Specifications

Pro Tools Reference Guide26
MXF
MXF is a media file format. There are MXF video
files and MXF audio files, but there are no MXF
sequences. An AAF sequence may refer to or
include MXF media files, but OMF sequences can-
not refer to or include MXF files.
Pro Tools can import and play back MXF audio
and video files created in Media Composer or other
Avid applications.
OMF
OMF is both a media file and sequence format.
OMF media files can be audio or video, and
Pro Tools can import and play back OMF audio
and video. Pro Tools can also export OMF audio,
but not OMF video.
Pro Tools can import and play back OMF audio
and video files created in Media Composer or other
applications.
An OMF sequence cannot reference or have MXF
media embedded within it.
Pro Tools can import an OMF sequence with em-
bedded audio, but not embedded video.
Pro Tools and Avid Terminology
Pro Tools and Avid use different terms to describe
the same items. For example, a Pro Tools session
is equivalent to an Avid sequence. The following
table lists common Pro Tools elements and their
Avid equivalents.
MXF file icon
Video files digitized in Pro Tools are techni-
cally in the MXF format, but are intended only
for use in Pro Tools and are not tested for com-
patibility with other applications.
Pro Tools Avid (AAF or OMF)
session sequence
whole file clip master clip
clip subclip
plug-ins real-time audio effects
volume automation gain Avid keyframe volume
Whole audio files in the Clip List normally
appear in bold type. However, master clip au-
dio files imported from AAF or OMF into
Pro Tools will not appear in bold type (indi-
cating clips) in the Pro Tools Clip List even
though they are audio files.