Timeline in PRE7 : Adobe Premiere

Paul,
Thanks,
But it is interesting that I never had this issue with PE 4 and I was mixing the 5.1 with the Stereo . Could I possibly adjust my video camera to do only stereo and not 5.1? I have a Sony mini dvd 403.

Since they have introduced AVCHD editing in PE7 the 5.1 audio has been placed on it's own timeline, PE4 did not support AVCHD.

Not sure if you can capture in stereo... probably best to check the camcorder manual.

Allen,

I believe that you are mistaken about any Adobe product mixing mono, stereo and/or 5.1 Audio sources on the same track. None will. Because of the way that Adobe products handle Audio, these different sources must be kept separate. In the full Premiere line, it has been that way since the beginning (though 5.1 was not available then). Even Premiere Pro CS3 does this. It will "create" an appropriate Audio Track, should one not exist. If there is one, it will first attempt to place the Audio there. It is the same in PE4. As I have never used P Elements prior to version 4, I cannot positively say that previous versions did it the same way, but since much of the various Elements programs are based on what became the Pro series of NLE's, and they could never mix Audio sources, I'd have to say that it is a good assumption that Elements versions < 4 could not do it either.

In Premiere Pro, it's a lot easier to see exactly where the Audio sources are going, than in Elements > 3, because of a different display scheme for the Timeline. With Elements > 3, the program will try to keep the Video & Audio together, thus placing the Audio on an appropriate Audio Track and the Video on "another" Video Track, as you observed. In Pro, you can place the Video of a mux'ed file where ever you like, but the Audio will still go only on an appropriate Audio Track, and one will be created, if it does not exist in the Sequence already.

Your method of un-Linking mux'ed source files is the best method. Paul's method will do the same (using an Audio editor to convert the signal of, say 5.1 to stereo). You have basically demux'ed the combined file into elemental streams.

In Elements > 3, it's hard to tell much about an Audio Track. I do not know if it was easier in 3, or earlier. In Pro, there are "speaker" icons, that tell you the Audio Track layout, mono (one speaker), stereo (two speakers) and 5.1 ("5.1" appears in the Track title). Also, in Pro, you need to establish the Master mix for each Sequence (kinda' think Project in Elements, as a Sequence is a mini-Project within a main Project). My default Sequence is 2 mono, 2 stereo and a 5.1 Master.

Hunt

Paul,
I can't seem to isolate the "work bar area". I have highlighted the audio clip to export-turned it purple- but when I save it- and I DO go to settings and do work area bar only- it renders the entire audio in the timeline instead of just the small part I want. Is that what is supposed to happen? I can't seem to be able to export just the small section I want.
No.2-which file type is the best? Microsoft waveform, Microsoft AVI, Quicktime, or Audio interchange file format. It seems that the default is Microsft waveform.
Thanks

I believe that you are mistaken about any Adobe product mixing mono, stereo
and/or 5.1 Audio sources on the same track. None will. Because of the
way that Adobe products handle Audio, these different sources must be
kept separate




Tha statement is not true when it comes to prior versions on Premiere Emelemts. Up through version 4, you can mix stereo and mono sound on the same teack. It always worked that way.

The work bar area is the grey bar above the timeline with handles one each end. drag the handles so just the clip with the audio you want to export is selected.

You need to go File>Export>Audio.. the default audio export option should be fine.

JohhnyO,

My assumption, based on the engine in Pro, was absolutely incorrect, as was my assertion that PE would not mix Audio file sources. I just Imported one each, mono, stereo and 5.1 (AC3) into PE and all were allowed on the same Audio Track. Elements does not seem to mind. Big surprise for me. Totaly unlike Pro! I stand very corrected. Does anyone know if there are differences in PE7, regarding this behvoir?

Now, what happens with mux'ed files? Does it still behave that way? I only tried PE4 with elemental Audio streams. I'll create a series of mux'ed source files and see what happens.

Thanks for the correction,

Hunt

Just did the test with mux'ed files. All Imported fine, and all went onto Video & Audio Tracks 1. One thing that I did notice was that the mono mux'ed Audio Track became stereo, when placed on the Timeline (actually, dual-mono, but a second Channel was created.). I found this to be strange. Also, the 5.1 characteristics of the AC3 (mux'ed MPG file) were lost completely and a stereo Audio Track was created for it, as well. The spatial placement of sounds in the AC3 Export were lost in PE4.

Went back to my mono WAV file and when it was placed on the Timeline, it too became a dual-mono (2 Channel) Audio file.

This indicates to me, that PE doesn't directly work with some Audio sources, but makes a change. Checking the true mono Audio file in the Source Monitor indicates that this conversion is done upon Import, as the file is 2-channel from the Project Panel.

I cannot seem to get a mono file to stay mono (1 Channel), as at some point, it's duplicated into 2-channel by PE.

Note: all of these files do come into Pro with their proper settings for Audio: mono, stereo and 5.1 AC3. PE doesn't seem to care, as it makes the Audio source 2-channel, regardless of the type that they are in originally.

Interesting.

Went back to my Project with the elemental Audio streams and there too, the mono became 2-channel, and the 5.1 AC3 became stereo. I had not noticed this when first testing.

It also does not seem possible to set the Master Mix-down for a Project in PE. Maybe by building "custom" pre-sets, or something. In Pro, this is done with the creation of the Sequences, after setting the initial Master in the Project. PE4 just assumes that you want 2-channel Audio, regardless of whether it's dual-mono, or stereo. Maybe PE7 does something different with 5.1 source files. I don't have it, so cannot test.

Hunt

As I said in an earlier post Adobe had to put 5.1 audio on a seperate track because of the AVCHD support. Not exactly sure what the issue was but there were a number of issues with AVCHD 5.1 audio in a mixed format audio timeline.