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4 track MXF encoding for broadcast
Hello all,
I’m having a problem sending a 50 episode series to the national TV station. They required MXF files but rejected my files because they only had 2 tracks and they want 4 tracks, even if the program only has 2 tracks (stereo), apparently for safety during broadcast in case tracks 1 and 2 fail, they can switch to 3 and 4.
So I now re-encoded one episode, duplicating tracks 1-2 onto tracks 3-4. Using FCPX. I duplicated the sound track as a connected clip and used 2 different audio roles to export a 4 track quicktime movie in Prores, and then encoded the 4 track MXF in Compressor.
The TV station accepted this file so all is good… Except that if I now have to do this for 50 episodes it will take hours of tedious work. Surely there’s got to be some kind of utility or plugin that could (batch) duplicate tracks 1-2 of an MXF file onto tracks 3-4 ?? I looked at options in Compressor but couldn’t find anything. Would anyone have a workflow suggestion ? Any help would be greatly appreciated !
Jerome Heiderscheidt
https://www.studio-ubik.com -
4 Replies
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Unfortunately, it’s one file at a time BUT you could easily add another Audio output in the Export window of FCPX instead of duping the audio and assigning new Roles.
So, in the Share window you would Share a master file, choose the option for “Roles as: Multitrack Quicktime Movie”.
Then on the first stereo output, check all the Roles.
On the next stereo output, check all the Roles.
Then delete all the other outputs. It would look something like this:
If your Roles are the same on every Project, you can save a preset. So go to the “roles As” dropdown, click it and choose Save, like this:
Then, you have to go through every program, Share it, click settings, Choose Roles As, and then choose your preset.
This is still tedious, but better than duping all the audio on all the timelines.
Jeremy
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Thank you Jeremy for your reply and for your thorough explanation. I think I will do it that way, it is much faster than what I did.
I’m sure there has to be some kind of batch exporter that would do this automatically. But finding it might take as much time as just doing it this way in FCPX.
Thanks again !
Jerome Heiderscheidt
https://www.studio-ubik.com -
[Jerome Heiderscheidt] “I’m sure there has to be some kind of batch exporter that would do this automatically. But finding it might take as much time as just doing it this way in FCPX.
“Unfortunately, X does not have a batch exporter.
I just want to reiterate, if you end up saving a preset with the four channels (two stereo pairs) just be sure that all the Roles are checked before exporting.
If the Roles differ from Project to Project, then X will leave the new Roles in the next Project unchecked.
It’s still faster this way, then remaking the 4 channels form scratch on every Project.
Hopefully, this aspect of X will get faster as it is needed!
Jeremy
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Oh, yes, of course, I didn’t mean “I’m sure there has to be some kind of batch exporter” IN FCPX , I meant “I’m sure there has to be some kind of batch exporter” SOFTWARE that exists somewhere and can do that (not FCPX).
Thanks again
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