Album Publishing still frustrating

[draudio2u]

Hello,
Yes I have now imported a PMI into DiskWrite and have been able to get the individual files to create, but I have to figure out why the take numbers I placed in the left column of the CD Edit window are not writing to the files. They default back to "001" since I have ### in the title options. I thought that would read the marker number, not just count the tracks as new.
Thanks

[fl]

Yes I have now imported a PMI into DiskWrite and have been able to get the individual files to create

Which suggests that something went wrong in the Publishing set-up window in Pyramix. Could be as simple as forgetting to check the Album Publishing "Enable" checkbox near the bottom of the window, to enable the output files, and not just the creation of the MTFF. Really, I hope they manage to streamline the Publishing set-up in version 10 - there are far too many finicky things you have to remember to do, just to get a bunch of FLACs or MP3s: Enable Publishing, Select the Output Bus, in the Album Publishing Settings window, choose, and then enable, the desired output formats, sample rates and dither options. Finally, the thing I always forget to do, change the destination folder that was left in place from the last project, to a suitable destination for the current one. Why this last function is saved as a global setting, as opposed to being on a per Project basis, is beyond me.

but I have to figure out why the take numbers I placed in the left column of the CD Edit window are not writing to the files. They default back to "001" since I have ### in the title options. I thought that would read the marker number, not just count the tracks as new.
Thanks

Hmmm, I would have thought so too - I'll have to poke about to see what can be done. I suspect that this will have to go to Merging Technical Support to get it corrected in the program. In the meantime, there's always "Advanced Renamer" - http://advancedrenamer.com/ - but that's just a stopgap fix.

[charlienyc]

As far as the track name, have you ensured the CD image is setup correctly?
Go to the CD editor tab, select all tracks in the tracks window. Then from the CD Text drop-down, select "Set Track Title from Track Name." If you don't do this, Pyramix will default to whatever the clip name is (if you used CD Mark groups) or "Track 01," etc.
Album publishing is equally tricky as Frank suggested. If everything isn't set perfectly you'll get frustration instead of results.
Cheers

[DJS]

Upgraded to PMX10. Set all my clip names to media filenames. Checked the clipname is correctly set by looking at the properties of the clip. Go to add CD Markers, they now do not inherit the clipnames as the marker name, only have "CD Track Start".
Am I going insane?

No. It seems that clip names are ONLY translated to CD Track Names if CD Mark Groups is selected, not when you add them manually yourself.

Sigh.

[charlienyc]

No. It seems that clip names are ONLY translated to CD Track Names if CD Mark Groups is selected, not when you add them manually yourself.

Wasn't that always the case, or did something change between V8 & V9 in this regard?

[fl]

Let's see - you want to be able to generate a lot of files for the client to review takes, and you'd like them named with the take number. The only way to get the clip name into the CD/SACD list is to use the "CD Mark Groups" command, and from there to copy the clip names into the CD Text "Title" field. All fine and good until you have more than 99 Takes you wish to output. Frustrating.

The workaround I came up with was to use Playlists. Make a new, blank Playlist, and then install the first 99 takes from the Media Manager by selecting that number of files, and using the "Place" command, so they all appear, butted up one after another, in the Timeline. Then create a New Playlist, and install the second 100 take files, and so on. Go back to the first Playlist, and "CD Mark Groups" and continue with the CD Text/File Metadata entries, then switch that CD off - so its markers are no longer visible, switch to the next Playlist and repeat the process.

You'll have to make up as many "CD"s as you need to cover the total number of takes, and yes it's a pain in the patoot to have to break up the process into multiple steps, but you will wind up with the proper number of Published Take files, named according to their originating files' names, and if you recorded them using the "Auto Increment" function in the Take numbering each file will be given the name of the work followed by its three digit take number. I've found this is the best way for me to properly name and number my Takes as they're being recorded, while remaining sane for the Publishing later on. I like to keep the numbering going from piece to piece, so that there is only one Take 1, and it's too bad the Auto numbering puts the number at the end of the file name, rather than the beginning, which would make sorting, selecting and placing in the timeline a little easier, but in the Media Manager, you can change the view so that you are ordered "by creation date", which should put the Takes in their numerical order for easy selection.

[charlienyc]

Yeah I've done a similar thing where I create multiple discs. When your track count exceeds 99, you simply cut and paste those CD markers into the next disc. Although I used Mark Wilshire's P3Hot tool in the past, this also works with album publishing. You just have many leftover PMI images with no real purpose at the end.

[fl]

You just have many leftover PMI images with no real purpose at the end.

Or MTFF files, which are marginally more useful, should you need to generate a set of files in a different format than what you initially supplied...

[DJS]

No. It seems that clip names are ONLY translated to CD Track Names if CD Mark Groups is selected, not when you add them manually yourself.

Wasn't that always the case, or did something change between V8 & V9 in this regard?

Yes, I think it must have been. I just forgot.

[avi]

Why use album publishing at all?
On the assumption that:
- as well as multitrack you laid down a stereo session mix
- each clip is already named the take name from the session (e.g. "Take 001")

Simply:
1. delete all tracks except the stereo session mix
2. select all
3. Render, "split by groups", and select appropriate output format.
Done. No 99k limit, and no "Album Publishing" or similar faffing required.

[charlienyc]

For one, CD image and Album Publishing are the only efficient means of embedding metadata. I also feel better about going down to 16 bit / 44.1k via the 'Create CD image' command to create WAV files or employ conversion to lossy codecs. Besides I have accidentally created 16 bit / 96k files before Haven't you?

[avi]

Agreed, if you require metadata.
But if you need to quickly turn out masses of takes as WAV files (i.e. for an artist or non-pyramix-based producer to take away and listen to), then you probably don't need to embed any metadata, you just need a large number of files with the right filenames. In this scenario, a single batch process which does the lot (no 99-tk limit) is quite efficient.