Linking mono channels into stereo pair changes pan setting.

[David Roth weiss]

I’ve read and reread your question several times Alex and it’s not exactly making sense.

1. You say you are “copying” a mono channel… Copying isn’t really very specific and doesn’t really mean much in the context in which you ‘re using it. Copying from where to where?

2. And, you said you linking “the channels” as a stereo pair. Where did the second channel come from?

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.

[Alex Bluffield]

OK David, just to clarify – I’m copying an audio clip from A1 to A2 – sorry in my post I said a ‘channel’. Radio mics only record one mono channel – so the sound always needs doubling up. I link the 2 clips as a stereo pair – Option + L – this makes further audio edits easier as any edits affect the pair rather than dealing with 2 independent clips. When you link as a stereo pair the pan setting changes from 0 to -1. That’s the bit that’s throwing me!

Alex Bluffield
Final Cut Pro Editor
W: https://www.a2bpostproduction.co.uk

[David Roth weiss]

[Alex Bluffield] “Radio mics only record one mono channel – so the sound always needs doubling up. “

I thought that’s where you might be heading Alex. There’s absolutely no need whatsoever to double up a mono track. That’s a very common error that many people make and it’s unnecessary extra work. If you need more volume, just add the Gain filter which can be found in Audio Filters>>Final Cut Pro>>Gain.

FCP is in fact properly panning tracks that you designate as stereo, as a stereo pair is comprised of two non-identical discrete tracks that are linked. Working with single, center panned mono tracks will save you time and headaches.

Hope this helps…

David

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.

[Alex Bluffield]

Thanks David. I’ve noticed FCP also pans AIFF music clips when I lay them in the timeline – these are proper stereo clips. It shows -1 in pan setting. Why? I’m not sure I’m understanding what’s going on with panning here. If I was creating a mix where I wanted certain sounds panned left or right, then yes I’d pan them all the way over. But why does it do this for music tracks – surely they’re balanced already & the pan should be 0?! Am I missing something or is a fcp bug?

Alex Bluffield
Final Cut Pro Editor
W: https://www.a2bpostproduction.co.uk

[David Roth weiss]

[Alex Bluffield] “why does it do this for music tracks – surely they’re balanced already & the pan should be 0?!”

As I mentioned in my last post, stereo tracks, such as music, are comprised of two different and separate (i.e. discreet) audio tracks that are grouped together as a stereo pair, because most often the levels of both tracks are adjusted at the same time. They are however panned hard right and hard left in order to keep R&L channels routed separately from each other, and routed unmixed to the speakers and all audio devices, because center panning would mix the two channels together, sending both to the right and both to the left, creating a mono mix. The idea is to keep them completely isolated, yet simultaneously controllable. Does this help?

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.

[Nick Meyers]

the panning indicator in the viewer can be a little confusing.

on single track MONO clips it makes perfect sense.

on stereo clips, -1 means left is panned left, and right is paned right,
so that’s what you want to see most of the time.

+1 means the panning is flipped.

as i said “the panning indicator in the viewer can be a little confusing.”
but just listen to the clip, already!

cheers,
nick