I'm editing XAVC in Premiere Pro CC (feel free to move this Mods if should be in the Adobe cc forum) I get four audio tracks, two of which are empty. Is there some setup in the X70 that I can use to just get two? Failing that is there an easy way to get rid of the blank audio tracks in Premiere CC? I cant seem to just delete them.

No way to disable the extra tracks in camera as far as I know. However, in Premiere Pro you can right-click on the source file and select Modify > Audio Channels. From there you can uncheck channels 3 and 4. Alternatively, once you have created a sequence using the source footage you can delete any audio tracks from the timeline that you don't want.

Thanks Mike, finally figured out how to do that. CC seems to have changed lately, everything's different in the sequence header.

I didn't think the X70 could record 4 channels. When I tried the X70 for a day all the files are just 2 channel PCM just like the spec still says and EDIUS shows only two channels present on the XAVC-L files I shot. I checked spec and it does not even have Dolby 5.1 for AVCHD which the consumer cameras have and would give 4 channels. Must be a Premiere issue ?

Ron Evans

All my XAVC files have 4 audio channels, but of course you can only record to two of them. Perhaps EDIUS detects 3 and 4 as empty and discards?

I just opened up an MXF file copied straight from the X70 to my Mac, and opened it up in MediaInfo which confirms 4 channels of audio:

General
Complete name : ...../Clip0001.MXF
Format : MXF
Format version : 1.3
Format profile : OP-1a
Format settings : Closed / Complete
File size : 682 MiB
Duration : 1mn 50s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 51.9 Mbps
Encoded date : 2015-09-29 15:28:44.000
Writing application : Sony Mem 2.00

Video
ID : 2
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High 4:2:2@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=15
Format settings, wrapping mode : Frame
Codec ID : 0D01030102106001-0401020201316001
Duration : 1mn 50s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 47.3 Mbps
Maximum bit rate : 50.0 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:2
Bit depth : 10 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.761
Stream size : 621 MiB (91%)
Transfer characteristics : BT.709

Audio #1
ID : 3
Format : PCM
Format settings, Endianness : Little
Format settings, wrapping mode : Frame (AES)
Codec ID : 0D01030102060300-0402020101000000
Duration : 1mn 50s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 152 Kbps
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 24 bits
Stream size : 15.1 MiB (2%)

Audio #2
ID : 4
Format : PCM
Format settings, Endianness : Little
Format settings, wrapping mode : Frame (AES)
Codec ID : 0D01030102060300-0402020101000000
Duration : 1mn 50s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 152 Kbps
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 24 bits
Stream size : 15.1 MiB (2%)

Audio #3
ID : 5
Format : PCM
Format settings, Endianness : Little
Format settings, wrapping mode : Frame (AES)
Codec ID : 0D01030102060300-0402020101000000
Duration : 1mn 50s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 152 Kbps
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 24 bits
Stream size : 15.1 MiB (2%)

Audio #4
ID : 6
Format : PCM
Format settings, Endianness : Little
Format settings, wrapping mode : Frame (AES)
Codec ID : 0D01030102060300-0402020101000000
Duration : 1mn 50s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 152 Kbps
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 24 bits
Stream size : 15.1 MiB (2%)

Other #1
ID : 1-Material
Type : Time code
Format : MXF TC
Time code of first frame : 00:28:15;07
Time code settings : Material Package
Time code, striped : Yes

Other #2
ID : 1-Source
Type : Time code
Format : MXF TC
Time code of first frame : 00:28:15;07
Time code settings : Source Package
Time code, striped : Yes

Other #3
ID : 7
Format : Acquisition Metadata
Muxing mode : Ancillary data / RDD 18
Duration : 1mn 50s
Frame rate : 29.970 fps

Other #4
Type : Time code
Format : SMPTE TC
Muxing mode : SDTI
Time code of first frame : 00:28:15;07

I looked at the files again with Catalyst Browse and as you say it shows 4 channels. Took into a stereo project in EDIUS and it only had the 2 channels with audio even though I know that a 5.1 file will place the other channels even in a stereo project. Created a 4 channel project and the other X70 channels appeared with no data !! I wonder if this is an MXF spec issue even though the X70 only records 2 there are 4 in wrapper.

Ron Evans

I think the MXF spec is 4 channels as was common with XDCAM MXF.
In FCPX there's a input setting that automatically removes empty audio channels.
If that's not enabled I see 4 channels when importing XAVC-L as well.
I don't think this is an issue (bug) so much much as the nature of Sony's MXF spec which must be complaint with their other cameras.