Author: CharlieKirby

Unlocking Avid bins on Unity

I’ve been working as an Assistant Editor/Junior Editor on an awesome TV documentary series.  Our storage workspaces are connected to an Avid Unity Connection Manager.  On Tuesday I worked in room A.  Then on Wednesday we moved to room B.  Since we are working on Avid Unity storage, this should be an easy transition.  However, the bins I created in room A were still locked to the user in room A, so I couldn’t use them in room B.  So here’s what I did to unlock those bins.  

I navigated in Windows to our project partition.  Then I opened our project folder and located the bin I wanted to unlock.  In this case, the locked bin was called “Accused”.  So I located the file named “Accused.lck”   Then I deleted the .lck files.  This is an Avid bin lock file.  (please see photo below).  After doing that, I went back into Avid Media Composer, and the bins were unlocked.  If they aren’t, then right click on each bin in the project and select “unlock bin”, and that should do it for you!  

Avid Bin Lock File

Please note:  DO NOT DELETE YOUR .avb files, as these are Avid bin files.  Just delete the .lck files.  

Went to the gym

Went to the gym.  Did 6 sets of driving around the parking lot looking for a spot close to the door.  5 sets of texting my friends.  11 sets of sitting on a bench and looking at myself in the mirror.  2 sets of adjusting my iPod and earbuds.  After this grueling workout, I rewarded myself with a few minutes in the sauna, then cooled down with an almond chocolate protein shake at the nutrition bar.

Still Specs for Scanning Images to use in Video Editing

Still Specs for Scanning Images to use in Video Editing
– Scan as close to 4000 pixels in either direction, without going over. For example, if you scan an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper, it should be about 2909w x 4000h in total pixel count. This would be a dpi of about 363
– Avid and Final Cut Pro both have difficulty working with image sizes larger than 4000 pixels in any direction. 
– One dpi setting will not be useful for all scanned images. Please adjust your dpi so that is as close to 4000 pixels in either direction without going over. 
 – All images must be saved in RGB, not grayscale, CMYK or any color space other than RGB. Most systems will not be able to work with anything other than RGB color space. 
– File format should be either .tiff (TIFF) or .tga (Targa). 
– Tiff’s should be saved as 8bit, uncompressed, in Mac byte order. 
– Targas should be saved 32bit, uncompressed. 

This will produce and image file that can be used in SD or HD and be enlarged as much as 208% for HD and 555% for SD with out degradation. Also it will offer a format that is useful in, Final Cut Pro After Effects, Avid and a bunch of other software. 

Chord Progressions

Hey Friends!  I created this chart to help me learn chord progressions, musical keys, and the relative major/minor for each key.  I decided that if I shared it, that it might be helpful to others.  If it helps you, or if you have any suggestions on information to add to it, please post a comment below.  🙂 

Chord Progression Chart – https://charliekirby.com/editor/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Chord-Progressions.pdf

Capo Fear Banished

Not referring to  the movie “Cape Fear”, but those thingies that we put around the fret of a guitar so we can play the same chords, but in a higher key.  I think I banished my fear of playing leads to accompany others who are playing with a capo.  Two simple pieces of info make up this easy equation:
A. What fret the capo is on.
B. What chord shape is first chord.
Then take A and count up that many half steps from B.

Example 1. If capo is on fret 2 and first chord is an Am shape, count 2 half steps up. A#m, Bm. Play leads in Bm scale.

Example 2. Capo is on fret 5. First chord is Dm shape. Count 5 half steps up. D#m, Em, Fm, F#m, Gm. Play leads in Gm scale.

I hope this info is helpful to my fellow guitarists out there.

p.s.  However, if guitarist is playing an augmented suspended ninth chord with a capo, then take A (number of frets up) and multiply that figure by ounces of lighter fluid, which you will pour into the guitar’s soundhole. Add a lit match. Solo is guaranteed to be blazing hot.  LOL!