XDCAM video to ProRes via Streamclip results in mixed audio

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XDCAM video to ProRes via Streamclip results in mixed audio

Posted by Jason Eng on May 3, 2013 at 6:38 am

Apologies if this is the wrong place to post this question.

I’d like my XDCAM->ProRes converted files to have the same audio tracks as the original files, or just the lav mic audio, with minimal steps involved.

Here’s the explanation:

I have to convert footage to ProRes for a client. I take my EX1R footage(1920×1080 25fps) and convert with MPEG Streamclip to ProRes 422 (LT). The original files have one audio track from the lav mic (a1), and the other audio track is the camera mic (a2).

The resulting ProRes LT files have two audio tracks which are identical; it sounds like the lav and camera mics have been mixed down to mono and duplicated on the a1 and a2 channels.

Is there a way to isolate the lav mic track or delete the camera mic, then do the conversion?

I’ve solved this problem using an extra step, by opening the files first in QuickTime 7 Pro, deleting the a2 channel, saving as a reference file and then putting the reference file into Streamclip. The result is great – two duplicate audio tracks sourced from only the lav mic. But can I save the extra step, or use a different converter (beside QuickTime 7 Pro?) I tested with Apple Compressor 3.5, but the audio controls in the ProRes export setting (Pass-through/Enabled/Disabled) don’t do what I want.

Thanks for listening!

MacBook Pro 17″ 2.2 GHz core i7
FCP 7.0, Streamclip Version 1.9.2 (1.9.2)
Footage: XDCAM 1920×1080 25 fps MPEG-2 video, Linear PCM

Brent Dunn replied 13 years ago 3 Members · 3 Replies
3 Replies

Don Greening
May 3, 2013 at 8:55 pm

[jason eng] “I tested with Apple Compressor 3.5, but the audio controls in the ProRes export setting (Pass-through/Enabled/Disabled) don’t do what I want.”

I’ve always had good results with Compressor keeping the original channels separate during a transcode. I’m using Compressor 4 but I never had any issues with version 3x either, so I don’t know what is happening at your end. I just tanscoded a ton of XDCAM EX footage to ProRes 422 and the lav channel is not mixed with the on-camera mic at all.

– Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com
Jason Eng
May 4, 2013 at 4:21 am

Thanks Don. Senior moment. I misunderstood the “pass-through” setting. Chose that and it worked fine. I think Streamclip won’t do what I want, so I’ll be using Compressor.
Brent Dunn
May 7, 2013 at 5:13 pm

I’m using Final Cut 6 with the XDCam / Canon log and transfer plugin. It works great and has the audio. It won’t work for Final Cut X I hear.

I only use my canon DSLR 60D and 5D MkII for stream clip. I haven’t paid attention to the audio since that audio is only for reference.

I’m not sure if there is a merging setting for the audio.

Brent Dunn
Owner / Director / Editor
DunnRight Films
DunnRight Video.com
Video Marketing Toolbox.net

Sony EX-1,
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D
Mac Pro
with Final Cut Studio Adobe CS6 Production

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