X70 4 audio tracks?

[Andy Wason]

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.

[Mike Buckhout]

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.

[Andy Wason]

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

[Ron Evans]

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

[Mike Buckhout]

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

[Ron Evans]

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

[Craig Seeman]

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.