AD File Processing
Starfish offers a number of applications specially designed to process AD files.
File Compilers
Depending on the type of AD deliverable required (such as premix or separate audio and control track) Starfish offers the Advantage Compiler tool which can create the full range of output formats.
The Advantage Compiler will check the sample rate, bits per sample and other aspects of the source WAV files and if necessary it will convert them to the required values for the output automatically during the process. The original files are not modified during this process.
This tool will take an ESEF and WAV file set and create one or more of the formats below:
Pre-mix - accepts a WAV file of the original programme audio, and an ESEF file with its associated set of AD WAV files, and uses the timecode and Pan and Fade information in the ESEF file to create a pre-mixed audio WAV file consisting of dipped program sound and added descriptions. An option exists to alternatively produce dipped program sound but not insert the AD descriptions.
Advantage Pre-mix information sheet
Mono - processes an ESEF file and its associated WAV files to create an output file that contains a mono WAV file using either 48 KHz or 44.1 KHz sampling rate.
DTT - Processes an ESEF file and its associated WAV files to create an output file that contains a mono WAV on the left channel and matching ‘control track’ (warble track) on the right channel of a stereo pair.
For existing AD files recorded on an audio archive system, Starfish offers:
Advantage DTT Decompiler - a software application that processes DTT input audio from a real-time source, such as a DAT tape, and produces an ESEF file and the corresponding set of WAV files. The ESEF file contains all of the timecode and Pan and Fade information, but not the original script. This application is used with an appropriate input audio card (check with Starfish for recommended cards).
File Conversion
The Advantage File Converter software application provides a number of file conversion utilities including: Cinema release 24 FPS to Video 25 FPS conversion, 48 KHz to 44.1 KHz sample rate conversion and 24 bit to 16 bit resolution file conversion.
The Advantage File Converter can operate on an ESEF file and associated WAV file set, or on stand-alone WAV files.
This application can also add or update BWAV data into wav files – including the timecode, so that they can be dropped onto a timeline in an audio processing software package (such as Pro Tools) and be automatically placed at the correct times.
Advantage File Converter information sheet
Preview File creation
The Advantage Preview Generator generates a browse media video file with a pre-mix of the original program audio and an audio description file. The application supports MPEG 1 and Windows Media video formats as inputs and will create a Windows Media file as the output. The resulting output file can be used for customer review and approval or for web based file access to audio described material.
Advantage Preview information sheet