Volume sliders in the

Automation Gain tool as necessary.
The Avid Xpress DV system adds volume keyframes to the audio
in the Timeline. Because it records every movement of the sliders,
there are usually more keyframes than you need.
7. To decrease the number of keyframes:
a. Click the Track Selection button for the track to enable the Fast
menu.
b. Choose Filter Automation Gain In/Out from the
Automation Gain Tool Fast menu.
8. Repeat step 7 until you have decreased the number of keyframes
to an acceptable level.
You should remove as many excess keyframes as possible while
still maintaining the desired volume changes.
You can move, add, and delete keyframes individually or as groups to
further adjust the volume. For details on how to adjust the keyframes,
see Adjusting Volume in the Timeline on page 409.
Using the Automation Gain Tool and Audio Mix Tool

This section describes the interactions between the Audio Mix tool and
the Automation Gain tool.
When you add the first audio keyframe to a track, the Avid Xpress DV
system adds the point at the level currently set for that track in the
Audio Mix tool.
Values set by the Volume sliders in the Audio Mix tool are referred to
as system clip gain values. Audio gain keyframes are not additive to
the system clip gain values. When you move a keyframe point up or
down, it overrides the system clip gain for that point in the sequence.
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You can add keyframes to some tracks and use the Audio Mix tool to
control the volume on other tracks. The Avid Xpress DV system
provides visual clues to let you keep track of which type of audio
effect is on a given track.
The following illustration shows the Audio Mix tool and the
Automation Gain tool with audio data on two tracks. In this example,
there is audio gain automation information on track A1 and a system
clip gain setting on track A2.
Track A1 has
audio gain
automation.
Track Selection
button
Track A2 has system clip
gain settings from the
Audio Mix tool.
When you have audio gain automation on a track, the slider for the
track does not appear in the Audio Mix tool. The system displays the
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word Auto in the Volume Level display to indicate that audio gain
automation is associated with the track.
Likewise, when you use the Audio Mix tool to change volume for a
track, the slider for the track disappears from the Automation Gain
tool. The word Clip appears in the Volume Level display.
To add audio gain automation to a track that contains system clip gain
information, you simply need to add an audio keyframe. To use the
Audio Mix sliders on a track containing audio gain automation, you
must first remove all the audio keyframes from the track. Choose
Remove Automation Gain Global from the Automation Gain Tool
Fast menu. You need to remove any IN and OUT points on the track
before the menu item changes from In/Out to Global. (Click the Track
Selection button for a track to enable the Automation Gain Tool Fast
menu.)
Using the Audio EQ Tool

The Audio Equalization (EQ) tool supports real-time, segment-based
frequency equalization on individual clips. This feature allows you to
adjust the high, low, and midrange ranges of an audio clip. You can
also save a variety of audio EQ effects and apply them in different
circumstances, as described in this section.
You can access the Audio EQ tool in one of two ways:
Choose Audio EQ from the Tools menu.
If one of the Audio tools is already open, choose EQ from the

Audio Effect menu.
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The Audio EQ tool opens.

Play Loop button
Effect icon
Render Effect button
Fast Menu button

Track Selection
button
Enable/disable
EQ effect
Low shelf
Parametric
midrange
3-band controls
High shelf
EQ Range slider
Audio EQ Tool Features

The Audio EQ tool provides three bands of control:
The first band, the low shelf, has four turnover points (50 Hz, 80 Hz,
120 Hz, and 240 Hz). A turnover point is the point at which the
curve starts to return to 0.
A shelf affects all frequency values within the range of the shelf.
The low shelf affects all frequency values from 20 Hz to one of the
low shelf turnover points.
The second band is the parametric midrange. This band has two
bandwidth values, 1/4 octave and 2 octaves. These values control
the width of the curve.
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The third band, the high shelf, has four turnover points (6 kHz,
8 kHz, 12 kHz, and 15 kHz). The high shelf affects all frequencies
from one of the high shelf turnover points to 20 kHz.
The horizontal center line of the graph is 0. As you move the curve
below the zero line, the corresponding frequencies are deemphasized.
Above the zero line, the corresponding frequencies are emphasized.
The parametric midrange allows a smooth transition from
deemphasized frequencies to emphasized frequencies.
The IN button allows you to turn off an individual EQ effect (the
currently selected effect). The button is yellow when the EQ effect is on
(inline) and gray when the EQ effect is off.
The option Ignore EQ turns off all EQ effects for the sequence.
Rendered EQ effects still play correctly.
To apply Audio EQ effects:
Audio EQ can be applied only to entire segments. You cannot

isolate portions of a segment for an Audio EQ effect by using IN
and OUT points. You must use add edits (match frames) to mark
off a smaller segment.
You can use IN and OUT points to select a range of complete

segments for applying an Audio EQ effect. Segments that fall
within the marks, either in part or whole, will have the effect
applied to them.
The following illustration shows the Audio EQ tool with the frequency
response curve displayed, and identifies the related areas of the
window.
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Bandwidth around the center

point of the parametric curve
1/4 octave (narrow) or
2 octaves (wider)
The current value of the EQ

parameters
Turnover point where high

shelf curve starts moving
back toward 0
Turnover point where low

shelf curve starts moving
back toward 0
Center point of the parametric midrange curve
0 line
High shelf
Parametric midrange
Low shelf
The Audio EQ tool allows you to emphasize or deemphasize fixed

audio frequencies. The height of the curve shows the amount of
emphasis or deemphasis (also called boost or cut) that is being
applied. The range is from +15 dB to 20 dB.
Applying Audio EQ Effects

To adjust audio EQ for a track:
1. Load the sequence containing the audio track.
2. (Option) Isolate a portion of an audio segment by placing add
edits.
3. (Option) Mark a range of audio segments by adding IN and OUT
points in the track.
4. Open the Audio EQ tool.
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5. Select the audio track to be adjusted by clicking the Track Selection

button in the Audio EQ tool.
Track Selection
button
Notice that the Track Selector panel in the Timeline window is

updated to reflect your selection.
6. Click the Play Loop button to play the currently selected audio
clip within the current IN to OUT range. To stop playing the loop,
click the button again or click anywhere in the Timeline.
7. Use any one of the following methods to change a value in the
Audio EQ tool:
Click a number along the vertical edge of the Volume slider.
Click the slider and type a value.

Values are cumulative until you press Enter. For example, if
you want to enter the value 12, simply type it. However, if you
type 1 and then want to change the value to 2, press Enter
before typing the 2.
Drag the slider.
Click the EQ Parameter display and type a value.
Set a value of 0 dB by clicking the slider and typing 0, or by

clicking 0 along the vertical edge of the Volume slider.
8. Apply the adjustments to a chosen region of the track by using the

Audio EQ Tool Fast menu located at the upper right of the tool.
Fast Menu button
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The Fast menu on the Audio EQ tool allows you to remove or

apply an EQ effect to clips within the current IN to OUT range. It
also provides access to a number of predefined EQ templates. For
a description of predefined audio templates, see Using Audio
EQ Templates on page 430.
For example, the following illustration shows a segment with one
EQ effect applied to Audio Clip 2 in track A2. If you choose Set EQ
In/Out, the current EQ effect is also applied to Audio Clip 1 and
Audio Clip 3 on track A2.
Before Set EQ In/Out
After Set EQ In/Out EQ effect is added to Audio Clip 1 and Audio Clip 3.
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If there is no EQ setting on the currently selected clip, choosing Set

EQ In/Out deletes the EQ settings on all clips within the IN to
OUT range. For example, because there is no EQ setting on Audio
Clip 3 in the following example, Set EQ In/Out deletes the EQ
effect from Audio Clip 1 and Audio Clip 2.
Before Set EQ In/Out
After Set EQ In/Out EQ effect is deleted from Audio Clip 1 and Audio Clip 2.
Set EQ In/Out applies only to the audio track currently selected

by the Audio EQ tool. You can change your selected region by
eliminating or adding marks in the Timeline, or by selecting a
different track.
9. Play through the audio again, using the Play Loop button.
10. Repeat steps 7 through 9 until you are satisfied with the EQ
adjustments.
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Saving Audio EQ Effects

The Avid Xpress DV system treats an EQ setting as an effect. You can
save EQ settings in a bin just as you save any other effect template.
This makes it easy to save EQ settings and apply them whenever you
need them. The following illustration shows an EQ Effect icon in a bin
and in the Timeline.
EQ Effect icon
in a bin
EQ effect in the Timeline
Use the effect icon in the Audio EQ tool to save EQ settings in a bin or
to copy the settings to another audio clip. Either drag the icon to a bin,
or drag the icon to another audio clip in the Timeline. For more
information on using effect templates, see the Avid Xpress DV Effects
Guide.
426
Removing Audio EQ Effects

To remove an Audio EQ effect:
1. Move the position indicator to the effect.
2. Click the Remove Effect button in the Tool palette.
From Trim or Effect mode, press the Delete key.
Audio EQ Examples
The following examples show two different ways to use the Audio EQ
tool to remove excess bass from an audio track. In these examples,
assume that a bass drum in the sound track is very pronounced and
the Audio EQ tool is used to deemphasize it. Also assume that there
are voices on the same track as the music. The human voice covers a
wide range of frequencies, and the challenge is to preserve the bass
frequencies of the voices while deemphasizing the bass drum sound.
Consider that the goal of the adjustments is the final sound. You
should use small adjustments to preserve as much of the original
sound track as possible. Do not be overly concerned about specific
parameter values.
427
Low Shelf Example

This example adjusts the low shelf to deemphasize the bass. By
dropping the low shelf down to 20 dB, we are able to deemphasize it.
However, there are voices on this track, and simply dropping the low
shelf also removes some bass from the voices. To compensate for this,
we:
1. Use the 2-octave midrange setting to create a wide midrange.
2. Move the midpoint of the parametric curve to 88 Hz.
3. Boost the midrange of the parametric curve to +7.7 dB.
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Small Octave Range Example

This example isolates the particular frequency that we want to
deemphasize. In this example, we do not use the low shelf but instead
use the parametric midrange to isolate the frequency. To isolate the
frequency, we:
1. Use the 1/4-octave influence range.
2. Set the midrange EQ parameter to 15 dB.
Use the slider to move the midpoint of the parametric curve until it
isolates the bass frequency. In this case, the bass frequency that we
want to deemphasize is approximately 80 Hz.
Use this slider to move

the center point of the
parametric curve and
locate a specific
frequency.
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Using Audio EQ Templates

Your Avid Xpress DV system provides a set of predefined EQ
templates. These templates address a number of common audio
problems such as removing tape hiss or boosting the low frequency on
a music track. The templates are accessible from the Fast menu in the
Audio EQ tool. You can also add your own custom EQ templates to
the Fast menu.
The Fast menu in the Audio EQ tool provides access to a number of
predefined EQ templates, as shown in the following illustration.
The EQ templates are designed to fix problems that you can encounter
with audio clips. For example, Tape Hiss Filter rolls off frequencies
above 4 kHz. NTSC Hum Buster cuts the bass on frequencies that
often cause hum on NTSC systems.
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Applying an EQ Template
To apply an EQ template from the Audio EQ Tool Fast menu:
1. Move the position indicator to the audio clip in the Timeline.
2. Choose the template from the Audio EQ Tool Fast menu.
The Avid Xpress DV system places the EQ effect on the audio clip.
The following illustration shows the contents of the Audio EQ tool
when you select the Female Voice with Presence template in the
Timeline. As explained in the window, you cannot change the
parameters of a predefined EQ template.
To see the parameter values of one of the EQ templates that cannot be edited,
view the Console window after you apply the effect. To open the Console
window, choose Console from the Tools menu.
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Creating Your Own Templates

If you create an EQ effect that you want to use again in another
sequence or on another track, simply drag the effect icon from the
Audio EQ Tool window to a bin. The system creates an EQ effect in the
bin. Rename the template by clicking the text and typing a new name.
Effect icon
You can add your own EQ templates to the Audio EQ Tool Fast menu.
You do this by storing your EQ template in the same bin as the
predefined templates.
To add an EQ template to Site_EQs_Bin:
1. Open the bin containing your EQ templates.
2. Choose Open Bin from the File menu.
3. Open the bin named Site_EQs_Bin.avb as follows:
a. Open the following folder:
C:\Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress DV\
SupportingFiles\Site_Effects
b. Choose All Files from the Files of Type pop-up menu at the
bottom of the dialog box. The Site_EQs_Bin.avb file appears.
c. Double-click the Site_EQs_Bin.avb file.
4. Drag one of your own EQ templates to Site_EQs_Bin.
5. If you have not already done so, name the template by clicking the
text and typing a name.
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6. Close the bin.
The Avid Xpress DV system does not save the effect to the bin until you close
the bin.
7. Click the Audio EQ Tool Fast Menu button and look for your new
template.
Adjusting EQ While Playing an Audio Effect

You can use the Play Loop button to create or change an EQ effect
while a clip is playing.
Play Loop button
To adjust EQ while playing an effect:

1. Choose an existing EQ effect or identify an area of the clip with IN
and OUT points.
2. Click the Play Loop button. The Avid Xpress DV system
repeatedly loops through the audio effect.
3. Adjust the EQ as necessary.
4. Click the Play Loop button to stop. The Avid Xpress DV system
automatically saves your changes as part of an EQ effect.
Limitations
If there is no existing EQ effect on the clip before you start, you will not
hear any changes until you click the Play Loop button to stop and
replay the effect.
433
As you are adjusting the EQ values on an existing EQ effect, you might

not hear the results immediately. It takes a few seconds for the changes
to be applied to the clip. To improve the response time, you can do the
following:
Monitor as few audio tracks as possible.
Deselect the video track, if practical.
Use IN and OUT points to choose a narrow interval to adjust.
Digidesign AudioSuite Plug-Ins

Your Avid Xpress DV system supports AudioSuite, the Digidesign
host-based, file-based plug-in specification. Users have access to
audio-processing plug-ins developed by Digidesign and by
Digidesign third-party developers. Plug-ins perform pitch processing,
artifact removal, audio reversal, and many other processes. For more
information on using the AudioSuite Plug-Ins, see Appendix A.
For information on Digidesign and third-party plug-ins, see the
AudioSuite Plug-In Catalog available from Digidesign. To order the
catalog, contact Digidesign at 800-333-2137.
For information on plug-ins that are not supported by your
Avid Xpress DV system, see Plug-in Limitations on page 445.
Installing AudioSuite Plug-Ins

The Avid Xpress DV system installation software automatically creates
a DAE folder in the following location:
C:\Program Files\Digidesign\DAE
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The DAE folder contains the following:
A DAE Prefs folder. The plug-in vendor might install settings in

this folder.
A DAE Plug-Ins folder containing the following:

-
A set of basic plug-ins from Digidesign.
A file named AvidAppPlugIn.dpm. The Avid Xpress DV

system requires this file; do not delete it.
Several basic plug-ins are installed automatically. For a description of

the plug-ins, see Appendix a.
When you purchase additional plug-ins, the third-party vendor will
provide instructions on how to load the plug-ins. Some vendors might
require you to drag the plug-in to the Plug-Ins folder. Other vendors
might perform the task automatically for you by using an installation
program.
Starting the DAE Application

When you open the Digidesign AudioSuite window (see Using
Digidesign AudioSuite Plug-Ins on page 436), the Avid Xpress DV
system automatically starts the DAE application. The application
continues running even after you close the window.
Plug-in Selection
pop-up menu
Drive Selection
pop-up menu
Status display
435
Using Digidesign AudioSuite Plug-Ins

There are two ways to use AudioSuite Plug-Ins:
Apply a plug-in to a clip in the Timeline. The end result is a

rendered effect.
Use the controls in the AudioSuite window to create a new master

clip. This method allows you to process more than one channel at
a time and to create new media that is longer or shorter in
duration than the source media. For more information, see
Creating New Master Clips on page 440.
By default, the AudioSuite window displays the controls for applying

a plug-in to a clip in the Timeline. When you drag a master clip into
the window, the window expands to display additional parameters for
working with master clips. The following illustration shows the
expanded view.
Additional parameters for

working on master clips
Status display
436
Applying an AudioSuite Plug-In to a Clip in the Timeline

The following illustration shows the default layout of the AudioSuite
window.
Effect icon
Audio Effect pop-up

menu
Play Loop button
Render Effect
button
Fast menu
Display/Hide Master Clip

button
Plug-in Selection pop-up
menu
Drive Selection pop-up
menu
Status display
Track Selection button
Activate Current Plug-in button
To apply an AudioSuite Plug-In to a clip in the Timeline:

1. Open the AudioSuite window and do one of the following:
Choose AudioSuite from the Tools menu.
If an audio tool is already open, choose AudioSuite from the

Audio Effect pop-up menu.
2. Use the Track Selection button to select the track that you want to
modify.
When you apply a plug-in to a clip, you can work on only one track at a time.
3. Choose a plug-in from the Plug-in Selection pop-up menu.
The Avid Xpress DV system automatically applies the plug-in
effect to the track in the Timeline.
4. Click the Activate Current Plug-in button.
A dialog box associated with the plug-in appears.
437
5. Make any necessary adjustments and click the Play Loop button to
preview the effect. For more information, see Using a Plug-in
Dialog Box on page 438.
6. (Option) To save the effect as a template, drag the effect icon to a
bin.
7. To save the effect, click OK. To close the dialog box without saving
the effect, click Cancel.
If you want to use plug-ins that operate on stereo pairs or that change the
length of the audio clip, use the methods described in Rendering Plug-in
Effects on page 440.
Using a Plug-in Dialog Box

The contents of the Plug-in dialog boxes vary, but the top six buttons
will always be visible. If a particular button is not available, it is
dimmed. The following illustration shows the Digidesign Normalize
plug-in.
These six buttons

appear on all
AudioSuite Plug-In
dialog boxes.
OK saves the effect and closes the dialog box.
Cancel closes the dialog box and does not save the effect.
Preview plays back a portion or all of the currently selected audio

clip with processing.
438
Some plug-ins can preview in real time and some cannot. If the
plug-in cannot preview in real time, the Avid Xpress DV system
plays back the processed audio in 2-second intervals. The
Avid Xpress DV system processes 2 seconds of audio, plays it,
processes the next 2 seconds, plays it, and so on.
Render renders the effect and creates a new audio media file.
Bypass plays the selected audio without processing. This is useful

for comparing the audio with and without processing applied.
Optional performs an analysis pass on the audio data.
Some plug-ins require an analysis pass on the audio data before they
can process the information. If so, they perform the first pass
automatically. Other plug-ins do not require a first pass but can
achieve more accurate results if you allow them to perform a first pass.
If the plug-in supports the optional pass, this button will be available.
Otherwise, it will be dimmed.
AudioSuite Plug-In Fast Menu

The Fast menu allows you to render or remove AudioSuite Plug-Ins.
The menu text differs depending on whether you have IN and OUT
points in the sequence.
The following describes the text that appears on the menu:
Global: There are no IN points on the segment. The command

affects all the plug-ins on the segment.
IN/OUT: There are IN and OUT points on the segment. The

command affects the plug-ins within the marked region.
From IN: There is an IN point and no corresponding OUT point.

The command affects all plug-ins starting with the IN point.
439
Rendering Plug-in Effects

You need to render all AudioSuite Plug-Ins before you can play back
the effect. If you do not render the effect manually, the Avid Xpress DV
system automatically renders the effect before it creates an audio
mixdown or audio dissolve containing the effect.
For more information, see Troubleshooting AudioSuite Plug-Ins
on page 446.
Creating New Master Clips

You can use AudioSuite Plug-Ins to create new master clips. This
allows you to use multiple input and output channels, and to change
the length of the media. You can perform the following operations on
the media you create:
Apply AudioSuite Plug-Ins to more than one track (also referred

to as a channel or stream) at the same time. For example, a plug-in
might allow you to process two separate tracks as a stereo pair.
This enables you to use plug-ins that perform linked compression,
reverb, and other effects that allow multichannel input. These
plug-ins use parallel processing as described in the next section.
Create new media that is longer or shorter in duration than the

source media. This allows you to use effects that perform time
compression and expansion. For example, you can use a Pitch
Shift plug-in to change the length of the audio file. These plug-ins
may use either parallel or serial processing.
Apply one mono AudioSuite effect to any number of inputs of a

master clip in a multiple-mono fashion. These plug-ins use serial
processing.
440
Serial Versus Parallel Processing

Each AudioSuite Plug-In allows one or both of the following
processing modes:
Serial Processing (default): The Avid Xpress DV system applies

the effect to each source track one after another, in a serial manner.
The system creates a new master clip with the same number of
tracks that you selected in the AudioSuite window.
Parallel Processing: This option is available if the plug-in allows

more than one input source and more than one output source. The
plug-in determines what processing occurs and how it operates
across the multiple sample streams. The system creates a master
clip with the number of tracks equal to the number of output
streams from the plug-in.
Parallel processing ensures that the system applies the audio effect
simultaneously to each of the selected tracks. This is important
when working with tracks that you want to treat as stereo pairs.
You choose the processing mode from a menu in the AudioSuite

window as described in the next section.
AudioSuite Controls for Creating New Master Clips

When you drag a master clip into the AudioSuite window, the
window automatically expands to display additional controls. You can
also click the Display/Hide Master Clip button to display or hide the
additional parameters.
The following illustration identifies the controls that appear when you
expand the AudioSuite window.
441
Render Effect
button
Play Loop
button
Display/Hide
Master Clip
buttton
Activate Current
Plug-in button
Plug-in Selection
pop-up menu
Clip Selection
pop-up menu
Toggle Master
Clip Mode
button
Input Source
Track selectors
Mark IN to OUT
indicators
Processing Mode
Selector pop-up
menu
Target bin for new
master clip
Status display
Load Result In Monitor check box
Find Source
button
Load In Source
Pop-up
Monitor button
Clip Selection menu Allows you to choose the active clip. This
menu lists the current active clip and other clips you dragged into
the AudioSuite window. The window controls change to reflect
the active clip.
Input Source Track selectors Allow you to choose the input

source tracks for the effect.
The system automatically chooses a preview track and displays a
blue Speaker icon on the track. To change the preview track,
Alt+click the appropriate source track. If the source track that is
set as the current preview track is deselected, the system chooses
the lowest available track.
Processing Mode Selector pop-up menu Displays the current

mode of the AudioSuite effect on a given clip (serial or parallel).
For more information, see Serial Versus Parallel Processing on
page 441.
442
When you select Parallel Processing, the status display identifies

the maximum number of tracks that can be processed. If more
than the maximum are initially selected, the system automatically
disables tracks until it reaches the plug-ins maximum number.
Target bin Allows you to choose the target bin. The system will
place the new media and a corresponding AudioSuite effect
template in the bin. The template allows you to modify the effect
at a later time.
Toggle Master Clip Mode button Activates the master clip

processing mode. The button is yellow when master clip
processing mode is active.
Mark IN to OUT indicators These lights change to green when

an IN point or OUT point exists on the current master clip.
Find Source button Allows you to find the master clip

associated with an AudioSuite template. When you drop an
AudioSuite effect template into the AudioSuite window, the
system activates this button. Click the button to load the master
clip into the AudioSuite window as the active master clip.
The template you drop in the window must reference an existing master clip.
Load In Source Pop-up Monitor button Loads the current

source master clip into the Source pop-up monitor. This is useful if
you want to add or change IN and OUT points on the clip.
Load Result In Monitor check box Click this box to instruct the
system to automatically load the resulting master clip into the
Status display For parallel processing plug-ins, the status

display identifies the maximum number of tracks that can be
processed. If more than the maximum are initially selected, the
system automatically disables tracks until it reaches the plug-ins
maximum number.
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Using the AudioSuite Plug-Ins to Create New Master Clips

To create new master clips by using the AudioSuite Plug-Ins:
1. Drag one (or more) master clips or subclips into the AudioSuite
window.
The system automatically enters master clip processing mode and
expands the AudioSuite window if necessary.
You can use the Display/Hide Master Clip button to display or
hide the controls for processing a master clip. To enter or leave
master clip processing mode, click the Toggle Master Clip Mode
button. The button is yellow when master clip processing mode is
active.
2. If you dropped more than one master clip in the window, choose a
clip to work on from the Clip Selection menu.
3. Choose the input sources from the Input Source Track selectors.
4. (Option) Change the preview source track by Alt+clicking the
Input Source Track selector.
5. Choose a plug-in from the Plug-in Selection pop-up menu.
6. Click the Activate Current Plug-in button to open the plug-ins
user interface. For more information, see Using a Plug-in Dialog
Box on page 438.
7. Make any changes and use the Play Loop button to preview the
effect.
8. Either render the plug-in from the Plug-In dialog box or return to
the AudioSuite window. For more information on rendering, see
Rendering Plug-in Effects on page 440.
When you click the Render Effect button, the system creates a new
master clip in the target bin. The system names the new master
clip by combining the original clip name with the effect name (for
example, Test Audio clip_Normalize).
The system also creates an AudioSuite effect template in the bin as
described in the next section.
444
Using an AudioSuite Effect Template

When you create a new master clip, the system also creates an
AudioSuite effect template in the bin. This effect template contains a
reference to the original master clip to which the effect was applied.
The system names the template by combining the original clip name
with the effect name (for example, Test Audio clip - AudioSuite PlugIn Effect: Normalize). The template is useful if you want to modify the
effect after it is created.
To use a template to modify a master clip:
1. Drag an AudioSuite Plug-In template into the AudioSuite
window.
The system activates the Find Source button in the AudioSuite
window.
2. Click the button to load the master clip into the AudioSuite
window.
If a corresponding master clip exists, the system loads the master
clip with its associated plug-in values.
3. Modify the effect as described in AudioSuite Controls for
Creating New Master Clips on page 441.
Plug-in Limitations
The following limitations apply to the AudioSuite Plug-Ins:
Some plug-ins that perform analysis passes on the audio data are
not supported. This includes plug-ins that use playlist information
to cache analysis data.
If you want to use plug-ins that change the length of an audio clip
or that operate on multiple inputs at the same time, use the
method described in Creating New Master Clips on page 440.
The method of applying an effect to a clip in the Timeline does not
work for these operations.
445
Troubleshooting AudioSuite Plug-Ins

This section describes problems you might encounter when using the
AudioSuite Plug-Ins.
Canceling a Render Operation

You can press Ctrl+period to cancel a render operation. However, be
careful not to press Ctrl+period multiple times. If you press
Ctrl+period after the render operation has been stopped (from a
previous Ctrl+period), the Avid Xpress DV system closes the window
after it cancels the render operation.
Addressing Error Messages When Rendering a Plug-in Effect

If the DAE application is not running when you start to render a plugin effect, the system displays an error message stating that the DAE
connection does not exist. The dialog box gives you the following
choices:
Cancel stops the rendering process. It allows you to open the

AudioSuite tool and then start rendering again.
Bypass continues the rendering process but doesnt render the

plug-in effect.
In most cases, you should click Cancel and open the AudioSuite tool.
If the plug-in is not installed when you go to render a plug-in effect,
the system displays an error message and tells you which plug-in is
not installed. At that time, you can cancel or bypass the rendering
process as previously described.
446
Recording Voice-Over Narration

Audio punch-in allows you to record up to two channels of audio
directly to the Timeline for voice-over narration. This feature saves the
extra steps of recording the narration to tape first, recording, and then
editing the audio clip into the sequence. The narrator can also watch
the sequence and hear playback of edited sound tracks while
recording.
You open the Audio Punch-In tool from the Tools menu. The following
illustration identifies the various elements of the tool.

Record button
Cancel button
Preroll and Postroll text boxes
Audio Tool button

Handles text box
Input Channel
Selection buttons
and menus
Timeline Track Selection menus
Target Bin menu

Target Drive menu
Features of the Audio Punch-In tool are as follows:
The Record button starts and stops the recording.
The Cancel button stops a recording without saving the recorded

data.
The Recording status light is black when there is no activity, green

during a preroll, red during recording, and blue during a postroll.
447
The Audio Tool button displays the Audio tool so that you can
monitor and adjust the audio levels during recording.
The Preroll text box allows you to provide a visual cue before the
recording begins. The Avid Xpress DV system backs up the
position indicator for the prescribed number of seconds.
The Postroll text box gives the same kind of visual cue at the end
of the recording.
The Handles text box instructs the Avid Xpress DV system to

record audio at the beginning and end of the clip. This allows you
to perform trim edits on the audio.
The input channels identify the channels on the audio hardware

that are used for recording. Click the button to select the channel.
The button changes to pink when it is selected. Alt+click the
button to display a menu and select another channel.
The selected input channels are not used for playback. Do not select the same
channels as mix output on the Audio Mix tool.
The Timeline Track Selection menus allow you to specify where

the Avid Xpress DV system places the audio in the Timeline.
Choose either New Track or an existing track. When you choose
an existing track, the Avid Xpress DV system overwrites the audio
on that track between the IN and OUT points.
Using the Audio Punch-In Tool

This section provides an overview of how to set up and use your
Avid Xpress DV system for creating voice-overs in the Timeline.
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Connecting the Hardware

Before you can use the Audio Punch-In tool, you need to connect a
microphone or another input device to your system. The following are
typical examples:
Microphone input on the back of the computer can be used with

mini plug microphones.
If you have a microphone that needs a preamplifier, plug the

microphone into LINE-IN on the preamplifier and unplug the
camera output. In the Audio Project Settings dialog box, choose
Analog from the Input Source pop-up menu.
Creating the Voice-Over

You can replace part (or all) of an existing track, or you can instruct the
Avid Xpress DV system to create a new track for the voice-over. The
following procedure shows how to use the tool when you want to
mark IN and OUT points and create a new track for the voice-over.
1. Mark the IN and OUT points in the Timeline as shown in the
following illustration.
IN point
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OUT point
2. Choose Audio Punch-In from the Tools menu.

The Audio Punch-In tool opens.

Record button
Cancel button
Input Channel
Selection buttons
and menus
3. Choose the channels that correspond to your hardware setup and

set other values in the dialog box as appropriate.
To choose the input channels you want, click and hold the
appropriate Input Channel Selection buttons.
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Record button
Cancel button
Other selected
input channel
Selected input
channel
A check mark appears next to the selected input channel.

