still can’t figure out XDCAM EX audio import

[David Zierott]

Dave,
Any insights into the file import problem after attending the CS6 workshop?

I now have CS6 and I tried using Prelude as an ingest utility in hopes that it would solve the one audio channel problem. No luck. Imports and exports with only one channel.

Unfortunately, I have a project with footage from a month ago that I will be editing next week. I checked it. One channel audio. I no longer have the footage on an SxS card. When I import it into Sony clip Browser, it will do so one clip at a time.
So, I’ll now have to do 40 clips, one at a time to get the four channels of audio recorded.

David

[Dave Fleming]

Not exactly…I did get to speak with some senior Adobe engineers about the problem and got the offer to FTP them some footage for them to have a look at. So, there’s hope on the horizon, I’m just not there yet.

When you describe the issue with Sony, I just want to make sure we’re on the same page. You’re using XDCAM Browser (v.2.1), right? I ask because Sony’s clip browser app has been outmoded for a while now and they advised everyone to only use XDCAM Browser. When I use that, I lasso all the clips I need and drag them to the new explorer window. I’m just a little unclear on the one clip at a time comment…

df

[David Zierott]

I am using XDCAM browser…ver.2.1.0.303
In its explorer window, my footage folder is marked with an ‘ex’ but branched beneath it, there is another folder marked ‘planning.’ None of the clips in the folder are visible in the viewing pane.
If I try to import, I can only do one clip at a time.
If you shoot me an email, I’ll email back a screen grab of the browser appearance so you can see what I mean.
Mine: dzierott@yahoo.com

[Dave Fleming]

David,

The workflow I’m adopting for archive, etc., is to make sure I use XDCAM Browser to move all media at all times. I know that’s a reiteration of what I had posted earlier, but it’s what is working for me right now.

If I use XDCAM Browser to move my clips to a DVD, formatting the DVD with “live file system” i.e. like a flash drive, then all of my audio information is retained for future use.

The one very disappointing thing about all of this is that I have been unable to get Adobe to admit that this workflow is absolutely necessary with XDCAM EX when capturing 4 mono channels of audio in the camera. They continue to hold to the “just browse and import” philosophy for bringing in media, almost as if they’re just oblivious to the problem.

I know this doesn’t really help you with the stuff you’ve already archived and now trying to restore, but it may help you moving forward.

Dave

[Matt Gelineau]

Hey guys,

Check this out: https://tv.adobe.com/watch/adobe-evangelists-karl-soule/mapping-audio-channels-in-premiere-pro/

Here is the screenshot from my settings:
https://f1.creativecow.net/4785/xdcam-multi-channel-workflow-premiere-pro-cs6‘>4785_screenshot20121011at5.03.14pm.png.zip

I pulled the BPAV folders right off of the cards without using Sony’s Browser and I was able to rescue the audio doing this. Let me know what you think

matt

[Dave Fleming]

Hi Matt,

I watched Karl Soule’s piece on audio mapping. It accurately describes audio mapping and how to customize various audio scenarios, but it doesn’t address my initial problem, which was losing 3 of my 4 discreet mono audio channels if I dragged and dropped the BPAV folder without the help of XDCAM Browser.

I read your post and looked at your screen shot…I guess all I can say is “congratulations” because that’s not what happens with my workflow. To this day, if I drag and drop a BPAV folder to my RAID drive and use media browser to import the clips, I will get 1 mono channel of audio instead of 4. There’s simply no way I can “rescue” the other 3 channels of audio when PPro is telling me point blank that only one mono channel exists.

Is your camera capturing 4 discreet mono channels of audio? Since I haven’t dabbled that much with audio mapping, I can’t tell from your screen shot what’s what.

Dave

[Dave Fleming]

Well, a heck of a long time after this original post, but…a few weeks ago I had a EUREKA moment when working with some XDCAM EX 4-channel audio footage that had been “mis-handled” in Windows Explorer. I felt like I owed a follow up to you guys who had responded back then.

I noticed that the file structure of the botched footage in the CLPR folder was “1001_01″, for example. But, correct footage that contains all 4 discreet audio channels was named ” 1001_01″ (notice the 4 blank spaces prior to the file name). So, basically what is happening is that when XDCAM EX files in the CLPR folder get moved with Windows Explorer instead of Sony XDCAM Browser, Windows collapses the file name and removes the 4 blank spaces and you lose your 4 discreet mono channels.

Not to be outdone, my crack IT guy whipped up a batch file that re-inserts the 4 blank spaces in ALL the files names in the CLPR folders (and subfolders). He used the batch file solution since the problem can’t be corrected within a Windows environment, and because there are so many stinking files to correct!

Once he did that, VOILA, the file structure is restored and the 4 mono audio channels return! After all that, all I can say is Take that Sony and Microsoft and your ridiculous proprietary file structure…

[Sanja Marjanovic]

HI Dave,

Thanks for all your efforts to help with this problem. I am struggling with this as well. I only see 1 channel while I am positive there are 4 channels recorded.
This is how my files are named
CLPR JEN 0017_01 JEN 007_01.MP4

How do you suggest I should rename my files?

I work on Mac using Premiere CC

[Dave Fleming]

Hi Sanja,

I’m not in front of my edit suite right now, so I can’t be of help until tomorrow. My fix was the batch file that my IT guy wrote which restored the file names to include those all-important four blank spaces at the beginning of the file name in the CLPR folder. I will say that you can’t simply add these spaces because (at least in PC-land) the file name will just collapse again.

I can send you the batch file if you want to provide me with an email address. However, you’ll have to use it for a reference only, because as I said it was written for PC, not Mac. If you google creating a batch file in Mac OS, you’ll get some insight.

Dave

[Sanja Marjanovic]

Hi Dave,

Thanks so much for your quick reply. I tried what you suggested and it didn’t work. Now I resolved the problem and it took a while. I am new to using Premiere CC and have been told I would have to take the BPAV files out to the main directory to make them play in Premiere as that was an issue whit some older versions of Premiere in combination with Sony. I did that and to make sure I know where all the BPAV files come from, I added a description next to BPAV name of the folder. THAT WAS A PROBLEM. Premiere CC has no issues with playing these files. Once I put them all back where they belong it all went back to normal. So I guess I learned not to touch the files structure. I am a rookie and am obviously learning on my own mistakes 🙂