Smartsound Quicktracks crashes Pro CS4?

[munickster]

Thanks for the information, Frank. At least I know where things stand.

Dick

[dickve]

Hello Dick and Bill,

I do use CS4 and previously CS3. I do have the same problems as Dick with CS4 and I also contacted Smartsound. Their reply was identical as the reply that Dick got. I am very happy with the work around that Dick suggested. I tried it in a current project and it worked. So creating a Smartsound file in the panel, apply it on the timeline then delete it in the panel and then import it and the music is there. Doing it in the normal way shows the track on the timeline but no sound is heard.
Some additional remarks: with an imported CS3 project in CS4 all Smartsound created tracks worked well, but no additional ones can be created (except when worked around)
I do use CS4 on a Vista 32bit system and on a testbasis on a 64bit double boot system. The 64bit system seems to be less stable, because it crashes as soon as I double click on a Smartsound track on the timeline. Double clicking on the Smartsound track in the timeline shows the double wave in the source monitor and no problems occurs.
Hopefully Smartsound will fix the problem soon.

Regards, Dickve

A little annoying is that every time I create a Smartsound file, CS4 requests to fill in the video resolution and the pixel aspect ratio. I confuses me because for a music track it does not matter at all I believe.

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Dickve, Welcome to Muvipix

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Bill Hunt]

Dickve,

Welcome from here, as well.

Thanks to SmartSound's reply (from Frank), I can see where the SonicFire Pro Express Tracks version would be good solution for many. The plus side is that one can use Mood Mapping (to a limited extent), as well as creation of the SmartSound music score. The downside is that this is a stand-alone program, where QuickTracks is a plug-in.

I use the full version of SonicFire Pro (Scoring), for major soundtrack editing. To edit it fully, I have to Export a "reference" AV file from Premiere, to use in SonicFire Pro. This does lead to one additional step. I hope that SonicFire Pro will one day appear as a plug-in for Premiere, and will allow all of the adjustments as the Scoring version does - one can hope, right?

Thanks for reporting on your experiences. I was totally unaware of any issues with CS3-4 and QuickTracks, until Dick posted his question. I guess that folk on the Premiere Pro forums just do not use SmartSound, or there would have been complaints. In the past, SmartSound has been pretty quick at re-coding, so I'm hoping that new version will be forthcoming.

Hunt

[munickster]

Welcome, Dickve! Glad to have you here. I plan to just use the workaround for Quicktracks until a fix for the plug-in arrives. I just can't deal with another standalone application on my already-overloaded system. If Smartsound can't produce the plug-in (I realize that they probably have bigger fish to fry), then I may have to look at other options. For now, though, the workaround seems to do the trick *most* of the time. I've still seen CS4 crash once even with the workaround, so I'm going to try to save the track as soon as it gets created.

And Bill/John - thank you again for your perseverance on this.

Dic

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Dick and Dickve,

Here is a link to some tutorials on Sonic Fire Pro (Express Track Edition):-

http://www.smartsound.com/sonicfire/tut ... erm=vidtut

The software is free from Smartsound if you purchase some music and I thought it might just whet your appetites now that there is a SmartSound sale on.

[SmartSound Frank]

Just an update for you, we have released a CS4-compatible plugin that is now available from our website. You must be using Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.1 or greater.

Go to our website, hover the mouse pointer over the Support menu and choose Software Updates, then choose Adobe Premiere from the left menu and scroll to the bottom of the page to locate it.

Regards,
Frank
SmartSound Software Tech Support

[Chuck Engels]

Thanks for the update Frank

[VideoMogul]

Frank

Just read about the plugin available for Premiere Pro CS4. I would sure appreciate one for PP CS3. Any chance?

VideoMogul

[Paul LS]

Cant help with the plugin, but welcome to Muvipix VideoMogul....

[VideoMogul]

Hi Paul

Thanks for the welcome, Paul. Are there any other Premiere Pro CS3 users out there who would like to have a Quicktracks plugin produced?

VideoMogul

[Chuck Engels]

Maybe SmartSound Frank will come back and give us an update. Generally patches or plugins are not made for previous versions, that goes for most software companies anyway.

Conisdering CS5 is just around the corner I would doubt you will see much CS3 support anymore
http://cs5.org/

[Bill Hunt]

@Frank,

As always, thank you for your input. You bring great news, and I will update a Tips & Tricks article to include your report.

From another Adobe thread, I got word that Adobe had finally released a CS4 SDK, so I assumed that SmartSound would have a new CS4 plug-in soon. Glad that it's here. I've been gone for some months, so have not been following some of the SmartSound threads here, or in the Adobe fora. Time to get back to work.

Appreciated, and I hope that CS4.2, or CS5 does not move the "goal posts" on you.

Hunt

[Bill Hunt]

@VideoMogul,

The SmartSound QuickTracks for Premiere plug-in (the old one) worked fine in CS3, and earlier versions of PrPro. Things were changed in CS4, and that plug-in would not function.

What problem have you had with CS3, and the existing QuickTracks for Premiere plug-in? For others, it has worked perfectly.

Let us know, and I'll be happy to work with you on the issues.

Good luck,

Hunt

[Bill Hunt]

@Chuck,

The previous version of SmartSound QuickTracks for Premiere worked fine in CS3, and earlier. I'll go and get the release # on it.

If the new CS4 version does not work in earlier versions (it might not because of some major changes in CS4 w/ Audio), I'll contact Frank and ask permission to upload the earlier QuickTracks for Premiere plug-in. Though it was free to PrPro (and PrE) users, it is still their property. If they do not retain it on their site, I'll also ask that they reconsider doing so.

Your mention of CS5 makes me shudder. Being a 64-bit app., I worry that SmartSound's work is going to have to be redone.

However, I have great hopes. SmartSound has introduced a SonicFire Pro 5 plug-in for Final Cut Pro (Mac only), and I pray that there is soon going to be the same for PrPro! Here's hoping...



Hunt