Here are two images from Quicktime Player, of the audio embedded in a file.
The first is from Final Cut Pro 7, of a capture from a tape with 4 channels of audio. The audio can be grouped (as you see here, with Soundtrack 1 as Stereo, and channels 3 and 4 as separate mono files in Soundtrack 2 and Soundtrack 3, respectively):
When capturing from Media Express, the resulting file has 1 soundtrack, but that soundtrack contains all the channels captured:
The problem with this arrangement is that it's difficult to remove or quickly isolate soundtracks from the file. For example, our client wants us to deliver captured tapes that have two different language soundtracks as two different ProRes files, one with each language. That is, if a tape has 2 stereo tracks (1/2 and 3/4, each paired) we would capture the tape with all four channels, disable two of them in Quicktime Pro player, Save As to a new file, and then in that new file, delete the unused channels. The result is a Quicktime file that only contains the audio used. We also need to deliver WAV files of the tapes that have M&E and narration tracks, which are typically separate mono channels. With the FCP setup, you can just check or uncheck entire soundtracks and quickly export the audio right from Quicktime player. With the Media Express method, it's much more laborious, since you have to re-assign each channel for each export.
With files captured with Media Express, we can do the same thing, but only with channel assignments (selecting "Unused" for the channels we don't want). The problem is that we want to eliminate any chance that someone might enable these tracks later. When the audio channels are embedded in a common soundtrack, you can't delete them, you can just assign channels or disable. But they can always be re-enabled.
So is there any way that we can capture with Media Express to get a file consistent with those that we get from FCP? I can't find a setting for it in the application. If not, can the application be modified to do this in a future version? Even as an option in the preferences?
Thanks!
The first is from Final Cut Pro 7, of a capture from a tape with 4 channels of audio. The audio can be grouped (as you see here, with Soundtrack 1 as Stereo, and channels 3 and 4 as separate mono files in Soundtrack 2 and Soundtrack 3, respectively):
When capturing from Media Express, the resulting file has 1 soundtrack, but that soundtrack contains all the channels captured:
The problem with this arrangement is that it's difficult to remove or quickly isolate soundtracks from the file. For example, our client wants us to deliver captured tapes that have two different language soundtracks as two different ProRes files, one with each language. That is, if a tape has 2 stereo tracks (1/2 and 3/4, each paired) we would capture the tape with all four channels, disable two of them in Quicktime Pro player, Save As to a new file, and then in that new file, delete the unused channels. The result is a Quicktime file that only contains the audio used. We also need to deliver WAV files of the tapes that have M&E and narration tracks, which are typically separate mono channels. With the FCP setup, you can just check or uncheck entire soundtracks and quickly export the audio right from Quicktime player. With the Media Express method, it's much more laborious, since you have to re-assign each channel for each export.
With files captured with Media Express, we can do the same thing, but only with channel assignments (selecting "Unused" for the channels we don't want). The problem is that we want to eliminate any chance that someone might enable these tracks later. When the audio channels are embedded in a common soundtrack, you can't delete them, you can just assign channels or disable. But they can always be re-enabled.
So is there any way that we can capture with Media Express to get a file consistent with those that we get from FCP? I can't find a setting for it in the application. If not, can the application be modified to do this in a future version? Even as an option in the preferences?
Thanks!
Perry Paolantonio
Gamma Ray Digital - 288 Walnut St Suite 105, Newton MA 02460
14k Film Scanning -- Color Grading -- Film Restoration
www.gammaraydigital.com
Gamma Ray Digital - 288 Walnut St Suite 105, Newton MA 02460
14k Film Scanning -- Color Grading -- Film Restoration
www.gammaraydigital.com