This is a thread running on the Digidesign User Conference at the moment and was started by ‘DarthFader777′ asking…..

Looking to purchase one that works well with both Avid and FCP. Any input would be appreciated.

‘zoundsabar’ was first to respond….

Depends on what you want to do. VK is specialized for conforming PT sessions after picture changes, TITAN specializes in autoconforming from EDLs and fixing sync, as well as deaing with pix changes. I believe that TITAN can’t read Avid or FCP change notes, but VK can. Both can create conform notes from two EDLs. Everything else TITAN does is not available in VK. From the Synchro Arts web site:

Cut and Move Mode (Re-cut)

This addition to Flash Cutter allows user-selected tracks in a Pro Tools Session to be Cut into sections defined by EDL events source In/Out times which can be moved to new positions with starting points defined by each EDL events’ record (or destination) In time. This allows blocks of audio to be repositioned instantly and automatically.

• Each Cut (and move) event in the EDL can operate on multiple regions, fades and tracks at the same time.

• Given the original EDL used to confrom a session and a new EDL from the video editor Titan can calculate the re-cut and a re-confrom EDLs.

‘DarthFader777′ replied…..

I appreciate your input. I work on material that will be for packaged and for broadcast. The broadcast stuff requires quick turn around. Typically a one hour program has about a two week turn around from aquisition to layback. Many chages occur during this period due to the process, which I hope to change. Audio post is new here so there isn’t and understanding of this workflow.
If you have expereince with these applications or know anyone who does I would appreciate that input as well.

‘JKD99′ added…

As Doug says, the applications do different things, and the confusion arises in the dual-use of the word “conform”. Titan handles the conforming (also known as “assembly”) of production source audio to match the Avid/FCP audio. Virtual Katy, Change Note Assistant, etc conform sessions from one picture version to another (also known as “doing the changes”)

‘DarthFader777′ posted…

Hey Thanks John. Does that mean I need both applications to completely conform sessions accurately..e.g. Titan assembling material and VK doing the actual adjusting of the material to fit within timcode boundries?

‘breaktheory’ asked…

I’d like to know the answer to this as well

‘Frank Kruse’ responded with…

The answer was given two posts above yours 4 years ago. It depends on what you mean by the word “conform” in your question. Conform sessions to picture changes or conform original audio files to EDLs from the editor.

‘C’ chipped in with…

Written a blog post with reference to the first meaning (assembly) part two will cover the second meaning (reconform).

I posted about Ceri’s articles on this here. ‘jahtao’ commented….

We went with VK and are loving it. VK AAF function doesn’t work and won’t ever work

‘C’ added…

Part two: Reconform I know people will disagree with my view on conformalizer but it is just my opinion always liked the concept of the application but the lack of project wide features always made me return to VK.

‘jahtao’ added..

FYI VK doesn’t work with AAFs instead of EDLs despite what you might read

‘tonepad’ posted…

Further comments on terminology, workflow and available software: We’ve always used Titan to “auto conform”, the legacy term used here in Hollywood, but I now use the term “Sound Online” or “SOL” for our workflow, which I feel is a term more in sync with the Picture dept who refer to a picture “Online” process. This is done with the turnover cut EDL and picture, from Final Cut Pro in our case. From that point on we “conform” to new picture versions as needed using the old fashioned manual way in Pro Tools which we now do with the Time Operations function. Since our show is cut with FCP we have to use workarounds to even get the first cut EDL to work with Titan. For this process I use the software EdiLoad. Mark’s helper app let’s me get Sound Roll numbers in the proper position of the 3600 format to be used in the “SOL”. We have not come up with a satisfactory way to create a “change list” in FCP, hence the choice to manually conform. However I have come up with a way to create a marker directory as a byproduct of Time Operations in Pro Tools that works as a “change list” for my editors if I can stay ahead of where they are in the flow…otherwise it’s everyman for himself.

