Thanks Ray,

I'm using a Zoom Q2n-4K camera for video via USB and an ART USB mixer with an ART C3 condenser mic that we use for ZOOM online music sessions. It all works well together. What I wanted to do was to record both video and audio directly into Movie Edit Pro on two separate tracks (channels) at the same time so that I can then edit either the video track or the audio track. Currently I use a Zoom L12 mixer to to control levels for instrument and voice and reroute both to the camera during recording sessions which works well. Then I convert the .MOV file with Adobe Sound Booth into an MP4, clean it up in Sound Forge Audio Cleaning then I'm usually good to go. I was hoping to short cut the process by using MEP. The problem I'm having is that MEP won't recognize the camera and the audio input at the same time, one or the other it seems. Cal

@Cal

Hi Cal.

Yes, most programs are basic Video editing programs. What you are after is a video editing suite which is another whole new ballgame.

Have a look at OBS Studio free screen recorder on the net. That can record a screen recording with up to 7.1 surround sound. I think (But I'm not sure) that it can produce up to eight audio channels (Sound card being able to do eight channels). If you can work out the video codecs and audio codecs that MEP can use, it may work as a source file for editing within MEP. I don't know and it may be worth going onto the OBS studio forum to ask questions there.

The problem with OBS Studio is it is very difficult to get to set up in such a way that you produce files an editing package can handle but it's not impossible. I use it for basic screen capturing but it has lots of audio inputs that I don't need or use.

There may be other problems, like having to do your setup a bit differently as well and you must have enough inputs and outputs on the sound card whether it is a motherboard sound chip or an additional sound card.

You may find this page on their site useful.

Ray.

Thanks for the help Ray, I have a couple of ideas that might possibly work using some other software I have that works with my L12 mixer. Hopefully it will take a video feed, tomorrow is another day. Cheers, Cal

@Cal

Just remembered that I wanted to comment on this. Busy week.

There is a misconception by many people as to how recording using a video editor actually works. As far as I know, no video editor or even a DAW, records into itself, directly onto the timeline or arranger. All of them record to a file that then shows up on the timeline/arranger once the recording session is completed (stopped). As an aside, apparently, Vegas can record multi-track audio, but you need the appropriate equipment - and audio files are created during recording.

In the case of MEP, the recording source is under Analog. I can select my webcam which has an integrated mic, and my M-Audio M-Track instead of the webcam mic. My mic is connected to the M-Track interface.

Since your camera shows up, I believe, you should be able to select your ART USB mixer for the audio. If you cannot, then just try audio recording. Does your ART USB mixer show up?

With the set up shown above, when I record, MEP opens a file, in this case an mxv file (MPEG can be selected instead) and the video and audio is recorded into that file. Once finished, the file shows up on the timeline. I have mine set to show video and audio on separate tracks because I like to see the audio on a separate track. However, there is only 1 file and the VA are grouped on the timeline, as is normal. They can be ungrouped.

"What I wanted to do was to record both video and audio directly into Movie Edit Pro on two separate tracks (channels) at the same time so that I can then edit either the video track or the audio track."

The audio portion, if recorded in stereo, has 2 channels, left and right. They show up in MEP on 1 track. Tracks are not channels.

As for editing audio and video separately, if you mean that you want to move the audio to somewhere else, i.e. no longer synchronized with the video, then you ungroup it and move it. If you mean that you want to do some cleaning up of the audio, then there are built-in tools for that - exactly the same process as with VA on one track. If you mean that you want to send the audio part to an external editor for cleaning up, then you have to do a mixdown of the audio, shortcut Shift+D, which creates a wave file and replaces the original sound on the timeline. The original sound is still with the video object, it's just a timeline maneuver. Then right-click on that and send it to the external audio editor. Unfortunately, Sound Forge Pro currently does not work (confirmed by Magix, but there is a workaround), but other Magix audio editors, like Sound Forge Audio Cleaning Lab, Samplitude Pro X, and Sound Forge Audio Studio do work directly from within MEP. You link the external audio editor in the Program Settings.

With your setup, your camera records to a file and uses your mic as input. It creates an MOV file. Why change it to MP4? MEP reads MOV files (usually). The best is to record with your camera, put the file on your hard drive, import it into MEP, and go from there.

John CB