Unable to edit video file with multiple audio tracks attached

Javalin wrote on 5/7/2018, 10:18 PM

I will be descriptive as possible with my story. For the last 5 years, I've been using Movie Studio Platinum 12 & 13. (I recently changed to Magix Edit Pro Premium) I use OBS (Open Broadcasting System) to record on my personal rig. In OBS, I have it to produce two separate audio tracks on the same video file. My audio file is usually mp4. I have one audio track recording my microphone and the second audio track records all audio coming from whatever programs that are running. (A Video Game, Discord, a Video, etc...) Whenever I dragged my video file into the timeline of Movie Studio, I get all three of my tracks grouped together in their separate slots of the timeline. My video track in the first slot, my first audio track in the second slot and my second audio track in the third slot.

That is how I like my file presented and it is how I worked. I could put any effects I needed to apply to the individual tracks and adjust levels instead of having it all mixed together in a single audio track. Having it all mixed together in one track then gives me the issue of in-game sound possibly being too loud and my microphone cannot be heard and I would not be able to adjust it at all. That is why I like my microphone track and program audio track separate.

Now, leaving Movie Studio and moving to Magix Edit Pro Premium. I do the usual. I drag the video file into the timeline. It first comes up as a single track. I click the option to separate the video from the audio, giving me now two tracks. However, I should have three tracks, not two. Now, right-clicking the audio reveals I can make that audio switch between the two audio tracks labeled, "Audio Track 1" and "Audio Track 2" ( My Microphone track and my in-game audio track) So with this in mind, I know the devs are aware of there being video files with multiple audio tracks attached. So why there is no option to separate my audio tracks into their respective slots is beyond me. Now, the workaround method that I thought to myself, (even found a youtube video demonstrating how to do it, but on an older version of Magix) " is to duplicate the audio file, and switch the duplicate to "Audio Track 2" while leaving the first audio file on, "Audio Track 1" However, when I tried to duplicate the audio file, the "Audio Track 1" and "Audio Track 2" become unselectable. Therefore, I am stuck with a video with two audio tracks both stuck on either, "Audio Track 1" or "Audio Track 2". I'm kinda disappointed that I dropped money on a program that really is built beyond Movie Studio that shouldn't be giving me so much trouble on a simple issue that shouldn't even exist. So, is there really an option/s that would sort this out, or is there not an option, but devs will get on this as soon as possible or did I just waste money on a program that can't meet my needs?

Specs:

Desktop

Windows 10 Home

GTX FTW 1080 GPU

Intel Core i7

Magix Edit Pro Premium v17.0.2.171

Movie Studio Platinum 13

Open Broadcasting System v21.2.0

Feel free to ask for additional info if needed to help sort this out.

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 5/8/2018, 2:53 AM

. . . . . So why there is no option to separate my audio tracks into their respective slots is beyond me. . . . .

There is - right click the clip and try the following:

select Audio functions, Restore original sound
right click again and select Audio functions, Video/audio on seperate tracks (Ctrl+H).
right click again and select Display sound channels Ctrl+Alt+C or Extract sound channels Shift+C
You should now have the audio channels as you want them.

Note: in the Program settings you can set MEP to automatically display audio on a separate track -

HTH

John EB

browj2 wrote on 5/8/2018, 7:53 AM

@johnebaker

The right click and select Display sound channels Ctrl+Alt+C or Extract sound channels Shift+C commands are for Surround Sound. This puts the Bass or middle speaker on track 3 and L&R rear on track 4. Open the Mixer and you'll see that audio is now in Surround mode.

@Javalin

The audio track has two channels, left and right. I am assuming that you have recorded the mic on one channel and the audio from the computer on the other channel, not track. This is what happens when I use the Capture program from Corel. The only way that I have found to separate the tracks is to:

With audio on track 2, as per John EB's indication, ungroup the audio from the video by clicking on the broken chain button (Shift+G);
Copy the audio object by clicking on it and holding down Control, drag it to track 3 with the left mouse button. Control+drag creates a copy;
Double-click on the object on track 2 to open the Audio Cleaning interface;
Select the Stereo Effects tab;
Click on the pop-down menu beside preset and select Both channels = left;
Ok;
Double-click on the audio object of track 3 and do the same, but give it Both channels = right, then ok.