4. To start recording, click the Record button or press the B key.
If you started with both IN and OUT points in the Timeline, the
Avid Xpress DV system automatically stops recording when it
reaches the OUT point (or after it adds the appropriate audio
handle after the OUT point). If you added only an IN point, click
the Record button a second time to stop the recording.
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The following illustrations show the results after adding a voice-over.

The system automatically names the voice-over. You can change the
name as you would for any clip (for example, change the name in the
bin).
Voice-over adding a new track
Voice-over replacing a portion of a track
Voice-Over Media Files

The Avid Xpress DV system automatically names the voice-over and
stores it as an audio clip, as shown in the following illustration.
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Fine-Tuning Audio Transitions

When you are making audio level and pan adjustments, the
Avid Xpress DV system looks at either an individual clip in the Source
pop-up monitor, a segment in the sequence, or entire tracks. To change
level or pan settings in an area not defined by a discrete clip or group
of clips, use the Add Edit function to define your own custom area.
To isolate clip portions for adjustment:
1. Find the start of the area where you want to change the pan or
level, leaving your position indicator on that frame as a marker.
2. Click the appropriate track in the Track Selector panel.
3. Click the Add Edit button.
This places an edit where the position indicator is located.
4. Find the end of the area where you want to change the pan or
level, leaving your position indicator on that frame as a marker.
5. Click the appropriate track.
6. Click the Add Edit button.
7. Use the process described in Using the Audio Mix Tool on
page 398 to change the level or pan within this new segment.
Fading and Dipping Audio

In traditional analog editing, you manually change volume levels to
smooth audio transitions between elements in an edited sequence by:
Fading audio up or down
Dipping to a lower level
Crossfading between audio elements on two separate channels
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With the Avid Xpress DV system, these effects are more accurately
termed audio dissolves because they occur instantly when you apply the
same dissolve effect that you use for video tracks.
Fading Audio
To fade or crossfade audio, use the procedures described in Using
Audio Gain Automation on page 407, or use the procedure
described in this section.
Fading and crossfading audio are easy effects to achieve. The
procedure that differs most from analog editing is crossfading. In the
analog world, unless you are using a mixer, you must lay down audio
on two separate channels, fade one down, and then fade up the second
on an overlapping section. With the Avid Xpress DV system, you
simply apply an audio dissolve.
To apply a fade or crossfade:
1. Move the position indicator to a transition.
2. Click the Add Dissolve button in the Tool palette.
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The Quick Dissolve dialog box appears.
3. Do not choose another effect from the Add pop-up menu at the
top; only dissolves work with audio tracks.
4. Select a duration for the dissolve, measured in frames (30 frames
equals 1 second of NTSC footage; 25 frames equals 1 second of
PAL footage).
5. Choose the location for the dissolve from the Position pop-up
menu.
Ending at Cut fades the audio on the A-side (outgoing) to 0,

ending at the cut point.
Centered on Cut or Custom Start creates a crossfade. Custom

Start allows you to begin the dissolve off-center that is,
closer to the transition and ending later into the B-side
(incoming), or the reverse.
Starting at Cut fades the audio up from the B-side, starting at

the cut point.
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6. If you chose Custom Start, type the number of frames before the
transition to begin the effect in the Starts n frames before cut text
box. Otherwise, leave the default value in the text box.
7. (Option) Choose a media drive other than the default from the
Target Drive pop-up menu.
Select the Skip Real-Time Effects option when you add effects to video.
8. Click Add to place the effect at the transition point without
rendering. Click Add and Render to do both.
In most cases, you can select Add and Render for immediate real-time
playback of the audio effect (the rendering of audio dissolves is usually
instantaneous).
The effect is completed.
Dipping Audio
To dip audio from a higher level to a lower one for example, when
bringing music down and under a voice-over track use the
procedures described in Using Audio Gain Automation on
page 407, or use the procedure described in this section.
To apply a dip in audio:
1. Play back the section of the sequence where the dip will take place
to determine the start point for the dip, and apply an add edit to
the audio track. For more information on add edit, see Adding an
Edit (Match Framing) on page 367.
2. Repeat the action in step 1 for the end point where the audio will
dip back up.
3. Move the position indicator to the new segment of audio, and
open the Audio Mix tool.
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4. Adjust the track to the volume level you want, as described in the
section Using the Audio Mix Tool on page 398.
5. Apply a Quick Dissolve to both add edit points, using the
techniques described in Fading Audio on page 454. Be sure to
choose Centered on Cut or Custom Start from the Position pop-up
menu.
After rendering, the audio dips smoothly from the higher levels of the
adjacent segments of the track to the lower level applied to the middle
segment.
Mixing Down Audio Tracks

When you work with multiple audio tracks while editing your
material, you might need to mix down the final audio to two tracks.
After you edit a number of tracks of audio, mix them down to one or
two tracks of audio by following these steps:
1. Load a sequence into the Composer monitor.
2. Click the Track Monitor buttons in the Track Selector panel to
select the audio tracks you want to mix down.
3. Mark an IN point and an OUT point at the start and end of the
material you want to mix down.
If you do not mark the section of audio you want to mix down, the
system mixes down all the selected audio tracks.
4. Choose Audio Mixdown from the Clip menu.
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The Audio Mixdown dialog box appears. The top of the dialog
box displays the source audio tracks and the start and end
timecodes for the section of audio you have selected to mix down.
Selected section of audio
Destination
tracks
5. Select Mono, and select the target track to which you want to mix
down the audio.
If you want stereo, select Stereo, and select two target tracks for
the mixed-down audio.
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6. Choose a target bin and target drive.

The target drive is the media drive where the system stores the
media files for the mixed-down audio.
7. (Option) Select Save Premix Sequence to save a copy of the
original sequence in the bin. The sequence appears with a
.premix.nn file name extension.
8. Click OK.
A progress indicator appears, showing that a sample rate
conversion is taking place. The sample rate of the audio mixdown
is the same rate that appears in the Audio Project Settings dialog
box. For information on setting the sample rate, see Adjusting
Audio Project Settings on page 165.
The audio is mixed down, and Avid Xpress DV displays the new
master clip in the bin.
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CHAPTER 16
Syncing Methods
Your Avid Xpress DV system provides special tools that help you
establish and maintain sync relationships between various clips. This
includes managing sync between unrelated clips or clips with the
same timecode, and ganging footage. These topics are discussed in the
following sections:
Managing Sync Breaks
Managing Sync with Multiple Tracks
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Managing Sync Breaks

Sync breaks occur when a frame-accurate relationship between two
clips or between the audio and video tracks within a single clip is
offset during editing. Often this happens unintentionally when you
perform one of the following actions:
Selecting only one track in a synced relationship (for example,

audio only or video only) and performing edit functions that
lengthen the duration, such as Splice-in, Extract/Splice-in, or
adding frames in Trim mode
Selecting only one synced track and performing edit functions that
shorten the duration, such as Extract, Extract/Splice-in, or
removing frames in Trim mode
Your Avid Xpress DV system provides several features for avoiding,

tracking, and removing sync breaks, as described in this section.
Editing to Avoid Sync Breaks

One way to avoid breaking sync is to maintain the duration of the
track when you add or remove material, as follows:
When adding material to a track, use the Overwrite function

instead of Splice-in, whenever possible.
When removing material from a track, use Lift instead of Extract.

(The Lift function leaves filler of the same duration when you
remove footage.)
When performing Segment mode edits, use the Lift/Overwrite

function instead of Extract/Splice-in whenever possible. (Lift/
Overwrite leaves filler behind and overwrites material at the new
destination, maintaining sync in both cases.)
In Trim mode, you can sync lock tracks to avoid breaking sync, or
you can use the Alt key for adding black during trims, as
described in Maintaining Sync While Trimming on page 382.
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You can also perform dual-roller trims (that maintain duration)

instead of single-roller trims.
There are many cases in which you cannot avoid splicing or extracting
material, or performing single-roller trims that break sync.
Fixing Sync Breaks

In general, sync breaks are displayed only when the out-of-sync tracks
overlap and the audio no longer matches the video. In other words, if
an overlapping portion of one of the tracks is deleted, replaced,
moved, or trimmed, then the sync break disappears. You fix sync
breaks in one of several ways, based on the type of break and the
needs of your sequence.
Fixing Sync in Trim Mode

To restore frames to sync in Trim mode, perform one or more singleroller trims on the out-of-sync tracks. Trim the exact number of syncbreak frames displayed in the Timeline to reverse the break.
Keep in mind the following considerations:
Sync lock any additional tracks that are synced to the track you are
trimming. Otherwise, you might restore sync in one track and
break it in the others. See Using Sync Lock on page 463.
Do not perform a dual-roller trim; this does not remove the sync
break.
Do not perform the trim on the OUT point (A-side transition) of

the out-of-sync segment. This does not remove the sync break.
Always perform the trim on the IN point (B-side transition) of the
out-of-sync segment.
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Fixing Sync in Segment Mode

To restore frames to sync in Segment mode, select and move the entire
out-of-sync segment. You can move the segment forward or backward
in the opposite direction of the break to reverse it.
Keep in mind the following considerations:
Use the Lift/Overwrite function to leave filler behind and

maintain any other sync relationships that might be affected by
the move.
Use the Lift/Overwrite function to delete the entire segment and

leave filler to eliminate the break.
Use the Add Edit function to isolate a portion of the clip for
moving or deleting. See Adding an Edit (Match Framing) on
page 367.
Move the out-of-sync track, if possible, beyond the overlapping

range with the synced material to eliminate the sync break.
Managing Sync with Multiple Tracks

The Sync Breaks display in the Timeline makes it easy to manage sync
between video and one or two audio tracks. You can use additional
techniques to manage sync when you work with four or more tracks,
including syncing with tail leader and syncing with locators.
Using Sync Lock

The sync lock feature allows you to maintain sync among several tracks
while you add or remove frames in Trim mode. For example, if you
insert an edit into one track that is sync locked to a second track, the
system automatically inserts filler in the second track to maintain sync
between the two.
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Sync Lock button
You activate sync locking by clicking the Sync Lock button in the Track
Selector panel to display the Sync Lock icon. You can also switch all
sync locks on or off by clicking the Sync Lock All button.
There are several unique aspects to sync locking:
Sync locking is a Trim mode feature only. Edits performed in

Segment or Effect mode will override sync-locked tracks.
Sync locking applies to single-roller trims only; dual-roller trims

do not break sync.
You can sync lock any number of tracks in any combination. The
tracks do not require matching timecode or common sources, and
can include multiple video tracks as well as audio tracks.
Sync locking affects entire tracks. This means that parallel

segments in other sync-locked tracks are affected when you trim
anywhere in the sequence.
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Syncing with Tail Leader

You can add tail leader to the audio or video material in
Avid Xpress DV to provide a useful visual reference in the Timeline for
tracking and fixing sync breaks across any number of tracks.
Tail leaders lined up for multiple

video (vid) and audio (aud) tracks
Film editors traditionally use standard head and tail leaders for this
purpose. You can create your own leader according to any
specification, as described in Creating Leader on page 261.
With tail leader added to synchronized tracks, you can go to the end of
the sequence after making a complicated edit and see whether the
leaders are lined up. If they are out of line, this indicates a sync break
that you can measure and eliminate as follows.
To restore sync by using tail leaders:
1. Move the position indicator to the black segment that follows the
out-of-sync leader.
2. Select the track, and then click the Mark Clip button. You can
measure the break by checking the IN to OUT duration of the
marked segment.
3. To restore sync, find the point at which the sync was lost. Add or
remove frames by using the appropriate edit function, as
described in Fixing Sync Breaks on page 462.
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As a quick fix, click the Extract/Splice-in button. Drag the black

segment at the end of the out-of-sync tail leader to the location where
the sync was lost. This segment of black, created when the track went
out of sync, is the exact length of the sync break.
Move the black

segment by using
Extract/Splice-in.
Syncing with Locators

You can add locators to material in the Timeline to track and adjust
breaks in sync between any number of tracks. With locators, you have
the advantage of placing them anywhere in the sequence and adding
specific notes.
To mark sync points with locators:
1. Move the position indicator to the point in the sequence where
you want to maintain sync between two or more tracks.
2. Select the first track, and click the Add Locator button.
The system adds a red locator to the track in the Timeline and in
the Composer monitor.
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3. To add a note that will appear in the Composer monitor whenever

you park on the locator frame (such as Music sync or Sound Effect
sync), double-click the locator in the Composer monitor, type the
text in the Locator text box, and click OK.
4. Repeat the procedure for subsequent synchronized tracks. Make
sure to keep the position indicator in the same location in order to
line up the locators.
Avid Xpress DV shows only one comment for video and one comment for
audio in the stack.
5. After completing an edit that you think may have affected the
sync, return to the segment that contains the locators. If the
locators are not lined up, the sync is broken.
To adjust the sync break:
1. Measure the sync break by first moving the position indicator to
the leftmost locator and clicking the Mark IN button. Then move it
to the other locators and click the Mark OUT button.
2. Check the IN to OUT duration of the marked section.
3. To restore sync, find the point at which the sync was lost. Add or
remove frames by using the appropriate edit function, as
described in Fixing Sync Breaks on page 462.
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Using Add Edit When Trimming

When you are trimming with several audio tracks in sync, the Add
Edit button allows you to create an edit in the silent or black areas of
the synced tracks. They occur in line with the track you are trimming,
and they trim all the tracks at once to maintain sync.
To use the Add Edit button while trimming:
1. Move the position indicator to the edit that you want to trim.
2. Select only the additional tracks that are in sync, and click the Add
Edit button.
The system adds a transition at the location of your position
indicator in the Timeline.
Add edits in black
3. Select the transition and trim (be sure to select all the synced
tracks).
As you trim, frames are also added or removed from the
additional tracks.
4. When you have finished trimming, you can remove the add edits
from the synced tracks by clicking each Add Edit transition and
pressing the Delete key.
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CHAPTER 17
Output Options
The Avid Xpress DV system provides tools for generating output for
individual tracks or entire sequences to various videotape or
audiotape formats. In addition, you can generate an edit decision list
(EDL) to be used by editors in a videotape suite for preparing a master
tape. You can also use VTR emulation for direct playback of sequences
by using an edit controller in an analog editing suite. These options are
described in the following sections:
Preparing for Output
Using the Digital Cut Tool
Using EDL Manager
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Preparing for Output

Preparing for video output involves the following procedures:
Render all effects. See the Avid Xpress DV Effects Guide.
Select video outputs. See Selecting Video Output on page 470.
Select audio outputs. See Selecting Audio Output on page 471.
Calibrate and adjust audio output levels. See Selecting Audio

Output on page 471.
Decide whether you want to generate stereo or mono audio. See

Adjusting One Audio Track at a Time on page 400.
Mix down multiple audio tracks if necessary. Systems equipped

with a two-channel audio board can generate a maximum of two
channels. See Mixing Down Audio Tracks on page 457.
Convert mixed audio sample rates. See Audio Sample Rates on

page 471.
Prepare the record tapes. See Preparing Record Tapes on

page 476.
Selecting Video Output

To choose video output:
1. Choose Digital Cut from the Clip menu.
The Digital Cut tool opens.
2. Choose 1394 from the Video Target menu to output directly to a
digital camera, digital video deck, or analog video deck through a
transcoder.
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Selecting Audio Output

The Audio tool lets you adjust global output levels. For information on
additional audio mix procedures, see Using the Audio Mix Tool on
page 398. Selecting your audio output allows you to choose the audio
connection output.
To choose audio output:
2. Choose 1394 from the Audio Target menu to output directly to a
digital camera, digital video deck, or analog video deck through a
transcoder.
Audio Sample Rates

You must convert to a single audio sample rate when performing a
digital cut. If your sequence or master clip has multiple audio sample
rates, you will need to convert it to a single audio sample rate.
If you have a sequence with multiple audio sample rates; for example,
one clip at 32 kHz and other clips at 44.1 kHz, you will have to choose
one audio sample rate.
To set the audio sample rate conversion:
1. If your sequence has multiple audio sample rates, double-click the
Settings button in the Project window.
2. Click Audio Project Settings.
471
The Audio Project Settings window opens.
3. Choose from the Sample Rate menu: 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, or 48 kHz.
4. Click the Close button to close the Audio Project Settings window.
Setting the Calibration Tone

The Audio tool provides an internal calibration tone that you can
customize and play as a reference signal on a digital cut. You can use
the recorded reference signal for calibrating the digital cut audio at
another site.
The default tone playback is 14 dB (digital scale) with a 1000-Hz
signal. In some cases, you might need to customize the signal. For
example, a common reference signal convention for audio work
involves recording 30-second segments of 100-Hz, 1-kHz, and 10-kHz
tones back-to-back.
To change the parameters for the calibration tone:
1. Choose Audio Tool from the Tools menu. The Audio tool opens.
2. Click the PH button to display the Peak Hold pop-up menu.
3. Choose Set Calibration Tone from the Peak Hold pop-up menu.
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The Calibration Tone Parameters dialog box appears.
4. Type new values for the tone level and frequency, and click OK.
To play back the tone, choose Play Calibration Tone from the Peak
Hold pop-up menu.
To check the adjusted tone level in the meters, make sure the IN/OUT
(I/O) toggle buttons are set to O for Output.
Calibrating Global Output Levels

You can use the meters and master attenuator (output control slider) in
the Audio tool to make global level adjustments for output from the
system. These adjustments affect levels for all output tracks to both the
speakers and to record devices.
Normally you should leave this output level at the factory preset of
0 dB. Adjust the level only when necessary to raise or lower the
overall volume based on the headroom parameters of the record
format, or for consistently overmodulated or undermodulated
source material.
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Adjusting Output on Two-Channel Audio Board Systems

By default, the pro output levels option is not selected, and the volume
scales for Output sliders in the Audio tool reflect levels for consumergrade VCRs and recording devices.
To adjust the output parameters:
1. Choose Audio Tool from the Tools menu.
The Audio tool opens.
Show/Hide Setup
Control button
Show/Hide Output
Control button
IN/OUT toggle
buttons
Peak Hold popup menu
2. Click the Show/Hide Output Control button (the Speaker icon) to

display the master attenuator (slider).
3. Click the Show/Hide Setup Control button to open the Options
panel.
4. Choose a type of output from the Output Options pop-up menu:
Choose Stereo Mix to mix the currently monitored audio

tracks into a stereo pair.
Choose Mono to pan all the currently monitored tracks to

center.
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Choose Direct Out when the system is connected to a digital

camera. With Avid Xpress DV, if you are outputting to a
camera at 48 kHz, the maximum output is two channels. If
you are outputting to a camera at 32 kHz, the maximum
output is four channels.
5. (Option) Depending on your type of output, you can make

additional adjustments:
By default, Direct Out maps all audio tracks in numerical

sequence to existing output channels. You can remap a track to
any channel by clicking the channel number display and
choosing another channel.
You can select Ignore Volume or Ignore EQ to disable

customized pan, volume, or equalization effects you applied
with the audio tools.
6. Click the IN/OUT toggle buttons above the meters to display

O for Output.
7. Play back one of the following sources of reference audio:
Choose Play Calibration Tone from the Peak Hold pop-up

menu.
Play back a representative sequence or clip containing audio.
8. Watch the levels in the meters, and adjust the master attenuator to
the level that you want.
To adjust levels for individual tracks, you must use the Audio Mix tool.
9. Close the tool when you are finished.
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Preparing Record Tapes

The two basic methods of recording to tape are frame-accurate
recording by using the Digital Cut tool and manual recording by using
controls on the record deck. Each method requires different treatment
of the record tapes.
Frame-Accurate Recording
Frame-accurate recording involves using the Digital Cut tool to record
your sequence onto a prestriped tape (a tape with prerecorded control
track and timecode) or a partially striped tape.
Before you can record a frame-accurate digital cut, you must prepare
the record tapes in advance by using one of the following options.
To perform insert edit recording, stripe the record tapes (record

black with timecode for the entire duration of the tape) in advance
(prestriped tape).
To perform assemble edit recording, record black with timecode

onto the tape, including the necessary preroll prior to the IN point
plus at least 10 seconds (partially striped tape).
Manual Recording
Manual recording (sometimes referred to as crash recording) involves
bypassing deck control in Avid Xpress DV and using manual
operation of the record deck. Because the timing of playback is based
on manual procedures, the recording is not frame accurate. However,
you do not need to record timecode onto the tape in advance. You can
also record onto non-Avid-controlled decks, such as a consumer-grade
VHS or Hi8.
To record manually:
1. If the record deck has a serial control switch, set it to Local.
2. Use the controls on the deck to start the videotape recording.
3. Play the sequence.
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Enabling Assemble-Edit Recording

Insert editing is the default setting for the Digital Cut tool. You can
also use assemble-edit settings in Avid Xpress DV, along with the
assemble-editing capabilities of your record deck, to quickly record
frame-accurate digital cuts without striping entire tapes in advance.
To avoid accidentally breaking timecode on prestriped tapes during

digital cut recording, enable assemble editing only when in use, and
disable it during normal insert edit recording.
To enable assemble-edit recording:
The Settings Scroll list appears.
2. Double-click Deck Preferences.
The Deck Preferences dialog box appears.
Assemble-edit
option
3. Select Allow assemble edit for digital cut.

4. Click OK.
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5. Make sure the record deck has the following settings:
The free run/rec (record) run switch should be set to record

run.
The Ext (external)/Int (internal) sync switch should be set to

internal.
The switch for internal timecode should be set to Regen

(regenerate) or Slave Lock, not Preset.
After you record 15 to 30 seconds of timecode onto the record

tape for jam syncing, set the Local/Remote switch to Remote
for deck control from within Avid Xpress DV.
6. When you are ready to record, set the options in the Digital Cut
tool, as described in To stop the playback at any time, press the
space bar or click the Halt Digital Cut button. on page 482.
Using the Digital Cut Tool

The Digital Cut tool provides controls when you record a sequence to
tape. The Digital Cut tool has the following operating modes:
Remote mode allows you to control the decks by using the deck
controller in the Digital Cut tool. This mode provides frameaccurate control when you record a sequence to tape. See
Recording a Digital Cut to Tape on page 482.
Local mode allows you to manually control the record deck using
the controls on the deck. This mode is useful when you need to
use non-Avid-controlled decks, such as a consumer-grade VHS or
Hi8. Local mode also allows you to preview the output of a digital
cut before recording it to tape.
You can manually record a digital cut including countdown, but
the recording will not be frame accurate. For more information,
see Preparing Record Tapes on page 476.
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The Digital Cut tool allows you to:
Select the sequence video and audio tracks to record (Track

Selection menu).
Select the tracks to record to on the tape (Arm Video Track

button Remote mode only).
Convert mixed audio sample rates.
Record an entire sequence.
Add black at the end of a digital cut.
The Digital Cut tool includes its own deck controls for:
Cueing a record deck from the Digital Cut tool (Remote mode
only).
Cueing the tape and marking an IN point. This capability applies

when you choose Mark In Time from the pop-up menu in the deck
control area (Remote mode only).
The Mark OUT button does not appear in the deck controller section
of the Digital Cut tool because it has no effect on digital cuts. Also, the
Mark OUT and Duration text fields are read only. You cannot alter
them.
Depending on the system configuration, you might need to use the deck
controls in the Record tool to review a digital cut.
479
Arm Video Track button
Track Selection
menu
Timecode
text boxes
Deck Selection pop-up menu
Deck controls
Previewing a Digital Cut

You can preview a digital cut before recording it to tape to make sure
your preparations and output settings are correct or for screening
purposes.
You can only preview a digital cut if a digital camera or deck is connected to
your system.
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To preview a digital cut:

Track Selection menu
Play Digital Cut button
Halt Digital Cut button
Local
option
Deck control
option area
2. Select Local in the deck control option area.

3. Select the audio and video tracks you want represented in the
digital cut preview. The display of tracks in the Digital Cut tool
varies according to the tracks existing in the sequence.
Only those tracks beside and beneath the Speaker icon and the
Monitor icon are included in the digital cut.
4. Click the Play Digital Cut button in the Digital Cut tool.
The system plays the digital cut in the Composer monitor and the
video monitor.
481
5. Choose 1394 from the Audio Target and Video Target menus to
select your output.
6. Deselect the No RT Sample Rate Conversion option if you have
multiple audio sample rates.
To stop the playback at any time, press the space bar or click the Halt Digital
Cut button.
Recording a Digital Cut to Tape

The Digital Cut tool provides several options for managing the
recording of your sequence. For example, you can:
Record using either assemble or insert edits
Record a selected portion of the sequence or selected tracks
Record according to different timecode parameters
You can also preview the digital cut before recording it to tape.
To record a digital cut to tape:
1. Load a sequence into the Composer monitor. (You cannot access
digital cut options without a sequence loaded.)
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Track Selection menu
Arm Video
Track button
Play Digital Cut button
Halt Digital Cut button
Deck control
option area
3. Select or deselect the Entire Sequence option based on the

following:
Select Entire Sequence if you want the system to ignore any

IN or OUT points and play the entire sequence from start to
finish.
Deselect Entire Sequence if you have established IN points,

OUT points, or both for recording a portion of the sequence.
4. (Option) Select Add Black at Tail, and enter a timecode to add

black at the end of the digital cut.
5. Select Remote in the deck control option area.
6. Choose either Insert Edit or Assemble Edit from the pop-up menu.
This menu appears only if you selected Allow assemble edit for
digital cut in the Deck Preferences dialog box. For more
information, see Enabling Assemble-Edit Recording on
page 477.
483
7. Choose an option from the pop-up menu in the deck control

option area to indicate where to start recording on the tape:
Choose Sequence Time to start the recording at a timecode

existing on tape that matches the start timecode of the
sequence. If you intend to record several sequences to tape
one after another, this option requires resetting the start
timecode on each sequence to match the appropriate IN points
on the tape.
Choose Record Deck Time to ignore the timecode of the

sequence and start the recording wherever the record deck is
currently cued.
Choose Mark In Time to ignore the sequence timecode.

