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4 channel mono export, 16 bit
HI All
I wanted to force FCP X to my will today … but failed. I’m hoping one of you guys or gals might be able to show me the way.
Basically I needed to quickly export an SD video to (optical) XDCAM disc. Sony Content Browser is the current way forward with FCP X, or so I understand it. So I dropped my clip into an FCPX project, hit the Share > Master File option and tried to set it up to export with all the settings I needed for an XDCAM SD compliant export to my attached deck … in this case that needed to be DVCAM PAL Anamorphic format with 4 mono channels of 16 bit audio. Everything went swimmingly re the interfacing with Content Browser Exporter bit, but forcing the export to adhere to the needed export format specs? Nightmare.
Try as I might I could not find a way to create an export setting that would give me 4 channels of mono audio from my simple stereo source. I could choose the Multitrack output option and “Add Track” to my hearts content, but FCPX just seemed to override that and only creates tracks based on active role assignment … and even if I assigned the same role to each track it still automagically only created a single track for any given role. On top of that I eventually figured out that FCP X can’t do 16 bit audio anyway (24 bit only) …
… So scratch that. I decided to give Send to Compressor a try instead. I set up a preset to convert to Quicktime DV PAL Anamorphic w/ Audio to 16 bit Mono … all good … but still couldn’t find a way to simply create a 4 channel output from my 2 channel source ie Channels 1 and 2 taking Stereo L and R respectively and Channels 3 & 4 preferably just being empty.
It was a bit disappointing, admittedly mostly because I wasted so much time trying and failing to make it work!
On reflection I’m guessing that one way would be to create some dummy audio and assign that audio to some dummy roles, add that to my project (sequence) and then assign those roles to my additional dummy audio tracks in the export dialog … but holy hell this seems like an awful lot of work for what was ostensibly meant to be a quick and simple export to deck operation. Would that be the only way?
I was hoping to be able to just set up an export template and teach some non-editors to be able to do this as and when necessary . In the end I just had to give in and show them how to do it in FCP7 using an older laptop / install, which was luckily still an option. I’m really hoping that one of you kind folks will show me a way to do this quickly and simply in FCP X instead tho. I’m trying to put the FCP 7 system out to pasture.
Many many thanks in advance
Andy -
29 Replies
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I’ve been exporting 4 channels of audio ever since FCPX came up with “Roles”.
I just did a test, and it was fairly easy to export, add an audio track, then select which audio roles I wanted to go to the new channel.
If you ever have a need for any stem audio, why not put some of that onto 3 and 4. You can Easily send any role to any channels.
In this one, I have all the roles sent to ch 1 and ch 2, soundbites to 3 and dialogue to 4.When you assign roles to the audio channels you’re exporting, the roles in the pulldown menu toggle when you select them so you can assign more than one role to each channel.
As for the 16 bit audio vs the 24 bit, you will probably need to create a compressor template for that.
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Don’t live your life in a secondary storyline.Mark Morache
FCPX/FCP7/Xpri/Avid
Evening Magazine,Seattle, WA
https://fcpx.wordpress.com -
Mark,
I don’t think Andy is looking to export four discrete mono “stems.” If this was the case you’ve explained how to do it.
Andy, you mention:
“… but still couldn’t find a way to simply create a 4 channel output from my 2 channel source ie Channels 1 and 2 taking Stereo L and R respectively and Channels 3 & 4 preferably just being empty.”
Can you elaborate? What would be the purpose of the empty channels (3+4)?
-paul.
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I understand that. I was simply stating that the 3rd and 4th channels could be stem tracks. It may be more useful than simply duplicating the L and R stereo tracks.
The photo in my post shows all roles going out to channels 1 and 2, and single roles going out to 3 and 4.
I believe that Andy was just looking for a way to create a 4 channel clip so that he could conform it to the XDcam format and save it on a disc.
I find that monitoring all the roles in my timeline takes some time, but works fairly well when I’m paying attention to it as I edit.
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Don’t live your life in a secondary storyline.Mark Morache
FCPX/FCP7/Xpri/Avid
Evening Magazine,Seattle, WA
https://fcpx.wordpress.com -
Andy,
Actually I don’t think you need to do anything with roles.I made a custom quicktime movie setting in compressor. SD anamorphic video with this audio setting:
Added that Compression Setting as a a share destination in FCP X. Exported a stereo clip and 4 channels of audio. 1&2 stereo, 3&4 stereo but blank.
Is this what you were looking for?
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T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque -
I believe that Andy was just looking for a way to create a 4 channel clip so that he could conform it to the XDcam format and save it on a disc.
Ah. I see and makes sense. Looks like T. came up with a viable solution …
-paul.
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So I am completely ignorant of XDCAM and didn’t even realize there was a SD format. So did a bit of looking here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XDCAM#XDCAM_Formats
It said that the SD MPEG IMX format (which is built into FCP X) can accept 8 ch/16 bit/48 kHz or 4 ch/24 bit/48 kHz.
Did you happen to try exporting straight to IMX, without bothering with the 4 channels of audio? (You need to have a SD project or compound clip to see the IMX options).
If you do need the 4 channels, you could drop an audio clip on your timeline, assign it a different role, like effects and lower the volume all the way and get 2 stereo channels. Like this:
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T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque -
Hi Mark
Thanks for that. That’s pretty much exactly what I’d tried … in the first attempt I just exported with additional tracks that were intentionally left blank (Fig 1) but those were ignored by the export process; in a second attempt I assigned the existing roles to the extra tracks (Fig 2) but it appears I convinced myself that that didn’t work either … I just tried it again now (at home) and it worked a treat. Darn it.
I’m guessing I threw myself off because the actual export to XDCAM still failed due to the 24 bit audio vs 16 bit audio issue … but still, my concern was that I wasn’t getting 4 channels despite setting them up.
Clearly my mistake, and apologies to all for the misdirection.
I may yet be able to bend this to my will! 🙂
Cheers
Andy -
Hey Tim
Thanks for taking the time, it’s much appreciated.
My playback deck is a PDW F70, which for XDCAM SD formats only supports playback of DVCAM, so IMX mastering was not an option in this case.
I did already try one direct to Compressor “4 channel” export settings option (I used the “Quadraphonic” setting) but that identified itself as such in the resulting file and so Content Browser Exporter still failed as it wasn’t getting the explicit 4 mono channel audio file it was demanding. I’ll give that 4 channel (L,R, C, Cs) option a try tho, its worth a shot …
Cheers
Andy -
MXF4mac has appropriate presets for this if it is something that you need.
It is not free.
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Thanks Jeremy,
In this case a value added third party based MXF export solution is not what I’m looking for … at this point it’s more an exercise in trying to find a way to make FCP X work for me as is, after all I’m only trying to do what is essentially a relatively simple export to a DV Quicktime movie (the rewrap to MXF and subsequent transfer to XDCAM disc is all handled by Sony’s Content Browser app).
That said, I certainly appreciate the heads up. Much obliged.
Cheers
Andy
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