Exporting a 24 audio channels MASTER

Hello from Argentina!

we're trying to export a 24 audio channels Apple ProRes 4444 UHD master.

The client want 24 channels because of the diferent kind of "sound" they want.
In the same export, we should have Full Mix Stereo L&R + 5.1 audio mix.

We're in "test stage", and the sound designer already sent me a Stereo L-R WAV file (the two channels in the same file).
Also, he sent me 6 Mono files, that make the 5.1 mix (Left, Right, Center, LFE, Left Surround, Right Surround).
And he sent me another kind of files that completes the 24 ch list.

My question, then, is:

1) It is possible to export a 24 ch. movie? Or Resolve its not gonna allow it?

2) Do we have to make any setting before the export? In the project audio setting, in timeline setting (when we can choose between Mono, Stereo and 5.1 channel)
For example, in the case of Stereo L-R, if we add it into a Stereo audio track... will export two separate mono channels?
With the 5.1 mix (the 6 channels), we have to set every channel to MONO, or 5.1?
Do I explain myself?

thanks!
regards!

Yes, you can set the Master output in Resolve to 24 channels. You shouldn't have any issue putting it all into a Quicktime wrapper.

In the audio mixer, set the Master to 24 tracks. If you have mono files, then yes, you must put them all on mono tracks and patch them 1:1 for how you would like to output. If you have a stereo file, you can put it on a stereo track and patch it to a pair of outputs. Similarly, if you have a 6 (5.1) channel, or more audio file, then you can set it to adaptive and place it on an adaptive track which is a little easier for patching.

In the delivery section under audio, you can choose single track or 1 per channel. Single track will create a multi track audio stream in the quicktime. One per channel will create 24 (I think) mono audio streams.

Thanks Scott!
I have a few questions:

In the audio mixer, set the Master to 24 tracks. If you have mono files, then yes, you must put them all on mono tracks and patch them 1:1 for how you would like to output. If you have a stereo file, you can put it on a stereo track and patch it to a pair of outputs.

How can I patch every track?

Similarly, if you have a 6 (5.1) channel, or more audio file, then you can set it to adaptive and place it on an adaptive track which is a little easier for patching.

Excuse me, what is "set it to adaptative"?

Thanks again!

Well, unless I've missing something in Resolve Settings, the max number of audio Master tracks is 16 channels, not 24.

¿?

You are correct, Resolve only supports up to 16 tracks so you're going to have to explain to your client that 24 is not possible. I don't know if the Quicktime format actually supports more audio tracks than that.

As far as the patching, it's a bit confusing (I should make a tutorial video), but basically you use the audio mixer tracks and click on the small weird looking icon thingies at the top to set them either in a basic configuration or to select exactly which channels each track is going to. It's honestly some of the things I wish Blackmagic would try to improve since it's not terribly intuitive.

To further complicate things, I've run into some bugs when outputting multiple tracks which can be a big issue.

Lastly, when you're rendering, you have the option to select Single or Multiple tracks. This is also counter intuitive in the sense that if you select 16 audio tracks, you will get 16 discrete tracks, but they will be set up as a single multi-channel audio file vs. 16 separate audio files (dunno if any of this makes any sense....I really need to make a tutorial).

Yeah, well. The client wants 24 channels (Stereo, M&E, 5.1 mixes TOGHETHER).

We'll have to find another way to export (sorry: another soft).

The patching issue, I think I've learned it with the Final Cut 7 audio patching (not the same, I know, but it helps).

Thanks!

Yeah, well. The client wants 24 channels (Stereo, M&E, 5.1 mixes TOGHETHER).

That would be a challenge if all the "channels" needed to be mono, but if you are exporting a combination of tracks, then you should be combining track-types within a channel... for example, a Stereo LtRt would be 2 channels, but within a single track. This is a fairly standard method for creating mezzanine masters.

Typically I see deliverables asking for master mixes plus texted picture, with a textless export supporting more of the stem-oriented audio tracks... mono narration, sync dialogue, M&E or D,M&E. Surround, of course complicates this by a factor of 6 or more and I haven't run into many cases of needing every stem version of 5.1 imbedded with picture -- always just fine as wav files in a "support" folder on the shipment drive.

If your destination client wants the stems for a re-mix/re-purpose, they're going to want to pull the tracks into more processing software, which means dis-embedding them anyway. Maybe a Quicktime is a confidence measure that everything stays in sync... but it isn't an advantage, either.

To be honest, the audio mixer offered by Resolve is not all that straightforward -- certainly not as patch-bay obvious as some other NLEs. Too bad Telestream is discontinuing EPISODE... as direct access as I have ever seen in under-the-hood re-stacking of metadata, track assignment and transcode.

jPo, CSI

Thanks.
We'll figure out what to do...

Maybe we'll use a NLE soft to create the final master.

Running Resolve 12.5.2, I am able to create a sequence with 24 audio tracks (limit when creating the sequence was 99) and set my master out to 24. See attached screen shot.

Resolve 24 Track Timeline

Screen Shot 2016-10-13 at 11.48.53 AM.png (241.48 KiB) Viewed 4737 times

Excuse me, what is "set it to adaptative"?

In clip attributes, the icon to the far right is for "adaptive" audio. This is a generic multi-channel audio that you can map file inputs to track outputs.

Adaptive Audio Setting

Screen Shot 2016-10-13 at 11.51.12 AM.png (66.24 KiB) Viewed 4737 times

Delivery Page also allows 24 out. I would do a test (and patching all 24 tracks is going to be a bit annoying, hope you have dual monitors attached) but it should work.

Great, I 'will try with the updated DaVinci (I have the 12.0 right here).

Thanks!