Establish an IN point on the record tape by cueing and
marking with the deck controls.
8. (Option) Select Custom Preroll and choose the number of seconds

from the pop-up menu to indicate how many seconds the tape
rolls before the digital cut starts. This option overrides the preroll
setting in the Deck Settings dialog box.
9. Select the audio and video tracks you want represented in the
digital cut preview. The display of tracks in the Digital Cut tool
varies according to the tracks existing in the sequence.
10. Select the audio and video tracks to record to tape by using the
Arm Video Track button.
11. Click the Play Digital Cut button.
The system cues the record deck and then plays and records the
digital cut. The playback appears in the Composer monitor and
the video monitor (if you have one).
12. To stop the recording at any time, press the space bar or click the
Halt Digital Cut button.
After assemble-edit recording, a freeze frame is usually added after the OUT
point for one or more seconds, depending on the record deck model. This
provides several frames of overlap for the next IN point before control track
and timecode break up.
484
If you see degraded image quality on your digital cut (particularly visible as
noise during black), deselect the option Poll deck during digital cut in the
Deck Preferences dialog box and record the digital cut again. With this option
deselected, the timecode display in the deck controller will not update for the
duration of the digital cut.
Using EDL Manager

EDL Manager is a standalone application with powerful features and
sorting capabilities to help you prepare an edit decision list (EDL).
For more information on specific features and capabilities of EDL
Manager, see the Avid EDL Manager User's Guide or the Avid EDL
Manager Help.
485
CHAPTER 18
Exporting and Exchanging
Material
You can export and exchange material with another system, another
application, or another platform. Your Avid Xpress DV video-based
editing system provides tools for exporting clips and sequences in
various formats or for transferring projects and media between
systems.
This chapter includes the following sections:
About Exporting Files
Preparing to Export a Sequence
Exporting Frames, Clips, or Sequences
Using the Drag-and-Drop Method to Export Frames, Clips, or

Sequences
About Exporting for Digital Distribution
Customizing Export Settings
About OMF Interchange
About the Avid QuickTime and Avid AVI Codecs
Transferring a Project Between Avid Xpress DV Systems
486
About Exporting Files

You can export material directly from your Avid Xpress DV system to
many supported file types. You can export an individual frame, a
selected region of footage, or an entire clip or sequence.
There are several reasons why you might want to export video, audio,
or both from the Avid Xpress DV system:
You can export files to be viewed as an AVI or QuickTime movie.
You can export files in RealMedia, ASF, and MPEG-Ligos

formats.
You can export audio files for audio sweetening in a digital audio
workstation (DAW), such as a Pro Tools system.
You can export video files for touching up or creating special

effects in third-party applications or other Avid applications.
You can export files compatible with CD-ROM for use in

multimedia projects.
You can use the export process to convert audio media files from
one supported audio format to another. The Avid Xpress DV
system supports the AIFF-C and WAVE formats.
If you plan to transfer the exported files to another Avid system or third-party
application, see the appropriate section in this chapter or the Avid Products
Collaboration Guide.
The following sections describe general procedures for preparing to
export a sequence and for exporting frames, clips, and sequences.
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Preparing to Export a Sequence

If you are exporting part or all of a sequence to create an AVI or a
QuickTime file, ERIMovie, graphic sequence, or OMFI file, for
example you can speed the export process by preparing the
sequence in advance, as follows:

on rendering, see the
effects guide for your
Avid Xpress DV system.
Make sure all media for the sequence is online. For more
information about selecting offline items in a bin, see Selecting
Offline Items in a Bin on page 242.
If you want to archive the source sequence before making any

alterations, duplicate the sequence, place the duplicate in another
bin, and prepare the duplicate for export. The original sequence
will be unaffected.
Consider rendering all effects in advance. Although any

unrendered effects are rendered on export (except for an OMFI
export), rendering effects in advance saves time during the export
process.
Always render fast-saved titles before using OMFI to export a

sequence, or before creating an EDL from the sequence. In
addition, make sure all rolling titles are rendered before using
OMFI to export a sequence.
If your sequence contains numerous video tracks, consider mixing

down the tracks in advance for faster export, unless you need to
preserve the multiple-track information. For more information
about mixing down video tracks, see Mixing Down Video
Tracks on page 489.
If your sequence contains numerous audio tracks with various

audio effects and level adjustments, consider mixing down the
tracks in advance for faster export, unless you need to preserve the
multiple-track information. For more information about mixing
down audio tracks, see Mixing Down Audio Tracks on
page 457.
Check and adjust all pan and audio levels in advance. All current
Pan and Level settings in the sequence are carried to the exported
488
media. For more information on performing an audio mixdown,

see Mixing Down Audio Tracks on page 457.
For OMFI files, consider consolidating the sequence to create

smaller source clips, thereby saving time and disk space. For more
information on consolidating media, see Using the Consolidate
Command on page 274.
OMFI files with very complex sequences can fail during import
into some applications due to memory limitations. Try one of the
following solutions:
Break the sequence into smaller sequences and export the new
sequences.
Add more physical memory.
To export multiple clips in a single OMFI file, create a sequence

from them. For example, you can select all the clips, Alt+drag
them into the Timeline to create an instant sequence, and then
export it.
Mixing Down Video Tracks

Video mixdown allows you to combine several tracks into a single
new master clip. This is convenient for building multilayered effects,
for consolidating media, and for export and exchange.
When you mix down video tracks, you cannot separate them again to
work on the tracks individually. Use this function only during the
last stages of editing when you no longer need to make changes, or
to make a copy for previewing.
To perform a video mixdown:
1. Render all effects that require rendering.
2. Highlight the tracks you want to mix down.
Make sure the Record Track Monitor button in the Track Selector
panel is in the topmost track that you want to mix down. Video
489
mixdown works from the monitored track down, regardless of

track selection.
3. Mark an IN point and an OUT point around the area to mix down.
4. Choose Video Mixdown from the Clip menu.
The Video Mixdown dialog box appears.
5. Choose a target drive for storing the new master clip, and then
click OK.
A progress indicator appears, showing the progress of the video
mixdown. When the mixdown is completed, a new clip appears in the
bin along with the sequence, and a new media file is created on the
target drive.
Exporting Frames, Clips, or Sequences

For information on
using drag-and-drop
method, see Using the
Drag-and-Drop
Method to Export
Frames, Clips, or
Sequences on
page 494.
This section provides the steps for exporting frames, clips, and
sequences. For information on exporting for digital distribution on the
World Wide Web, CD-ROM, or DVD, see About Exporting for
Digital Distribution on page 496.
490
To export frames, clips, or sequences:

1. Select the material you want to export in one of the following
ways:
To export specific tracks in a clip or sequence, enable those

tracks in the Track Selector panel, and disable all others. Make
sure Use Enabled Tracks is checked in the Export Options
dialog box. You can set this option before the export. See
Customizing Export Settings on page 503.
To export a single-frame graphic, mark an IN point to export

the marked frame from a bin or a monitor, or move the
position indicator to the frame you want to export. Make sure
Use Marks is checked and Sequential Files is not checked in
the Export Options dialog box.
To export part of a clip or sequence, mark IN and OUT points

to export the marked range from a bin or a monitor. If you
mark an IN point and no OUT point, the system exports from
the IN point to the end of the clip or sequence. Make sure Use
Marks is checked in the Export Options dialog box.
To export the entire clip or sequence, deselect the options

Use Enabled Tracks and Use Marks in the Export Options
dialog box, and make sure the topmost track is monitored.
When you export to an OMFI file, you do not need to select both the sequence
and its source clips. Select only the sequence to export all the necessary
information, including reference clips.
2. Select a clip or sequence in one of two ways:
Click the monitor that displays the clip or sequence you want
to export.
Click the clip or sequence in a bin. Ctrl+click to select multiple

clips or sequences.
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Choose a setting from the Export pop-up menu. This setting

determines the format of the exported file. The default setting is
labeled Untitled. Your Avid Xpress DV system supplies you with
several templates for Export settings. For example, if you are
exporting a RealMedia movie file, choose the RealMedia G2 template.
For a list of the templates and their settings, see the Avid Products
Collaboration Guide Addendum on the Avid Xpress DV Online Publications
CD-ROM. If you need to customize your settings, see Customizing
If you want to check the current Export setting without modifying it, click the
Customize button, view the selections, and then click Cancel to close the Pick
Export Settings dialog box without making any changes.
4. Click OK.
The Export As dialog box appears with a default file name in the
File name text box, based on the file type.
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5. (Option) Change the file name. In most cases, keep the default file
name extension.
6. Select the destination folder for the file.
7. Click Save.
n
c
c
Avid Xpress DV saves the intermediate movie that it makes for some formats
in a temporary folder. Make sure the temporary folder is on a drive with
plenty of space. You can view and change the location of the temporary file in
the General Settings dialog box, which you access from the Settings scroll list.
The Avid Xpress DV system allows a maximum exported file size of
2 GB. If you exceed this limit, the file is unusable and an error
message is displayed.
If a power failure or application error occurs during the export
process, the entire file is unusable. You need to repeat the export
process. The only exception is a sequential file sequence, where all
frames up to the point of failure are usable.
493
Using the Drag-and-Drop Method to Export Frames,

Clips, or Sequences
To export a frame, clip, or sequence by using the drag-and-drop
method:
ways:
n
n

sure the Use Enabled Tracks is checked in the Export Options
dialog box. See step 2.
To export a single-frame graphic, mark an IN point to export

the marked frame from a bin or a monitor, or move the
position indicator to the frame you want to export. Make sure
Use Marks is checked in the Export Options dialog box.

Marks is checked in the Export Options dialog box.
To export the entire clip or sequence, deselect the options

Use Enabled Tracks and Use Marks in the Export Options
You cannot use the drag-and-drop method to export ALE, tab-delimited, or

sequential files.
When you export to an OMFI file, you do not need to select both the sequence
and its source clips. Select only the sequence to export all the necessary
information, including reference clips.
494
2. In the Settings scroll list of the Project window, select the setting
you want to use for export. The default Export setting, the preset
templates, and any additional Export settings you create appear in
the Settings scroll list. After you select a setting in the Settings
scroll list, the parameters remain the default settings for all
exported files, unless you change them during the export. This is
especially useful when you batch export a number of files directly
from a bin at the same time. To view or modify the parameters,
double-click the setting. For information on modifying options,
see Customizing Export Settings on page 503.
3. Export the frame, clip, or sequence by dragging the clip or
sequence you want to export to the location (folder or drive)
where you want to store the file. To select multiple objects,
Ctrl+click the objects and drag the objects to the desired location.
During a drag-and-drop export, Avid Xpress DV saves an intermediate file in

a temporary folder. Make sure the temporary folder is on a drive with plenty
of space. You can view and change the location of the temporary file in the
General Settings dialog box, which you access from the Settings scroll list. To
save time, assign the temporary folder to a folder on the same drive that you
will be dragging the export to.
495
About Exporting for Digital Distribution

Avid Xpress DV provides you with options for publishing your
sequence in formats suitable for digital distribution. These formats
include:
ASF/NetShow
DV Stream
MPEG-Ligos
QuickTime Movie
RealMedia G2
QuickTime and DV Stream are formats you can use for distribution on
CD-ROM or over the Web. If you want, you can further process a
QuickTime movie in another application. Microsoft ASF, RealMedia,
and MPEG-Ligos use QuickTime output and prepare it for Web, DVD,
or CD-ROM distribution.
If you install additional QuickTime Export formats, they appear in the Export
As pop-up menu with a tilde (~) before their names. This indicates that they
have not been qualified with Avid Xpress DV and are not supported by Avid.
Exporting for Digital Distribution

You can export for distribution to the Web, to CD-ROM, or to DVD by
using templates that Avid Xpress DV provides. The simplest way to
carry out this export is as follows:
To export for digital distribution:
1. Create, edit, and mark a sequence.
2. Click the sequence in the bin.
4. Choose an export template from the Export pop-up menu in the
Pick Export Settings dialog box.
5. Click OK.
496
For more information on export templates, see Customizing Export

The Export As dialog box appears.
name extension.
8. Click Save.
Avid Xpress DV saves the intermediate movie that it makes for some formats
in a temporary folder. Make sure the temporary folder is on a drive with
plenty of space. You can view and change the location of the temporary file in
the General Settings dialog box, which you access from the Settings scroll list.
A progress indicator appears. For ASF, Ligos, and RealMedia, a
publishing format dialog box then appears. For details about
finishing your export in each of these formats, see Exporting
with Microsoft ASF on page 498, Exporting with RealMedia
on page 499, and Exporting with MPEG-Ligos on page 502.
9. Depending on the export format you choose, select a profile or
options from the dialog box as explained in the Ligos, ASF, or
RealMedia Help procedures. They might include publishing to the
Web, to DVD, or to a CD-ROM.
10. Choose a destination.
Exported files can be large. Be sure to choose a destination drive other than C:
or the desktop.
11. Click Create, Make Movie, or Finish, depending on the export
format.
A message box appears with the message "Creating the Export
File."
12. Navigate to the destination you chose to view your movie.
497
Exporting with Microsoft ASF

To finish the export from Avid Xpress DV with Microsoft ASF:
1. Choose a template in the Export to NetShow ASF dialog box by
using the Description and Details panes for information about the
template. For more information, click the Help button.
2. You can customize the bandwidth and codecs by clicking the

Custom button.
Microsoft recommends that you use one of the predefined NetShow templates
rather than creating your own template.
3. Type the Title, Author, Copyright, Description, and Rating for
your movie in the Properties text boxes.
498
4. Choose a destination. Use the Browse button to navigate to a

destination.
5. Click the Create button.
The export completes.
6. Navigate to the destination you chose in step 4 and double-click
the ASF movie.
The ASF movie plays in Media Player.
About RealMedia
RealMedia, developed by RealNetworks, Inc., is a streaming format.
Streaming is a technology in which viewers can watch a video clip or
movie over the Internet while it is being copied to their computer,
rather than forcing them to wait until the entire file is downloaded.
Avid Xpress DV and RealProducer G2 convert your sequence to a
streaming movie for viewing over a network or the Internet. To view a
RealMedia movie, you need RealPlayer software, which is installed
with Avid Xpress DV. You can also download RealPlayer from the
RealNetworks Web site at www.real.com.
Exporting with RealMedia

For complete
information on using
RealProducer G2, click
the Help button.
To finish the export from Avid Xpress DV with RealMedia:

1. Enter information about your RealMedia clip in the RealProducer
G2 Plug-in for QuickTime dialog box.
499
This information is optional. If you include the information, it will

appear in the RealPlayer when your movie is playing.
2. Click Next.
The File Type dialog box appears.
3. Choose the type of RealMedia file that you will create. For more
details about file types, click the Help button.
4. Click Next.
The Target Audience dialog box appears.
5. Choose the modem or connection speed of the target audience.
The more options you choose, the larger your file becomes.
RealNetworks, Inc. recommends that you select only three or four
options. For information about maximum output sizes, click the
Help button.
You can customize the Target Audience settings by clicking the
Settings button.
500
6. When you have selected your options, click Next.

The Audio Format dialog box appears.
If your sequence does not contain audio, this dialog box does not appear.
7. Select an audio format and click Next.
The Video Quality dialog box appears.
8. Select a video quality and click Next.
The Save Settings dialog box appears.
9. Review the options you have chosen. If you are satisfied, click
Finish.
Your sequence is converted into a RealMedia file. When the export
is finished, the Conversion Complete dialog box opens.
10. Click the Play button to view your RealMedia movie.

The movie appears in the RealPlayer. For complete information
about using the RealPlayer, choose an option from the RealPlayer
Help menu.
For information about creating and publishing a Web page, see the
RealProducer G2 Help.
501
About MPEG-Ligos
Ligos Technology is a leading provider of MPEG encoding,
transcoding, and decoding technologies and applications for
consumer, networking, business, and post-production applications.
For more information on Ligos technology, visit their Web site at
www.ligos.com.
Exporting with MPEG-Ligos

To finish the export from Avid Xpress DV with MPEG-Ligos:
1. Choose a profile from the Profiles menu in the LSX MPEG Export
Component dialog box. Use the Description information in the
dialog box to help choose the correct profile. For more
information, click the Help button.
2. Click the Make Movie button.

The export completes.
3. Navigate to the destination folder and double-click the MPEG file.
The MPEG movie plays in Windows Media Player.
502
Customizing Export Settings

In addition to selecting preset templates, Avid Xpress DV allows you
to customize and name your Export settings. Use the following
procedures to customize your Export settings.
To create a new Export setting:
2. Click Export.
4. Name the setting by clicking the custom name column (between
the setting name and the setting type identifier), typing a name,
and pressing Enter.
Custom name
column
503
5. Adjust the options for the setting as described in the following

procedure.
To adjust the parameters in an Export Settings dialog box:
2. Double-click the Export setting.
3. Select the appropriate file type and options based on the

descriptions in Table 18-1.
504
Table 18-1
Export As
Option
Suboption
OMFI
Export Settings Dialog Box Options
Description
Select this option to export a standard OMFI composition for
transfer to a third-party workstation that supports OMFI. The
export is Composition only, unless you select Embed Video
Media, Embed Audio Media, or both.
OMFI Version 1.0
Select this option if the application to which you are exporting

does not support OMFI Version 2.0.
OMFI Version 2.0
Select this option if the application to which you are exporting

supports OMFI Version 2.0. If you are not sure, select 1.0.
Embed Video
Media
Select this option to include (embed) video media in the OMFI

composition; for example, if you plan to add video or film effects
in an OMFI-compatible application.
Embed Audio
Media
Select this option to embed audio media (AIFF-C or WAVE files)

in the OMFI composition. Use this option if you plan to enhance
audio in an OMFI-compatible application such as a digital audio
workstation.
AIFF-C: Select this option to export audio tracks in the
industry-standard AIFF-C format, which is compatible with
many third-party sound editing and multimedia
applications. Note that the Avid Xpress DV system does not
compress audio media. AIFF-C media is embedded in the
OMFI file.
WAVE: Select this option to export audio tracks in the WAVE
format (.WAV file name extension) for audio files. Nearly all
Windows and Windows NT applications that support sound
use WAVE files. QuickTime also supports the WAVE format.
WAVE media is embedded in the OMFI file.
AudioVision
Compatibility
ASF
Select this option to translate the video composition for transfer

to AudioVision.
Select this option to create a Microsoft Advanced Streaming
Format file. See Exporting with Microsoft ASF on page 498.
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Table 18-1
Export As
Option
Suboption
Export Settings Dialog Box Options (Continued)
Description
DV Stream
Select this option to create a standard DV stream. Requires a

video track.
MPEG-Ligos
Select this option to create a standard MPEG file. See Exporting

with MPEG-Ligos on page 502.
QuickTime
Movie
Same as Source
Select this option if you want to use the same source resolution
as the source file.
Custom
Select this option if you want to customize the QuickTime movie

export. For more information, see Table 18-3 on page 522.
Video and Audio
Select this option if you want to export an entire clip or sequence

as a QuickTime file; for example, in a multimedia project.
Video Only
Select this option if you want to add effects in a third-party

application or use only the video in a multimedia project.
Audio Only
Select this option if you want to use or enhance audio in a thirdparty application or use only the audio in a multimedia project.
RealMedia G2
Select this option to create a streaming movie for viewing over a

network or the Internet. See Exporting with RealMedia on
page 499.
AVI
Select this option to export an AVI file through the Avid AVI
codec or other compression tool. For more information, see
Table 18-5 on page 535.
Audio
WAVE
Select this option to export audio tracks in the WAVE format

(.WAV file name extension). Nearly all Windows and
Windows NT applications that support sound use WAVE files.
QuickTime also supports the WAVE format.
AIFF-C
Select this option to export audio tracks in the industry-standard

AIFF-C format, which is compatible with many third-party
sound editing and multimedia applications. Note that the
Avid Xpress DV system does not compress audio media.
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Table 18-1
Export Settings Dialog Box Options (Continued)
Export As
Option
Suboption
Description
Graphic
Graphic file type
Select this option to export a single frame, a series of frames, or a

file type that supports multiple frames as a graphic file. Choose a
file type from the pop-up menu. See Exporting as a Graphic
File on page 508. For information about supported file types,
see Appendix B.
Avid Log
Exchange
Select this option to export the selected bin as a shot log file that
complies with Avid Log Exchange (ALE) specifications. For
information about Avid Log Exchange, see Converting Log
Files with Avid Log Exchange on page 118.
Tab Delimited
Select this option to export the selected bin as a shot log file in
the form of a tab-delimited ASCII text file.
507
Exporting as a Graphic File

Avid Xpress DV allows you to choose from a number of graphic
format options.
To export as a graphic file:
1. Mark an IN point to export the marked frame from a bin or a
monitor, or move the position indicator to the frame you want to
export.
2. Select a clip or sequence in one of two ways:
Click the monitor that displays the clip or sequence you want
to export.
Click the clip or sequence in a bin.

4. Choose a setting from the Export pop-up menu. If you do not have
a preset graphic template, click the Customize button.
508
Graphic Format pop-up

menu
Format Options button
5. Choose Graphic from the Export As pop-up menu.

6. Make sure Use Marks is checked.
7. Make sure Sequential Files is not checked.
8. Choose a format from the Graphic Format pop-up menu. Use
Table 18-2 on page 510 to make your selection.
9. Click OK.
10. Click OK in the Pick Export Settings dialog box.
The Export As dialog box appears with the graphic file name
extension in the File Name text box.
509
11. (Option) Change the file name. In most cases, keep the file name
extension.
13. Click Save.
When you are working with the Format Options settings, you can click
Default to return the settings to their default values. Table 18-2
describes the additional Graphic Format options.
Table 18-2
Graphic Format Options Settings
File Type
Dialog Box
Option
Description
BMP Parameters
Windows
This option creates files that are compatible with

systems running the Microsoft Windows operating
system.
OS/2
This option creates files that are compatible with

systems running the IBM OS/2 operating system.
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Table 18-2
File Type
Dialog Box
Graphic Format Options Settings (Continued)
Option
Chyron
Cineon Parameters
Description
Developed by Chyron Corporation for use with video
frame buffers of Chyron character generator titles.
Blackpoint
This option allows you to adjust a film exposure value

that corresponds to filming a 2% black card. Values
can be between 0 and 1022. The default value of 0 is
adequate for most uses.
Whitepoint
This option allows you to adjust a film exposure value

that corresponds to filming a 90% white card. Values
can be between 1 and 1023.
If the files came from and will be transferred back to a
Cineon system, use a whitepoint of 1023. The
default value of 685 is appropriate if the final
destination is not a Cineon system for example, a
video display.
Gamma
This option specifies an adjustment to correct for any

gamma inconsistencies in the output display. Values
can be between 0.01 and 100.0.
Use a value of 1.0 (the default) for images displayed
on a PC monitor. Use a value of 0.59 for a
Silicon Graphics or Macintosh monitor.
Use a value of 0.45 for ITU-R 601 (CCIR 601) video.
ERIMovie
Framestore
Pack 24 bits
This option controls whether the image data is packed

into 24-bit color depth (compressed) or saved as 32-bit
(raw).
Developed by NewTek Incorporated for use with
their Video Toaster system.
511
Table 18-2
File Type
Dialog Box
Option
IFF
JPEG
Description
Developed by Electronic Arts. IFF (Interchange File
Format), or more specifically IFF-ILBM (InterLeaved
BitMap), is the standard file format by which
applications on the Amiga platform transfer image
files.
Quality
This option controls the output file size and quality.

Higher values produce better images but larger file
sizes. Conversely, lower values reduce the image
quality but result in smaller file sizes.
Baseline
Only for applications that require this option for JPEG

files. Consult the documentation that came with your
JPEG-supported applications to see if this option is
required. This option is selected by default.
Progressive
This option allows you to save progressive JPEG files,

which divide the file into a series of scans of the
image that increase in quality. Each scan progressively
improves the recognizability of the image.
Progressive JPEG files can be recognized only by
applications with progressive JPEG support, such as
some Web browsers.
OMF Parameters
Compression
This option controls the compression ratio and,

therefore, the size of the file. You can choose from all
the compression ratio options used by the
Avid Xpress DV system when recording. For more
information on Avid compression ratios, see
Compression Resolutions and Storage
Requirements on page 174.
Frame Rate
These buttons appear when you select a compression

ratio that allows you to select either NTSC or PAL.
When you select an option, the system displays the
required image size and the default frame rate.
NTSC/PAL
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Table 18-2
File Type
Dialog Box
Option
PCX
Description
Developed by Zsoft Corporation for use with their
PC PaintBrush paint software.
Photoshop
Parameters
Compression
This option controls the size of the file on disk.

Disabling compression creates larger files on disk.
PICT
Create
MacBinary
header
This option creates a file with a MacBinary header.
Color Depth
The 8 bits option saves 8-bit files. The 16 bits option

saves 16-bit files. The Automatic option saves the
image in the same depth as the original loaded image.
Interlaced
This option allows you to save the file for progressive

display, similar to progressive JPEG files. As the file is
transmitted, the recognizability of the image
improves.
PNG Parameters
MacBinary is a file format for representing all the

information in a Macintosh file in one binary file. It is
a compact file format, useful for storing a Macintosh
file on a non-Macintosh system for later retrieval. Use
a file expander utility to decode a MacBinary file once
it is back on a Macintosh system.
Interlaced PNG files can be recognized only by

applications with interlaced PNG support, such as
some Web browsers.
QRT
Developed on the Amiga personal computer to run

on several operating systems. Used by many ray
tracing programs, such as DKB Ray Trace and the
QRT ray tracer.
Rendition
Developed by Numerical Design, Ltd.
Softimage
Color Depth
Developed by Softimage, Inc. for use in their

Softimage software.
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Table 18-2
File Type
Dialog Box
Option
Description
SGI Parameters
Color Depth

Sun Raster
Targa Parameters
TIFF Parameters
Wavefront
Parameters
Developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. and supported

mainly in Sun applications.
Color Depth
This setting controls how images are saved. The 5-bit

option saves data in Targa 16 format. The 8-bit option
saves data in Targa 24/32 format.
Compression
This setting controls the size of the file on disk.

Disabling compression creates larger files on disk.
Color Depth

Compression
This setting controls the size of the file on disk. With

None, image data is not compressed and can produce
large file sizes. RLE (Run Length Encoded) produces
relatively small and fairly portable files. JPEG
produces files that can vary in size, depending on the
quality you have set using the JPEG quality slider.
The higher the quality setting, the larger the file size.
JPEG Quality
This option adjusts the image quality of the JPEG file

on a sliding scale from 0 to 100. The higher the
number you set, the higher the image quality of the
JPEG file.
Format Type
This option specifies one of two output file formats

supported by Wavefront (either RLA or RLB).
Color Depth

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Table 18-2
File Type
Dialog Box
Option
Description
Gamma
This option specifies an adjustment to correct for

gamma differences between Macintosh and Windows
PC output display. This option is intended for crossplatform applications that require adjustment.
the documentation that came with your

n Check
Wavefront application to see if you need to
adjust this value. Usually, you can use the
default setting.
XWindows
YUV Parameters
Developed by the MIT X Consortium, and is

supported by many X Window System applications
on workstations and some personal computers.
Format
This option controls the video format of saved

images. If set to NTSC, NTSC video format (720 x 486)
is used. If set to PAL, PAL video format (720 x 576) is
used. Images are either padded with black or
cropped.
Smooth YUV
This option enhances the fidelity of images saved in

YUV color space (if originating in RGB color space).
515
About OMF Interchange

OMF Interchange (OMFI) is a platform-independent file format that
stores both the digital media (video, audio, graphics, animation) and
the information describing how the media is edited together to form a
final sequence. This editing information, called a composition, is the
OMFI representation of the sequence created in the Avid Xpress DV
system. The OMF Interchange format is the result of cooperative
efforts of many industry and standards partners and Avid Technology,
Inc.
Any other program that supports OMFI can read OMFI files, even if
the program resides on a different computer platform. As a result,
with OMFI you can transfer among different applications on different
platforms without worrying about cross-platform translations. This
can be very effective for importing animation or audio files created on
proprietary platforms.
To avoid errors and incompatibilities when importing and exporting

OMFI files, observe the recommendations in Appendix B.
516
Choosing an OMFI Transfer Method

OMF Interchange, as implemented in the Avid Xpress DV system,
provides two basic methods for exporting files:
Method 1: OMFI compositions only

The Avid Xpress DV system can export an OMFI file that contains
only the editing information about a selected master clip or
sequence. You then need to transfer both the OMFI file and the
media files or to rerecord the media on the other system. After you
have transferred the media once, you can transfer revised
composition-only files, unless you consolidated the media (in
which case, you must transport the media files as well). For more
information on consolidating media, see Consolidating Media
on page 270.
To export an OMFI composition only, select OMFI Composition in
the Export Settings dialog box, but do not select Use Video Media
or Use Audio Media.
Method 2: OMFI compositions with media files

The Avid Xpress DV system exports an OMFI file that contains all
the editing information for the selected master clip or sequence
along with the video and audio media files for that master clip or
sequence.
To export an OMFI composition with media:

2. Double-click the Export setting.
3. Choose OMFI from the Export As pop-up menu.
517
4. Select OMFI Version 1.0 or 2.0.

5. Select Embed Video Media, Embed Audio Media, or both.
6. Select AIFF-C or WAVE when embedding audio media files.
7. Click OK.
518

The Export As dialog box appears with the .omf file name
extension in the File Name text box.
9. (Option) Change the file name. In most cases, keep the file name
extension.
11. Click Save.
Exporting as a QuickTime Movie

To export as a QuickTime movie:
ways:

sure Use Enabled Tracks is checked in the QuickTime Export
519
Settings dialog box. You can select this option before the
export.
You can use the dragand-drop method to

export QuickTime files.

Marks is checked in the QuickTime Export Settings dialog
box.
To export the entire clip or sequence, deselect Use Enabled

Tracks and Use Marks in the QuickTime Export Settings

Choose a template from the Export pop-up menu if you have

created a QuickTime template in advance, and go to step 11.
If you want to review or edit a setting, go to step 4.
4. Click the Customize button.

5. Choose QuickTime Movie from the Export As pop-up menu.
If you installed additional QuickTime Export formats, they appear in the popup menu with tildes (~) before their names. This indicates that they have not
been qualified with Avid Xpress DV and are not supported by Avid.
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QuickTime Movie (Same as Source)
QuickTime Movie (Custom)
6. Select Same as Source to use the resolution of the source file or

select Custom to customize your settings.
7. Use Table 18-3 on page 522 to set the remaining options.
8. Name the setting by typing a name of your choice in the text box
at the top of the Export Settings dialog box.
9. Click OK to return to the Pick Export Settings dialog box.
The Export As dialog box appears with the default QuickTime file
name extension in the File Name text box.
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name extension.
13. Click Save.
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The Avid Xpress DV system allows a maximum exported file size of

2 GB. If you exceed this limit, the file is unusable and an error
message is displayed.
process. The only exception is a sequential file sequence, where all
frames up to the point of failure are usable.
Table 18-3 descibes the QuickTime Movie Export options.
Table 18-3
Option
Suboption
QuickTime Movie Export Options

Description
Video and Audio
Select this option if you want to export an entire clip or

sequence as a QuickTime movie.
Video Only
Select this option if you want to add effects in a thirdparty application or use only the video in a multimedia
project.
Audio Only
Select this option if you want to use or enhance audio in a

third-party application or use only the audio in a
multimedia project.
Use Marks
When this option is selected, the system uses current IN

and OUT marks in the selected clip or sequence to
determine starting and ending frames for the export. To
export the entire clip or sequence, deselect this option.
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Table 18-3
Option
QuickTime Movie Export Options (Continued)
Suboption
Description
Use Enabled Tracks
When this option is selected, the system uses current IN

and OUT points in the selected clip or sequence to
determine starting and ending frames for the export. To
export the entire clip or sequence, deselect this option.
Same as Source
When this option is selected, the original compression of

the clip is maintained.
Format Options
Click the Format Options button to select from a number

of QuickTime Movie Codecs. For more information, see
Selecting QuickTime Codecs on page 524.
Video Format
Width x Height
This option sets the desired width of the clip.

