Splitting an audio track L/R in Premiere at DVinfo.net

David Beisner · August 20th, 2008, 12:50 PM

Ok, maybe I'm just really dumb, but I can't figure out how to split my stereo audio track into two mono tracks in Premiere. Using an XHA1 I had a wireless mic on one channel and a shotgun mic on the second channel and I can't figure out how to get those onto separate mono channels in Premiere so that I can run different effects on them. I can hear the wireless in the right speaker and the shotgun in the left speaker, which I don't want... i want to be able to get the mics each centered and mixed differently.... how do you do that in premiere CS3?

David Beisner · August 20th, 2008, 01:46 PM

Well, don't know if this is the best or only way to do it, but I answered my own question... right click on the audio track and hit "export to Soundbooth" and then "render and replace" in Soundbooth click "file" "export" and then "export to mono files." Then just go back over into Premiere, import the two mono files to your project window and then you can drop them into the timeline in place of the original stereo track.

Mike Beckett · August 20th, 2008, 01:47 PM

David,

I had this problem just the other day, it was the first time I'd tried to split audio.

My struggle was that I tried to do it in the timeline, but you can't. It's obvious when you know how - but you have to do it in the source bin.

1. Select your video track
2. Go to the clip menu, then Audio options, then break out to mono.

Hey presto! A .left and .right track appear.

You can also use the same menu to extract a complete audio track from the video (i.e. a stereo track) and you can do the same breakout to mono on this .wav file or any stereo .wav or .mp3 you import.

Bill Engeler · August 21st, 2008, 01:38 PM

"Breakout to mono" or using of audio mapping will work for clips you haven't yet put in a timeline, but once a clip is in the timeline, you can use effects to do what you need.

Once a clip is in a timeline, you can use the audio affect " Fill Left/Right" to hear one track or the other.

Alt-click on the audio track, then right-click "Copy". Now click on the header of an unused audio track to select it. Set the timeline cursor to the start of the clip, then Control-V to paste. You will now have two identical audio tracks in the timeline. In Audio Effects/Stereo, apply Fill Left to one track, the Fill Right to the other.

Bart Walczak · August 22nd, 2008, 03:27 AM

Select clip in the bin, go to Clip->Audio->Source Channel Mapping

Works only when the clip is not on the timeline yet. Otherwise you have to use fill right and fill left filters.

August 20th, 2008, 12:50 PM	#1
David Beisner Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dayton, TN (USA) Posts: 219	Splitting an audio track L/R in Premiere Ok, maybe I'm just really dumb, but I can't figure out how to split my stereo audio track into two mono tracks in Premiere. Using an XHA1 I had a wireless mic on one channel and a shotgun mic on the second channel and I can't figure out how to get those onto separate mono channels in Premiere so that I can run different effects on them. I can hear the wireless in the right speaker and the shotgun in the left speaker, which I don't want... i want to be able to get the mics each centered and mixed differently.... how do you do that in premiere CS3? __________________ David Beisner Media Specialist, Bryan College, Dayton, TN -- www.bryan.edu

August 20th, 2008, 01:46 PM	#2
David Beisner Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dayton, TN (USA) Posts: 219	Well, don't know if this is the best or only way to do it, but I answered my own question... right click on the audio track and hit "export to Soundbooth" and then "render and replace" in Soundbooth click "file" "export" and then "export to mono files." Then just go back over into Premiere, import the two mono files to your project window and then you can drop them into the timeline in place of the original stereo track. __________________ David Beisner Media Specialist, Bryan College, Dayton, TN -- www.bryan.edu

August 20th, 2008, 01:47 PM	#3
Mike Beckett Trustee Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Antrim, Northern Ireland Posts: 1,569	David, I had this problem just the other day, it was the first time I'd tried to split audio. My struggle was that I tried to do it in the timeline, but you can't. It's obvious when you know how - but you have to do it in the source bin. 1. Select your video track 2. Go to the clip menu, then Audio options, then break out to mono. Hey presto! A .left and .right track appear. You can also use the same menu to extract a complete audio track from the video (i.e. a stereo track) and you can do the same breakout to mono on this .wav file or any stereo .wav or .mp3 you import. __________________ Irish Railway Videos on Youtube

August 21st, 2008, 01:38 PM	#4
Bill Engeler Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Brussels, Belgium Posts: 162	"Breakout to mono" or using of audio mapping will work for clips you haven't yet put in a timeline, but once a clip is in the timeline, you can use effects to do what you need. Once a clip is in a timeline, you can use the audio affect " Fill Left/Right" to hear one track or the other. Alt-click on the audio track, then right-click "Copy". Now click on the header of an unused audio track to select it. Set the timeline cursor to the start of the clip, then Control-V to paste. You will now have two identical audio tracks in the timeline. In Audio Effects/Stereo, apply Fill Left to one track, the Fill Right to the other.

August 22nd, 2008, 03:27 AM	#5
Bart Walczak Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Warsaw/Poland Posts: 716	Select clip in the bin, go to Clip->Audio->Source Channel Mapping Works only when the clip is not on the timeline yet. Otherwise you have to use fill right and fill left filters.