Information about Digibase

One of the main targets for LibraryLoader generated Sound Effects is Pro Tools Digibase, which is a simple databasing system built into Pro Tools 6.0. Digibase reads most of the file types created by LibraryLoader (it does not support MP4 at the time of writing). However, Digibase only looks in specific places for the vital description information needed to search for sound effects in your library.

As we covered in the section 'Planning your Library', your choice of File format holds the key. For Digibase, there is no question that BWF is by far the best choice, since there is no ambiguity at all about where Digibase can find the descriptions. In all modes of Digibase (simple browsing, and catalogs) BWF files will show their descriptions in the 'File Comments' field in Digibase.

For other file formats, things are not so clear. Gallery have worked closely with Digidesign to provide optimum support for Sound effects in Digibase. Sound Designer II files contain a semi-standard description field which LibraryLoader writes, and Digibase will read. AIFF files also contain a semi-standard description field which Digidesign have planned to support, but at the time of writing has not been completed. Fortunately, Digibase can also read OS9 Finder comments from AIF files, and this offers a way to coerce Digibase into reading the descriptions from LibraryLoaders AIF files. However it involves building a catalog in Digibase and using the command to 'copy OS9 finder comments to database comment'. For this reason, we dont recommend choosing AIFF for your Digibase library. Unless you have a good reason why not, stick to BWF.

Another useful function in Digibase is the 'Copy database comment to Clip Names' Using a combination of this and the 'copy OS9 finder comments to database comment', allows you to 'prepare' clipnames in your Digibase library which are based on the start and end of your sound effect description. When these sounds are dragged to the Pro Tools timeline, they will be given these 'prepared' region names which will describe the sound effect in the timeline and your region bin.

Many professional users will find the functionality in Digibase limiting, since its a fairly basic database system. For those people, Gallery have the mTOOLS Sound Effects management system, which is the industry standard all over the world in the Film Sound Post arena. Gallery offer an upgrade path from LibraryLoader to mTOOLS (which includes LibraryLoader, but which adds the very powerful mTOOLS database architecture in place of Digibase). Contact Gallery for details of the upgrade

For further information about Digibase, please contact Digidesign.
Gallery are not able to provide any technical support for Digibase.

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