The new Titan upgrade (V4, intel mac only) is a fantastic step forward after many years of being behind the Pro Tools and OS curve (think a dual boot OS 10.4/10.5, PT5-6/PT8 rig and you may catch my drift)…it is now a much more powerful, streamlined and faster program…in my early tests with it I’ve estimated that it now takes 2-3 hours less time to complete a “Sound Online”, including sync and selecting preferred tracks from the de-multed multi track production sound in the created Pro Tools session. This certainly adds up in the positive column over the course of a TV season.

The VK route is probably great for Avid centric projects (they still don’t seem to address FCP work last time I checked) for “conforming” after a “SOL”, but again it would be imperative that the Picture dept assistants be on their A game in creating a “change list” EDL.

Hope this helps and good luck fine tuning your workflow, since every project is different and requires “special” care.

‘Frank Kruse’ added…

Conformalizer directly reads XML files from FCP just fine (and does lots of other things that VK doesn´t, especially when it comes to working around tricky EDLs and VFX naming methods).

‘tonepad’ responded…

Frank. While this may be true, and Justin has communicated this to me, I can’t seem to get our PixDept assistants to puke a decent list out, XML or otherwise. The tests I’ve run with their XML, have way too much info…VFX, dissolves, color correction notes etc. I don’t know how to train them to eliminate unnecessary for sound info…and in fact after a year they are just beginning to understand what a “change list” is. I’m in the school of thought that believes a change list can and should be conveyed as simply as possible and in plain english ie. @ xx:xx:xx we added or subtracted time or replaced a take or an entire scene.
I will still try to solve this problem, but there does remain the issue that I have 4 editors who have to do conforms on their individual sessions…DX/ADR/FX/Foley…and to complicate things we work remotely from each other and not under one roof, AND we only have 5 days (not counting weekends) an episode…ah modern workflow. My simple but effective solution of manual conforming and creating a Marker list in PT allows me to do a screen grab of the list and attach it to an email. My editors go to each event and follow the listed action, either adding or cutting time, using the Time Operations function. If I could achieve the same thing faster with any soft out there considering the built in limits of our situation, I would do it.
Apologies to the OP if this is starting to be a hijack but it is certainly a part of the process that the original question inquired about.

‘Frank Kruse’ replied…

The XML always contains all the info about a sequence incl. every edit and info. That´s the whole point about it. Conformalizer reads up to v3.0 XMLs. Have you tried that version XML? I think problems can occur when editors use diferent frame-rates in a sequence but other than that XMLs have always worked fine for me. If all fails you could fall back to EDLs but it´s more work-intense because less and less editor actually know how to output an EDL. Some don´t even know what an EDL is
In those cases I just ask for an XML and let conformalizer grab the necessary info from that.

‘tonepad’ came back…

Frank, Understood, and it’s now on the list of things to research/demo this season. Thanks for the comments.

‘LucidMJW’ posted…

I have VK conform/compare v2.5 on my PTHD v7.3.1 rig. Did a test of a trailer w/ cutdowns 90, 60, 30. The EDL generated by FCP had errors so once I conformed the 90 AAF to the 60, there were holes w/ no media. I noticed that there was usually some kind of video filter or VFX. Couldn’t figure out how to fix this issue, so I’ve just been manually adjusting my PT session for new edits. Probably not the fastest way, but I know it’ll be correct when I’m done.

‘maggot’ posted…

to clarify: conformalizer officially supports version 2 of the FCP XML format but it seems to work fine with more recent versions as far as I can tell. If you can get the message thru, ask for v2 XML – otherwise, don’t sweat it.

‘MIKEROPHONICS’ added…

My thumbs up for Conformalizer too (after Frank’s previous recommendations)
I had an editor give me two XML files for different versions and Conformalizer came up trumps. I like the video compare thing too. If I get more of this work, I will vote with my wallet!

‘Noiz2′ posted…

I would also point out that you can have Conformalizer out put a change note, something you can’t otherwise get with FCP. Just in case you want to go old school. I’ve used Conformalizer on a ton of shorts and features and it’s saved weeks of time. The biggest thing for me (other than the time savings) is that it catches all the swaps and moves that can be easy to miss (or hard to figure out) when you doing it by hand with no change note.

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