Size to Fit: This option will size to fit the desired width
and height.
Crop/Pad: In Avid Xpress DV, this option might be most
useful when you are exporting to a non-DV application
without the standard frame size of 720 x 486. In this
situation, four black lines are added to the top and two
black lines are added to the bottom of the frame.
Crop/Pad never scales or resizes frames.
Color Levels
Sets color to RGB or CCIR 601.
File Field Order
Odd: Selects odd-field processing during export. The first

line in the image belongs to the odd field.
Even: Selects even-field processing during export. The
first line in the image belongs to the even field.
Single Field: Exports as one field. Exporting a single field
can be used to remove intraframe motion when exporting
to a frame-based graphic format.
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Selecting QuickTime Codecs

Avid Xpress DV includes many codecs you can use to compress and
export your sequence.
To access the QuickTime codecs:
4. Select Custom.
5. Click Format Options.
The Movie Settings dialog box appears.
524
6. Choose the settings using Table 18-4.
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Table 18-4
QuickTime Movie Format Options
Export As
Option
Format Options Suboption
Description
QuickTime
Compressor
For high-quality, lossless compression (in

which no picture information is lost).
Animation
Uses a Run Length Encoded scheme to

encode each pixel, resulting in a file that is
70 to 95 percent the size of the
uncompressed file.
At maximum quality, this is a lossless
compression (in which no picture
information is lost). See the description of
the Quality option in this table.
Avid QuickTime
For compression compatible with other

non-DV Avid products. Allows fast
import. See Using the Avid QuickTime
Codec on page 538.
BMP
For internal encoding of individual frames

as BMP (Windows native bitmap format)
files.
Cinepak
For export at low resolution where high

quality is not an issue, such as
presentations or educational uses, or for
small-screen size playback from CD-ROM
or hard drive. Uses compression
algorithm optimized for CD-ROM
playback.
Component
Video

which no picture information is lost). Uses
the same algorithm as the Animation
method but saves the file in YUV RLE
format, which separates the luminance
from the chrominance. All QuickTime
applications can read this format, but only
some can write to this format.
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Table 18-4
Export As
Option
QuickTime Movie Format Options (Continued)
Description
DV-NTSC
DV-PAL
For storing original or edited DV (digital

video) footage in QuickTime files.
Graphics

or hard drive. Uses a limited color palette
version (16 colors) of Animation
compression.
H.261
For low-quality video conferencing.
H.263
For video conferencing. Optimized for

low data rates and low motion.
Intel Indeo
Video 4.4

or hard drive. Files do not export at 720 x
540 and 720 x 486 frame sizes, even
though these sizes are listed.
Motion JPEG A
For medium-quality, lossy compression

(in which some picture information is lost)
requiring much storage space and
additional hardware support for real-time
playback.
Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) is a variant of the
ISO JPEG specification for use in digital
video. Considered the standard for
Motion JPEG, format A is supported by
chips from Zoran Corporation and CCubed, Inc.
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Table 18-4
Export As
Option

Motion JPEG B
Description
requiring much storage space and
additional hardware support for real-time
playback.
Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) is a variant of the
ISO JPEG specification for use in digital
video. Format B cannot use the markers
that ISO JPEG and format A do;
supported by chips from LSI Logic
Corporation.
None

Does not compress the file; results in very
large files.
Photo-JPEG
For medium quality, lossy compression (in

which some picture information is lost)
requiring moderate storage space and
data throughput on playback.
Uses the Joint Photographic Experts
Group (JPEG) algorithm for image
compression; results in files that are 20 to
30 percent the size of the uncompressed
files. Some data is lost during
compression, and the export process takes
longer to complete (typically six times
longer than the Animation compression,
for example).
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Table 18-4
Export As
Option

Planar RGB
Description
Results in large files.
Encodes each image plane separately,
using a Run Length Encoded scheme.
Used primarily to support Photoshop
files, which are usually stored using a
planar run length algorithm.
PNG
Portable Network Graphics, used to

replace GIF as a bitmap still-image format
for newer Internet browsers.
Sorensen Video

at a low data rate and low storage
requirements. This codec is particularly
suited for Web or CD-ROM delivery.
TGA
Saves exported file in Targa format.
TIFF
Tagged Image Format, a cross-platform

bitmap still-image format, used often in
pre-press production.
Video

or hard drive.
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Table 18-4
Export As
Option
Description
Colors
Choose the colors that you want included

in the exported file. The selections vary
according to the codec you choose. Some
codecs have only one color setting.
Do not select the option Millions of Colors
+. This option creates an alpha channel
that is not used for export from the
Avid Xpress DV system. If you use the
Avid QuickTime codec with other
applications that support alpha channels,
you can choose the Millions of Colors +
option to create an alpha channel that can
be imported into the Avid Xpress DV
system.
Quality
Click the option and drag this slider to

adjust the image quality for the exported
file. The selections vary according to the
codec you choose. Some codecs have only
one Quality setting.
If you selected the Avid QuickTime codec,
a dialog box appears, allowing you to
choose a resolution.
Motion
Filter
Frames per
second
Choose a frame rate from the pop-up

menu. Choose 30 to maintain full-motion
video/animation. A frame rate of 29.97
conforms to NTSC video frame-rate
standards.
Key frame every
Use this option to have the system use

keyframes as a reference for subsequent
frames. Enter a numeric value to specify
the frequency of the keyframes.
Choose Video
Filter
Allows you to apply a single effect filter

during an export.
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Table 18-4
Export As
Option
Description
Size
Export Size
Settings
QuickTime allows you to set a size, but

Avid recommends you set the size in the
Width and Height text boxes of the Export
Settings dialog box. Both settings have the
same effect, and the QuickTime size
setting overrides the Avid size setting.
Sound Settings
Compressor
Choose a sound compression setting for

your export.
Prepare for
Internet
Streaming
Fast Start
Allows a movie to begin playing over the

Internet without downloading the entire
movie first. Adequate for movies that
have a hint track.
Fast Start Compressed

header
A better choice for movies available

through hypertext transfer protocol
(HTTP). Dont choose this option if the
movie has a hint track; the streaming
server cannot read a compressed header.
Hinted Streaming Choose if you are putting the exported file

on a streaming server. The file will not
stream without a hint track for each track
in the movie.
Exporting as an AVI File

To export as an AVI file:
ways:

sure Use Enabled Tracks is checked in the AVI Options dialog
531
box, which is accessed from the Export Settings dialog box.

You can set this option before the export. See Customizing

Marks is checked in the AVI Options dialog box, which is
accessed from the Export Settings dialog box.
To export the entire clip or sequence, deselect Use Enabled

Tracks and Use Marks in the Export Settings dialog box, and
make sure the topmost track is monitored.

You can set these
options in advance. See
Customizing Export
If you have created a setting in advance, choose a setting from

the Export pop-up menu, and go to step 11.
If you want to review or edit a setting, go to step 4.

532
5. Choose AVI from the Export As pop-up menu.

6. Select AVI options as described in Table 18-5 on page 535.
7. Select an AVI codec by clicking the Codec Options button.
The Video Compression dialog box appears.
8. Select the compressor you want, and click Configure to further
configure the codec. For more information, see Table 18-6 on
page 537.
9. Click OK to close the Video Compression dialog box and return to
the Export Settings dialog box.
533
at the top of the Export Settings dialog box and click OK to return
to the Pick Export Settings dialog box.
The Export As dialog box opens with a default file name in the File
name text box.
name extension.
14. Click Save.
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Your Avid Xpress DV system allows a maximum exported file size of

2 GB. If you exceed this limit, the file is unusable and the system
displays an error message.
process.
AVI Settings
Table 18-5 describes the AVI options in the Export dialog box. In the
Video Format tab, you can also select further options by clicking the
Codec Options button.
534
Table 18-5
Option
Suboption
AVI Settings Options

Description
Video and Audio
Select this option if you want to export an entire clip or

sequence as an AVI file; for example, in a multimedia project.
For more information, see Using the Avid AVI Codec on
page 541.
Video Only
Select this option if you want to add effects in a third-party

application or use only the video in a multimedia project.
Audio Only
Select this option if you want to use or enhance audio in a

third-party application or use only the audio in a multimedia
project.
Use Marks
When this option is selected, the system uses current IN and

OUT points in the selected clip or sequence to determine
starting and ending frames for the export. To export the entire
clip or sequence, deselect this option.
Use Enabled
Tracks
When this option is selected, the system uses current IN and

OUT points in the selected clip or sequence to determine
starting and ending frames for the export. To export the entire
clip or sequence, deselect this option.
Video Format
Width x Height
This option sets the desired width of the clip; at this time you
can only select a height of 486.
Size to Fit: This option will size to fit the desired width and
height.
Crop/Pad: In Avid Xpress DV, this option might be most
useful when you are exporting to a non-DV application
without the standard frame size of 720 x 486. In this situation,
four black lines are added to the top and two black lines are
added to the bottom of the frame. Crop/Pad never scales or
resizes frames.
Color Levels
Sets color to RGB or CCIR 601.
FPS
This option sets the frame-per-second (fps) rate for AVI

export.
535
Table 18-5
Option
AVI Settings Options (Continued)
Suboption
Description
File Field Order
Odd: Selects odd-field processing during export. The first line

in the image belongs to the odd field.
Even: Selects even-field processing during export. The first
line in the image belongs to the even field.
Single Field: Exports as one field. Exporting a single field can
be used to remove intraframe motion when exporting to a
frame-based graphic format.
Audio Format
Codec Options
When you click this button, the Video Compression dialog

box appears. For more information, see Table 18-6 on
page 537.
Mono
Exports audio to a single channel.
Stereo
Exports audio to two channels.
Sample Rate
Project Rate: The native rate of the chosen audio media

(44.1 kHz or 48 kHz).
22.050 kHz: Half the sample rate of 44.1 kHz media.
11.025 kHz: One quarter the sample rate of 44.1 kHz media.
Sample Size
8-bit: When this option is selected, the system exports an 8-bit

audio sample size for use in third-party systems that do not
support 16-bit. This option is also used to minimize the data
throughput requirements (for example, to improve playback
in multimedia projects).
16-bit: When this option is selected, the system exports a 16bit audio sample size (currently the industry-standard bit rate
for audio).
536
Table 18-6 describes the AVI Video Compression dialog box options.
Table 18-6
AVI Video Compression Dialog Box Options
Option
Suboption
Description
Compressor
Microsoft Video 1 Use this option when you create files that will play with Video
for Windows.
Click Configure to open the Microsoft Video 1 configuration
dialog box. You can then adjust the quality of the compressed file
using the temporal Quality rate slider.
Cinepak Codec
by Radius
For export at low resolution where high quality is not an issue,

such as presentations or educational uses, or for small-screen size
playback from CD-ROM or hard drive. This codec uses a
compression algorithm optimized for CD-ROM playback.
Click Configure to open the Cinepak for Windows 32
configuration dialog box. You can then choose to compress to
color or to black and white.
Key Frame
Every n frames
Microsoft MPEG
For export in standard Microsoft MPEG format.
Avid AVI Codec
Use this option to choose Avid non-DV resolutions. See Using

the Avid AVI Codec on page 541.
Canopus
DVRaptor DV
Codec
Use this option to compress frames into DV format by using the

algorithm provided by Canopus Systems Inc.
Full Frames
(Uncompressed)
For high-quality export in which no picture information is lost.

This option does not compress the file and can result in very
large files. To export an uncompressed file at 1:1, use the Avid
AVI codec.
Use this option to have the system use keyframes as a reference
for subsequent frames. Enter a numeric value to specify the
frequency of the keyframes. This option is not available for the
Avid AVI codec or for uncompressed files.
537
Table 18-6
Option
Data Rate n
KB/sec
Suboption
AVI Video Compression Dialog Box Options (Continued)

Description
Use this option to set a specific data rate for the compressed file,
in kilobytes per second. This option is not available for the Avid
AVI codec or for uncompressed files.
About the Avid QuickTime and Avid AVI Codecs

You can use the Avid QuickTime and Avid AVI codecs when exporting
AVI or QuickTime files from Avid Xpress DV or a third-party
application for import into a non-DV Avid system. Use the Avid
QuickTime or Avid AVI codec when you want to export using one of
the non-DV Avid resolutions. For example, if you want to export using
an AVR resolution, use the Avid QuickTime codec.
Using the Avid QuickTime Codec

The Avid QuickTime codec (compressor/decompressor) creates
encapsulated media files for export of high-resolution files that are
readable within QuickTime applications.
To access the Avid QuickTime codec:
4. Select Custom.
538
5. Click the Format Options button.

The Movie Settings dialog box appears.
6. Click Settings in the Video pane.

The Compression Settings dialog box appears.
539
7. Choose Avid QuickTime from the Compressor pop-up menu.

8. Adjust the Quality slider.
The Avid QuickTime Codec Configuration dialog box appears.
9. Select the appropriate format for the media you want to create:
NTSC or PAL.
10. Select the appropriate board set for the media: NuVista (AVR
resolutions), ABVB (AVR resolutions), Meridien Interlaced (25i
and 30i resolutions), or Meridien Progressive (24p resolutions).
11. Choose a resolution from the Resolution pop-up menu. The menu
is updated according to the format and system type you choose.
540
12. Click OK to close the dialog box and return to the Export Settings
dialog box.
name text box.
name extension.
18. Click Save.
Using the Avid AVI Codec

The Avid AVI codec (compressor/decompressor) creates encapsulated
media files for export of high-resolution files that are readable within
AVI-compatible applications.
To access the Avid AVI codec:
3. Choose AVI from the Export As pop-up menu.
541
4. Click the Codec Options button.

The Video Compression dialog box appears.
5. Choose Avid AVI Codec from the Compressor pop-up menu.

6. Click the Configure button.
The Avid AVI Codec Configuration dialog box appears.
7. Select the appropriate format for the media you want to create:
NTSC or PAL.
542
8. Select the appropriate board set for the media: Interlaced or

Progressive.
9. Choose a resolution from the Resolution pop-up menu.
10. Click Close.
11. Click OK to close the dialog box and return to the Export Settings
dialog box.
name text box.
name extension.
17. Click Save.
Installing the Avid QuickTime or Avid AVI Codec on Other

Systems
When you install Avid Xpress DV on your system, the Avid
QuickTime codec and the Avid AVI codec are automatically installed.
You can copy the codecs and install them on other Windows NT
workstations where you are using QuickTime compatible applications.
Once the Avid QuickTime codec is installed on the workstation, you
can export files from the QuickTime compatible application for
reimport into the Avid Xpress DV system. Once the Avid AVI codec is
installed on the other workstation, you can export AVI files from the
AVI compatible application for reimport into the Avid Xpress DV
system.
543
To copy either the Avid QuickTime codec or the Avid AVI codec to
another workstation:
1. On your Avid Xpress DV system, open the C:\Winnt\System32
folder.
2. Copy either AvidQTCodec.qtx (to work with QuickTime
compatible applications) or AvidAVICodec.dll (to work with AVI
compatible applications) to a floppy disk.
3. Install the codec in the other workstation in the
C:\Winnt\System32 folder.
Exporting from a Third-Party QuickTime or AVI Application

To export files from a QuickTime compatible application or an AVI
compatible application on a Windows NT system for import (or
reimport) into the Avid Xpress DV system:
1. Make sure the applicable codec is installed on the workstation. See
Installing the Avid QuickTime or Avid AVI Codec on Other
Systems on page 543.
2. Conduct the export procedure according to the procedures used
by the particular software.
3. When you get to the step where the standard Export Options
dialog box appears, select the applicable Avid QuickTime
Compressor or Avid AVI Compressor.
If you select a nonstandard frame size, the Avid Xpress DV system will not
import the file quickly.
4. Complete the export.
544
Transferring a Project Between Avid Xpress DV

Systems
This section describes how to move projects and media folders
between Avid Xpress DV systems. If you plan to transfer the files to a
different Avid system or to a third-party application, see the Avid
Products Collaboration Guide for recommended procedures.
There are two basic methods for transferring projects between
Avid Xpress DV (Windows) systems:
For information on
rerecording, see
Rerecording Your
Material on page 197.
Moving project folders, settings, and media files between the

systems
Moving project folders and settings between the systems, and then
rerecording the media
Methods for Transferring Files Between Avid Xpress DV

Systems
The type of transfer device you use depends on which method of
transfer you choose. Moving project folders, settings, and media files
requires large amounts of storage space because of the size of media
files. Transferring only the project folders and settings files requires
minimal storage space.
Table 18-7 lists the recommended devices for transferring projects
between systems. For more information on transfer options and
instructions for transferring, see the Avid Products Collaboration Guide.
545
Table 18-7
Devices for Transferring Projects
Transfer Device
For Transferring
Floppy drive or equivalent device
Project and settings files
Removable storage device, such as a

hard drive
Media, project, and settings files
A high-speed network
using the AvidNet Transfer Tool
A network storage device, such as

a file server
Compatibility Requirements for Transfer

When you transfer a project between Avid Xpress DV systems, make
sure:
The resolutions are compatible if you are transferring media files.
The fonts used in the project are installed on both systems.
For more information about compatibility between Avid editing

applications, see the Avid Products Collaboration Guide and the
Avid Xpress DV Release Notes.
Transferring a Project and Associated Media Files

There are three basic methods for transferring projects with their
media files between Avid Xpress DV systems:
Back up the project files and transport the media files on a

removable storage device.
Send sequences, clips, or entire projects over a high-speed

network by using AvidNet.
546
Send sequences, clips, or entire projects to a network storage

device.
For more information on using AvidNet, see the AvidNet Transfer Tool
Users Guide. If you would like to purchase AvidNet, contact your Avid
sales representative.
To transfer a work in progress and associated media files to another
Avid Xpress DV system:
1. (Option) Consolidate the media for the project onto an appropriate
drive for transfer to the other system.
For more information on consolidating, see Consolidating

Media on page 270.
For more information on transferring files by using removable

storage devices, see the Avid Products Collaboration Guide.
Do not rename the folders named OMFI MediaFiles located on the

media drive. The target system uses the folder names to locate the
media files.
2. Copy the project folder and any settings files you want to maintain
at the new location onto a floppy disk or a location on a server. For
more information, see Transferring Projects, User Profiles, and
Site Settings on page 548.
Alternatively, create a folder at the top level of the media drive
and copy the project folder and any settings files to that folder.
3. Close the Avid Xpress DV application and shut down your
system.
4. Remove the drives containing the media files, and take them and
the floppy disk to the new location.
For more information on moving hard drives, removable drives, and striped
sets from one system to another, see the Avid MediaDrive Utilities Users
Guide.
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5. With the system at the new location turned off, insert or connect
the drives and start the system.
6. Copy the project folder and any settings files to the appropriate
folder on drive C. For more information, see Transferring
Projects, User Profiles, and Site Settings on page 548.
7. Start the Avid Xpress DV application, open the project, and
resume work.
The Avid Xpress DV system reconstructs the MediaFiles database the first
time you start the application to incorporate the new media into the systems
internal directory.
Transferring Projects, User Profiles, and Site Settings

For information about
these files and folders,
see Using the Settings
Scroll List on page 75.
To open projects, bins, and user profiles created with another

Avid Xpress DV system, you must transfer specific folders directly
into the Avid Projects or Avid Users folder before starting the
application. You can also transfer a Site Settings file between systems.
When moving a project with titles, make sure that both systems have
the same fonts that were used to create the titles. For information on
adding fonts, see the Windows NT Help. For more information on
compatibility requirements when working with title effects, see the
Avid Products Collaboration Guide.
Adding a project folder from another system does not transfer accompanying
media files. For more information on moving media files between systems, see
Transferring a Project and Associated Media Files on page 546.
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To transfer project files, user profiles, and site settings to another

Avid Xpress DV system:
1. On the source system, select the project folder, user folder, or Site
Settings file you want to transfer. The default locations are listed in
the following table.
Folder or File
Location
Project folder
D:\Avid\Avid Xpress DV\Avid Projects
User folder
D:\Avid\Avid Xpress DV\Avid Users
Site Settings file
D:\Avid\Avid Xpress DV\Settings
The exact location depends on how the Avid Xpress DV application was
installed on your system.
2. Copy the files to a floppy disk or a location on a server.
3. On the destination system, copy the project folder, user folder, or
Site Settings file to the appropriate location, as listed in step 1.
Do not rename the project folder. The project settings will not link to the
project if you rename the project folder.
The next time you view the Open Project dialog box, the new project
will appear in the Projects scroll list. New user settings will appear in
the Users scroll list. Site settings are active for all projects at the new
location.
Do not open a project directly from the transfer device. You must
copy the folder to the system drive first.
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APPENDIX A
Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins
This appendix describes how to use the AudioSuite Plug-Ins. Access
the plug-ins by choosing AudioSuite from the Tools menu. The
following illustration shows the AudioSuite window.
Plug-in
Selection
pop-up
menu
Drive
Selection
pop-up
menu
Status display
For details on installing and accessing the plug-ins, see Chapter 15.
Supported AudioSuite Plug-Ins

Your Avid Xpress DV system comes with a set of core plug-ins. This
section lists the core plug-ins as well as other plug-ins that are
supported by this release.
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Core AudioSuite Plug-Ins

The following basic plug-ins are installed automatically as part of the
Avid Xpress DV system software installation:
Invert Inverts the polarity (phase of the audio file).
Duplicate Creates a new master clip from a selected audio clip.

The plug-in uses the IN and OUT points on the selected clip to
define the boundaries of the new clip.
Normalize Finds the peak value in the source audio file and
scales the entire file proportionally to that maximum value.
Gain Same as Normalize, but allows positive or negative gain

adjustment.
Reverse Rewrites the selected audio in reverse.
DC Offset Removes an audio artifact that is common in digital

audio files. A DC offset is caused by poorly calibrated
analog-to-digital converters (A/Ds), and can produce clicks and
pops on clip edit transitions if not removed.
Time Compression/Expansion Allows you to adjust the

duration of a selected clip by creating a new master clip. This
increases or decreases the selections length without changing
pitch.
Pitch Shift Changes pitch with or without changing length.
EQ Allows you to adjust frequency equalization on individual

audio clips.
Compressor Reduces the dynamic range of signals that exceed

a selected threshold by a specific amount.
Limiter Prevents signal peaks from exceeding a chosen level so

that they dont overload amplifiers or recording devices.
Gate Reduces noise by decreasing the gain of signals that fall

below a user-selectable threshold.
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Expander/Gate Performs the same function as the Gate plug-in

with the addition of expander features. Expanders are particularly
useful for reducing noise or signal leakage that creeps into
recorded material as its level falls, as often occurs in the case of
headphone leakage.
Mod Delay Provides time-delay-based effects. Effects obtained

through the use of Mod Delay include slap echo, doubling,
chorusing, and flanging.
The following sections give a brief overview of each plug-in and,

where appropriate, describe how to use the plug-in.
Additional Supported Plug-Ins

The following AudioSuite Plug-Ins can be purchased separately and
have been qualified for this release.
Digidesign D-Fi Plug-Ins

This set of plug-ins provides analog synthesizer effects:
Lo-Fi adds noise generation, bit-rate reduction, distortion, and

saturation to sound.
Sci-Fi adds analog synthesizer-type ring modulation, frequency

modulation, and variable frequency resonator.
Recti-Fi generates new harmonics and subharmonics through

waveform rectification.
Vari-Fi adds tape and turntable start up and slow down

effects.
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Digidesign D-Fx Plug-Ins

This set of plug-ins contains a selected group of basic effects:
Chorus
D-Verb
Flanger
Multi-Tap Delay
Ping-Pong Delay
The D-Fx and D-Fi plug-ins come with their own documentation.
Core Plug-In Descriptions

Invert
The Invert plug-in reverses the polarity of the selected audio. All
positive sample amplitude values are made negative, and all negative
amplitudes are made positive. This process is useful for permanently
altering the phase (polarity) relationship of tracks. Inverting can be
useful when mixing because it alters frequency response between
source tracks recorded with multiple microphones and also allows you
to correct for audio that was recorded out of phase.
Duplicate
The Duplicate plug-in creates a new master clip from a selected audio
master clip. The plug-in uses the IN and OUT points on the selected
clip to define the boundaries of the new clip. This plug-in applies only
if you are using the Create New Master Clips features of the
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Normalize
In cases where a sound file has been recorded with too little
amplitude, the Normalize plug-in ensures that the inherent dynamics
of the performance remain unchanged while the overall volume level
of the passage is raised.
In addition to the standard AudioSuite parameters, the Max Peak At
controls let you specify how close to maximum level (the clipping
threshold) the peak level of your selection or file will be boosted. You
can enter this information in one of three ways:
By entering a numeric decibel value below the clipping threshold
By entering a percentage of the threshold
By adjusting the on-screen slider
Editing any one of these controls automatically calculates the

equivalent value in the others.
To configure the Normalize parameters:
1. Type the amount of boost you want applied during the Normalize
process.
2. To set a specific decibel amount below maximum, double-click
and type that value in the Max Peak at: (dB) text box.
3. To set the amount of normalization as a percentage of maximum,
type the percentage you want in the Max Peak at: (%) text box. To
manually set the amount, click and adjust the Max Peak slider
(press and hold the Ctrl key while dragging the slider to
fine-adjust).
Gain
The Gain plug-in allows you to boost or lower amplitudes in a file or
selection by a specified amount. The Change Gain command is ideal
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for smoothing out undesirable peaks and other dynamic

inconsistencies.
To configure the Gain parameters, do one of the following:
Enter the new level as a decibel amount (dB) or percentage (%) by

double-clicking on the respective text box and typing a new value.
Use the slider to adjust the gain manually (press and hold the Ctrl
key while dragging the slider to fine-adjust).
Reverse
Reversed sounds are useful effects in many music and film and video
projects. The Reverse plug-in lets you perform this type of processing
very easily.
DC Offset
The DC Offset plug-in removes DC offset from your audio files. The
term DC offset describes a very specific type of audio artifact that
might appears in digital audio signals.
DC Offset plug-ins can be identified in a waveform overview because
they appear to have a near-vertical fade-in with a constant or
steady-state offset from zero, when the file is actually silent (it
contains no audible audio). The DC Offset plug-in can help remove (or
at least reduce) the DC offset from your source audio files.
Time Compression/Expansion
The Time Compression/Expansion plug-in allows you to adjust the
duration of any selected regions by increasing or decreasing the
selections length without changing pitch. This function is particularly
important in audio post-production applications because it allows you
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to adjust sounds to specific time lengths or timecode durations for

synchronization.
To change duration (length) and pitch simultaneously, use the Pitch Shift
plug-in.
Master Clip Mode Parallel Processing

The Time Compression/Expansion plug-in allows two tracks to be
time-compressed or expanded as a stereo pair, so that the two sides
of the stereo signal are processed relative to each other.
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The Time Compression/Expansion plug-in has many special

parameters that let you enter time compression or expansion values in
different formats, as explained below. They are located in the Source
and Destination columns, and also include the Ratio slider. Additional
controls for fine-tuning the compression/expansion process are also
included.
To access special control features:
Press and hold the Ctrl key to engage slider fine-tune mode.
Alt+click a field or slider to reset its default value.
Time Compression/Expansion Parameters

The Time Compression plug-in has the following parameters:
Source and Destination
The Source fields display the length of the current selection before
processing in each of the listed formats. All the fields in both columns
are constantly active, and a change made to one value is immediately
reflected in the values displayed in the other fields.
The fields in the Destination column both display and control what the
length of the selection will be after processing by using the current
settings. You can enter the length of the Destination file by doubleclicking the appropriate field in the Destination column. Type the
number of samples in min:secs:msec format or type timecode values
as start and end locations. All the Destination fields are constantly
updated, and a change made to one value is immediately reflected in
the values displayed in the other fields.
You can also enter a new tempo, bars:beats:ticks length, or time
signature for regions that have tempo or Bars & Beats settings. This
can be any region associated with a MIDI Metronome value (such as
an overdub recorded to a MIDI click) or regions that have been
processed with the Pro Tools Identify Beat command.
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The Ratio slider lets you set the destination length in relation to the
source length. Dragging the slider to the right increases the length of
the destination file, while dragging the slider to the left decreases its
length.
The controls below the bar line allow you to fine-tune the time
compression/expansion process. They include the Crossfade, Min
Pitch, and Accuracy sliders.
Crossfade
The Crossfade slider allows you to manually adjust the crossfade
length in milliseconds to optimize performance of the Time
Compression/Expansion plug-in according to the type of audio
material you are processing. The Time Compression/Expansion
plug-in achieves length modification by replicating or subtracting very
small portions of audio material and very quickly crossfading between
these alterations in the waveform of the audio material.
Crossfade length essentially affects the amount of smoothing
performed on audio material to prevent audio artifacts such as clicks.
In general, small narrow-range time (length) changes require longer
crossfades while larger changes in length require shorter crossfades.
The disadvantage of long crossfade times is that they smooth the
signal, including any transients. While this can be desirable for audio
material such as vocals, it is not appropriate for material with sharp
transients such as drums or percussion.
The default setting for this parameter is Auto (leftmost position), in
which crossfade times are set automatically according to the
percentage of change in length for the current process. This setting
should be sufficient for most applications. However, by using this
slider, you can manually adjust and optimize crossfade times if
necessary. For audio material with sharper attack transients, use
shorter crossfade times. For audio material with softer attack
transients, use longer crossfade times.
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Min Pitch
The Min Pitch slider lets you select the minimum, or lowest, pitch
that will be used in the plug-ins calculations during the time
compression/expansion process. The slider has a range of 40 Hz to
400 Hz. By controlling the minimum pitch, you can focus the time
compression/expansion process for maximum efficiency it all
depends on the audios spectral shape.
This slider should be set lower when processing bass guitar or another
instrument with a similarly low range. Set the min pitch higher when
processing instruments such as snare drums, violins, and other higher
range instruments and sounds. Experiment with combinations of the
other fine-tune controls in relation to the Min Pitch slider.
Accuracy
Use the Accuracy slider to prioritize the processing resources allocated
to audio quality (sound) or timing (rhythm). Dragging the slider
toward sound generally results in better sonic quality and fewer audio
artifacts. Dragging the slider toward rhythm puts the emphasis on
keeping the tempo consistent. When working with loops, listen
carefully and adjust accuracy until you find the setting that keeps
timing solid within the region. Start and end times will be precise, but
the perception of beats may be shuffled if the Accuracy sliders
rhythm setting is too low.
The smallest time ratio allowed for time compression/expansion is

0.25. The largest time ratio allowed is 4.0.
Normalizing a selection before applying Time Compression/ Expansion can

sometimes produce better-sounding results.
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Pitch Shift
The AudioSuite Pitch Shift plug-in allows you to adjust the pitch of
any source audio file with or without a change in its duration. This is a
powerful function that essentially allows sounds to be transposed up
to a full octave up or down in pitch with or without altering playback
speed.
Edit the Pitch Shift parameters by double-clicking and typing in any

Destination field or by clicking and dragging the sliders. All Pitch Shift
plug-in controls are linked so that changing one changes the others.
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Pitch Shift Parameters

