converting mono left audio to both channels

[Mark Lewis]

My recording setup leads to recording everything audio on the left channel, zero information in right channel.

I am looking for a Pr way to
1) duplicate the left channel to the right channel, (prefererred)
2) make the audio channel in question mono - centered/balance. (OK)

I can open the audio in Sb-soundforge and make these changes, but would prefer not to be moving back and forth between programs for a sequence with 20 clips.

Anyone have any good news for me? :-)

[Oren Arieli]

Search for Audio Effects: Fill Left (to duplicate Left channel) or Fill Right (to duplicate Right). Use both f/x to do a mono. Or duplicate the audio track, making one of them Left only and the other Right only which will allow you to ride the mix better.

[Roger Averdahl]

Originally Posted by Mark Lewis

Anyone have any good news for me? :-)

Yes, read about Source Channel Mapping in the help file. :)

In CS4 you can set the Source Channel Mapping either per clip or on all media you import. So, if you set it to Mono you will see two audio tracks for the clip, one left and one right and your left channel will play out in both left and right speakers by default. Just delete the right empty clip from your Timeline. Fill Right/Fill Left are good, but using it on all clips in a project is a pain and messy and should be avoided imo. Source Channel Mapping is superiour to Fill Right/Fill Left.

Source Channel Mapping only takes effect on unused clips, clips that are not yet placed on the Timeline. When you set it in Pr's Preferences it takes effect upon import of clips.

[Mark Lewis]

Thank you so much! It is so easy once you know, but throw the cat across the room when you don't - did I say that? :-)

[Mark Lewis]

It seems the preferences settings are for capture and import. That will be great for my future projects. For my current projects, it seems my best choice is to duplicate the audio channel, then swap channels on the second track to create a stereo track. Amd I missing something, or is there a way to make it mono?

Thanks!

[Roger Averdahl]

Originally Posted by Mark Lewis

For my current projects, it seems my best choice is to duplicate the audio channel, then swap channels on the second track to create a stereo track.

My last scentence was not so clear about current projects, but thats what i meant. :)

If you use Fill Left to fill the left channel into the right you already got the left audio in left *and* in the right. You wrote earlier that you have zero information in the right channel, so i see no reason to create new tracks. Or did i miss something?

By using Fill Left you achive the goal to play the audio in both left and right speaker.

[Mark Lewis]

Ahhhh, you are right! I had expected to get some type of visual confirmation that the audio track had doubled to the other channel. It created the stereo effect, but left the audio track looking the same. I hadn't actually played it back, only looked at the still empty right channel. Oops!

Thanks, much easier, and I can just add that to my stock preset.

[Mark Lewis]

OK. I have a project I really want Mono audio on (actually several).
I currently have stereo (or I have left channel full, and left fill full, so it sounds stereo). Thanks Roger and Oren for that!

I tried moving the source clips, so that PP4 would have to find them and re-import them as mono (my new "auto" preference setting), but it didn't re-import them, just re-linked them.

I can reimport them, but I will lose all the trim work I have done in the completed timeline projects.

Anyone have any creative ideas?

Thanks!

[Roger Averdahl]

Originally Posted by Mark Lewis

I can reimport them, but I will lose all the trim work I have done in the completed timeline projects.

What are you trying to achive? :)

The source clips have an empty right audio channel and it will always be empty in every project no matter how the edits are done in previous projects with the same source clips.

If you want to have access to the clips (trimed with correct audio) from the Timeline in a old Project in a new Project, just create a new Project and go to File > Import and import the .prproj-file, IE import the old Project into a new Project.

[Mark Lewis]

Roger, thanks for trying.
to tie up any loose ends for future readers who have similar questions.
1) If you import a video file with audio all in one track (right) and zero in left track,
1a) AND you import the file with the preference>audio on "stereo" - use the "fill left" stereo audio effect on the clip to get full stereo effect.
1b) AND you import the file with the preference>audio on "mono", the clip will have two audio tracks associated with it. one empty, one full "mono". The sound that comes out of your system will sound EXACTLY the same as if you use the "fill left" effect described in 1a. (in my audio editing program, the "mono" effect sounds completely different than the stereo effect, but not in PP4. It is that "different" sound that I was hoping to get that led me to start this thread.)

2) if you have a sequence in one project that has only one channel (1a) and you import it into a new project
2a) AND your settings are preferences>audio "mono" - the clips in the imported sequence will have one audio track with zero information/sound.
2b) AND your settings are preferences>audio "stereo" - the clips in the imported sequence will have the same characteristics as in the original sequence/project you imported it from.

3) if you have existing sequences in the 1a condition, and you want them to be mono rather than "fill left" stereo
3a) Don't bother, because "mono" doesn't make it sound any different than fill left stereo!
3b) open the audio track in the audio editor of your choice, convert it to mono, then re-import and do your best to sync those puppies up.

If anyone else has addition ideas/instructions, I welcome them. Otherwise, thanx y'all (Roger especially) for the help!