XDCAM Transfer of stereo clips in FCP
 

I am trying to transfer some XDCAM EX1 footage that was shot in stereo and using XDCAM Transfer to import into FCP 6.0.3. When I playback the clips in FCP, the clips playback as dual mono (eg. CH1+CH2) with their audio channels centered.

There are no options in the XDCAM Transfer software to set the import option of the audio to Stereo (or at least that I could find). Anyone else trying to transfer the clips as stereo but having the same problems? Am I doing something wrong? I have tried for the last hour, playing with sequence settings, looking over the Transfer preferences, etc to no avail.

You could try and read the version 2.7 XDCAM Transfer documentation page 36 and following. Remember if all fails read the manual. Cheers

I believe you can change the audio linking inside of FCS after you import your clips by going to the Sequence Settings and click on your preferred audio config.

I'm loading the clips into the Viewer, it is showing as CH1+CH2, regardless of the sequence audio output settings.

Page 36 of the manual only mentions about exporting audio for XDCAM, but thanks anyway.

Ian, the XDCAM plug-in imports audio as dual mono. Page 26 step 3 on importing clips to FCP, clearly says, "See Sequence Settings (page 36) for more information about presets."

So as explained in page 36 of the manual, you must change the "sequence settings" in the "audio output" tab to "Dual Mono". Then play the FCP sequence and you will see that VU meters confirm that stereo is playing.

Yes, it seems confusing as hell but that's how Sony wrote the software for the XDCAM plug-in.

Alternately and more straight forward is Sony's new "log and transfer" plug-in 1.0 released last week. When using this plug-in go to the "Import Settings" tab and you will find the familiar FCP audio grouping option for stereo or mono. In FCP Help drop down to open up the "HD and Broadcast Formats" manual, go to page 85 and check out the explanation entitled "Setting Audio and Video Clip Import Settings." In the "log and transfer" window, toggle the audio option and play the clip while watching the VU meters to confirm that stereo is selected, then import your clip with stereo audio.

So there you have it, two ways of achieving what you want "Stereo Audio" I've used both methods with EX1 clips recorded in stereo and both methods work on my system. Good Luck eh :-))

Thanks Barry,

Setting sequence audio outputs to dual mono and laying down the clips will make it play back as stereo, so it works. I have also found that if you lay down the clips in a Stereo sequence, and do a stereo pairing (Option+L) that also works.

I'm still of the contention there is a bug with the Sony XDCAM plugin and FCP or Sony should be looking into it. I have tried the new 1.0 of the Log and Transfer and that works the best, as it imports the clips correctly as "Stereo". The only problem is that the stereo pairing setting can only be applied on a single clip at a time, as you can't apply it to a range of clips. I really do wish these companies test their software before releasing them. Quality assurance is terrible these days.