The Pitch Shift plug-in has the following parameters:
Gain
The Gain controls set the input level, in tenths of a decibel. The input
level should be set so that the plug-in can adequately handle
amplitude peaks in the selection. Dragging the slider to the right
increases gain, and dragging to the left decreases gain.
Coarse and Fine
Adjust the pitch by dragging either of the two faders, or by typing
values in the Coarse and Fine text boxes. The Coarse slider transposes
in semitones (half steps); the Fine slider transposes in cents
(hundredths of a semitone).
Time Correction
Clicking the Time Correction check box allows you to enable or disable
time correction.
You can deselect Time Correction if you are using the Create New
Master Clips features of the AudioSuite Plug-Ins. This box must be
selected when you are applying AudioSuite Plug-Ins to audio clips
in the Timeline.
If Time Correction is deselected, this will have the effect of
permanently varispeeding your audio file. Like working with tape,
the files duration will be compressed or extended according to the
settings of the coarse and fine-pitch controls. Playback speed will
increase proportionally as the sound file is transposed up in pitch and
decrease proportionally as it is transposed down in pitch, just like a
tape recorder that is varispeeding.
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Keep in mind that altering a file in this way has little detrimental effect
on the fidelity of audio files, whereas time correction can affect fidelity
in a pronounced way.
Ratio
The Ratio slider lets you set the amount of transposition (pitch
change). Moving the slider to the right raises the pitch of the processed
file, while moving the slider to the left decreases its pitch. Press and
hold the Ctrl key while dragging the slider to fine-adjust.
For a description of the Crossfade, Min Pitch, and Accuracy sliders, see
Crossfade on page 558.
Reference Pitch
The Reference Pitch feature generates a sine wave tone that you can
adjust to match a selected portion of audio material and then use as an
audible reference when pitch-shifting other audio material in your
session.
To use the Reference Pitch feature:
1. Select the audio material you wish to use as a pitch reference.
Click Preview to begin playback of the selected audio.
2. Click Reference Pitch to activate the reference sine wave tone.
3. Adjust the Note and Detune settings to match the reference tone to
the pitch of the audio playback. Adjust the Level setting to change
the relative volume of the reference tone. It might also be helpful
to switch the reference pitch on and off to compare pitch.
4. Select the audio material to be pitch shifted.
5. Adjust the Coarse and Fine Pitch Shift controls to match the pitch
of the audio playback to the reference pitch.
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EQ
There are four EQ plug-ins:
1-Band EQ II
4-Band EQ II
Digidesign 1-Band EQ
Digidesign 4-Band EQ
The EQ II versions are new and provide an enhanced British EQ

sound that is favored by contemporary audio engineers and
producers.
The Digidesign 1- and 4-Band EQ plug-ins provide compatibility with
sequences created on Macintosh systems (Media Composer 7.0 and
later, and Avid Xpress 2.0 and later).
EQ II Parameters
The EQ II plug-ins have the following parameters:
Input
Allows you to control the input gain of the EQ to prevent the
possibility of clipping.
Phase Invert
Allows you to invert the phase (polarity) of the input signal in order to
change frequency response between multi-miked sources (a common
technique for miking a guitar amplifier) or to correct for miswired
microphone cables.
Type
Allows you to select an EQ type (high-pass, low-shelf, peak, high-shelf
or low-pass).
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Freq
Allows you to designate the center of the frequency region to be cut or
boosted.
Gain
Allows you to control the amount that the selected frequencies are cut
or boosted.
Q
(Peak only) Allows you to set the bandwidth of the Peak filter. Higher
values represent narrower bandwidths. Lower values represent wider
bandwidths.
Bypass
Bypasses the EQ. The 4-Band EQ II has individual Bypass buttons for
each band (the black buttons with EQ curve icons).
High-Pass Filter
Attenuates all frequencies below the selected cutoff frequency setting
at a rate of 12 dB per octave while allowing all others above the
frequency to pass through. For this reason, no gain control is available
for this filter. High-pass filters can be useful for removing
low-frequency rumble or thinning out the lower end of a sound for
special effects, such as simulating a telephone effect.
Low-Shelf EQ
Produces a lift or a cut below the specified frequency.
Peak EQ
Boosts or cuts only those frequencies centered around the selected
center frequency. The Q button sets the bandwidth of the Peak filter,
which determines the width of the filters overall slope from a
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broad bell shape to a narrow notch. Broad curves tend to be most

useful for musical applications. Narrow curves are useful for specialpurpose processing such as hum removal. Higher values represent
narrower bandwidths. Lower values represent wider bandwidths.
High-Shelf EQ
Produces a lift or a cut at the specified frequency and above it.
Low-Pass Filter
Attenuates all frequencies above the selected cutoff frequency setting
at a rate of 12 dB per octave while allowing all others below the
frequency to pass through. For this reason, no gain control is available
for this filter.
Compressor
The Compressor plug-in reduces the dynamic range of signals that
exceed a selected threshold by a specific amount. The increase of input
signal needed to cause a 1-dB increase in the output signal of the
compressor is called the compression ratio. With a ratio of 4:1, for
example, an 8-dB increase of input produces a 2-dB increase in the
output.
Audio material often varies in loudness and can be above the
threshold at one moment and below it the next. The Attack slider sets
the compressors response time, or attack. The Release slider sets the
amount of time that it takes for the compressors gain to return to its
original level.
Using Compression Effectively

To use compression most effectively, the attack time should be set so
that signals exceed the threshold level long enough to cause an
increase in the average level. This helps to ensure that gain reduction
does not decrease the overall volume.
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Release times should be set long enough so that if signal levels

repeatedly rise above the threshold, they cause gain reduction only
once. If the release time is too long, a loud section of the audio material
could cause gain reduction that persists through a soft section. Of
course, compression has many creative uses that break these rules.
The Compressor has built-in metering that allows you to monitor the
amount of gain reduction taking place. The gain reduction meter
usually remains at 0 level when the input signal is below the
threshold, and falls to the left to show the amount of gain reduction in
decibels when the input signal exceeds the threshold.
Compressor Parameters
The Compressor plug-in has the following parameters:
Phase Invert
change frequency response between multi-miked sources or to correct
for miswired microphone cables.
Gain
Provides overall output gain adjustment. It allows you to compensate
for heavily compressed signals.
Input Meter
Indicates the level of the unprocessed input signal to the Compressor.
Output Meter
Indicates the output level of the Compressor, including any gain
compensation added via the Gain parameter.
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Reduction
Indicates the amount of gain reduction in decibels.
Threshold
Allows you to set the threshold level. Signals that exceed this level will
be compressed. Signals that are below it will be unaffected. A level
setting of 0 dB is equivalent to no compression. Unlike scales on
analog compressors, metering scales on a digital device reflect a 0-dB
value which indicates full scale (fs) the full-code signal level. There
is no headroom above 0 dB.
Ratio
Allows you to set the compression ratio. The range is based on
decibels above the threshold. If this parameter is set to 2:1, for
example, it will compress changes in signals above the threshold by
one half.
Attack
Allows you to set the Compressors attack time. The smaller the value,
the faster the attack. The faster the attack, the faster the Compressor
applies attenuation to the signal. If you use fast attack times and heavy
limiting, generally you should use a proportionally longer release
time, particularly with material that contains many peaks in close
proximity.
Release
Allows you to control how long it takes for the Compressor to be fully
deactivated after the input signal drops below the threshold level. In
general, if you use heavy compression, you should use proportionally
longer release times. This prevents pumping, which may occur when
the Compressor is forced to jump back and forth between compressed
and uncompressed signal levels. Lengthening the release time helps to
smooth these changes in level by introducing a lag in the ramp-up and
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ramp-down times of attenuation. Use shorter release times on material

with fewer peaks that do not occur in close proximity to each other.
Knee
Allows you to set the rate at which the compressor reaches full
compression once the threshold has been exceeded. This parameter
ranges from 0 (hardest response) to 200 (softest response).
Graph
Displays the response curve set by the Compressors Threshold, Ratio,
and Knee settings. As you adjust these parameters, refer to the graph
to see how the shape of this curve changes. It allows you to see the
effect of your settings.
External Key
This parameter has no effect on the AudioSuite Plug-Ins.
Key Listen
Limiter
The Limiter plug-in is used to prevent signal peaks from exceeding a
chosen level so that they do not overload amplifiers or recording
devices. Most limiters have ratios of 10:1 or 20:1, although some
provide ratios of up to 100:1. Large ratios effectively limit the dynamic
range of the signal to a specific value by setting an absolute ceiling for
the dynamic range.
Limiting is used to prevent short-term peaks from reaching their full
amplitude. Used carefully, limiting allows you to achieve higher
average levels, while avoiding overload (clipping or distortion) by
limiting some short-term transients in the source audio. To prevent the
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ear from hearing the gain changes, use extremely short attack and
release times.
Limiting is used to remove occasional peaks because gain reduction on
successive peaks would not be noticeable. If audio material contains
many peaks, the threshold should be raised and the gain manually
reduced so that only occasional, extreme peaks are limited.
The Limiters ratio is internally set to 100:1, and the Attack time is
automatically set to 0 milliseconds. The Limiter is similar to heavy
compression. It can be useful for reducing pops and clicks or for
hard-limiting dynamic range for broadcast or band-limited media
such as cassettes.
Limiter Parameters
The Limiter plug-in has the following parameters:
Phase Invert
Gain
Provides overall output Gain adjustment.
Input Meter
Indicates the level of the unprocessed input signal to the Limiter.
Output Meter
Indicates the output level of the Limiter, including any gain
compensation added via the Gain parameter.
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Reduction
Indicates the amount by which the signal is being attenuated.
Threshold
be limited. Signals that are below it will be unaffected.
Attack
Allows you to set the Limiters attack time. The smaller the value, the
faster the attack. The faster the attack, the faster the Limiter applies
attenuation to the signal. If you use fast attack times and heavy
limiting, generally you should use a proportionally longer release
time, particularly with material that contains many peaks in close
proximity.
Release
Allows you to control how long it takes for the Limiter to be fully
deactivated after the input signal drops below the threshold level. In
general, if you use heavy limiting, you should use proportionally
longer release times.This prevents pumping, which may occur when
the Limiter is forced to jump back and forth between limited and
unlimited signal levels. Lengthening the release time helps to smooth
these changes in level by introducing a lag in the ramp-up and
ramp-down times of attenuation. Use shorter release times on material
with fewer peaks that do not occur in close proximity to each other.
Graph
Displays the response curve set by the Limiters Threshold setting. As
you adjust this parameter, refer to the graph to see how the shape of
this curve changes. It allows you to see the effect of your settings.
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External Key
Key Listen
Gate
The Gate plug-in reduces noise by decreasing the gain of signals that
fall below a user-selectable threshold.
Gate Parameters
The Gate plug-in has the following parameters:
Phase Invert
Gating
Indicates the amount of reduction in decibels.
Threshold
pass through. Signals that are below it will be gated, depending on the
settings of the Attack, Hold, Decay, and Range parameters (explained
below).
Attack
Allows you to set the attack time of the Gate.
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Hold
Allows you to specify a duration (in seconds or milliseconds) that the
Gate will stay open after the initial attack cycle. This can be used as a
one-time function to keep the Gate open for longer periods of time
with a single crossing of the threshold. It can also be used to prevent
gate chatter, which might occur if varying input levels near the
threshold cause the Gate to open and close very rapidly.
Decay
Allows you to control how long it takes for the Gate to close after the
signal falls below the threshold level.
Range
Sets the depth of the Gate when closed. This parameter has a
maximum depth of 80 dB. Setting the Gate to higher range levels
allows more of the gated audio that falls below the threshold to peek
through the gate at all times. This is useful for problems such as drum
leakage, where you might want to suppress the overall drum kit
sound by a specific amount while emphasizing the gated instrument
such as a snare.
Graph
Displays the response curve set by the Gates Threshold and Range
settings. As you adjust these parameters, refer to the graph to see how
the shape of this curve changes. It allows you to see the effect of your
settings.
External Key
Key Listen
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Expander/Gate
The Expander/Gate plug-in reduces noise by decreasing the gain of
signals that fall below a user-selectable threshold. Expanders are
particularly useful for reducing noise or signal leakage that creeps into
recorded material as its gain level falls, which often occurs in the case
of headphone leakage.
Expanders can be thought of as soft-noise gates because they provide a
gentler way of cutting off noisy low-level signals than the typically
abrupt cutoff of a gate. You can, however, use this plug-in as the Gate
by setting the Ratio to its maximum value and using short Attack,
Decay, and Release settings.
Expander/Gate Parameters
The Expander/Gate plug-in has the following parameters:
Phase Invert
Reduction Meter
Indicates the amount of signal reduction in decibels.
Threshold
Allows you to set the threshold level. Signals that fall below the
threshold will be reduced in gain. Signals that are above it will be
unaffected. (When you adjust the Threshold slider, be sure that audio
material is playing through the Expander/Gate in order to see changes
reflected in the Reduction meter.)
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Ratio
Allows you to set the amount of expansion. If this parameter is set to
2:1, for example, it will lower signals below the threshold by one half.
At higher ratio levels (for example, 30:1 or 40:1) the Expander/Gate
functions as a gate by reducing lower level signals dramatically. As
you adjust the Ratio parameter, refer to the built-in graph to see how
the shape of the expansion curve changes.
Attack
Allows you to set the Expanders attack time. This parameter
determines how quickly a signals level is reduced once it falls below
the threshold. This setting, along with the Ratio setting, allows you to
control how soft the Expanders gain reduction curve is.
Hold
Allows you to specify a duration (in seconds or milliseconds) that the
Expander/Gate will stay open after the initial attack cycle. This can be
used as a one-time function to keep the Expander/Gate open for
longer periods of time with a single crossing of the threshold. It can
also be used to prevent gate chatter, which might occur if varying
input levels near the threshold cause the Gate to open and close very
rapidly.
Decay
Allows you to control how long it takes for the Gate to close after the
input signal falls below the threshold level and the hold time has
passed.
Range
Sets the depth of the gate when closed. This parameter has a
maximum depth of 80 dB. Setting the Gate to higher range levels
allows more of the gated audio that falls below the threshold to peek
through the gate at all times.
574
Key HPF
Key LPF
Graph
Displays the response curve set by the Expander/Gates Threshold,
Ratio, and Range settings. As you adjust these parameters, refer to the
graph to see how the shape of this curve changes. It allows you to see
the effect of your settings.
External Key
Key Listen
Mod Delay
The Mod Delay plug-ins provide time-delay-based effects. Effects
obtained through the use of Mod Delay include slap echo, doubling,
chorusing, and flanging.
There are four different Mod Delays, each of which is capable of a
different maximum delay time:
Short Delay provides 1024 samples of delay (23.2 milliseconds

[ms] at 44.1 kHz or 21.3 ms at 48 kHz).
Slap Delay provides 7186 samples of delay (162 ms at 44.1 kHz or

149 ms at 48 kHz).
575
Medium Delay provides 16384 samples of delay (371 ms at

44.1 kHz kHz or 341 ms at 48 kHz).
Long Delay provides 162474 samples of delay (3.68 seconds at

44.1 kHz or 3.38 seconds at 48 kHz).
Mod Delay Parameters

The Mod Delay plug-ins have the following parameters:
Input
Allows you to control the input volume of the delay to prevent the
clipping.
Wet/Dry
Allows you to control the balance between the delayed signal and the
original signal. If you are using a delay for flanging or chorusing, you
can control the depth of the effect to a certain extent with the Wet/Dry
setting.
LPF (Low-Pass Filter)
Controls the cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter. This allows you to
attenuate the high-frequency content of the feedback signal. The lower
the setting, the more high frequencies are attenuated.
Delay
Allows you to set the delay time between the original signal and the
delayed signal.
Depth
Allows you to control the depth of the modulation applied to the
delayed signal.
576
Rate
Allows you to control the rate of modulation of the delayed signal.
Feedback
Allows you to control the amount of feedback applied from the output
of the delay back into its input. It also controls the number of
repetitions of the delayed signal. Negative Feedback settings give a
more intense tunnel-like sound to flanging effects.
577
APPENDIX B
File Format Specifications
To be compatible with a variety of imaging standards, Avid Xpress DV
accommodates many file types and formats. For import and export
procedures, see Chapter 8 and Chapter 18. This appendix contains
descriptions, specifications, and notes for importing and exporting
specific file formats.
To ensure usability and high quality, the files in some formats require
preparation before being imported to the Avid Xpress DV application.
Consequently, this appendix contains many more notes for import
than for export. When you export a file, you choose a file format from
the Export Settings dialog box and select options appropriate to the
format. For descriptions of the dialog box options, click the dialog box
and then press the F1 key.
Graphic (Image) Files

Avid Xpress DV uses Image Independence to produce usable files
from a large number of graphic formats. Once you have imported a
format, you can export it.
578
The following list briefly describes the supported graphic (image) file
formats:
Alias: Alias PIX image format, developed by Alias Research, Inc.

(now Alias|Wavefront) for use with their animation and
visualization software.
BMP: Developed by Microsoft Corporation as the standard image

file format used by Microsoft Windows.
Chyron: Developed by Chyron Corporation for use with video

frame buffers of Chyron character-generator titles.
Cineon: Developed by Eastman Kodak for use in the Cineon

Digital Film System. It is a subset of the SMPTE DPX (Digital
Picture Exchange) format.
Framestore: Developed by NewTek Incorporated for use with

their Video Toaster system.
IFF: Developed by Electronic Arts. IFF (Interchange File Format),

or more specifically IFF-ILBM (InterLeaved BitMap), is the
standard file format by which applications on the Amiga
platform transfer image files.
JPEG: Developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group

(JPEG). This format is highly suited for image storage and
transmission purposes because of its ability to dramatically reduce
the storage requirements for a file. JFIF files (JPEG File Interchange
Format, the standard for constructing JPEG files) can also be
imported and exported.
OMFI: Developed by Avid Technology, Inc. and many industry

and standards partners for the interchange of digital media data
between platforms and applications.
PCX: Developed by Zsoft Corporation for use with their

PC PaintBrush paint software.
579
PhotoCD (import only): Developed by Kodak for use with the

Kodak PhotoCD storage medium. You cannot import this format
directly into Avid Xpress DV. However, you can open the file in an
application such as Photoshop and use the Save As feature to save
the file in a format that can be imported, such as Targa, PICT, or
TIFF.
Photoshop: Developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated for use

with their Adobe Photoshop image-editing software.
PICT: Developed by Apple Computer, Inc. as the format for

Macintosh QuickDraw images.
Pixar: Developed by Pixar for stored pictures.
PNG: Developed by the PNG Development Group originally as

an alternative to the GIFSM image format. PNG is an acronym for
Portable Network Graphics and is pronounced ping.
QRT: Developed on the Amiga personal computer to run on

several operating systems. This format is used by many ray
tracing programs, such as DKB Ray Trace and the QRT ray tracer.
Rendition: Developed by Numerical Design Ltd.
SGI: Developed by Silicon Graphics, Inc. for use as the standard

format on their line of workstations.
Softimage: Developed by Softimage, Inc. for use in their

Softimage software.
Sun Raster: Developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. and

supported mainly in Sun applications.
Targa: Developed by Truevision, Inc. and originally intended for

support of the Truevision image-capturing hardware.
TIFF: Developed by Aldus Corporation (now Adobe Systems

Incorporated) and Microsoft Corporation. TIFF is an acronym for
Tag Image File Format.
Wavefront: Developed by Wavefront Technologies, Inc. (now

Alias|Wavefront) for storing pictures in a machine-independent
manner.
580
XWindows: Developed by the MIT X Consortium and supported

by many X Window System applications on workstations and
some personal computers.
YUV: Defined by Abekas Video Systems (now Scitex Digital

Video, Inc.), the YUV format is the raw data sent to the Abekas
machines.
Preparing Graphic Files for Import

Before you import a graphic file to Avid Xpress DV, you can use
third-party image-editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop, to
make adjustments such as the following:
Convert the file to the appropriate size, resolution, and bit depth.
Crop or color-correct an image.
Eliminate jagged edges in an image by using the image-editing

applications anti-aliasing or high-quality option.
Add transparency (to some formats) by setting the resolution to

32 bits per pixel to add an alpha channel.
In some cases, you can convert an image file that does not support
an alpha channel to a format that does, in order to add
transparency.
You can import and key the image over video using key effects within the
Avid Xpress DV application. However, importing an image with an existing
alpha channel provides the best results.
For specific procedures and file formats, see the documentation that
accompanies the image-editing software.
581
Graphic File Import Specifications

Table B-1 contains graphic file import specifications. The table uses
the following terms:
Full-screen image size: These numbers describe the

recommended width and height, in pixels, to create a source
image that will be displayed full-screen after import. Using these
dimensions helps minimize distortion after conversion to the Avid
application native resolution of 720 x 486 non-square pixels for
NTSC or 720 x 576 for PAL. An image with smaller dimensions
will take up less of the screen or will be distorted, while an image
that exceeds these dimensions might be distorted. An image
resolution of
72 pixels per inch is recommended.
Bit depth: These numbers refer to color-depth resolution of the

image based on the number of bits per pixel. For example, 2-bit
images are displayed in black and white; 8-bit images are
displayed in 256 colors; 16-bit images are displayed in thousands
of colors; 24-bit images are displayed in millions of colors; and
32-bit images are displayed in millions of colors with an alpha
channel.
Alpha channel: This column states whether or not alpha channel

import is supported. An alpha channel determines regions of
transparency in the picture when it is keyed over a background.
NA: This notation means Not Applicable.
582
Table B-1
Graphic File Import Specifications
Format
Default Recommended
Exten- Full-Screen
Bit Depth
sion
Size (Pixels)
Support
Alpha
Channel
Support Notes
Alias
.als
720 x 486 NTSC 24-bit color,

720 x 576 PAL
8-bit grayscale
No
BMP
.bmp
720 x 486 NTSC 1-, 4-, 8-, and 24-bit

720 x 576 PAL
No
Dots-per-inch (dpi)
information is preserved.
Four-bit BMP files saved
with RLE compression are
not supported.
Photoshop does not
support four-channel BMP
files.
Chyron
.chr
720 x 486 NTSC 32-bit

720 x 576 PAL
Yes
Cineon
.cin
720 x 486 NTSC 10-bit (logarithmic)

720 x 576 PAL
NA
Dots-per-inch (dpi)
Framestore
.fs
720 x 486 NTSC 24-bit

720 x 576 PAL
No
Pixel aspect information is

saved with image data.
When importing files
generated from
Video Toaster, choose the
option Force to Fit Screen.
IFF
.iff
720 x 486 NTSC 1-bit through 24-bit

1-bit
720 x 576 PAL
color;
alpha
1-bit through 8-bit
only
grayscale;
64-color EHB;
4096-color HAM;
262,144-color HAM8;
SHAM;
A-HAM;
A-RES
583
Dots-per-inch (dpi)
saved with image data.
Table B-1
Graphic File Import Specifications (Continued)
Format
Default Recommended
Bit Depth
Exten- Full-Screen
Support
sion
Size (Pixels)
Alpha
Channel
Support Notes
JPEG
.jpg
720 x 486 NTSC 24-bit color,

720 x 576 PAL
8-bit grayscale
No
OMFI
.omf
720 x 486 NTSC

720 x 576 PAL
PCX
.pcx
720 x 486 NTSC Color-mapped and

720 x 576 PAL
24-bit color
See OMFI Files on

page 591.
NA
Dots-per-inch (dpi)
PCX files with 1-bit color
depth or odd-numbered
pixel widths are not
supported.
Photoshop
PICT
.psd
.pic
720 x 486 NTSC Grayscale, indexed

720 x 576 PAL
color, RGB, and
duotone variations
No
720 x 486 NTSC 2-, 4-, 8-, 16-, and

720 x 576 PAL
32-bit
Yes
Duotone files are loaded as

grayscale.
Multichannel (more than
four channels) files are not
supported.
Dots-per-inch (dpi)
If no dpi is specified, 72
dpi is used.
Pixar
.pxr
720 x 486 NTSC 24-bit, 36-bit

720 x 576 PAL
Yes
PNG
.png
720 x 486 NTSC 1-bit through 32-bit

720 x 576 PAL
Yes
QRT
.dbw
720 x 486 NTSC 24-bit

720 x 576 PAL
No
Rendition
.6rn
720 x 486 NTSC 32-bit

720 x 576 PAL
Yes
584
Table B-1
Format
Default Recommended
Bit Depth
Exten- Full-Screen
Support
sion
Size (Pixels)
Alpha
Channel
Support Notes
SGI
.rgb
720 x 486 NTSC 8-bit or 16-bit

Yes
720 x 576 PAL
grayscale;
8-bit grayscale plus
8-bit alpha channel;
24- and 48-bit color;
24-bit color plus 8-bit
alpha channel;
64-bit (16 bits per
component)
Softimage
.pic
720 x 486 NTSC 24-bit plus

720 x 576 PAL
8-bit alpha
Yes

saved with the image.
a
c Double-clicking
Softimage file will start
the application
associated with PICT
files because they use
the same extension.
Avoid double-clicking
Softimage files to view
them.
SunRaster
.sun
720 x 486 NTSC 1-, 8-, or 24-bit

720 x 576 PAL
No
Targa
.tga
720 x 486 NTSC 8-, 15-, 16-, or 24-bit;

720 x 576 PAL
32-bit
Yes
585
Table B-1
Format
Default Recommended
Bit Depth
Exten- Full-Screen
Support
sion
Size (Pixels)
TIFF
.tif
Alpha
Channel
Support Notes
720 x 486 NTSC 8-bit color-mapped; Yes

720 x 576 PAL
8-bit or 16-bit
grayscale;
24- and 48-bit color;
24-bit color plus 8-bit
alpha;
36-bit color plus
12-bit alpha;
42-bit color plus
14-bit alpha;
48-bit color plus
16-bit alpha
Wavefront
.rla
720 x 486 NTSC 32-bit and 64-bit

720 x 576 PAL
Yes
XWindows
.xwd
720 x 486 NTSC 1-, 2-, 4-, 8-, 16, 24-,

720 x 576 PAL
and 32-bit
No
YUV
.yuv
720 x 486 NTSC 24-bit

720 x 576 PAL
No
Dots-per-inch (dpi)
The following types of files
are not supported:
Multichannel (greater than
four channels) files; Group
3-compressed (fax) files;
CMYK files with extra
channels; and
JPEG-compressed files.
Four-channel files from
Avid Matador are
imported as three-channel
files.
Pixel aspect information

(based on the video
format) is saved with
image data.
When importing, choose
the option Force to Fit
Screen.
586
Animation Files
Avid Xpress DV supports the following animation file formats:
AVI (Audio Video Interleave): Developed by Microsoft for

storing video and audio information as part of its Video for
Windows standard.
ERIMovie: Developed by Elastic Reality, Inc. (now a division of

Avid Technology, Inc.) for quick playback of rendered movies on
Silicon Graphics, Inc. platforms.
PICS: Developed by Apple Computer, Inc. A PICS file is a

sequence of PICT images. Many applications that handle multiple
image formats on the Macintosh platform also support PICS files.
QuickTime: Developed by Apple Computer, Inc. for multimedia

on multiple platforms.
Table B-2 lists animation file import specifications. AVI import and
export information appears in Table B-3.
Avid Xpress DV assumes a 29.97-fps frame rate (25-fps for PAL). Set the
appropriate frame rate for the project when you export from a third-party
application.
587
Table B-2
Format
ERIMovie
Animation File Import Specifications
Default
Alpha
Exten- Bit Depth Channel
sion
Support
Support Notes
.mov or 24-bit
Yes
.eri
packed
and 32-bit
raw movie
files
QuickTime for Windows also uses the .mov

extension. However, QuickTime does not support
ERIMovie, and double-clicking an ERIMovie file
will cause an error.
n
PICS Animation
.pcs
2-, 4-, 8-,

16-, and
32-bit
Sequenced image Various

files
There is no player for ERIMovie on Macintosh or

Windows platforms; the mview program supports
ERIMovie on Silicon Graphics systems.
Yes
Only uncompressed data can be stored in PICS

format. PICS export does not allow PICS
containers larger than 16 MB.
Yes
Name each file in the sequence NameN.ext, with

Name identifying the animation, N indicating the
file order, and .ext indicating the file type (for
example, Image1.PIC, Image2.PIC, Image3.PIC).
The numbering can start at any number except 0 or
use any numbering format (for example,
Image010.PIC, Image012.PIC, or Imagef28.PIC,
Imagef29.PIC).
The information in Table B-3 applies to using QuickTime files with

Avid Xpress DV.
588
Table B-3
QuickTime Import and Export

Specifications
QuickTime File
Import Specifications Notes
QuickTime files
QuickTime import and export requires QuickTime software, Version 4.0 or

later. QuickTime software is installed when you install the Avid Xpress DV
application.
Avid QuickTime files
Use the Avid QuickTime codec for importing QuickTime files into a non-DV
Avid system when you export from Avid Xpress DV or a third-party
application. To use the codec in a third-party application, see About the
Avid QuickTime and Avid AVI Codecs on page 538.
Resolution
Use Export settings to specify the compression ratio of a QuickTime file for
export. For more information, see Table on page 522.
The resolution of a QuickTime file is set at export time from a third-party
application equipped with the Avid QuickTime codec. Avid Xpress DV
imports the file at this resolution. For more information on exporting from a
third-party application, see About the Avid QuickTime and Avid AVI
Codecs on page 538.
Image Size
To take advantage of the Avid QuickTime codec speed, you must export the
files from the QuickTime application at the following frame sizes:
720 x 486 pixels for NTSC images (non-square pixels)
720 x 576 pixels for PAL images (non-square pixels)
File extension
After you import a QuickTime file, the file maintains the .mov extension,
which is visible in a bin. The .mov extension is the default for export.
QuickTime alpha
To save a QuickTime movie with alpha channel in a third-party QuickTime

application, use the Avid QuickTime codec or a codec that supports a color
depth of millions+. The Avid Xpress DV application does not support
matte key or alpha channel for QuickTime export; it does import alpha
channel when one exists.
589
The information in Table B-4 applies to using AVI files with

Avid Xpress DV.
Table B-4
AVI File Import and
Export Specifications
Avid AVI codec
AVI Import and Export Specifications
Notes
You can import and export Avid AVI files by using standard AVI conversion
or by using the Avid AVI codec.
Use the Avid AVI codec for importing AVI files into a non-DV Avid system
when you export from Avid Xpress DV or a third-party application. Files
created by the codec are readable within applications also equipped with the
codec. For more information on using the codec and making it available to
Avid AVI-compatible applications, see Using the Avid AVI Codec on
page 541.
Resolution
Use Export settings to specify the compression ratio of an AVI file for export.
For more information, see Table on page 535.
The resolution of an AVI file is set at export time from a third-party
application equipped with the Avid AVI codec. For more information on
exporting from a third-party application, see About the Avid
QuickTime and Avid AVI Codecs on page 538.
File size
Avid AVI files can be quite large, especially at high video resolutions. They
require adequate storage and transfer capabilities.
File extension
After you import an AVI file, the file maintains the .avi extension, which is
visible in a bin. The .avi extension is the default for export.
AVI alpha
Avid Xpress DV does not support alpha channel for AVI import or export.
590
Audio File Formats

The following list briefly describes the supported audio file formats:
Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF-C): Format for audio files

developed by Apple Computer, Inc.
WAVE Format (WAV): Format for audio files developed jointly by

Microsoft and IBM. WAV files are playable by nearly all Windows
applications that support sound.
You can record, render, and edit audio in AIFF-C or WAV file formats.
OMFI Files
OMFI was developed by Avid Technology, Inc. and many industry
and standards partners for the interchange of digital media data
between platforms and applications. For information about creating
an OMFI file on a non-Avid application, see the documentation for the
application.
The information in Table B-5 applies to importing OMFI files.
591
Table B-5
OMFI File Import Specifications
OMFI File
Resolution
For optimum import speed and quality, export or render the file from the
source application at the resolution you want, and then import the file into
the Avid Xpress DV application at that resolution. To do this, click Options in
the Import File(s) into Bin dialog box, and then select Use Source from the
OMFI Resolution area of the Import Settings dialog box. The system
disregards the resolution setting in the Import File(s) into Bin dialog box and
automatically imports at the files existing resolution.
For more information on OMFI, see the OMFI Web site:
www.avid.com/3rdparty/omfi
Frame or Edit rate
You must import sequences and clips to projects that have the same edit rate
(29.97 fps for NTSC, 25 fps for PAL). If the edit rates do not match, you will
get an error message.
Xpress DV cannot import an OMFI audio file that was produced with
n Avid
an edit rate equal to the audio sample rate. Trying to import such a file
results in the error message Unrecognized file type. Create the
source file with an edit rate at the project edit rate, most likely 29.97.
OMFI version
Avid Xpress DV recognizes and supports OMFI 1.0 composition and media
files and OMFI 2.0 composition files.
The following OMFI 2.0 effects are supported generally:
Video effects: dissolves, wipes, freeze frame, film pulldown, slow

motion, fade to black
Audio effects: pan and volume, audio dissolves
Other effects can be imported from other Avid applications.
592
Table B-5
OMFI File Import Specifications (Continued)
OMFI File
Audio media is imported at the sample rate that is set on the Avid Xpress DV
system.
Audio sample rate
Xpress DV cannot import an OMFI audio file that was produced with
n Avid
an edit rate equal to the audio sample rate. Trying to import such a file
results in the error message Unrecognized file type. Set the edit
rate to the project edit rate, most likely 29.97.
Avid MCXpress for
Windows NT files
If you are importing OMFI compositions from Avid MCXpress for

Windows NT, you may get an error if the sequence includes video or audio
effects. If this happens, create a cuts-only version of the sequence in
Avid MCXpress and export it again. You cannot import video media from
Avid MCXpress for Windows NT; if you import a composition, you must
rerecord the media.
File transfer
If you are transferring an OMFI file over a network, transfer it as a binary

file.
Reimporting Avid
media files
If you import OMFI files containing media that you exported from the same
Avid Xpress DV system, you need to delete the original media. Otherwise,
the new media will not overwrite the original media. To learn how to locate
the original media for a sequence, see Chapter 10.
593
APPENDIX C
Avid Log Specifications
This section explains the Avid log file format. The Avid Xpress DV
application can import logs that meet Avid log specifications. These
logs must follow the formatting requirements.
Table C-1 lists the log formats that can be imported directly into the
Avid Xpress DV application. You can use a text editor to adapt other
log formats so that they meet Avid log specifications.
Table C-1
Compatible Log Formats
Log
File Name Extension
Avid logs
.ale
Evertz
.ftl
Keyscope
.ksl
Log right
.ale
594
Understanding Avid Log Specifications

This section contains tables that show how to enter headings and data
to create an Avid log. The tables use the following conventions:
<A supported value> is surrounded by angle brackets.

