Multicam clip behavior with clip audio channel settings

UPDATE: Skip this text and look at the video I posted a dozen comments down.

I am editing a project in Resolve which was shot on two cameras, with dual system, multi-channel audio. Setting up the multi-cam clip has proven very difficult. I have tried everything I can think of, even reading the manual carefully!

As I understand manual pages 472-3, any serious production involving multitrack recording requires a Resolve setup in which multi-track audio recording tracks are each on their own independent track in the timeline. Otherwise, you can't really edit the audio tracks separately, which is of course a must.

The only way I have found in Resolve to create a multi-cam clip with multiple audio tracks is to first sync the audio tracks with my A cam, then to go into clip attributes and make sure the correct audio tracks are being interpreted as individual mono tracks, and then sync my A cam with my B cam. (I will just always leave my audio assigned to Angle 1, and only change video angles when editing.) The problem is that, while this method successfully creates a multi-cam that contains all the relevant video and audio assets, the audio assets become all but unusable. Here's why:

Since there are two ways to look at a multi-cam clip, I will address the problem with each of them.

First, if you simply edit the multicam clip into your project, and then go into the Fairlight page and look at the clip you have just edited in, you do not get the proper audio channels as you set them in the clip attributes of the component video clip. The multi-cam-ification of the clip seems to have failed to preserve the clip attributes a propos audio mapping. So naturally I right clicked on the multi-cam to edit its clip attributes, but Resolve does not allow clip attributes for multi-cams. This in itself seems problematic to me, because if the multi-cam fundction does not preserve the audio track setup of the component clips, and it does not have any way to re-enter those settings, how can we control the behavior at all?

So I went back to the manual, and got the idea to go into the "Open in Timeline" mode, of the multicam, thinking this function, which is clearly designed to allow you to control aspects of the multi-cam composition, would help me solve the problem. Here the situation is different, but not better. Here, the audio tracks I need access to are present, but they are being treated as three channels of the same track. This is even the case if you carefully ensure that the component clip is setup with separate, mono audio tracks, and I even tested this by dragging the componenet clip into a timeline to ensure that the audio tracks would behave as separate mono tracks.

I am left in the situation where I see no way to edit this multi-cam shoot in Resolve. If I make use of Resolve's multi-cam function, I will be left without the ability to mix down and carefully edit the audio we recorded, even if I dive into the "Open in Timeline" function, which wouldn't be a good solution in itself. I am trying to develop a fast-moving production workflow in which we stay in Resolve for everything, and so I need my audio guy to be able to go into the Fairlight tab and get access to all of the audio tracks that were recorded on set, no matter what editing functions we choose to use or not use in the editing phase of our workflow.

Hopefully I am making a simple mistake and someone will have mercy on me and set me straight! Thanks in advance.

tldr; but finally read it anyway, and I don't understand your problem (though I also make efforts to stay in Resolve for most parts of my workflow), especially what you experience after "open in timeline", which generally solves what I need for me.

Do you want a synchronised Multicam clip in a timeline and that timeline having all audio channels of all clips as separate tracks or channels available?

Do you want a synchronised Multicam clip in a timeline and that timeline having all audio channels of all clips as separate tracks or channels available?

This is what I always do, even if some audio clips are not really useful (but hand claps are great there )

tldr; but finally read it anyway, and I don't understand your problem (though I also make efforts to stay in Resolve for most parts of my workflow), especially what you experience after "open in timeline", which generally solves what I need for me.

I apologize for the length. The problem is that I cannot create a multi-cam clip including externally recorded audio and have it set up such that, when you drag it into the timeline, all of the audio tracks appear on separate timeline tracks. I would appreciate any suggestions. And thank you for taking the time.

Do you want a synchronised Multicam clip in a timeline and that timeline having all audio channels of all clips as separate tracks or channels available?

Marcus: Yes! This is exactly what I want. If you know how, would you be willing to list the steps involved? I have tried numerous different combinations of syncing audio to video, creating multi-cams, and editing clip attributes in various ways at various parts of that process, and whatever I do, the recorded audio tracks will not appear in separate timeline tracks.

Hi Benjamin,

Don't worry about the length, I sometimes write so too (and why not now again hahaha), nobody is forced to read or answer.. and I did

So, I've been regularly editing from 3 to 7 cams + around 3 external audio tracks, and I proceed approximately the same way. BTW, I don't think myway is different from what's in the reference manual about multicam I've read a couple of times, but let's get into it.
First, I usually don't care about having one stereo audio tracks but in case of multicam, I often choose to have dual mono, which can be more handy later on, so this choice is ticked in the TL options and in the clips attributes too.
Then, 2 options (given that I don't even consider the TC sync as I'm almost sure that at least a couple of them will miss in various angles [iso here]) : either the legacy one (in point in FCP7, marker in Resolve now) or audio sync. After the first 10-15 multicams done in Resolve, I came to the conclusion that audio sync is cool... when it works; but when it doesn't it can turn into a nightmare to fix it by adding new angles to an existing one.
So I decided to opt for an hybrid technique which couldn't fail, though a little bit longer than when it's a piece of cake with basic audio sync. : audio sync first, then marker sync to add isos when needed. Preferably without nightmare...

