XL H1 4 audio channels
 

Hello,
I did not find any help with search, but this might be some where there.

Anyway, I have make some footage with 4 audio channels XL H1 HDV mode. But now I have problems to bring those "other" channels (3 & 4) to my FinalCut Pro 5.1.1. I have allready try to downconvert, but still I cannot get those channels. I have understand that some Sony Decks might do this job, but is there any way to do it with XL H1 with FireWire ?

Everything helps me, please.
Kari Kallonen

As far as I know, it isn't possible to get Audio 3&4 out via the firewire. Some third-party video cards support 4 channels of audio, and you can digitize with them (via the analog RCA outputs on the camera), or you can do what I did:

Rent a DV deck that has an external timecode input, and connect the XL H1's timecode out to the deck's timecode in. Patch the XL H1's RCA audio outs (1&2) to the deck's audio 1&2 ins (you may need a mixer between them to get proper levels etc.). Make sure the deck is set to record with external timecode, and the XL H1 is set to monitor audios 3&4. Then just hit play on the XL H1 and record on the deck.

Now you have a DV tape with cloned timecode and audios 3&4.

In Final Cut Pro, "duplicate as a new master clip" all of your video/audio1&2 master clips you already digitized. Make these new duplicate clips offline (leave the files on the disk; your original master clips should remain online). Modify these new clips so they only contain audio 1&2 (deselect the video track).

Now you can batch digitize these new clips from your new cloned DV tape, using any DV firewire deck (such as your XL H1, perhaps?). Be carefull to digitize to a different folder than your original master clips, as the source files will have the same name. After digitizing, manually rename the newly digitized source files so they don't conflict with your old master clips, and relink your new master clips with these new, renamed source files.

The last step is to merge your orginal video/audio1&2 clips with your new audio3&4 clips. Just highlight both of them and select "Merge," then "by timecode." Now you have a new merged clip with four channels of audio, perfectly in sync.

It worked for me.

Ok. I was little bit afraid that chanals 3&4 are not so easy to handle.
Thanks for help. I might do this way if I find some recorder for rent.

All best
Kari K