AES31-3

AES standard for network and file transfer of audio — Audio-file transfer and exchange Part 3: Simple project interchange

The Audio Engineering Society (AES) has standardized an edit data exchange format for audio mixing and work stations. The format is officially titled "AES standard for network and file transfer of audio — Audio-file transfer and exchange Part 3: Simple project interchange" and is more commonly refered to as "Audio Decision List (ADL)", or simply "AES31".

The design is ascii based, provides sample accurate editing and includes file locators within a structure to support exchange between disk based audio systems.

Brooks Harris was Vice Chairman of AES SC06-01, the committee responsible for the development of AES31, and co-author (with SC06-01 Chairman Mark Yonge, then at Solid State Logic, now AES Standards Manager) of the standard. It is now maintained by AES SC-02-08, Working Group on Audio-File Transfer and Exchange.

Mel Lambert wrote a good synopsis of the design effort -
AES31 - Eliminating the File Exchange Conundrum by Mel Lambert

    Standards in Print:

http://www.aes.org/publications/standards/

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AES31-3-2008 AES standard for network and file transfer of audio -- Audio-file transfer and exchange -- Part 3: Simple project interchange

Abstract: This standard provides a convention for expressing edit data in text form for digital audio stored as random access disk files in a manner that enables simple and accurate computer parsing while retaining human readability. It also describes a method for expressing sample-accurate time-code information in character notation, and simple automation for stereo & surround panning and audio gain. (49 pages)

The document is priced at $50 US plus handling for non-AES members at time of this writting.