Recording BWF

[rdolmat]

Hi folks...

first time user here, possibly jumping the cubase ship...

anyhoo, I need to record in BWF format. I went to the project settings and only notice WAV and not BWF. How do we change the settings to default to BWF?

thanks.

PS: I'm using the latest Reaper ver 1.67

[Art Evans]

Good question - not a format I use but it's listed as being recordable in the feature list, but there's no obvious way of setting it in the project settings. And "BWF" is too short a search string for the forum software, though I know it's come up before...

Anyone?

[Bevoss]

My settings are set to Wav, if I click on the item source properties you get a BWF timestamp...does that mean it's actually BWF by default? Because I can't see it in the render settings either.

[Justin]

yeah it's bwf by default.. however, the bwf "start time" is set relative to the project, rather than to the time of day..

the start timestamps (human readable) are set to the system time, however.

-Justin

[RokkD]

Excuse me fellas.....what's bwf...















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[Art Evans]

Broadcast Wave Format.

[RokkD]

Thanks Art......hmm...so what's difference between bwf and a plain old common or garden wave.

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[Art Evans]

As I understand it, the BWF format has extra info fields for time of recording stuff, or time where it fits into the project stuff. Sorry for the advanced technical terms! Maybe the Wikipaedia or suchlike would have the full story? Or see http://www.ebu.ch/en/technical/publi...user_guide.php

[RokkD]

From the article:

How does a BWF file differ from an ordinary WAVE file?
Briefly, a BWF file is a restricted subset of possible WAVE files but it also contains an extra "chunk" to carry information about the content.

How is a BWF file restricted compared to an ordinary WAVE file?
A BWF file can only contain two specified types of audio data, Linear PCM and MPEG coded. A WAVE file can contain a much wider range, many very specific to some software. BWF files are intended for use in radio and television production. The basic audio format is linear PCM, 16 bits, sampled at 48 kHz, which is the recommended audio format for production. See EBU Recommendation R68-2000. A supplement to the basic specification also allows the files to contain MPEG compressed audio data. At the moment, PCM and MPEG are the only audio formats allowed.
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okee doke...I'll stick with waves.

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[malcolmj]

Originally Posted by Justin

yeah it's bwf by default.. however, the bwf "start time" is set relative to the project, rather than to the time of day..

the start timestamps (human readable) are set to the system time, however.

So if you import a REAPER generated BWF file into another DAW using SMPTE as the timebase, how would it sync if the reference is relative to the Project?

Cheers,

Malcolm.

[Bevoss]

Well you'll be using bwf's cause that's the default, but the advantage is you can open them up in another daw and they will find their preferred position, ie the position you started recording it or where you glued it for instance...

[tourtelot]

I believe that Time Code stamping is one of the big "plusses" of BWF. However, the term Broadcast Wave ile is confusing and losing most of it's followers. Now, even a .WAV file with the metadata chunk (a ".BWF") is being given a simple .WAV extension to stop the confusion. Those who neeed the metadata will have access; those who don't will be happy that they aren't confused by a weird format.

I work in nothing but .WAV files WITH the metadata chunk (before known as .BWF) and I am thrilled tha Reaper will recognize those files. Now if we can just get it to take the SMPTE time code stamp and build it onto an "Insert SMPTE time code" track, wow!!!

[rdolmat]

Originally Posted by malcolmj

So if you import a REAPER generated BWF file into another DAW using SMPTE as the timebase, how would it sync if the reference is relative to the Project?

Cheers,

Malcolm.

Well, it's really simple: you import the file, and the right-click and select> Move To Origin, and the file would automatically snap to it's original time location!

This is a REALLY great way to cover your arse! If you move something by accident and not realize it for 3 weeks, you can select Move-To-Origin (or whatever the Reaper command is), and it will move to it's original recorded location.

PS: It's also a super great way to transfer songs between platforms and DAWs.

cheers
rich

[malcolmj]

Originally Posted by rdolmat

Well, it's really simple: you import the file, and the right-click and select> Move To Origin, and the file would automatically snap to it's original time location!

I realise this is the way it works when transferring BWF files into REAPER from another DAW, but from the way Justin had worded his response I thought that REAPER wasn't embedding the timestamp into it's own BWF recordings.

I just did a test from REAPER into Samplitude and it turns out that REAPER is in fact embedding the correct timestamp into the files.

Cheers,

Malcolm.

[Diogenes]

Hey... I appreciate this thread fella's. Questions answered before the asking! Hmmm... this ain't got nothing to do with that V1.666 crap does it? SCARY!

D

[Bevoss]

Originally Posted by malcolmj

I just did a test from REAPER into Samplitude and it turns out that REAPER is in fact embedding the correct timestamp into the files.

Cheers,

Malcolm.

Excellent!

[Art Evans]

Ooo err! I just recorded a few wavs in Reaper and then tried inserting them into an Audition 2.0 session, with "Insert > Insert Using BWF Timestamps" switched on in Audition - and indeed, they end up in the right places! Nice one!

[rdolmat]

YEAH!!! Great news!!!

[Jae.Thomas]

just to add, i tested the BWF right when it came out and it always worked great.

[mrelwood]

Here too. The time stamping is the only reason I don't use .vw format.