4 channels of audio?
 

Why does 4 channels of audio show up in FCPX from the FS5? And more importantly can you record to all 4?

Thanks

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

You're not going to like this, but there's nothing you can do onboard the camera to reduce the number of audio channels, and no matter what you do, you can only feed audio to two of those channels. The other 2 channels are there so the files conform to Sony's XAVC specifications. I don't use FCPX, but with Premiere it is very easy to strip off the unwanted channels at the time of import. There might be something similar in FCPX.

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

Thanks Doug, it isn't a problem in FCPX at all, you just uncheck them or ignore them since nothing is on them anyway. I just had the thought that maybe there was a way to record 4 channels via the xlr inputs and possible the hotshoe with sony's fancy receiver, or some combo that I hadn't figured out yet. They are there just to tease.

thanks again

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

Would be nice to have the internal mics continuous record on 3 and 4 as a backup. Think the Canon cams do so.

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

The FS7 and F55/F5 can do four channels of audio.

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

I'm curious to know what you actually see in FCPX. If you uncheck tracks or choose to ignore them do you still have to see them? In other words, do you still have to deal with 4 tracks when you put a clip on the timeline? In Premiere you can strip off any (or all) of the tracks of clips while they are in the bin so you never even see them. Its like they never existed at all and you can apply the change to all the clips at once in 2 seconds. For example, when I drag a clip to the time line I just see one stereo track. Can you do that with FCPX?

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

-and

Are those statements contradictory?

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

No, he never says you can on the FS5. (Maybe you misread F55?)

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

Sure I did - sorry, I stand corrected.

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

No problem. As someone with dyslexia I mix up FS5 and F55 all the time when I read them. I really have to stop and look carefully sometimes. It is a terrible choice of product names by Sony.

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

You can have FCPX not import silent tracks. It is just one of many import options. You set this up in the import window and it will stay for subsequent imports until changed again. I always strip silent channels.

With this setting you will just get 2 channels from the FS5 if there is audio on both. If only one had audio you just get 1. This makes life simple...

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

Thanks, Olof. That sounds like a great feature.

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

Doug,

Since FCPX isn't track based the silent audio it doesn't show up at all in the timeline. But under the audio adjustments in the channel configuration all four will be displayed. That is where you can disable or change stereo or mono etc. But Olof nailed it, just don't have them import.

learn something everyday.

Thanks

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

As you probably know FCPX has a system that can separate different audio channels (or video channels) into roles. This is very nice as you can export to a track based audio editing app like ProTools, turning roles into tracks. You can also display different roles in the timeline color coded, and turn them on or off individually or solo just one.

Typically I have roles for SOT (nat sound recorded in cam), Live voice, V/O (can be multi languages), Music bed, foley 1-3 sometimes more.

Once you get used to roles it is a really cool way to work.

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

I'm sure glad there are alternatives to FCPX because it would not fit my way of working or thinking at all. :-)

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

No one has mentioned the Xlr k2m, which mounts on the hot shoe , gives you 2 more Xlr inputs and a mic.
So you can now record 4 seperate audio channels, each with it's own Xlr input, gain controls, etc.
Only problem is that it's almost $600.
Bruce Yarock
VIDEO PRODUCTION FORT LAUDERDALE

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

Probably nobody mentioned the K2 because we are talking about the FS5 not the FS7. Two channels of audio is the maximum. In other words, you can only have two channels of audio whether you use a K2 or not.

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

Didn't realize that, Doug.
I do have that unit on my "want list" for my FS7. Be nice to be able to record four seperate audio tracks for discussion panels, small accoustic concert, etc.
Bruce Yarock

Re: 4 channels of audio?
 

Yes, that is one of the biggest advantages of the FS7 over the FS5.