1/ Audio sync : well, the problem is I now do it with Plural Eyes 4, which does exactly the same thing as Resolve's audio sync, except that it has never failed for me , then I export an XML to Resolve, resulting in stacked tracks, exactly what you find after "Open in Timeline".
So let's say you've come to this point in Resolve only audio sync;

2/ Potential syncing of what couldn't by audio sync : the goal is to add isos by marker sync here [I remember I tried once to add isos by adding tracks directly here in the open TL mode, but it crashed. Maybe you could try, I didn't anymore], so prepare the audio attributes of the new clips as needed.
Now focus : find a place on the open mode tl where every tracks are involved and put a TL marker > double click every video tracks, one after another, and just note their own TC* in the viewer at this marker place > go find all these clips in the media pool and open them one after another in the viewer from the media pool > put a marker at the TC you previously note for each of them.
Beware : putting the marker in the viewer on the clip open from the multicam TL won't work. You really have to re-open them from the media pool and go to their own TC.
*we don't care about out of sync clips TCs here, we just want to find the same place in the same clip when when it's involved on the multicam TL and open from the media pool.
Put markers on new clips too, but keep them aside.

3/ Duplicate - for safety reasons - the multicam TL or make another TL (as I said, I experienced a crash when I tried to drag new stuff onto an multicam "Open TL"). Copy and paste everything in case of a new TL.

At this point, you may try to make a multicam clip by marker sync, since you have every tracks marked

4/ Drag and drop your new (audio or not) tracks here. Fine tune the new tracks around the existing markers if needed (or repeat the above operation with markers on audio clips) > unlink and wipe the video tracks of the clips you just need audio from (if needed)

Now you normally have the main tracks synced, multicam video and every audio tracks needed, some belonging to the multicam, some added. At this point I move up or down audio tracks, lock some, flag/color some etc etc...

I hope I didn't forget anything and I'm understandable, I'm writing remote from my desktop...

Hi Benjamin,

[i]Don't worry about ...remote from my desktop...

Sam: Thanks so much for this very clear and detailed answer. I have one question for you, and then I'll post again for everyone with a more general question about why Resolve treats multi-cam audio tracks as it does.

My question: When you complete the steps you have explained, are you left with a functioning "multi-cam" clip, which can be utilized fully with the fancy multi-cam feature in which you click on the window of the angle you want? Or is yours a workflow in which you manually chop around on a synced up timeline to find the clips and angles you want?

Thanks again!

OK, I have made a video to explain the problem more clearly. Grateful for any help.

My question: When you complete the steps you have explained, are you left with a functioning "multi-cam" clip, which can be utilized fully with the fancy multi-cam feature in which you click on the window of the angle you want? Or is yours a workflow in which you manually chop around on a synced up timeline to find the clips and angles you want?

Thanks again!

Of course it's a functioning multicam, otherwise it would be totally useless You really click the angles on the viewer to have them automatically selected on the TL and go on until you click another one.
What doesn't behave like a multicam are manually added audio tracks : they are synced on the TL but are not taken into account if you choose audio + video below the viewer.

OK, I have made a video to explain the problem more clearly. Grateful for any help.

Ok I see... Your issue is connected to the way Resolve treats a multitrack audio file when it is part of a multicam, right ?
Let me think about that (I'm a bit busy compositing in Fusion so far hehehehe), I saw your video anyway.
As a new starting point, did you just try to manually split the 4 channels in separate tracks in Fairlight ?
Let me think...

Did anyone ever figure out a successful answer this problem? I've been struggling with it for a few weeks now and have had no luck. If there isn't a way to solve this, I guess I'm going back to cutting in AVID....which I really don't want to do at this point!

Curious to know if anyone has solved it....

Same here.

I just spent 2 weeks syncing and prepping footage for a feature and now have a fear that I'm not going to be able to do this thing in Resolve and I'm REALLY hoping I haven't wasted all of that time.

Hey Benjamin,
Did you ever find a solution to this issue? I've been struggling with this for months...

Best regards

Check out my workaround for this. viewtopic.php?f=21&t=86491#p481176 maybe it could help.