PMM_INSUFFICIENT MEDIA

Recording a voice-over session we got maybe 20 times this error message. Then the timeline refuses to play back. The faulty clip is the freshly recorded voice-over track. The workaround is to cut a few frames from the tail of the clip.

This is an NTSC SD project on Adrenaline HD 3.0, HP 8400 computer with Win XP SP3 (yes, I know!). I made a clean install of MC 3.0 starting from scratch. This is the first time we do voice overs since we upgraded from 2.8 to 3.0. We never had this problem before while recording voice overs.

corbeilproduction:

The workaround is to cut a few frames from the tail of the clip.

That's really strange, because every time I've encountered this error, it's a result of trying to extend a clip in the timeline beyond it's original captured duration. I can't imagine how cutting frames would solve an insufficient scenario. Can you shed any more light on this? TIA

Larry, I dont understand either. We were voicing a one-hour show. We record say two or three minutes of VO on tracks 7-8 of the timeline, and then we have to stop. The editor will try to listen to what has just been recorded, so he can find a proper in point to continue recording the VO. But then the timeline will not play and we get the "PMM_INSUFFICIENT MEDIA" message. If I mute the VO tracks the timeline will play normally. If I trim ONE frame from the tail of the new VO clip on the timeline, it will play normally.

It looks like the captured duration is shorter than the duration shown on the timeline.

corbeilproduction:

We record say two or three minutes of VO on tracks 7-8 of the timeline, and then we have to stop.

Do you mean that you are capturing direct to the timeline, or are you capturing a traditional clip first and then placing it in the timeline? If it's the former, that might be a clue. Try a traditional clip capture and see if the problem persists.

I have been capturing voice overs direct to the timeline ever since the day I was using Avid DV Express 2.5. Although it is a crippled tool it always worked without a hitch until yesterday.

Anyway, the important thing for me now is that it looks like I am the only MC user experiencing this problem. I will have to give a closer look to my computer setup.

As I understand it, there is a curropt clip in the timeline.

I seem to remember getting this error when the timeline believes that a clip is longer than it really is, for example, if the media file is a frame shorter than the clip's duration. When you hit play, Avid sees that the media file is there, but there is a frame missing - 'insuffiecient media.'

Trimming a frame is a work-around, but you may want to get rid of that clip to avoid future corruption in the timeline.

In your case, I am with Larry. There is something wrong with the clip that you recorded. Try doing it differently.

corbeilproduction:

the important thing for me now is that it looks like I am the only MC user experiencing this problem

If that's the case, try creating a new user profile and see if the problem persists. If it does, I would recommend deleting and rebuilding site settings. Delete the following: MC State, Site_Settings, Site_Attributes. On re-launch, the system will detect the missing files and build new ones. Be sure to back up any customized export profiles you may have created - those may need to be restored.

 How do you back up your export settings only?

have you tried creating a new squence, editing the old one into it? that has worked for me in the past with that error.

Or type "repair sequence" into the console, that might not be quite right but it is something like that, maybe plural and without the space??

applebuckets:

 How do you back up your export settings only?

 Go into your user profile folder at the desktop level and copy the file "(user name) settings.avs"

 I guess I misunserstood. I thought you meant there was a way to export only the export settings within your user settings.

 No, this is just a fail safe back up IF your export profiles disappear after rebuilding Site settings - on some systems they do, on some they don't. If they do, you just reload your user profile and they'll be back.