You can now edit each channel as a track by itself, using either object effects or track effects.

Use the mixer (M) to add track effects.

HTH

John CB

johnebaker wrote on 5/8/2018, 11:07 AM

@browj2

After testing OBS I think we both may be wrong.

@Javalin

With OBS, are you describing a multi audio stream video file format - ie it is not a single stereo audio channel, or multi-channel eg. 5.1 Surround sound audio - in other words there are 2 distinct audio streams within the video file?

If so then, after attempting various workarounds - AFAICS MEP cannot handle these directly, however this work around worked for me is to:

select Audio functions, Restore original sound (if necessary)
right click again and select Audio functions, Video/audio on seperate tracks (Ctrl+H).
switch the audio to track 2 then export the audio as WAV file - File, Export movie, Audio as wav
switch the audio back to track 1
import the exported track 2 wav file.

You can now edit as separate tracks as in Movie Studio.

HTH

John EB

browj2 wrote on 5/8/2018, 11:52 AM

@johnebaker

Could you make a short clip available in Dropbox for testing. I'd like to see exactly what happens, especially with VPX.

Thanks,

John CB

johnebaker wrote on 5/8/2018, 12:55 PM

@browj2

With VPX you can extract both tracks as shown below and edit them independently - I recorded this an hour for testing -that file is not suitable for public use 😈😒😳 - what you see below is a short extract of the whole OBS recording, however I will create a new one for you to test.

HTH

John EB

browj2 wrote on 5/8/2018, 1:39 PM

@johnebaker

That was what I was looking for! I knew that I had seen that "Switch current audio track" to Audio 1, Audio 2, recently. What is normally there at the top of the menu is like in MEP, "Display sound channels," but it switches commands if there is more than one audio track, I presume.

I guess that this is one of the features of VPX that is not in MEP.

EDIT: Ok, I see that it works in MEP.

Thanks,

John CB

Javalin wrote on 5/8/2018, 4:58 PM

Thanks for the Inquires guys. Now, Reffering back to @johnebaker's post:

1. select Audio functions, Restore original sound (if necessary)

2. right click again and select Audio functions, Video/audio on seperate tracks (Ctrl+H).

3. switch the audio to track 2 then export the audio as WAV file - File, Export movie, Audio as wav

4. switch the audio back to track 1

5. import the exported track 2 wav file.

This does work for me, but of course, skipping the first step because MEPP does not have the "Restore Original Sound" function. This isn't a really ideal method considering it takes 20 to 30 minutes to do all this for the file. I usually process video files that are 2 hours in length or more at a time. Having to calculate the audio file when bringing it into the editor, then rendering it, then bringing it back to the editor and have it recalculate again, is a big hassle to mess with every time I start a new project. But, I guess it can't be helped if this is the only method available for this.

Again, thank you for y'alls help.

browj2 wrote on 5/8/2018, 5:06 PM

"Restore Original Sound" only shows up if the audio has been separated from the video like I mentioned, by ungrouping (or sending to the external audio editor, which replaces the sound with a wave file).

John CB

Scenestealer wrote on 5/8/2018, 6:38 PM

@Javalin

This does work for me, but of course, skipping the first step because MEPP does not have the "Restore Original Sound" function.

It does but you need to Right Click the video track to see it.

@browj2

"Restore Original Sound" only shows up if the audio has been separated from the video like I mentioned, by ungrouping (or sending to the external audio editor, which replaces the sound with a wave file).

I think this is also there for when you create Proxies and it creates a .WAV file to reduce load on the CPU during playback.

Also, you can delete, restore and mute a sound track without separating from the video, by using the Rt-click the video >Audio Function context menu in order to "simplify your timeline" as Magix puts it. Note that removing a crossfaded clip's audio then restoring it leaves the video crossfaded but unfades the faded start portion of the audio. Could be useful in some situations...

Peter