Specifications

Chapter 1: Introduction 5
In one project, you could create a new bin to
hold all of your video clips and a bin to hold
your sound effects, and a bin for sequences. You
could close that project, open a new project and
open the sound effects bin from the first project
to use the same audio in a different sequence.
Projects are stored at a user definable location.
Source Monitor The Source Monitor is the Video
window above the Timeline (on the left). Use the
Source Monitor to select what will be added to
the sequence in the Timeline.
Record Monitor The Record Monitor is the
Video window above the Timeline (on the right).
Playback of the sequence in the Timeline is
viewed in the Record Monitor.
Timeline The Media Composer Timeline shows
the assorted audio and video elements arranged
in a linear sequence, as in Pro Tools.
Client Monitor The client monitor is an external
NTSC, PAL, HD or DVI monitor used to display
the video output of Media Composer.
Additional Pro Tools and Avid
Terminology Counterparts
AAF, OMF, and MXF Basics
AAF and OMF files are mechanisms for storing
and retrieving media data and metadata so that
projects can be freely exchanged between differ-
ent applications and operating systems (such as
between Pro Tools and Avid video editing appli-
cations, on Mac or Windows).
Media data and metadata enable an application
that receives AAF and OMF sequence files to au-
tomatically and quickly reassemble the compo-
sition. A simple metaphor for this approach is
that media data files are the pieces of a puzzle
and metadata is the set of instructions for as-
sembling the puzzle.
In the simplest case, only an AAF or OMF se-
quence is exchanged. If this sequence points to
existing media files, the size of the sequence file
is relatively small and the export/import process
is relatively fast.
AAF and OMF sequences can also have media
data embedded in them. This creates a single,
larger file that is slower to export and import,
but which may be easier to manage than thou-
sands of files stored on different volumes.
Pro Tools supports AAF and OMF sequences
that contain embedded audio media.
Pro Tools does not support AAF or OMF se-
quences containing embedded video media, ex-
cept if you are importing such sequences into a
Video Satellite track. In such cases, only video
metadata is imported into the track.
Pro Tools Avid
plug-ins real-time audio effects
automation volume automation, pan
automation
Bounce to Disk Audio/Video Mixdown
For the purposes of this guide, AAF
sequences are emphasized and referenced
over the older OMF sequence standard.