<Alternative supported values> appear underneath, also in angle
brackets. You must enter exactly one of these values. For example,
<29.97> is one of the supported values for the FPS heading; to
specify that value, type 29.97.
<A variable data value> is also surrounded by angle brackets. For

example, <time code> is the data entry for the Start heading; type
the correct timecode, in the format 08:19:10:00 (or
08;19;10;00, for drop-frame timecode).
[Tab] and [Enter] keys are surrounded by standard brackets.
The fifth column contains the word Required if the heading

must be included in the log.
The final column contains notes about the heading or values.
The following is a sample heading from the format table:
FPS
[Tab]
<25>
<29.97>
[Enter]
Required
Capture rate is 25 fps for PAL and 29.97

fps for NTSC video.
Note that FPS is a required heading. The information in this sample

tells how to make a log entry for the FPS heading:
1. Type FPS.
2. Press the Tab key.
3. Type one of the supported values (25 or 29.97).
4. Press Enter.
595
Describing an Avid Log File

An Avid log is composed of three or four sections, in this order:
Global headings
Standard column headings
Custom column headings (optional)
Data headings
The tables in this section adhere to this order. When you create an Avid
log, you must follow the order precisely.
You might choose not to display a defined heading (including a
required heading), except for Name. Name must always be displayed.
The maximum number of combined global, standard, and custom
headings in a log file is 64.
Global Headings
The global headings must come first in an Avid log file, and you must
enter one value for each heading.
Table C-2 shows the format for the global headings and the supported
values for each heading.
596
Table C-2
Avid Log Global Headings
GLOBAL HEADINGS: Global headings are case sensitive and must be spelled exactly as shown.
Include all required headings. Other headings are optional but may be necessary for your project. The
maximum number of combined global, standard, and custom headings in a log file is 64.
Heading
FIELD_DELIM
[Tab]
<TABS>
VIDEO_FORMAT
[Tab]
<NTSC>
<PAL>
AUDIO_FORMAT
[Tab]
[Enter]
Required
This marks the start of the

global headings.
[Enter]
Required
Enter TABS to show that the file

is Tab delimited.
[Enter]
Required
<22 kHz>
<24 kHz>
<44 kHz>
<48 kHz>
[Enter]
[Enter]
Required
Name of the videotape reel you

are logging. If you omit this
heading, the file name becomes
the global tape name. You can
override this for individual
clips.
[Enter]
Required
Capture rate is 25 fps for PAL

and 29.97 fps for NTSC video.
TAPE
[Tab]
<Tape
Name>
FPS
[Tab]
<25>
<29.97>
[Enter]
597
Audio sample rate for

recording. You can override this
for individual clips.
Press Enter a second time after

entering the FPS value. This
marks the end of the global
headings.
Column Headings
The standard column headings come after the global headings in the
Avid log file. Note that you do not enter the data for a column heading
along with the heading. You will enter the data later, in a separate data
section.
You must include the five required standard column headings; they
are listed in the top five rows of Table C-3.
You can create your own custom column headings. Enter them after
the standard headings (see the last heading in this table). To create a
custom heading, substitute the custom heading name for
<Your_heading>. You can create several custom headings, as long as
the total number of global, standard, and custom headings does not
exceed 64.
Table C-3
Avid Log Column Headings
COLUMN HEADINGS: Column headings are case sensitive and must be spelled exactly as shown.
Note that the first five headings are required. Other headings are optional but may be necessary for
your project. The maximum number of combined global, standard, and custom headings in a log file
is 64.
Column
[Enter]
Required
Indicates the start of the column headings.
Name
[Tab]
Required
Heading for clip name.
Tracks
[Tab]
Required
Heading for tracks you select for recording.
Start
[Tab]
Required
Heading for video timecode of sync point the

timecode IN for clip (from address track of video).
End
[Tab]
Required
Heading for timecode OUT for clip (from address

track of video).
AUDIO_FORMAT
[Tab]
Heading for audio sample rate for recording the

individual clip. If omitted, the global entry for
AUDIO_FORMAT applies.
598
Table C-3
Avid Log Column Headings (Continued)
Color
[Tab]
Creation Date
[Tab]
Heading for date of clip creation.
Drive
[Tab]
Heading for target drive ID.
Duration
[Tab]
Heading for timecode Start to timecode End, the

length of the video clip.
IN-OUT
[Tab]
Heading for duration between clips IN point and

OUT point (if present).
Mark IN
[Tab]
Heading for timecode of clips IN point (if present).
Mark OUT
[Tab]
Heading for timecode of clips OUT point (if present).
Offline
[Tab]
Heading for tracks currently without recorded media

files online.
Modified Date
[Tab]
Heading for date of clip modification.
Project
[Tab]
Heading for project associated with clip.
Tape
[Tab]
Heading for source tape ID for the individual clip. If

omitted, the global entry applies.
Video
[Tab]
Heading for video resolution.
COMMENTS
[Tab]
Heading for comments about clip.
<Your_heading>
[Tab]
Press the Tab key between each heading. Do not press

the Tab key after the last heading. Add any category
of information you want. Add as many headings as
you want, but do not use more than a total of 64 global
and column headings in the file.
[Enter]
[Enter]
Press Enter twice (not Tab) after the last heading.
599
Data Headings
Some data, such as
Creation Date, is
gathered by the system.
Table C-4 does not
include entries for such
data.
The data headings come after the Custom column headings. Table C-4
shows the format for entering data. Enter a line of data in this format
for every clip. Be sure to start the data section for each clip with the
word Data [Enter].
You must enter data so that it aligns with its column heading. For
example, the data that goes with the ninth column heading must be
the ninth data entry.
Be sure to enter data for all the required values. To leave a data
position unfilled, press the Tab key instead of typing data. Press Enter
at the end of each line.
Table C-4
Avid Log Data Headings
DATA HEADINGS: The word Data marks the start of the data for each clip.
Data
[Enter]
Required
Enter the word Data to mark the start of the logged clip
entries.
DATA FOR EACH CLIP: Enter a line of data for each clip. Enter the data so that it aligns with its
column heading. (The data that goes with the ninth column heading must be the ninth data entry.) Be
sure to enter data for all the required values. To leave a data position unfilled, press the Tab key
instead of typing data. Press Enter at the end of each line. Note that Avid Xpress DV supports up to
four audio tracks in imported and exported logs.
<clip name>
[Tab]
Required
Under Name heading. Enter a clip identifier (32

characters maximum).
<V>
<VA1>
<VA2>
<VA1A2>
600
Table C-4
Avid Log Data Headings (Continued)
<A1A2>
<A1>
<A2>
[Tab]
Required
Under Tracks heading. Enter the tracks you want

recorded for the clip. Enter V for MOS takes. Enter A1,
A2, or A1A2 for wild sound.
<32 kHz>
<44 kHz>
<48 kHz>
[Tab]
Under AUDIO_FORMAT heading. Enter the audio

sample rate for this clip only. If omitted, global entry
applies.
<Source tape ID>
[Tab]
Under Tape heading. Enter the source videotape ID for

this clip only.
<time code>
[Tab]
Required
Under Start heading. Enter the video timecode for

sync point, the first frame in clip. Use colons for
non-drop-frame (for example, 01:00:12:20). Use one or
more semicolons for drop-frame (for example,
01;18;00;02).
<time code>
[Tab]
Required
Under End heading. Enter the video timecode for the

last frame of clip.
<time code>
[Tab]
Under Duration heading. Enter the length of the video

clip, Start to End.
[Enter]
Press Enter (not Tab) after the last entry for the clip.
Enter an additional line of data for each remaining clip.
601
Sample Avid Log

This section contains a sample Avid log for an NTSC video project.
Formatting keys, such as [Tab] and [Enter], are shown in brackets.
Heading [Enter]
FIELD_DELIM [Tab] TABS [Enter]
VIDEO_FORMAT [Tab] NTSC [Enter]
AUDIO_FORMAT [Tab] 44khz [Enter]
TAPE [Tab] 001 [Enter]
[Enter]
Column [Enter]
Name [Tab] Tracks [Tab] Start [Tab] End [Tab]
[Enter]
Data [Enter]
CU Josh & Mary [Tab] V [Tab] 01:00:00:00 [Tab] 01:15:05:00 [Enter]
CU Josh [Tab] VA1 [Tab] 01:15:06:00 [Tab] 01:20:00:00 [Enter]
602
Glossary
1394
See IEEE Standard 1394.
2:3 pulldown
See pulldown.
3/4-inch U-matic
One of the first composite videocassette formats, in which the

composite signal is recorded onto 3/4-inch tape. Used for many years,
particularly in field recording, the U-matic format is slowly being
replaced by more advanced and lightweight systems.
4:2:2 digital video
A digital video system defined by the ITU-R 601 (CCIR 601) technical
documentation. 4:2:2 refers to the comparative ratio of sampling of the
three components of the video signal: luminance and two color
channels.
A/B-roll
The use of alternating scenes, recorded on separate source tapes or

film rolls, to perform dissolves, wipes, or other types of transitions.
A/D converter
Analog-to-digital converter. A device that transforms a continuously

variable (analog) signal to discrete binary bits that represent digital
samples of the original signal.
academy
Refers to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The word
is applied to specifications that meet academy standards, such as
603
academy leader, academy format (for film stock), academy

countdown, and so forth.
add edit
ADR
An add edit added between consecutive frames in a sequence segment

within the Timeline. Separate segment sections with an add edit to
modify or add effects to a subsection of the segment.
1. Automatic display replacement. The process of looping playback
of a selected region in a sequence and automatically recording
multiple replacement takes.
2. In film, refers to automatic dialog replacement; a synonym for
dubbing.
AES
Audio Engineering Society. The primary international organization of

users and producers of professional audio. The AES maintains a
standards committee that supervises the work of several
subcommittees and working groups covering various fields of sound
reinforcements.
AES/EBU
Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcasting Union. A digital

signal format for professional audio input to the Avid video-based
editing systems using the SA 4 card. This signal format is typically
used when inputting sound directly to Avid video-based editing
systems with a digital audiotape (DAT) machine, thereby bypassing
the videotape recording process.
AIFF-C
Audio Interchange File Format- Condensed. A sampled-sound file

format that allows for the storage of audio data. This format is
primarily used as data interchange format but can be used as a storage
format as well. OMF Interchange includes AIFF-C as a common
interchange format for noncompressed audio data.
alpha channel
An 8-bit, gray-scale representation of an image used to create a mask

for keying images.
604
A-mode
A linear method of assembling edited footage. In A-mode assembly,

the editing system performs edits in the order in which they will
appear on the master, stopping whenever the edit decision list (EDL)
calls for a tape that is not presently in the deck.
See also B-mode, C-mode, D-mode, E-mode, source mode.
analog recording
The common form of magnetic recording where the recorded

waveform signal maintains the shape of the original waveform signal.
All videotape source footage is analog. When recorded into
Avid Xpress DV (via telecine transfer), footage is converted from the
analog format to a digital format.
answer print
A print made of the final cut for review before the final release print is
created.
See also print, release print.
anti-aliasing
A computerized process of digitally smoothing the jagged lines

around graphic objects or titles.
ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange. The standard

that governs the recording of characters by a sequence of binary digits.
Most computers use ASCII code to represent text, which makes it
possible to transfer data from one computer to another.
aspect ratio
The numerical ratio of a viewing areas width to its height. In video

and television, the standard aspect ratio is 4:3, which can be reduced to
1.33:1 or simply 1.33. HDTV video format has an aspect ratio of 16:9. In
film, some aspect ratios include: 1.33:1, 1.85:1, and 2.35:1.
assemble edit
An edit where all existing signals on a tape (if any) are replaced with
new signals. Assemble editing sequentially adds new information to a
tape and a control track might be created during the edit. The edit is
made linearly and is added to the end of previously recorded material.
See also control track, overwrite.
605
ATM
Asynchronous transfer mode. A network technology based on

transferring data in packets of a fixed size. The packet used with ATM
is relatively small compared to units used with older technologies. The
small, constant packet size allows ATM equipment to transmit video,
audio, and computer data over the same network and ensures that no
single type of data ties up the line.
Current implementations of ATM support data transfer rates of 25 to
622 Mb/s (megabits per second). This compares to a maximum of
100 Mb/s for Ethernet, the current technology used for most local area
networks (LANs).
ATR
Audiotape recorder. A device for recording and reproducing sound on

magnetic recording tape.
Attic folder
The folder containing backups of your files or bins. Every time you
save or the system automatically saves your work, copies of your files
or bins are placed in the Attic folder, until the folder reaches the
specified maximum. The Attic folder copies have the file name
extension .bak and a number added to the file name. The number of
backup files for one project can be changed (increased or decreased) in
the Preferences dialog box.
attribute clip
A mechanism applications can use to store supplemental information

in a special track that is synchronized to the other tracks in a track
group.
audio scrub
See scrubbing.
audio sweetening
Mixing sound effects, music, and announcer audio tracks with the
audio track of the edited master tape, usually during the mixing stages
of a production. Also called audio postproduction for video.
audio timecode
Longitudinal timecode (LTC) recorded on an audio track.

See also LTC.
606
AudioVision
Avids digital, nonlinear audio editing system that locks digital video
in sync with audio for audio editing and sweetening.
AutoSave
A feature that saves your work at intervals you specify. Backups are
placed in the Attic folder.
AUX
Auxiliary track. In a video editing system, a channel reserved for

connecting an external audio device, video device, or both.
Avid disk
The disk that contains the operating system files. The computer needs
operating system information in order to run.
AvidNet
Avids Transfer Tool that allows you to share and exchange digital
media among Avid systems over local and widearea networks.
AvidNet provides peer-to-peer networking capability through the
following network interfaces:
The built-in Macintosh Ethernet (10BASE-T)
An optional Ethernet network board (10BASE-T or 100BASE-T)
An optional ATM network board
Avid Projects folder
The folder containing your projects.
AVR
Avid Video Resolution. The compression level at which visual media

is stored by the Avid Xpress DV system. The system creates media in a
particular AVR by using proprietary conversion algorithms to convert
analog video to digital form.
backtiming
A method of calculating the IN point by subtracting the duration from

a known OUT point so that, for example, music and video/film end
on the same note.
backup
A duplicate copy of a file or disk in another location if the original file

or disk becomes corrupted.
See also Attic folder.
607
bandwidth
The difference between the upper and lower frequency limits of an

audio sample component.
bar code
A pattern of vertical stripes of varying width and spacing that encodes

information. Bar codes can be used to encode timecode on film.
batch digitize/batch
record
The automated process in which groups of clips, sequences, or both

are digitized (recorded digitally).
baud
The number of electrical oscillations that occur each second. Baud was
the prevalent measure for bandwidth or data transmission capacity,
but bps (bits per second) is used most often now and is more accurate.
See also bps.
Bento
A general container format and software API (application

programming interface) developed by Apple Computer, Inc. Bento is
used by OMF Interchange as a storage and access system for the
information in an OMF Interchange file.
best light
A telecine transfer performed with optimum settings of the color

grade controls but without precise scene-by-scene color correction.
Betacam, Betacam
SP, and industrial
Betacam
Three component videotape and video recording standards developed

by the Sony Corporation. Sony Betacam was the first high-end
cassette-based system, recording video onto 1/2-inch magnetic tape.
The SP version arrived 3 years after the first Betacam, improving on
signal-to-noise ratios, frequency responses, the number of audio
channels, and the amount of tape available on cassettes. SP is now the
only type sold.
bin
A database in which master clips, subclips, effects, and sequences are

organized for a project. Bins provide database functions to simplify
organizing and manipulating material for recording and editing.
608
black and code
Video black, timecode, and control track that are prerecorded onto
videotape stock. Tapes with black and code are referred to as striped or
blacked tapes.
black burst
A video signal that has no luminance or chrominance components

(except burst) but contains all the other elements of a video signal.
Black burst is the reference signal commonly used for timing audio
and video samples.
black burst
generator
An electronic device that emits a signal that registers as pure black

when recorded on videotape.
blacked tapes
See black and code.
black level
See setup.
blue screen
A special effects procedure in which a subject is photographed in front

of a uniformly illuminated blue or green background. A new
background image can be substituted for the blue or green during the
shoot or in postproduction through the use of chroma key.
B-mode
A checkerboard or nonsequential method of assembly. In B-mode,

the edit decision list (EDL) is arranged by source tape number. The
edit system performs all edits from the tapes currently assigned to
decks, leaving gaps that will be filled by material from subsequent
reels.
See also A-mode, C-mode, D-mode, E-mode, source mode.
bps
Bits per second. The standard measure of data transmission speeds.
B-roll
An exact copy of the A-roll original material, or new original material

on a separate reel, for use in A/B-roll editing.
brightness
See luminance.
609
bumping up
Transferring a program recorded on a lower quality videotape to a

higher quality videotape (such as from 3/4-inch to 1-inch videotape,
or S-VHS to MII).
burn-in
A visible timecode permanently superimposed (burned in) on footage,

usually in the form of white numbers in a black rectangle. Burned-in
timecode is normally used for tracking timecode during previews or
offline editing. A videotape with burn-in is also referred to as a
burn-in dub or window dub.
BVB
Black-Video-Black. A preview mode that displays black, newly

inserted video, and then black again.
BY
One of the color difference signals in the component color system of

the NTSC video standard. The signal formula is:
BY = 0.299R (red) 0.587G (green) + 0.886B (blue)
See also RY, Y.
Capture Mask effect
An effect that converts the format of source data during playback. For
example, it could convert video frame data between PAL (25 fps) and
NTSC (29.97 fps) formats.
CCIR
Committe Consultative International Radio-Tlvision. A mainly

European organization much like SMPTE (the Society of Motion
Picture and Television Engineers) in the United States that includes
user and vendor representatives. Now known as ITU-R 601.
See also ITU-R 601.
610
CCIR
recommendation
601
A digital standard developed for the component video signal. It does

not describe how the sampled signal is recorded, stored, or
transmitted over a cable, but it does provide a sampling architecture
used in D1, D5, and digital Betacam recorders. Often referred to as
CCIR 601.
See also ITU-R 601.
change list
A list of instructions produced by Film Composer that is used to track

and compare the differences between two versions of a digital
sequence. A change list is used to update a work print cutting with
specified new edits and revisions.
channel
A physical audio input or output.
character generator
An electronic device, or computer device and software combination,

that creates letters and numbers that can be superimposed on video
footage as titles.
chassis
The housing for removable disk modules. The chassis contains a

power supply, drives, and connectors for each module.
chroma
Video color.
See also chrominance.
chroma key
A method of combining images or parts of images from two different

sources by replacing a solid color in one source with a picture from the
second source.
chrominance
The saturation and hue characteristics of a composite video signal; the

portion of the video signal that contains color information. Adjust
chrominance and other video levels before recording.
cinching
Videotape damage due to creasing or folding.
611
circle take
clip
A take from a film shoot that has been marked for use or printing by a
circled number on the camera report.
1. A segment of source material recorded into your system at
selected IN and OUT points and referenced in a project bin. The
clip contains pointers to the media files in which the actual digital
video and audio data is stored.
2. In a record in a log, which stands for one shot, the clip includes
information about the start and end timecode for the shot, the
source tape name, and the tracks selected for editing.
3. In OMFI, a general class of objects in the OMF Interchange class
hierarchy representing shared properties of source clips, filler
clips, attribute clips, track references, timecode clips, and edge
code clips. A clip is a subclass of a component.
See also master clip, media files, subclip.
clock timecode
See drop-frame timecode.
C-mode
A nonsequential method of assembly in which the edit decision list

(EDL) is arranged by source tape number and ascending source
timecode.
See also A-mode, B-mode, D-mode, E-mode, source mode.
codec
Compressor/decompressor. Any technology for compressing and

decompressing data. Codecs can be implemented in both software and
hardware. Some examples of codecs are: Cinepak, MPEG, and
QuickTime.
color balance
The adjustment of the relative levels of color signals to produce the

best quality image or effect.
612
color bars
A standard color test signal, displayed as a video pattern of eight

equal width columns (that is, bars) of colors. SMPTE color bars are a
common standard. You adjust video levels in Avid Xpress DV against
the color bars on your source videotape before recording.
color frame
A sequence of video fields required to produce a complete pattern of

both field and frame synchronization and color subcarrier
synchronization. The NTSC system requires four fields; PAL requires
eight.
color reference
burst
The color synchronizing signal included as part of the overall

composite video signal. When compared with the color subcarrier
signal, the color reference burst determines the hue of the video image.
color timing
The process of selecting color and density values for a film prior to
film printing.
component video
The structuring of the video signal whereby color and luminance

signals are kept separate from one another by using the
color-subtraction method Y (luminance), BY (blue minus luminance)
and RY (red minus luminance), with green derived from a
combination. Two other component formats are RGB and YUV.
composite print
A film print containing both picture and sound.
composite sound
track
A sound track containing all required sound elements usually

dialog, music, and effects mixed in correct proportions.
composite video
A video signal in which the luminance and chrominance components

have been combined (encoded) as in standard PAL, NTSC, or SECAM
formats.
compositing
The process of layering two or more images on top of one another.

Examples include titles, keys, and picture-in-pictures.
613
compression
1. (Audio) The process of reducing the dynamic range of the audio

signal.
2. (Video) A lack of detail in either the black or the white areas of the
video picture due to improper separation of the signal level.
3. A reduction of audio signal details, video signal detail, or both to
reduce storage requirements during transformation from analog
to Avid digital format. In JPEG compression, for example,
algorithms for variable frame length analyze the information in
each frame and perform reductions that maximize the information
retained. Compression does not remove any frames from the
original material.
See also dynamic range, lossless compression, lossless compression.
conforming a film
negative
The mathematical process that the editing system uses to ensure that
the edits made on a videotape version of a film project (30 fps) are
frame accurate when they are made to the final film version (24 fps).
Console
A display that lists the current system information and chronicles

recently performed functions. It also contains information about
particular items you are editing, such as the shots in your sequence or
clips selected from bins.
consolidate
To make copies of media files or portions of media files and save them
on a drive you specify. The Consolidate feature operates differently for
master clips, subclips, and sequences.
contrast
The range of light to dark values present in a film or video image.
control track
The portion of the video recording used to control longitudinal motion

of the tape during playback. Control track can be thought of as
electronic sprocket holes on the videotape.
CPU
Central processing unit. The main processing section of a computer.
614
crash edit
An edit that is electronically unstable, such as one made by using the

pause control on a deck, or using a noncapstan served deck.
crash recording
See hard recording.
cropping
Redefining the image boundaries, usually by electronically removing

the top, bottom, left, or right sides of the image.
crossfade
An audio transition in which the outgoing sound gradually becomes

less audible as the incoming sound becomes more distinct. An audio
dissolve.
See also dissolve.
crushing the blacks
Reducing detail in the black regions of a film or video image by

compressing the lower end of the contrast range.
CU
A closeup.
See also ECU.
cue
To shuttle a videotape to a predetermined location.
cut list
A series of output lists containing specifications used to conform the

film work print or negative.
D1, D5
Two digital videotape recording formats that conform to the ITU-R 601
(CCIR-601) standard for uncompressed 4:2:2 digital component video.
D5 is very similar to D1 in that it is a component digital recorder.
However, D1 records with 8-bit accuracy; D5 records with 10-bit
accuracy.
D2, D3
Two digital videotape recording formats for composite video. The

main difference between D2 and D3 is that D2 uses 3/4-inch digital
videotape, and D3 uses 1/2-inch digital videotape.
615
DAE
Digidesign Audio Engine. The DAE application manages the

dailies
Film prints or video transfers of recently shot film material, prepared

quickly so that production personnel can view and evaluate the
previous days shooting before proceeding. Also referred to as rushes,
primarily in England.
DAT
Digital audiotape. A digital audio recording format that uses

3.8mm-wide magnetic tape in a plastic cassette.
decibel (dB)
A unit of measurement for audio volume level.
deck controller
In the Record tool (in Broadcast and Avid Xpress DV) and the Digital
Cut tool, the deck controller allows you to control a deck by using
standard functions like shuttle, play, fast forward, rewind, stop, and
eject.
decompose
To create new, shorter master clips based on only the material you
have edited and included in your sequence.
degauss
To demagnetize (erase) all recorded material on a magnetic video or

audiotape or the screen of a color monitor.
delay edit
See overlap edit.
depth shadow
A shadow that extends solidly from the edges of a title or shape to

make it appear three-dimensional.
digital cut
The output of a sequence, which is usually recorded to tape.
digital recording
A method of recording in which the recorded signal is encoded on the

tape in pulses and then decoded during playback.
digitally record
To convert analog video and audio signal to a digital signal.
616
digitize
To convert analog video and audio signals to an Avid compressed

digital signal format.
dip
An adjustment to an audio track in which the volume gain level

decreases or dips to a lower level, rather than fading completely.
direct digital
interface
The interconnection of compatible pieces of digital audio or video

equipment without conversion of the signal to an analog form.
disk
The medium used to store data in computer-readable form.
dissolve
A video or audio transition in which an image from one source

gradually becomes less distinct as an image from a second source
replaces it. An audio dissolve is also called a segue.
See also crossfade.
D-mode
An A-mode edit decision list (EDL) in which all effects (dissolves,

wipes, graphic overlays) are performed at the end.
See also A-mode, B-mode, C-mode, E-mode, source mode.
dongle
A hardware device used as a key to control the use of licensed

software. The software can be installed on any system but will run
only on the system that has a dongle installed. The dongle connects to
the Apple Desktop Bus on Macintosh systems or to the parallel
(printer) port on PC systems.
double-perf film
Film stock with perforations along both edges of the film.
double system
Any film system in which picture and sound are recorded on separate
media. A double system requires the resyncing of picture and sound
during postproduction.
617
drop-frame
timecode
A type of SMPTE timecode designed to match clock time exactly. Two

frames of code are dropped every minute on the minute except the
tenth minute, to correct for the fact that color frames occur at a rate of
29.97 fps, rather than an exact 30 fps. Drop-frame timecode is recorded
with semicolons between the digits; for example, 1;00;10;02.
Compare with non-drop-frame timecode.
drop shadow
dubbing
A shadow that is offset from a title or shape to give the feeling of

spatial dimension.
1. In videotape production, the process of copying video or audio
from one tape to another.
2. In film production, the process of replacing dialog on a sound
track.
See also ADR, foley.
dubmaster
A second-generation copy of a program master used for making

additional preview or distribution copies, thereby protecting the
master from overuse.
dupe
Short for duplicate. A section of film or video source footage that has
been repeated (duplicated) one or more times in an edited program.
dupe list
A sublist of duplicated clips of film requiring additional prints or

copies of negative for film finishing.
See also cut list.
dupe reel
A reel designated for the recording and playback of dupes (duplicate

shots) during videotape editing.
duration
The length of time (in hours, minutes, and seconds or in feet and
frames) that a particular effect or section of audio or video material
lasts.
618
DV
Digital video that is transferred through equipment conforming to

IEEE Standard 1394. This equipment is sometimes called FireWire or
I-Link.
DVE
Digital video effect.
dynamic range
An audio term that refers to the range between the softest and loudest
levels a source can produce without distortion.
EBU
European Broadcasting Union. A standards-setting organization in

which only users (not vendors) have a voice.
ECU
Extreme closeup.
edgecode
See edge numbers, key numbers.
edge filter
A filter that applies anti-aliasing to graphics created in the Title Tool.
edge numbers
Sequential numbers mechanically printed or optically exposed along

the edge of a strip of film to assist in matching negatives to work
prints.
edit
The act of assembling film or video, audio, effects, titles, and graphics
to create a sequence.
edit controller
An electronic device, often computer-based, that allows an editor to

precisely control, play, and record to various videotape machines.
edit rate
In compositions, a measure of the number of editable units per second

in a piece of media data (for example, 30 fps for NTSC, 25 fps for PAL,
and 24 fps for film).
EDL
Edit decision list. A list of edits made during offline editing and used
to direct the online editing of the master.
See also cut list.
619
effects
The manipulation of an audio or video signal. Types of film or video

effects include special effects (F/X) like morphing; simple effects like
dissolves, fades, superimpositions, and wipes; complex effects like
keys and DVEs; motion effects like freeze frame and slow motion; and
title and character generation. Effects usually have to be rendered
because most systems cannot accommodate multiple video streams in
real time.
See also rendering.
EIA
Electronic Industries Association. The largest trade organization that

covers the television and audio fields. It publishes a large catalog of
standards, the most important to the television and audio industries
being those developed by its Parts Division and its Consumer
Electronics Group.
electronic editing
Assembling a finished video program in which scenes are joined

without physically splicing the tape. Electronic editing requires at least
two decks: one for playback and the other for recording.
E-mode
A C-mode edit decision list (EDL) in which all effects (dissolves,

wipes, and graphic overlays) are performed at the end.
See also A-mode, B-mode, C-mode, D-mode, source mode.
encoding
1. Adding technical data such as timecode, cues, or closed-captioned

information to a video recording.
2. Converting RGB-S Video to composite video.
energy plot
Audio waveforms displayed as a graph of the relative loudness of an

audio signal.
equalization
The balancing of various frequencies to create a more pleasing sound,

by attenuating or boosting specific frequencies within the sound.
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event
A number assigned by the editing system to each performed edit. In

most computer editing systems, an event defines an action or a
sequence of actions performed by the computer in a single pass of the
record tape.
extract
To remove a selected area from an edited sequence and close the

resulting gap in the sequence.
eyedropper
A tool for taking a color from a screen image and using that color for
text or graphics.
fade
A dissolve from full video to black video or from full audio to no

audio, or vice versa.
FAT
File Allocation Table. A file system used on MS-DOS, Windows, and

Windows NT computers.
FCC
Federal Communications Commission. The United States governing

body for radio and television broadcasting.
feedback
A loud squeal or howl caused when the sound from a loudspeaker is

picked up by a nearby microphone and reamplified. Also caused
when the output of a tape recorder is fed back into the record circuit.
field
One-half of the scan lines in an interlaced video frame. In most

systems, the odd-numbered lines form one field, and the
even-numbered lines form the second. NTSC video contains
approximately 60 fields (30 frames) per second, and PAL video
contains 50 fields (25 frames) per second.
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file system
A way of organizing directories and files on a disk drive, such as FAT

or NTFS for Windows NT computers.
See also format.
filler clip
A segment of a sequence that contains no audio or video information.

