Editing a concert & work with 5.1 sound

[Arvid Unsgaard]

Soon I will edit a concert. The music will be mixed in 5.1 sound.

I will edit at the same time in Final Cut Pro 2 with a crash mix.

Later I will get the 5.1 sound from the mixer guy - Can I just import the sound files directly into FCP - can FCP handle 5.1 sound.

Do you have any tip for the best workflow for me.

Thanks

[Emre Safak]

The obvious thing is to make sure you have a calibrated 5.1 setup!

[Steve Oakley]

yes, I've done 5.1 in FCP but - you have to manaully assign each track to a specifica hardware out channel. you also have to agree on channel assignment order. FCP DVDSP likes LF, CF, RF, LR, RR, sub while Adobe chose LF RF C sub Lr Rr. both are "standard" channel assigns. ask the mixer to hand you off each channel as its own Aiff labeled for which channel it is and you should be fine. you should setup FCP to match DVD SP's preffered channel assigns, but it is possible when using compressor to generate the AAC file to manually bring each Aiff into the proper channel. ... and 48K 16bit minimum, but that shouldn't be a problem

[Arvid Unsgaard]

Originally Posted by Emre Safak

The obvious thing is to make sure you have a calibrated 5.1 setup!

What do you mean with that?

[Arvid Unsgaard]

Originally Posted by Steve Oakley

yes, I've done 5.1 in FCP but - you have to manaully assign each track to a specifica hardware out channel. you also have to agree on channel assignment order. FCP DVDSP likes LF, CF, RF, LR, RR, sub while Adobe chose LF RF C sub Lr Rr. both are "standard" channel assigns. ask the mixer to hand you off each channel as its own Aiff labeled for which channel it is and you should be fine. you should setup FCP to match DVD SP's preffered channel assigns, but it is possible when using compressor to generate the AAC file to manually bring each Aiff into the proper channel. ... and 48K 16bit minimum, but that shouldn't be a problem

Ok so I should tell the mixer guy to give me 5 aiff sound files + 1 aiff sub file.

But how do I assign to a specific hardware out channel in FCP?

In Soundtrack you can do this I think easy but Ihave never seen this one in FCP.

I must do two things - One DVD and one Digibeta master.

How do I do when to get the 5.1 sound to a digibeta?

Is it possible?

[Steve Oakley]

Originally Posted by Arvid Unsgaard

Ok so I should tell the mixer guy to give me 5 aiff sound files + 1 aiff sub file.

6 Aiff files which are named for the channels they are

Originally Posted by Arvid Unsgaard

But how do I assign to a specific hardware out channel in FCP?

FCP6 has a preset already to get you started. Select a TL, hit Command 0 for TL settings. go to the Audio Output tab and select 5.1 preset.
Then you MUST go into the TL itself, right click on the left most area of the audio tracks and a pop-up menu will now appear. in it you can now assign each track to a hardware channel.

if you don't like the FCP preset, go to User Prefs-> TAB Audio Outputs anc create a new preset to assign *FCP* channels to *hardware* Channels.

I'm using a MOTU 896HD for 5.1 mixing & recording.With that hardware, the MOTU uses CH1 and CH2 as the stereo out channels, and CH1 of the discreet outputs maps to CH3, therefore FCP Ch1 goes to MOTU CH3. just add 2. other hardware devices may be the same, they may be different where the indivdual I/O start at 1, and the summed stereo pair is CH 9 and 10.

Originally Posted by Arvid Unsgaard

I must do two things - One DVD and one Digibeta master. How do I do when to get the 5.1 sound to a digibeta?

thats easy. must be a 1/2 dozen different ways to do it.

1. DUPLICATE your TL. in the *duplicate * TL, change your audio outs from 5.1 to stereo. You NOT done. you must now check pans and mix levels because when you double a track up that went to say, F and R Right, they are now 6db louder. you may need to kill some tracks, or mix them down lower.

2. with most multi channel hardware devices, they have automatic mixdown to 2 outputs for monitoring, but you may have level problems, but see #1

3. Ask the audio guy to provide a stereo mix as the easiest way.

4. use a hardware mixer to combine everything, and preferably not a cheap one!

5. Send 5.1 to soundtrack and mixdown to stereo AIFF there

6. hmmm you turn ! there are plenty of ways to do it.

[Arvid Unsgaard]

Do I need to have MOTU 896HD for doing what you say?

[Steve Oakley]

if you want to listen to 5.1 sound you need some kind of audio out with at least 6 analog outs to feed the speakers. I got the motu because it can record 8 mics in at mic level. most devices only give you 2 or 4 mic level ins. there are any number of multi track audio IO units. you also of course have to have speakers, and have them set up accordingly. if this is a one time thing, you might be better off to just live with stereo out, but check the mix at the guy doing the mix so you at least heard it once in 5.1. to set up a full 5.1 environment, its a couple of grand on the low end. best cheap speakers I've tested at M-audio BX5a's which are self powered. a pair is $300, but only sold in pairs. they are good for dialog, very clean, but not a lot of bottom. Many other speakers in the same price range up to $500/pair where muddy sounding, or just not very clean for dialog. next step up was dyna audio somethings at $500 each X 5.
and don't forget a sub woofer which I've had for years.

[Arvid Unsgaard]

Thanks Steve for your great help.

[Emre Safak]

Originally Posted by Arvid Unsgaard

What do you mean with that?

It means having positioned your speakers properly and set to the right volume.

[Arvid Unsgaard]

ok, I see, thanks.