a) In VLC I can choose to play Audio Track 1 or 2, and
b) I have converted it myself with ffmpeg from stereo into double mono.

:P

Hi

@Hackemesser

Is this topic related to your post here about wanting a German and English audio track selectable on playback?

John EB

Hi.

@Hackemesser

You say,

 I have converted it myself with ffmpeg from stereo into double mono

If the file was indeed "stereo" then unless you have mixed down/converted it first to ONE mono file and then duplicated that one file to create your "double mono", each of your files actually contains only one half of the original "stereo".

Jeff

If the file was indeed "stereo" then unless you have mixed down/converted it first to ONE mono file and then duplicated that one file to create your "double mono", each of your files actually contains only one half of the original "stereo".

Jeff

😞 https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/AudioChannelManipulation#stereo2monostreams

the question is not really how I made the file but how I can make the second mono audio stream appear in MEPP.

Is this topic related to your about wanting a German and English audio track selectable on playback?

No. That other question was just curiosity. Here I actually work on sound optimization. The HD Camcorder recorded two mono streams in a stereo signal. I have split this back into two mono streams in a fresh MP4 container. I expected to see one video and two audio tracks after import into MEPP but there was only one, and it was not the preferred one.

Cheers,

Kai

I still do not understand why you have created two identical mono audio streams, apparently with the purpose of "sound optimisation". In my opinion/experience, your use of the ffmpeg app has somewhat complicated the situation. It is my understanding that most cameras do, indeed, record audio as dual-mono, simply because of the way in which they are designed, but the intention is that the resulting files when exported from the camera should be seen as "stereo".

I apologise if I am missing something obvious, but if I needed to use the same audio track twice I would simply copy the existing video and audio tracks to 2 additional tracks on the timeline, mute the extra video and work on each of the audio tracks in turn. Alternatively, simply ungroup the audio from the video of the original track, taking great care NOT to shift either the audio or the video left or right, copy the existing audio and paste it to a new track, in the exact same position, then regroup the original video and audio, perhaps to include the copied audio track in order to maintain sync. Simply muting/unmuting one of the audio tracks will allow you to work on the other. A final stage of mixing down the audio to wav will produce a single audio file which can then be used for the final export of your video.

Jeff

I still do not understand why you have created two identical mono audio streams

It is because they are of course not identical. The first mono is the original stereo left channel, the second mono is the original right channel. They came from two different mono sources during recording, one is the camera internal mic, the other one was incoming via RF from the theater mixing desk.

The reason why I re-encoded the video having two mono tracks is to avoid having to cope with offsets etc during importing and editing, as you described it yourself, i requires some care to put them manually where they belong.

So back to the original question, does MEPP support import of multitrack A/V files and how, or not and I need to import the tracks manually?

Cheers,

Kai

Hi

. . . . So back to the original question, does MEPP support import of multitrack A/V files and how, or not and I need to import the tracks manually? . . . .

This has already been answered in your other topic 6 days ago - here.

John EB

I don't feel the answer matches this question. Last time I asked if MEPP can export/generate DVD multitrack. This time I asked if I can import multitrack files. But I get the impression the answer is actually the same 😞.

I get the impression the answer is actually the same

It is.

If your computer has a soundcard capable of handling multichannel audio and you import a multichannel audio file, MEP can display each of the separate tracks, I think, but your "multitrack" file is a very different situation; I suspect the file header, which should contain details of exactly what is in the file and how it is "put together", cannot be read or correctly interpreted by MEP.

Jeff

As IT guy I would assume the code reads roughly like "pick the first video track and/or the first audio track" when it processes an import. The headers are standard, else software like VLC would fail, too.

I've started looking into the mixer it supports 5.1 on my card and it would be cool to have the first track on the rear speakers and the second track on the center speaker. but first I create myself a separate wav file from it and import that now.

Hi,

The reason for my question was that I didn't understand about 2 mono tracks in an mp4 file. One stereo with 2 channels, yes. I don't understand why you would do what you did; it just complicates things.

Simply import your original file onto the timeline with video and audio on separate tracks. It should be something like Right - click on the audio object, Audio..., separate audio channels onto 2 tracks. You will have 2 mono files.

I'm doing this from memory as I'm away from home without my computer. My Surface Pro 4 went into the Sleep of Death and is in the shop to be resurrected.

John CB

Hi

. . . . I've started looking into the mixer it supports 5.1 on my card and it would be cool to have the first track on the rear speakers and the second track on the center speaker. but first I create myself a separate wav file from it and import that now. . . . .

What is the final purpose target audience of doing this ?

AFAICS what you are trying to do is contrary to the standards for the use of stereo and surround sound channels and for mp4 files.

. . . . "pick the first video track and/or the first audio track" when it processes an import . . . .

Not quite - it imports the primary audio track. Secondary audio streams are classed as 'private streams' in the mp4 container. If players and other software such as MEP, do not support private streams they are ignored.

John EB

The project is about recorded lectures of a few people during an event in April, and I prepare the material for youtube and a DVD set. I was not recording, but I do the cutting and finalizing. Quite a few things happened sub-optimal with this recordings, and if I would have been responsible for it I would have recorded audio with proper devices, not a plugged in RF microphone in the camcorder. But that is how it is now. Low budget production.

I can see the workarounds suggested above. But they are just that, workarounds, stealing half a minute here and there. I try to optimize a bit, but that a sequencer can not read or write multiple tracks into containers that clearly support that is a bit sad. I know, the other software can, but I have bought this one now. The hardest part of the software is already done when the software is able to import the first channel. From there on it is just a little code loop to import the other channels, too.

Hi Kai,

I don't see my method as a workaround; it is direct if you use the original recording. It simply puts each channel on a separate mono track and you can edit and mix them separately. There are other things that can be done. Doubleclick on the audio part to open the Sound Optimizer. Go to Stereo FX and open the popdown to see the list.

The one I use the most is to use the left channel for both channels as my screen capture program puts (optionally) microphone one one channel and computer audio on the other channel. I want to hear the mic recording on both channels, usually.

It depends. when I import a video in such a way that I set the audio F/X to left or right channel only, then do the multicam sync, then the audio F/X seems not to be applied to the multicam audio track. I have to do the cutting first, then switch it on the master audio track. at least that was my impression, any F/X on the cam tracks is not applied on the master track. It is not the shortest possible path.

Alternatively, simply ungroup the audio from the video of the original track, taking great care NOT to shift either the audio or the video left or right, copy the existing audio and paste it to a new track, in the exact same position....

Just a tip here - Whilst holding down Control, if you left click the object and drag it straight downwards, a copy will appear as you drag it to the next track in the same temporal position on the timeline. As long as you have the magnetic grid turned on it should stay exactly aligned with the original providing you do not drag it excessively sideways. From there, holding Shift and left click dragging you can drag it to lower tracks, with absolute certainty that will not misalign sideways as Shift locks it timewise during the drag.

Ha! Just confirming my theory there I decided to see what Alt+drag will do - Alt + Left drag on the object will shorten the object at the left cut or transition, without disturbing the object transition length or start position in the timeline, and drag all the objects to the right with it - IOW without creating a gap. I think this will be useful to me.

That's the cool thing about this forum - in order to answer a question for another member you often discover something that will help yourself.

Peter