Filler can be added to the Source pop-up monitor and edited into a
sequence.
See also filler proxy.
filler proxy
For each track, a composition can specify media to be played for the
filler clips in the track.
film timecode
Timecode added to the film negative during the film shoot via a film
timecode generator. Film timecode numbers are synced to the film key
numbers on the dailies during the telecine transfer process. A special
key link reader is required for viewing the film timecode.
foley
The background sounds added during audio sweetening to increase

realism.
format
To prepare a disk drive or floppy disk for use. For Windows NT

computers, you format a disk drive by copying a file system (either
FAT or NTFS) to the drive.
formatting
The transfer and editing of material to form a complete program,

including any of the following: countdown, test patterns, bars and
tone, titles, credits, logos, space for commercial, and so forth.
fps
Frames per second. A measure of the film or video display rates

(NTSC = 30 fps; PAL = 25 fps; SECAM = 25 fps; Film = 24 fps).
frame
One complete video picture. A frame contains two video fields,

scanned at the NTSC rate of approximately 30 fps or the PAL rate of
25 fps.
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frame offset
A way of indicating a particular frame within the group of frames

identified by the edge number on a piece of film. For example, a frame
offset of +12 indicates the twelfth frame from the frame marked by the
edgecode.
frame pulse
A pulse superimposed on the control track signal. Frame pulses are

used to identify video track locations containing vertical sync pulses.
frame synchronizer
A device that allows a nonsynchronous video source, such as a

satellite or microwave feed, to be used in a timed-video environment
by capturing entire frames.
freeze frame
A name sometimes used for a video effect that appears to stop the
action. Freeze frames can be created during digitization or during an
editing session. Compositions can create this effect by using a track
repeat object, which can specify the display of a single frame for a
period of time.
front porch
That portion of the composite video signal that starts at the trailing of
the picture information and ends at the leading edge of the horizontal
sync.
gain
1. A measurement of the amount of white in a video picture. Gain is

adjusted in the Video Input tool and Video Output tool.
2. Audio levels or loudness.
See also waveform.
gang
Any combination of multiple tracks that are grouped. Any edit that is
performed on one track is also performed on tracks that are ganged
together.
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generation
The number of times material has been rerecorded. The original

videotaped material is the first generation. A copy of the original is a
second-generation tape, and so on. Each generation shows a gradual
loss of image quality. With digital copies, there is little or no loss in
quality.
genlock
In Broadcast, a system whereby the internal sync generator in a device

(such as a camera) locks onto and synchronizes itself with an incoming
signal.
gigabyte (GB)
Approximately one billion bytes (1,073,741,824 bytes) of information.
GPI
General-purpose interface. In computerized editing systems, GPIs

allow the computer to control various remote components.
green screen
See blue screen.
GUI
Graphical user interface. The graphic image on the screen containing

representations of buttons, sliders, and dials; used to control the
editing process.
handles
Material outside the IN and OUT points of a clip in a sequence. The

Avid system creates handles when you decompose or consolidate
material. The Decompose and Consolidate features can create new
master clips that are shorter versions of the original master clip. The
handles are used for dissolves and trims with the new, shorter master
clips.
hard disk
A magnetic data recording disk that is permanently mounted within a

disk drive.
hard recording
The immediate recording of all audio, video, timecode, and control

tracks on a magnetic recorder. Because hard recording creates breaks
in any existing timecode or control track on the tape, this procedure is
often performed on blank tape when an edit is not required or in
emergency circumstances. Also referred to as a crash recording.
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HDTV
High-definition television. A digital video image having at least two

times the resolution of standard NTSC or PAL video. The HDTV
aspect ratio is 16:9. (Analog TV has a ratio of 4:3.)
head frame
The first frame in a clip of film or a segment of video.
headroom
1. (Video) The room that should be left between the top of a persons
head and the top of the frame when composing a shot.
2. (Audio) The amount of available gain boost remaining before
distortion is encountered.
heads out
Film or tape wound on a reel with the tail on the inside next to the hub
and the head end on the outside.
hertz (Hz)
The SI unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second.

See also kilohertz (kHz), megahertz (MHz).
Hi Con
A high-contrast image used for creating matte keys.
H phase
Horizontal phase. The horizontal blanking interval used to

synchronize the timing of two or more video signals.
hue
An attribute of color perception. Red, green, blue form the color model
used, in varying proportions, to produce all the colors displayed in
video and on computer screens. Hue levels are adjusted with the
Video Input tool and the Video Output tool. Also known as color phase.
See also vectorscope.
IEEE Standard 1394
The international hardware and software standard for transporting

data at 100, 200, or 300 megabits per second (Mb/s).
I/O device
Input/output equipment used to send information or data signals to

and from an editing computer.
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initializing
Setting the computer edit program to proper operating conditions at

the start of the editing session.
ink numbers
The frame identification numbers used to conform a film work print.

Film Composer cut lists and change lists reference ink numbers.
IN point
The starting point of an edit. Also known as a mark IN.

See also OUT point.
insert edit
An electronic edit in which the control track is not replaced during the
editing process. The new segment is inserted in program material
already recorded on the videotape.
See also overwrite.
interface
1. The computer software or hardware used to connect two functions

or devices.
2. The program access level at which a user makes selections and
navigates a given system.
See also GUI.
IRE
A unit of measurement of the video waveform scale for the

measurement of video levels, originally established by the Institute of
Radio Engineers. The scale is divided into 140 IRE units, 100 above the
blanking reference line and 40 below.
ISO
1. Isolation reel. In multicamera production, the source reel for the

separate (isolated) recording of a single camera, alongside
simultaneous recordings of the other cameras and a switched line
feed.
2. International Organization for Standardization.
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ITU-R 601
The standard for standard-definition component digital video,

published by the International Telecommunication Union as ITU-R
BT.601-5 (formerly CCIR 601). This Standard defines digital
component video as it is derived from NTSC and PAL. It forms the
basis for HDTV formats as well.
jaggies
The rough edges around computer-generated graphic objects and

titles.
jam syncing
The process of synchronizing a secondary timecode generator with a

selected master timecode.
JFIF
JPEG File Interchange Format. A file format that contains

JPEG-encoded image data, which can be shared among various
applications. JFIF resolutions store data at a constant rate; for example,
JFIF 300 uses 300 KB for each frame it stores. JFIF resolutions comply
with the ISO-JPEG interchange format and the ITU-R 601 standard.
jogging
Moving forward or backward one frame at a time. Also known as

stepping.
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group. Also a form of compression

developed by Avid.
See also compression.
KEM roll
Term for the rolls of film used on a KEM flatbed editing system. A
KEM roll combines multiple takes onto a single roll. The maximum
length of a KEM roll is 1000 feet (35mm). A KEM roll assumes that the
roll is a work print and not a negative.
kerning
The spacing between text characters such as titles.
key
To combine a selected image from one source with an image from

another source.
See also chroma key.
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key color
The solid color that will be used to perform a key.
keyframes
The frames used in an Avid Xpress DV effect. Opacity levels, outgoing

and incoming frame proportions, and acceleration settings can be
applied to specified keyframes within an effect.
Keykode
A proprietary film-marking system developed by Eastman Kodak that

applies optical information identifying the film stock and footage at
the edge of the film during manufacture.
key numbers
The original frame identification numbers applied by the film

manufacturers to the film stock. Key numbers are used by the negative
cutter to conform the film negative. Film Composer cut lists and
change lists reference key numbers.
kilobyte (KB)
Approximately one thousand bytes (1024 bytes) of information.
kilohertz (kHz)
One thousand cycles per second.

See also hertz (Hz).
layback
The process of transferring finished audio track back to the master

videotape.
See also audio sweetening.
layered tracks
The elements of an effect created by combining two or more tracks in a

specified way, such as nesting one track as a layer within another.
L-cut
See overlap edit.
leader
A length of film, tape, or a digital clip placed at the beginning of a roll,

reel, or sequence to facilitate the cueing and syncing of material.
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level
A quantitative measure of a video or an audio signal. A low level

indicates the darker portions in video and the soft or quieter portions
in audio; conversely, a high level indicates a brighter video image or a
louder audio signal. The level of audio signal correlates directly with
the volume of reproduced sound.
lift
To remove selected frames from a sequence and leave black or silence

in the place of the frames.
line feed
A recording or live feed of a program that switches between multiple

cameras and image sources. Also known in sitcom production as the
directors cut.
load
1. A roll of film stock ready to be placed in the camera for

photography. A 1000-foot load is a common standard.
2. A group of multicamera reels shot at the same time, sharing the
same timecode, and numbered accordingly.
locator
A mark added to a selected frame to qualify a particular location

within a sequence. User-defined comments can be added to locators.
log
See shot log.
looping
Recording multiple takes of dialog or sound effects.
lossless
compression
A compression scheme in which no data is lost. In video compression,

lossless data files are usually very large.
lossy compression
A compression scheme in which data is thrown away, resulting in loss

of image quality. The degree of loss depends on the specific
compression algorithm used.
LS
Long shot.
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LTC
Longitudinal timecode. A type of SMPTE timecode that is recorded on

the audio track of a videotape.
Compare with VITC.
luminance
The measure of the intensity of the combined color (white) portion of a

video signal.
M & E track
The common designation for a single sound track containing music

and sound effects but not dialog.
magnetic track
A sound track recorded on magnetic sound recording film.
mark IN/OUT
1. The process of entering the start and end timecode for a clip or
shot to be edited into a sequence.
2. The process of marking or logging timecode numbers to define
clips during a logging or digitization session.
mask
1. In film, a border placed over an image with a 3:4 aspect ratio to

create the look of an another aspect ratio, such as wide-screen.
2. See alpha channel.
master
The tape resulting from editing. The finished program.
master clip
In the bin, the media object that refers to the media files recorded from
tape or other sources.
See also clip, subclip.
master shot
The shot that serves as the basic scene, and into which all cutaways
and closeups will be inserted during editing. A master shot is often a
wide shot showing all characters and action in the scene.
master/slave
A video editing process in which one or more decks (the slaves) are set
to imitate the actions of another deck (the master).
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match-frame edit
An edit in which the last frame of the outgoing shot is in sync with the
first frame of the incoming shot, such that the incoming shot is an
extension of the outgoing shot.
matte key
A video effect made up of three components: the background video,

the foreground video, and the matte or alpha channel (black and white
or grayscale silhouette) that allows one portion of the image to be
superimposed on the other.
media
The video, audio, graphics, and rendered effects that can be combined
to form a sequence or presentation.
Media Composer
The Avid nonlinear, random-access, digital editing system from which

offline and online edit sequences and effects are generated.
media data
Data from a media source. It can be:

1. Analog data: film frames, Nagra tape audio, or videotape video
and audio.
2. Digital data: either data that was recorded, such as video frame
data and audio samples, or data created in digital form, such as
title graphics, DAT recordings, or animation frames.
media files
Files containing the compressed digital audio and video data needed
to play Avid clips and sequences.
See also clip, compression.
media sample data
See sample data.
megahertz (MHz)
One million cycles per second.

See also hertz (Hz), kilohertz (kHz).
MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface. A standard protocol that allows

a user to control electronic music equipment from a PC.
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MII format
mix
A component videotape format created by Panasonic in an effort to

compete head to head with Sony Betacam. MII is an extension of the
VHS consumer format just as Sony Betacam builds on the Betamax
home video technology.
1. A transition from one video source to another in a switcher.
2. The product of a recording session in which several separate
sound tracks are combined through a mixing console in mono or
stereo.
mixdown audio
monitor
The process that allows you to combine several tracks of audio onto a
single track.
1. (Video) A picture tube and associated circuitry, without tuner or
audio sections. Includes the display of source media, clips, and
sequences.
In Avid products, refers to the virtual monitors displayed on the
screen in which source media, clips, and sequences can be edited.
2. (Audio) The monitoring of specific audio tracks/channels, or
another name for the speakers through which sound is heard.
MOS
The term for silent shooting. From the pseudo-German Mit Out
Sprechen without talking.
motion effect
An effect that speeds up or slows down the presentation of media in a

track.
MU/FX or MUFX
See M & E track.
multicamera
A production or scene that is shot and recorded from more than one
camera simultaneously.
multiple B-roll
A duplicate of the original source tape, created so that overlays can be

merged onto one source tape.
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multitrack
A magnetic tape or film recorder capable of recording more than one

track at a time.
NAB
National Association of Broadcasters.
Nagra
A brand of audiotape recorder widely used in the film production and

postproduction industries.
negative
1. A film element in which the light and dark areas are reversed
compared to the original scene; the opposite of a positive.
2. A film stock designed to capture an image in the form of a
negative.
noise
In video, an aberration that appears as very fine white specks (snow)

and that increases over multiple generations. In audio, usually heard
as a hiss.
noncomposite
video
A video signal that does not contain horizontal and vertical sync
pulses.
non-drop-frame
timecode
An SMPTE timecode format that continuously tracks NTSC video at a

rate of 30 fps without dropping frames to compensate for the actual
29.97-fps rate of NTSC video. As a result, non-drop-frame timecode
does not coincide with real time. Non-drop-frame timecode is
recorded with colons between the digits; for example, 1:00:10:02.
Compare with drop-frame timecode.
nonlinear
Pertaining to instantaneous random access and manipulation of any

frame of material on any track and on any layer of an edit sequence.
NTFS
New Technology File System. A file system used on Windows NT

computers.
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NTSC
National Television Standards Committee. The group that established

the color television transmission system used in the United States,
using 525 lines of information scanned at a rate of approximately
30 fps.
See also PAL, SECAM.
offline
Unavailable to the computer, as in offline disks or media files.
offline edit
Preliminary or rough-cut editing that produces an edit decision list

(EDL).
OMFI
Open Media Framework Interchange format. A standard format for

the interchange of digital media data among heterogeneous platforms.
The format is designed to encapsulate all the information required to
interchange a variety of digital media, such as audio, video, graphics,
and still images as well as the rules for combining and presenting the
media. The format includes rules for identifying the original sources of
the digital media, and it can encapsulate both compressed and
uncompressed digital media data.
one light
A telecine transfer or film print produced with a single setting of color

correction values. One light is the simplest, fastest, and least costly
type of transfer.
online edit
The final editing using the master tapes and an edit decision list (EDL)
to produce a finished program ready for distribution; usually
associated with high-quality computer editing and digital effects.
opticals
The effects created in a film lab through a process called A-roll and
B-roll printing. This process involves a specified manipulation of the
film negative to create a new negative containing an effect. The most
common opticals used in film editing are fades, dissolves, and
superimpositions.
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origin
A reference point for measuring sections of recorded sample data. A

file mob value for the start position in the media is expressed in
relation to the origin. Although the same sample data can be
rerecorded and more sample data might be added, the origin remains
the same so that composition source clips that reference it remain
valid.
original negative
The actual film stock used in the camera to photograph a scene.
OUT point
The end point of an edit, or a mark on a clip indicating a transition

point. Also known as mark OUT.
See also IN point.
outtake
A take that is not selected for inclusion in the finished product.
overlap edit
An edit in which the audio and video signals are given separate IN
points or OUT points, so the edit takes place with one signal preceding
the other. This does not affect the audio and video synchronization.
Also referred to as an L-cut or a delay edit.
overwrite
An edit in which existing video, audio, or both is replaced by new

material.
See also splice.
oxide
A metallic coating on videotape or magnetic film that is magnetized

during the recording process.
PAL
Phase Alternating Line. A color television standard used in many

countries. PAL consists of 625 lines scanned at a rate of 25 fps.
See also NTSC, SECAM.
partition
A method of assigning disk space, creating two or more virtual disks

from a single physical disk (similar to creating a directory).
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patching
The routing of audio or video from one channel or track in the

sequence to another.
pedestal
See setup.
points
The IN and OUT marks made on the Timeline.
pop-up monitor
An ancillary monitor used to view and mark clips and sequences.
position bar
The horizontal rectangular area beneath the Composer and Source

pop-up monitors that contains the position indicator.
position indicator
A vertical blue line that moves in the position bar and in the Timeline
to indicate the location of the frame displayed in the monitor.
postroll
A preset period of time during a preview when a clip will continue to

play past the OUT point before stopping or rewinding.
precomputed media
A computed effect stored in a file and referenced by a composition or

sequence. Applications can precompute effects that they cannot create
during playback.
prelay
The phase of audio postproduction during which music, sound effects,

dialog replacement, and announce tracks are added to the master
multitrack before the final mix.
preroll
The process of rewinding videotapes to a predetermined cue point (for

example, 6 seconds) so the tapes are stabilized and up to speed when
they reach the selected edit point (during recording of source material
from a video deck).
preview
To rehearse an edit without actually performing (recording) it.
preview code
An additional reference numbering system, like key numbers,

supported by Film Composer to enable the comparison of digital
sequences with evolving work print versions using change lists.
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print
A positive copy of the film negative produced in the laboratory.

See also answer print, release print.
process shot
A shot photographed specifically to be part of a special effects

composite.
project
A data device used to organize the work done on a program or series

of programs. Bins, rundowns, and settings are organized in the Project
window. The project bins contain all your clips, sequences, effects, and
media file pointers.
Protection master
A copy (dub) of a master tape, usually made immediately after the

master has been recorded. It is used as a backup if the master is
damaged.
pulldown
A process used to perform a telecine film-to-tape transfer whereby

24-fps film material is adapted to the 30-fps NTSC videotape format.
Special procedures are required when recording to eliminate the extra
pulldown fields and to achieve true 24-fps film editing.
pullin
An Avid term that combines two words pulldown and IN point.

This is the column where the user logs the pulldown relationship at
the sync point of the IN point (start timecode) as either A, B, C, or D.
This field can be modified by the user.
pullout
An Avid term that combines two words pulldown and OUT point.
This is the column where the pulldown relationship at the sync point
of the OUT point (end timecode) is logged as either A, B, C, or D. This
field cannot be modified by the user and is calculated by the system
based on the pullin and the duration of the clip.
radio frequency
(RF)
The high-frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum used for

transmitting television and radio signals.
See also UHF, VHF.
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RAID
Redundant Array of Independent Disks. The storage device standards

that provide fault tolerance, helping to recover a system if a drive
malfunctions. RAID is also used to enhance throughput of stored data.
RAM
Random access memory. Computer memory that is volatile and

unsaved information in RAM clears when the computer is turned
off.
random access
The ability to move to a video point instantly, without having to

shuttle.
real time
The actual clock time in which events occur.
record
In Avid Xpress DV systems, to convert analog video and audio signals

to an Avid compressed digital signal format.
reel
A spool with a center hub and flat sides on which magnetic tape is
wound. Generally a spool of tape is referred to as a reel, and a spool of
film is referred to as a roll.
rehearse
To play a sequence in the Timeline from the preroll through the

postroll.
rehearse postroll
To play a sequence in the Timeline from the current position to

postroll.
rehearse preroll
To play a sequence in the Timeline from the preroll to the current

position.
release print
A film print ready for presentation to an audience. Release prints

generally include both picture and sound tracks.
See also answer print, print.
rendering
Merging effect layers to create one stream of digital video for playback
in real time.
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repeat effect
A type of effect for repeating a frame, so that it appears to freeze or

stop the frame, or for repeating a series of frames, such as a series of
animation frames.
replace edit
In Avid Xpress DV, an edit in which a segment in the sequence is

overwritten or replaced with source material of matching duration.
resolution
The amount and degree of detail in the video image, measured along
both the horizontal and vertical axes. Usually, the number of available
dots or lines contained in the horizontal and vertical dimensions of a
video image. Also, the number of color or grayscale values that can be
added, usually stated in bits, such as 8-bit or 24-bit. Sometimes dots
per inch (dpi) is referred to as the resolution, although it is more
properly called the screen density.
RF
See radio frequency (RF).
RGB
Red, green, and blue. In computer systems, the additive primary

colors used to create all other colors on a computer monitor.
RIFF wave
See WAVE.
ripple
The process in edit decision list management of adjusting the times of

all edits following a length-altered edit.
RMAG
Removable magnetic disk. RMAGs are used in conjunction with

chassis; each chassis can hold two of these removable disk modules.
roll
A length of film wound on a spool or core. Generally a spool of film is

referred to as a roll, and a spool of tape is referred to as a reel.
rough cut
A preliminary edit of a program, usually the result of an offline edit.

See also work print.
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RS-170A
The Electronic Industries Association timing specification for NTSC

broadcast video equipment. RS-170A specifies the timing of scans and
blanking required to decode color signals.
RS-232C
The Electronic Industries Association standard interface for

connecting serial devices. Usually referred to by the original standard
name of RS-232. The standard supports two types of connectors: a
25-pin D-type connector and a 9-pin D-type connector. The maximum
permissible line length under the specification is approximately
15 meters.
RS-422
The Electronic Industries Association standard interface for

connecting serial devices. The RS-422 is an enhancement of the
RS-232C standard. It allows for higher data rates and an extended line
length to approximately 1200 meters.
rushes
See dailies.
RY
One of the color difference signals in the component color system of

the NTSC video standard. The signal formula is:
RY = 0.701R (red) 0.587G (green) 0.114B (blue)
See also BY, Y.
safe action area,

safe title area
The regions of the video image considered safe from cropping for
either the action or on-screen titles, taking into account variations in
adjustments for video monitors or television receivers. Safe action is
90% of the screen measured from the center, and safe title is 80%.
sample data
The media data created by recording from a physical source. A sample

is a unit of data that the recording device can measure. Applications
can play digital sample data from files on disk.
sample plot
The representation of audio as a sample waveform.
sample rate
The frequency of the sample units.

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sample units
A unit of measure used in recording media data from a physical

source, such as a videotape. Media data contains its own sample rate
and the size of each sample in bytes.
sampling
The process of measuring the value of an analog signal at regular

intervals during digitization. These measurements (samples) are
used to construct a digital representation of the signal.
saturation
A measurement of chrominance. Saturation is the intensity of color in

the video signal. Saturation levels are adjusted with the Video tools.
scale bar
A control in the Timeline window that allows you to expand and

contract the Timeline area centered around the blue position indicator.
SC phase
Subcarrier phase. The method used to calibrate the colorburst portion

of a composite video signal.
SC/H phase
Subcarrier to horizontal phase. The phase relationship between the

burst and the horizontal blanking reference point for a video signal.
Used to synchronize the timing of two or more video signals.
screening
A showing of a film program, video program, or raw footage.
scroll bar
A rectangular bar located along the right side or the bottom of a

window. Clicking or dragging in the scroll bar allows you to move or
pan through the file.
scrubbing
Shuttling through audio at various speeds while hearing the audio

pitch change.
SECAM
Squential Couleur Memoire. A color television standard developed

in France and used throughout Europe.
See also NTSC, PAL.
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SEG
Special effects generator. A section of a switcher that provides the

capability to perform wipes of various patterns.
segment
A section of a track or clip within a sequence in the Timeline that can

be edited.
sequence
An edited composition that often includes audio and video clips and
rendered effects connected by applied transitions. A sequence is
created by Avid Xpress DV and is imported into AudioVision for
audio mixing. Each system contains a Timeline that graphically
represents the edited sequence (sequences can also be created by using
the Timeline).
serial timecode
See LTC.
setup
A reference point in the video signal that is the blackest point in the
visible picture. Also known as black level or pedestal.
See also waveform.
shelf
The effect produced by a shelving equalizer in which the response

curve for a certain range of the frequency spectrum (high or low
frequency, for example) flattens out or shelves at the limits of the
audio spectrum. In audio equalization, adjustments to the shelf affect
all frequencies within the range of the response curve.
shot log
A listing of information about a roll of film or a videotape, usually in

chronological order.
shuttling
Viewing footage at speeds greater than real time.
SI
Systme International dUnites. The French equivalent of International

System of Units. SI is roughly equivalent to what is popularly called
the metric system.
sifting
Displaying only clips that meet specific criteria in a bin.

642
signal-to-noise
ratio
The ratio of a signal to an unwanted signal.
silence
Blank (black) space in the audio tracks on a Timeline that contains no

audio material.
single-perf film
Film stock that is perforated along one edge only.
slate
An identification board that is briefly held up in front of the camera at

the beginning of a take to display information about the take. A smart
slate also includes a timecode display that is fed from the sound
recorder for synchronization purposes.
slewing
Synchronizing the decks in computerized editing systems.
smart slate
See slate.
SMPTE
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.
SMPTE timecode
A frame-numbering system developed by the Society of Motion

Picture and Television Engineers and used primarily for electronic
editing and timing of video programs. It assigns a number to each
frame of video, telling the elapsed number of hours, minutes, seconds,
and frames; for example, 01:42:13:26.
See also time-of-day timecode.
soft wipe
A wipe effect from one image to another that has a soft, diffused edge.
sorting
Arranging clips in a bin column in numerical or alphabetical order,

depending on the column you select.
Sound Designer II
An audio file format used for import and export of digital audio
tracks. Sound Designer II is a trademarked product of Digidesign, a
division of Avid Technology, Inc.
643
source clip
One of the lowest level building blocks of a sequence composition.

See also clip, master clip, subclip.
source mode
A mode that determines in what order the edit controller reads the edit
decision list (EDL) and assembles the final tape. There are five
different types of source mode: A-mode, B-mode, C-mode, D-mode,
and E-mode.
speed
The point at which videotape playback has reached a stable speed, all
servos are locked, and there is enough preroll time for editing or
recording.
splice
An edit in which the material already on the video or audio track is

lengthened by the addition of new material spliced in at any point in
the sequence.
See also overwrite.
split edit
See overlap edit.
split-screen
The video special effect that displays two images separated by a

horizontal or vertical wipe line.
startup disk
The disk that contains the operating system files. The computer needs
operating system information in order to run.
stepping
Moving forward or backward one frame at a time. Also known as

jogging.
story
The Avid term for your edited piece. A story is created by editing clips
and sequences together.
See also sequence.
644
storyboard
A series of pictures (traditionally sketches) designed to show how a

production will look. Comic books are essentially storyboards. In
Avid Xpress DV, storyboards and subsequent sequences can be created
by manipulating images from the recorded footage in a bin.
streaming
A technology that allows you to watch a video clip or movie over the
Internet while the video is being copied to your computer.
See also video stream.
striped stock
1. Film stock to which a narrow stripe of magnetic recording

material has been applied for the recording of a sound track.
2. See black and code.
subcarrier (SC)
subclip
The sine wave used as a color reference signal.

