.mxf mishandled in Premiere - Help!

[Sonyuser]

PROBLEM - Attempt edit .mxf files. I have a serious and bizarre issue with BOTH Premiere CS4 and CS5, which I am posting here and several other places, in hopes that someone might provide a suggestion before I pay Adobe for their comment, spend the next several months learning Sony Vegas, or just quit! To wit, I have a Sony EX1 with an attached Convergent Designs nanoFlash, and am attempting to edit .mxf data (1080x1920 30p, 100Mbps, Long GOP). I can import and edit the .mxf files quite satisfactoriy into Vegas Pro 8, but in the timeline of both Premiere Pro CS4 and CS5, BOTH the video and audio show up ONLY in the video timeline! I can edit the video OK, but any edit of audio in Premiere is totally impossible - the only way the audio can be edited is to take it into Soundbooth, clip by clip from the Premiere timeline, and then bring it back into Premiere, where it again is combined with the Video (making transitions, etc. impossible). I am absolutely intent upon using the Convergent Designs nanoFlash data (taken from the Sony EX1 SDI output in uncompressed 4:2:2), since the nanoFlash data is just soooooo pristine, in comparison to the usual SxS collected 35 Mbps 4:2:0 data!

Before I go further, to let you know what I am running all this on: A BOXX 4850, ASUS motherboard, CPU Intel i7 Quad Core overclocked at 4 GHz, Memory 6GB DDR 1333, Video NVIDIA Quadro CX (yes, qualified for superb performance with Premiere CS5), two hard drives, both 7,200 SATA, 250GB for programs and 500GB RAID 0 for data, OS discussed below (first, Vista Ultimate 64 bit, then WIN 7 Ultimate, 64 bit. Tests of all hardware indicate that all are functioning normally.

On a totally clean installation, I first installed Vista Ultimate 64 bit, updated, and with everything else installed and updated (including NVIDIA, audio drivers, etc.) and the Adobe Production Premium CS4. Everything I then imported and edited, except the .mxf files, operated normally with very few crashes. The MainConcept XDCAM PlugIn was installed to permit importing high data rate .mxf data into Premiere CS4. And as noted above, both .mxf video and audio data showed up only in the video timeline.

SOOOO, I conducted another totally clean install, this time with WIN 7 Ultimate 64 bit, Adobe Production Premium CS5 (no plug-in required for high data rate .mxf files) and again all drivers installed and updated. It might be noted that Adobes' Premiere CS5 still has a serious bug even in its latest rendition, namely, at least for .mxf files, one channel of stereo audio lags the other). BUT the same issue AGAIN showed up - both video and audio show up ony in the video timeline.

Convergent Designs staff has been exemplary in providing their, as usual, exceptionally timely and knowledgeable response when I presented them with this bizarre issue - but they have no solution for me - a similar configuration (PC, windows, Adobe, etc.) operates fine on their setup! And they have provided me a high data rate long GOP nanoFlash generated test file which shows up fine on their set up, but which just exhibits the strange behavior on my Premiere Cs4 and CS5.

At present, I am able to edit test clips perfectly in Vegas Pro 8, export the wrapped avi file, code MPEG2 in Adobe Media Encoder CS5, and then produce BD through Adobe Encore CS5 without a hitch - and with the nano data from the EX1 - WOW! What a comparative absence of artifacts - how sharp on the big screen (109 inch Stewart Filmscreen, 42 inch LCD flat panel, etc., etc. - how great for blue screen, etc., etc.!

Soo, you might well ask, why don't I just use Vegas Pro 8, instead of either of the editions of Premiere? Well, I am still very slowly and laboriously learning the ins and outs of Vegas (using the excellent Editing Workshop provided by Douglas Spotted Eagle), BUT I have been using Premiere as an editor for the last thirteen years, and would like to continue to use Premiere.

If anyone out there has any suggestions (and at this point, I must say I don't care if you have experience or not, just an opinion!, but please be kind!:2vrolijk_08 as to the genesis and possible solution to my problems in attempting to utilize Premiere, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Duke M.]

I'm concerned with why you are having any crashes. CS5 was noted to have some issues with Nanoflash MXF files, but I've been using the Main Concept plugin with CS3 and have had no issues on a quad core, over clocked computer running XP home with 4 gigs and 1Tb of hard drives in Raid 0 configuration. I've never had any crashes.

Is CS4/5 fully compatable with 64bit OS? Check with Adobe.

Are your hard drives fast enough to handle all the data? Usually that would only produce stuttering, but its worth checking.

 

[Eric1138]

Can you post a small sample clip to test - I shoot with an EX3, but just use the MP4 files the camera creates.

 

[Sonyuser]

Gentlemen, thank you for your responses!

Duke - Had run all Adobe CS4 Production Premium on 64 bit for over a year with no problem, til the high data rate mxf files, with Main Concept plug in. Running all discs at 72k, and data on RAID 0. All of Adobe CS5 is now ONLY compatible with 64 bit, I believe.

Eric, not sure I understand your request for "sample clip" - my issue is in the Premiere Timeline, as stated above. I am able to export and codec and burn BD with great video, and unedited audio.

Will be in the field the next three days.

 

[Sonyuser]

Without going into gory details, my issue is now solved. I started adding audio channels to the timeline in Premiere CS5, and there IN TRACK 9 WAS THE AUDIO.
I uninstalled all of Adobe CS5 Production Premium until they fix the one audio channel lagging the other with the mxf data, which THEY evidently feel is not that important! And I reloaded CS4 Production Premium, updated everything, opened Premiere CS4 - the timeline opened with (blank) 3 channels for video and NINE channels for audio, I then imported mxf files, and brought them into the timeline, and there was the video in video track 1, and the audio in audio track 9. That's all folks. Thanks again for your responses.