Splitting up a stereo audio track.
 

So, I really don't know much besides the basics of audio in FCS. My question is this. I have a stereo track that is actually just two different lav microphones recorded onto the same file. I imagine this is a pretty common thing.

My questions are...

How do I unlink the tracks? I want to eliminate the sound from the 2nd mic, when listening to the sound from the 1st mic.

How do I make it a mono track? If I mute the track I don't want, I can at least hear the audio I'm getting, but I can only hear it out of my left or right speaker. I'd like to get this to come out of both.

This would all be with FCS 3. Thanks a bunch.

You probably imported it as a stereo linked track. Simply click the audio track in the timeline, and push Option+L. This unlinks the tracks so you can change the audio and pan separately. If you pan one track over hard right and the other hard left (-1 and +1) then you will hear the audio out of only one speaker. To do all of this you can just double click the audio track to bring it up in the Viewer. You could also open the audio mixer toolbox (Tools > Audio Mixer or Option+6)

That is the first thing I tried. You cannot unlink a stereo track into the L and R channels. At least it does not work for me.

Really? That's strange. It works fine for me. I'm using FCP 5 though. Try using the menu command: Modify > Stereo Pair.

Matt,

I do the same thing often. Just do Modify<uncheck Link , uncheck stereo pair. Then select the channel you don't want - hit delete. Select the channel you do want and copy & paste into the track where you deleted the clip ( or anywhere & drag it there) , make sure the timing lines up. Then go back and Modify< check link , check stereo pair. You'll have to control click and box in both channels to re-link them.[ You must stereo pair them - otherwise you'll show audio tracks in both channels but the inserted track still thinks it's in it's original channel; and will still only play on one side.] This will give you preferred audio in both channels.

Hope this helps.

Ok, finally found it guys, unchecked stereo pair in the modify window, and then deleted the left track and set the pan on the other to 0. Perfect!

Thanks guys.