1. An edited part of a clip. In a sequence, a subclip can be bound by
any variation of clip beginnings, endings, and mark points.
2. A subclip created by marking IN and OUT points in a clip and by
saving the frames between the marks. The subclip does not
contain pointers to media files. The subclip references the master
clip, which alone contains pointers to the media files.
Super 16
The 16mm film stock produced for a special format with an enlarged
picture area. Super 16 is designed to be printed to 35mm film for
release.
sweetening
See audio sweetening.
sync
(synchronization)
1. The pulses contained within a composite video signal to provide a

synchronization reference for signal sampling. Also, a separate
signal that can be fed to various pieces of equipment.
2. The sound recorded on a separate audiotape but synchronized
with videotape or film shot simultaneously.
645
sync word
The portion of SMPTE timecode that indicates the end of each frame
and the direction of tape travel.
See also timecode.
tail frame
The last frame in a clip of film or a segment of video.
tail slate
The slate information recorded at the end of the take instead of at the
beginning; usually recorded upside down.
tails out
Film or videotape wound on a reel with the head next to the hub and
the tail on the outside of the reel.
TBC
Time-base corrector. An electronic device that improves video signal

stability by correcting time-base errors inherent in mechanical
videotape recorders.
telecine
A device that transfers motion picture film images onto videotape.
text file
See ASCII.
three-button play
See variable-speed play.
three-perf film
Three-perf is done via a modified camera gate that creates a frame size
three perforations in height rather than the standard four perforations.
In doing so, the same roll of film will last 25 percent longer in time.
Three-perf format is popular with multicamera film-based shows
because the extra 25 percent of negative stock is like having a free
camera.
three-point editing
The basic principle that an edit event requires only three marks
between the source and record sides to automatically calculate the
fourth mark and complete the edit.
three-stripe
Magnetic film stock containing three rows of magnetic oxide coating.
646
TIFF
Tag Image File Format. A tag-based system developed by Aldus

Corporation for storing and interchanging raster images. The OMF
Interchange standard includes TIFF as a common format for graphic
interchange, and it includes TIFF with extensions as a common format
for video frame data.
time-base error
A variation in the stable relation of picture information, color

information, and video sync pulse during the VTR playback process.
See also sync (synchronization).
timecode
An electronic indexing method used for editing and timing video

programs. Timecode denotes hours, minutes, seconds, and frames
(00:00:00:00) elapsed on a videotape. Address track timecode is
recorded simultaneously with the video picture. Longitudinal
timecode (LTC) is recorded on an audio track. Vertical interval
timecode (VITC) is recorded in the vertical blanking interval of the
video track. SMPTE timecode is the prevalent standard.
Other timecodes exist including film timecode and audio timecode
used during film projects. During editing, Avid Xpress DV can display
and track several types of timecode.
See also SMPTE timecode, time-of-day timecode.
timecode window
See burn-in.
Timeline
The graphical representation of every macroscopic and microscopic

edit made to a sequence, including all nested effects and layered
tracks.
time-of-day
timecode
The timecode that approximately matches the actual time of day (clock
time).
See also SMPTE timecode.
title bar
The name given to a project or bin, located at the top of a window.

647
tone
A constant audio frequency signal recorded at the start of a tape at

0 VU (volume units) to provide a reference for later use. Usually
recorded in conjunction with color bars.
track
1. The section of tape on which a signal is recorded. Also called

channel.
2. The sound portion of a video program.
3. A region of a clip or sequence on which audio or video is placed.
4. A playback channel represented in a sequence as either a video
track or an audio track. Tracks are composed of one or more
segments connected by transitions.
tracking
The adjustment of the positioning of video heads during playback of a

tape so that the heads reproduce the strongest possible signal.
Tracking is adjusted on the deck prior to recording.
tracking edit
A zero duration edit used as a reference during transition edits

(dissolves, wipes, and so forth) on computerized editing systems.
track reference
A way of making one track play another tracks data. The referencing
track points to the source clip in the referenced track.
See also layered tracks.
track selector
A method of selecting one of the tracks from a track group; only the
selected track is to be played. For example, a track selector can indicate
which of four alternate views of the same scene is to be played.
transition
A transition represents what is to take place as one segment ends and

the next one begins. The simplest transition is a cut, which, in video,
occurs when the first frame of the starting segment directly follows the
last frame of the segment that is ending.
648
transition effect
A wipe, dissolve, or digital video effect (DVE) applied to an edit

transition.
See also effects.
trim
The process of adjusting transitions in a sequence from the Timeline.
turnover point
In audio equalization, the point at which the parametric curve for a

particular shelf starts to return to zero.
UHF
Ultra High Frequency. The television signals for broadcast in the

United States per FCC standards.
Compare with VHF.
U-matic
See 3/4-inch U-matic.
uncompressed
video
A recorded video stream that is not processed by a data compression

scheme. The video signal remains uncompressed at all stages of the
process: input, storage, and output. Uncompressed video conforms to
the ITU-R 601 standard.
Undo/Redo
The process that allows a return to the state of the edit immediately
preceding the last edit or a repeat of an undo edit.
up cut
In editing, to cut back into the end of the previous scene, often by
mistake. In general, to cut short.
user bits
The portion of the timecode data available for encoding data chosen
by the user; for example, footage count or Keykode numbers.
U-type VTR
A recorder format that uses 3/4-inch videotape.
variable-speed play
A process or an editing system feature that enables the process of

shifting easily between the playing, stepping (jogging), and shuttling
of footage.
649
value
The actual data associated with a particular property in an

OMF Interchange object.
VBV
Video-Black-Video. A preview mode that shows a previously recorded

scene, a black segment, and then the previously recorded scene again.
VCR
Videocassette recorder. A video recorder that uses consumer-grade

videotape formats such as VHS, Betamax, and Hi8.
vectorscope
A visual display that shows the electronic pattern of the color portion
of the video signal. It is used to adjust the color saturation and hue by
using a stable color reference such as color bars. The Avid Vectorscope
monitor uses a single-line display and is accessed from the Video
Input tool or the Record tool (Broadcast).
See also waveform.
vertical blanking
interval
The period during which the television picture goes blank as the
electron beam returns (retraces) from scanning one field of video to
begin scanning the next. The vertical blanking interval is sometimes
used for inserting timecode, automatic color tuning, or captioning
information into the video signal.
vertical sync
Sync pulses that control the vertical field-by-field scanning of the

video picture by the electron beam.
VHF
Very High Frequency. Television signals for broadcasting in the United

States per FCC standards.
Compare with UHF.
VHS
video
Video Home System. The 1/2-inch videocassette format developed by

JVC for consumer and industrial use.
1. The visual portion of a program or sequence.
2. All television other than broadcast television.
650
videocassette
A plastic shell containing two reels and a length of videotape.
Video Slave
Driver
A trademarked product of Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology,

Inc. A hardware component that synchronizes signal inputs, outputs,
and conversions: selects audio frame rates; and selects pulldown of
video frames.
video stream
1. In analog editing systems, the term is synonymous with a video

playback source.
2. In digital editing systems, the term refers to a stream of data
making up a digital video image.
videotape
Oxide-coated, plastic-based magnetic tape used for recording video

and audio signals.
VITC
Vertical interval timecode. The timecode inserted in the vertical

blanking interval.
Compare with LTC.
See also timecode.
V-LAN
Videomedias industry-standard software protocol for video device

control. The V-LAN network allows a computer application to control
and synchronize all connected VTRs, switchers, DATs, mixers, and
DVEs.
VLXi
Videomedias series of controllers that control and synchronize

professional video equipment for animation, video editing, HDTV,
and broadcast television production.
VTR
Videotape recorder.
VU meter
Volume unit meter. An instrument used to measure audio levels.
651
VVV
Video-Video-Video. A preview mode that shows a previously

recorded scene, new insert video, and then the previously recorded
scene again.
WAVE
RIFF Waveform Audio File Format. A widely used format for audio
data. OMF Interchange includes it as a common interchange format
for audio data.
waveform
1. In video, a visual display that shows the electronic pattern of the

video signal. It is used to adjust the setup and gain by using a
stable reference such as color bars. The Avid waveform uses a
single-line display and is accessed from the Video Input tool.
2. In audio, a term used to describe a visual representation of
changing frequencies.
See also energy plot, sample plot.
whip
A horizontal picture disturbance at an edit point, usually caused by

timing misadjustments in the edit system.
wild sound, wild

track
A recording of sound on either videotape or audiotape made without

accompanying picture.
window code/dub
See burn-in.
wipe
A shaped transition between video sources, in which a margin or

border moves across the screen, wiping out the image of one scene and
replacing it with another.
work print
A film print made from the original negative that is used during the
editing process to produce a cut list or edit decision list for final
program assembly. Work prints are typically low-cost, one-light prints
that receive heavy wear through repeated handling.
X axis
The horizontal axis in a three-dimensional system.

652
The luminance signal of the component color system in the NTSC

video standard. The signal is composed of the following proportions
of red, green, and blue:
0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B
See also BY, RY.
Y axis
The vertical axis in a three-dimensional system.
Y, BY, RY
The luminance and color difference signals of the component color

system in the NTSC video standard.
YUV
The letter designations for luminance, luminance minus red, and

luminance minus blue. The luminance and color difference signals of
the component video standard for PAL.
Z axis
The axis that is perpendicular to the X and Y axes in a threedimensional system.
zero duration
dissolve
The method of editing two scenes end-to-end simultaneously; a cut.
653
Index
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY
Alpha channel
adding to a graphic image 581
defined 582
in imported animation 588
options in Import settings 208
support in graphic formats 583
Anti-aliased images 581
Aspect Ratio options (Import settings) 206
Assemble-edit recording 477
Attic files setting (Bin settings) 78
Audio
adjusting output on two-channel systems
A2 timecode option 293

Absolute timecode 293
Add Channel button (Deck Configuration
dialog box 141
Add Deck button (Deck Configuration dialog
box) 143
Add Edit
when trimming 468
Adding
filler to a sequence 329
locators while editing 319
Adjusting
digital scrub parameters 394
pan in the Audio Mix tool 398
volume in the Audio Mix tool 398
volume in the Timeline 407
AIFF-C file format
brief description of 591
option in General settings 80
ALE (Avid Log Exchange), converting shot log
files with 118
Alias file format
import specifications for 583
474
adjusting pan in Audio Mix tool 398
calibrating global output levels 473
crossfading 454
dipping 456
dissolves 454
EQ templates 430
fading 454
file formats (General settings) 80
fine-tuning levels with Add Edit 453
format heading in Avid logs 598
mixdown 457
pitch shift 440
punch-in 447
scrub 390 to 396
setting pan defaults 224
654
time compression 440

tracks
mixing down 457
voice-over 447
volume
adjusting in Audio Mix tool 398
adjusting in the Timeline 407
adjusting while playing 406
waveform plots, displaying 397
Audio effect tools, accessing 389
Audio EQ (Equalization)
templates 432
Audio EQ (equalization)
effect 422
Audio EQ command (Tools menu) 419
Audio EQ tool
See also EQ effect
examples of uses 429
Fast menu options 423
features of 420
opening 419
saving effects 426
Audio file types
Audio Gain Automation
deleting keyframes in 410
enabling and adding keyframes in 409
recording 416
Tool window 412
Audio leader
creating 262
Audio Mix command (Tools menu) 398
Audio Mix tool
adjusting volume and pan
on a single track 400
on multiple tracks 404
Automation Gain 417
Audio Mixdown command 457
Audio Mixdown Parameters dialog box 458
Audio Project settings

access and brief description of 85
Audio Punch-In tool 447
Audio scrub
multiple-channel 391
Audio settings
Audio Settings dialog box 395
Audio volume rubberbanding
See Audio Gain Automation
AudioSuite Plug-Ins
applying 434
Compressor 565
Core plug-ins 551
creating new master clips 440
DC Offset 555
D-Fi 552
D-FX 553
Duplicate 553
EQ 563
Expander/Gate 573
Gain 554
Gate 571
Invert 553
limitations 445
Limiter 568
Mod Delay 575
Normalize 554
Pitch Shift 560
Reverse 555
supported 550
Time Compression/Expansion 555
troubleshooting 446
Automation Gain tool
Fast menu 415
using with Audio Mix tool 417
Auto-Save options (Bin settings) 78
Auxiliary timecode 293
AVI
file format description 587
import and export specifications for 590
655
Bin Fast menu

opening 231
Bin settings
Attic files setting 78
Auto-Save options 78
backup options 78
Bin views
customizing 230
types of 229
Bins
adding customized columns in 249
aligning columns 247
arranging text columns 246
Bin View pop-up menu 229
changing background color 255
changing custom column headings in 249
deleting columns in 248
display view for 228
duplicating clips and sequences in 233
duplicating columns in 248
hiding columns in 247
logging directly into 127
organizing a project with 223
preparing for recording 176
printing 258
selecting clips and sequences in 233
selecting offline items in 242
setting clip display in 226
setting the font 232
Bit depth
defined 582
BMP file format
additional export options 510
Avid Calculator
using 103
Avid Log Exchange See ALE
Avid logs
See also Shot log files
audio format heading in 598
clip data in 600
creating 596
custom headings in 598
data headings in 600
Evertz format 594
formatting guidelines 595
global headings in 596
importing 594
Keyscope format 594
Log Right format 594
sample created with text editor 602
specifications 595
standard headings in 598
Avid MCXpress for Windows NT
importing files from 593
Avid QuickTime codec 589
described 538
Avid QuickTime files 589
Avid Web site 56
AvidNet settings
access and brief description 85
B
Backup options (Bin settings) 78
Bandwidths in Audio EQ tool 420
Batch Record
command 195
dialog box 195
Batch recording
procedure 195
unattended 194
Bin Column Selection dialog box 237
656
duplicating 233
exporting 487
highlighting offline media in Timeline 240
loading in Source pop-up monitor 295
marking IN and OUT points 314
moving 234
sifting 241
sorting 253
Closing Help 47
Codecs
Avid AVI 541
Avid QuickTime 538
Third-party 544
Color
changing background in bins 255
Color bars
importing 260
Columns
adding customized in bins 249
aligning in bins 247
arranging in bins 246
changing custom column headings 249
deleting in bins 248
duplicating in bins 248
hiding in bins 247
Composer monitor
changing background color 286
resizing 300
Compression
defined 174
in relation to disk space 174
in relation to image quality 174
Compressor AudioSuite Plug-In 565
Console window
getting information with 106
using 105
Consolidating media files
defined 270
group clips 275
procedure 274
C
Calculator
using 103
Calibrating
global output levels 473
Calibration tone
setting 472
CCIR video levels
Import settings 208
Channel dialog box 141
Choosing a user 35
Chyron file format
Cineon file format
additional Export options 511
Clear Menu command (Monitor menus) 298
Clear Monitor command (Monitor menus) 297
Clearing clips from monitors 297
Clip data in Avid logs 600
Clip information
displaying 290
moving 290
Clip Name menus
using 296
Clip names
adding during recording 177
setting the font and point size 293
Clipboard
copying to 338
preserving contents of 338
recovering material from 338
Clips
See also Group clips, Master clips, Subclips
clearing from monitors 297
copying 235
cueing, viewing, and playing back 300
deleting 235
657
Deck settings
Fast Cue option 145
for configuring decks 143
Preroll option 145
Deleting
clips and sequences 235
D-Fi AudioSuite Plug-Ins 552
D-FX AudioSuite Plug-Ins 553
Dialog boxes
Audio Mixdown Parameters 458
Audio Settings 395
Avid QuickTime Codec Configuration 540
Batch Import 217
Batch Record 195
Bin Column Selection 237
Export As 492
Export Settings 504
Pick Export Settings 492
QuickTime Movie Settings 524
Set Bin Display 226
Video Compression 542
Video Mixdown 490
View Name (bin) 231
Digidesign AudioSuite Plug-Ins See AudioSuite
Plug-Ins
Digital audio scrub
adjusting parameters for 394
compared to smooth audio scrub 390
using 394
Digital cut
previewing 481
recording to tape 482
Digital video
described 137
Dipping audio 456
Disk space
estimating 174
planning 174
Dissolves
audio 454
Contents tab (Help system)

using 48
Context-sensitive Help
for screen objects 48
for windows and dialog boxes 47
Converting shot log files with Avid Log
Exchange 119
Copy to Clipboard button 338
Copying
text from a Help topic 54
to Clipboard 338
Crash recording procedure 476
Creating
audio leader 262
instant rough cut 333
subclips 318
tone media 171
video leader 261
Crossfading audio 454
Custom headings in Avid logs 598
Custom Sift command (Bin menu) 241
Customizing bin views 230
Cutaways
marking with locators 319
D
Data headings in Avid logs 600
DC Offset AudioSuite Plug-In 555
Deck Configuration settings
Add Channel options 141
Deck configurations
changing settings 144
deleting 146
settings for 139
Deck Preferences settings
658
Export settings
options for specific file types 509
Video Compression options 508
Exporting
ASF 498
graphic files 508
MPEG-Ligos 502
OMFI 516
QuickTime Movie 519
RealMedia 499
Exporting files
preparing for 488
preparing for OMFI export 488
procedure for 491
reasons for 487
using drag-and-drop method 494
with Avid AVI codec
described 541
installing 543
procedure for 541
with Avid QuickTime codec
described 538
installing 543
procedure for 519
Exporting shot log files 133
Extract button 337
Extract edits 337
Dominance
Import settings options 207
Drag-and-drop method
exporting with 494
importing with 215
Duplicate AudioSuite Plug-In 553
Duplicating clips and sequences 233
DV
E
Edit decision list (EDL) 485
Edits
adding (match-framing) 367
copying to Clipboard 338
Extract 337
instant rough cut procedure 333
Lift 336
nesting, defined 360
overwrite 335
Segment mode 352
splice-in 334
EDL Manager 485
Effects
Audio EQ 419
End key 306
Entering Trim mode 372
EQ AudioSuite Plug-Ins 563
EQ effect
applying 421
removing 427
templates for 430
ERIMovie file format
additional export options 511
Evertz log format 594
Expander/Gate AudioSuite Plug-In 573
F
Fading audio 454
Fast Cue option (Deck settings) 145
Field dominance
Import Settings options 207
File management 264
659
Frames
accessing in footage 301
aligning in bin 247
enlarging or reducing 256
exporting 487
rearranging in Frame view 257
Framestore file format
Frequencies (audio), adjusting 419
Full-screen image size
defined 582
Files
exporting
procedure for 491
reasons for 487
using drag-and-drop method 494
guidelines for importing 202
importing using drag-and-drop method 215
procedure for importing 210
specifications for importing animation 587
specifications for importing graphics 582
specifications for importing OMFI 592
Filler
adding during a trim 383
adding to a sequence 329
Find feature
in Help 50
Find tab (Help system)
using 50
Finding
related media files 277
Firewire See IEEE Standard 1394
Font
changing size in Help topics 54
setting for bins 232
setting for clip name 293
Footage
clearing marks from 315
displaying current position 287
loading into monitors 295
marking and subcataloging 313
viewing and playing 285
Frame count
total 104
Frame view
changing frame size in 256
defined 228
in Media tool 265
rearranging frames 257
using 255
Frame View button 229
G
Gain AudioSuite Plug-In 554
Ganging
multiple tracks in the Audio Mix tool 405
Gate AudioSuite Plug-In 571
General settings
audio file formats 80
Global headings in Avid logs 596
Global settings
Import 202
Group clips
consolidating 275
H
Hardware command (Tools menu) 107
Hardware tool
displaying 95
using 107
Head leader
creating audio 262
creating video 261
Headings command (Bin menu) 237
Help menu choices 56
660
Importing
color bars 260
Importing files
before you begin 202
guidelines for 202
procedure for 210
using drag-and-drop method for 215
Index tab (Help system)
using 49
Info Display window
displaying Hardware 95
displaying Memory 94
Installing
Avid QuickTime codec 543
Interface settings
access and brief description 86
Invert AudioSuite Plug-In 553
Help system
changing font size in topics 54
closing 47
copying text from 54
finding topics in 49, 50
menu choices 56
opening 47
overview 47
printing a topic 53
types of windows 51
using buttons 52
using the Contents tab 48
using the Find tab 50
using the Help Topics dialog box 48
using the Index tab 49
Whats This? Help 48
Help Topics dialog box
using 48
Hiding
bin columns 230
video in Composer monitor 299
High shelf in Audio EQ tool 421
Home key 306
J
JPEG file format
additional Export options for 512
I
IEEE Standard 1394 137
IFF file format
Ignoring volume and pan settings 405
I-Link See IEEE Standard 1394
Import settings 202
alpha channel options 208
aspect ratio options 206
CCIR video levels 208
dominance options 207
RGB graphics levels 208
K
Keyboard settings
Keyscope log format 594
L
L-cut See Overlap edit
L-edit See Overlap edit
Left Arrow key 306
License information 56
Lift button 336
661
Lifting material 336

Limiter AudioSuite Plug-In 568
Load Filler command (Clip Name menus) 329
Loading
filler 329
footage 295
Locators
adding while editing 320
removing from source material 321
using 319
Log Right log format 594
Logging
and recording at the same time 178
guidelines for 110
procedures for 109
with a non-Avid-controlled deck 131
with an Avid-controlled deck 127
Logs
See also Shot log files
creating 115
preparing for import 113
low 420
Low shelf in Audio EQ tool 420
Master clips
rerecording 198
Media files
backing up 277
consolidating
defined 270
procedure 274
deleting 268
finding related 277
loading the database 276
managing 264
manipulating with Media tool 265
moving between systems 546
relinking 279
unlinking 284
Media Illusion, importing materials finished
with 215
Media offline
relinking 279
Media tool
basic features of 265
Media Tool Fast menu 265
Memory marks
adding to tape locations 112
Menu commands
Audio EQ (Tools menu) 419
Audio Mix (Tools menu) 398
Audio Mixdown 457
Custom Sift (Bin menu) 241
Hardware (Tools menu) 107
Headings (Bin menu) 237
Load Filler (Clip Name menus) 329
Remove Pan/Vols (Audio Mix Fast menu)
M
Maintaining sync with Add Edit 468
Making subclips 318
Managing
bins 69
folders 69
media files 264
Marking
entire clips or segments 314
IN and OUT points 314
with locators 319
Marquee
importing materials finished with 215
404
Set Level (Audio Mix tool) 404
Set Pan (Audio Mix Fast menu) 404
Mixing down audio 457
Mod Delay AudioSuite Plug-In 575
Monitors
clearing 297
resizing 299
662
Mono option (audio) 458

Moving
projects between systems 546
settings between systems 548
P
PAL frame resolution for imported files 583
Pan adjustment
See also Audio Mix tool
ignoring 405
Parametric midrange in Audio EQ tool 421
PCX file format
PhotoCD file format
Photoshop file format
additional export options for 513
PICS sequence import specifications 588
PICT file format
Pitch shift 440
Pitch Shift AudioSuite Plug-In 560
Pixar file format
Playback loop
starting 340
Playback with audio scrub 390
Plug-Ins
AudioSuite 434, 551
dialog box 435
Fast menu 439
PNG file format
Position bar
using in the Timeline 301
Position indicator
using in the Timeline 301
N
Navigating with the Help buttons 52
Normalize AudioSuite Plug-In 554
NTSC frame resolution for imported files 583
O
Offline media
selecting in bins 242
Offline media indicator in Timeline 240
OMFI file format
OMFI files
described 516
import specifications for 584, 592
methods for exporting 517
preparing to export 488
Online books 56
Online Help See Help system 47
Opening Help 47
Operator pop-up menu (Sift Parameters dialog
box) 241
Output
See also Digital cut, EDL Manager
options 469
preparing for 470
Overlap edits
creating 381
Overwrite button 335
Overwrite edits 335
663
Preparing
sequences for export 488
Preroll option (Deck settings) 145
Printing
bins 258
Help topics 53
the Timeline 369
Product version numbers 56
Project window
bins display 60
closing 58
Info display, using 93
opening 58
settings display 75
Projects
closing 40
creating new 38
nesting in folders 39
opening 36
relinking media files for 283
saving 41
selecting 36, 37
Record settings
described 161
Recording
a digital cut 482
See also Autorecording, Batch recording,
Rerecording
and logging at the same time 178
defined 175
frame-accurate digital cuts 477
from a non-Avid-controlled deck 187
manually 476
master clips and subclips 198
on-the-fly 181
setting only mark IN 181
storage guidelines 174
using time-of-day 190
voice-over narration 447
Reimporting imported files 220
Relinking
consolidated clips 282
media files 279
moved projects 283
Remove Pan/Vols command (Audio Mix Fast
menu) 404
Renaming
bins 65
settings 89
Render settings
Rendition file format
Rerecording
See also Batch recording
Resizing
Composer monitor 300
monitors 299
Reveal File command (File menu) 277
Q
QRT file format
QuickTime export
described 538
QuickTime file format
import and export specifications for 589
Quitting the Avid Xpress DV application 42
664
Reverse AudioSuite Plug-In 555

RGB graphics levels
Import settings 208
Right Arrow key 306
Rollers See Trim mode
Rough cut
creating 333
Rubberbanding See Audio Gain Automation
playback loop in 340

sifting 241
Set Bin Display command 226
Set Bin Display dialog box 226
Set Level commands (Audio Mix Fast menu)
404
Set Pan commands (Audio Mix Fast menu) 404
Settings
audio pan default 224
Audio project 85
bin 77
bin display 226
button 75
copying between systems 92
deck 144
deck configuration 139
deck preferences 147
deleting 90
desktop video 309
duplicating 88
export 505
general 79
import 202, 205
interface 81
keyboard 304
naming 89
record 161
selecting for recording 138
Site 92
Timeline 344
trim 371
working with multiple 88
workspace 99
Settings scroll list
description of 85
SGI file format
S
Sample Plot in the Timeline 397
Saving custom bin views 230
Scanning for tapes 188
Screen resolution 174
Scrubbing (audio) 390 to 395
Segment mode
deleting segments 358
Extract/Splice-in edits 355
Lift/Overwrite edits 356
Segments
cutting, copying, and pasting in Timeline
359
Select Tape dialog box 188
Selecting
projects 36
tracks for audio scrub 392
Sequenced PICS files
Sequences
adding tracks to 327
copying 235
cueing, viewing, and playing back 300
deleting 235
duplicating 233
exporting 487
loading in Composer monitor 295
making the first edit in 331
moving 234
output options for 469
665
Sync breaks
avoiding 461
fixing 462
managing 461
Sync lock
maintaining 463
using 463
Syncing
with locators 466
with tail leader 465
Shot log files

converting with Avid Log Exchange 119
exporting 133
Shot logs See Shot log files
Site settings
Slipping and sliding clips
in Trim mode 377
Small octave range in Audio EQ tool 429
Smooth audio scrub
compared to digital scrub 390
performing 393
Softimage file format
Sorting clips 253
Source material
loading into monitors 295
Specific File Type options (Export settings) 509
Specifications for Avid log 595
Splice-in button 332
Split edit
creating 381
Standard heading in Avid logs 598
Starting Help 47
Storage
estimating 174
planning 174
Subclips
creating 318
creating with Make Subclip button 318
handle 318
rerecording 198
Sun Raster file format
Supporting Files folder, defined 30
Sync
maintaining during trim 382
sync-locked tracks, trimming with 384
T
Tabs (Help)
Contents 48
Find 50
Index 49
Tail leader
creating audio 262
creating video 261
Tape deck See Video deck
Tape name, finding 188
Tapes
naming 111
recording a digital cut to 482
Targa file format
Text editor
creating Avid logs with 596
Text view (bin display)
defined 228
in Media tool 265
Text View button 228
TIFF file format
Time compression and audio 440
666
Transitions
audio, fine-tuning 453
Transparency
adding to a graphic image 581
Trim
maintaining sync during 382
sides, selecting 378
slip and slide
procedures 377
with sync-locked tracks 384
Trim edit
reviewing 377
Trim mode
basic procedures in 376
defined 370
entering 372
exiting 373
Trim settings
Turnover points in Audio EQ tool 420
Time Compression/Expansion AudioSuite

Plug-In 555
Timecode
default starting 80
displaying 291
recording with time-of-day 190
table of display options 293
Timeline
access and brief description of settings 86
adding offline media indicator 240
customizing 344
displaying detail in 351
first edit displayed in 332
Tips
logging 110
Tone
setting calibration 472
Tools
Audio 388
Audio EQ 419
Audio Mix 398
Audio Punch-In 447
Automation Gain 407
Avid Calculator 103
Console 105
Digital Cut 478
Hardware 107
Media 265
Record 149
Tracking format options 288
Tracking information
displaying 287
Tracks
adding 327
audio, mixing down 457
ganging in the Audio Mix tool 405
selecting for audio scrub 392
sync-locked, trimming with 384
Transferring
projects between systems 546, 548
settings between systems 548
U
Unlinking media files 284
User
identifying 35
V
Version number 56
Video
hiding in Composer monitor 299
leader
creating 261
using to maintain sync 465
Video compression
defined 174
Video Compression options (Export settings)
508
667
Video deck
logging with a non-Avid-controlled 131
logging with an Avid-controlled 127
recording from a non-Avid-controlled 187
Video mixdown 489
View Name dialog box (bin) 231
VITC (vertical interval timecode)
NTSC 174
PAL 174
VLXi 141
Voice-over narration 447
Volume
adjusting while playing an effect 406, 407
recording audio gain 416
Volume adjustments
ignoring 405
in Audio Mix tool 400
in the Timeline 409
Volume meters
in the Timeline 410
VTR See Video deck
XWindows file format

Y
YUV file format
additional Export options for 515
W
WAVE file format
option in General settings 80
Waveform plots (audio) 397
Wavefront file format
Whats This? Help 48
Windows NT taskbar, using 26
Workspace
assigning buttons to 95
assigning windows to 95
deleting 95
settings 96
668

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Working with the Project Window

Using Basic Tools

Importing Shot Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Adjusting Audio Project Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Rerecording Your Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Organizing with Bins

Assigning Colors to Bin Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

Gathering Format Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Managing Media Files

Viewing and Marking Footage

Viewing Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

Finding Frames and Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322

Using the Timeline

Restoring the Default Timeline View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

Working in Trim Mode

Working with Audio

Using the Audio Mix Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398

Digidesign AudioSuite Plug-Ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434

Exporting and Exchanging Material

Transferring a Project Between Avid Xpress DV Systems . . . . . . . 545

Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins

File Format Specifications

Avid Log Specifications

Help Topic Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Help Menu Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Automatic Save and Backup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

General Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

User Interface Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Settings Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Settings Scroll List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Deck Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Deck Preferences Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

General Record Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Import Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Object Icon Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Timecode Display Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

Video Display Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313

Timeline Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345

Timeline Fast Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347

Export Settings Dialog Box Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505

Graphic Format Options Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

QuickTime Movie Export Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522

QuickTime Movie Format Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526

AVI Settings Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535

AVI Video Compression Dialog Box Options . . . . . 537

Devices for Transferring Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546

Graphic File Import Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583

Animation File Import Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . 588

QuickTime Import and Export

AVI Import and Export Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . 590

OMFI File Import Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592

Compatible Log Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594

Avid Log Global Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597

Avid Log Column Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 598

Avid Log Data Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600

Working with the Desktop

About the Avid Xpress DV Folder

Managing the Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders

Starting the Avid Xpress DV Application

Working with the Desktop

Creating an Emergency Repair Disk