Premiere Pro: Which Multicam Audio Settings To Use [u]
[Updated 1/21/20 with additional comments from Adobe.]
When creating a multicam clip in Adobe Premiere Pro CC, have you ever wondered what the audio settings mean, only to select Automatic?
Well, that’s not a good choice. Let me explain your options.
After you’ve selected the clips you want to build into a multicam clip, then chosen Clip > Create Multicam Source Sequence, this dialog shows up.
If all your audio is stored in one camera clip, choose Sequence Setting > Camera 1. Otherwise, choose Sequence Settings > All Cameras.
This allows up to 32 channels of audio in one audio track. As well, it allows audio from all video sources, not just the first one selected.
Next, here the options in Audio Channels Preset:
- Automatic. Automatic reads the channelization of the first clip and maps all source audio based on that channelization. No mix down is done and no source audio is ever lost. Extreme example: if you have 3 source clips and the first one is stereo and the second one is 10 channel multi-mono and the third one is 5.1 (not very common but just an extreme example) you have a total of 18 source channels and the resulting clip will edit to into the multicam clip as 9 separate stereo clips. This is a great example of why automatic is not a great choice unless all of your sources are all stereo (and you want them mapped as stereo) or all mono (and you want them all mapped as mono).
- Mono. This takes all source channels regardless of their native channelization and brings them in as mono when the multicam clip is edited into your sequence.
- Stereo. This takes all source channels regardless of their native channelization and brings them in as stereo when the multicam clip is edited into your sequence.
- 5.1. This creates a surround clip of the source audio. Surround is a great distribution format, but a miserable format for editing. Avoid using this.
- Adaptive. This maps all source channels into single track item. This allows you to hear everything but is really tough to edit.
In almost all cases, Mono is the best choice for multi-track audio editing.
EXTRA CREDIT
When dealing with dual-system sound, when Camera 1 is selected and there are audio-only assets present, the audio-only clip will always be the new source audio and the audio from each camera will be muted. Then choose Mono.
Here are Adobe’s rules of thumb for making decisions with these audio options. When it comes to sequence settings you need to decide if you want
- To use just the cam 1 audio (or audio only audio)
- To use all audio from all cameras
- Switch freely between cameras and their linked audio (together or separately)
When it comes to Audio channels preset you need to decide if you want all of your audio to be dropped into the editing timeline as multiple Stereo, Mono, 5.1 or Adaptive clips.
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6 Responses to Premiere Pro: Which Multicam Audio Settings To Use [u]
Thanks for the info! Very helpful.
One issue I cannot figure out:
No matter how I group the audio, I always seem to lose the stereo. Even if it comes through as a stereo channel, it is really more like 2-channel mono. So, my music track, before it is grouped has the right and left waveforms looking different. On the group, it’s 2 channels – or a stereo channel – and the waveforms are clones of each other.
Not sure if I am explaining myself clearly, but it seems to always ruin stereo tracks when grouping.
Christopher:
I may not be understanding this, but, before adding an audio clip into the Timeline, set the track to Stereo, rather than the default setting.
Larry
I have 3 cameras but only one has the proper audio, Somehow when making the Multicam sequence audio is from a camera mic, not camera w external mics. How do I change which audio is used for edit?
Michael:
The audio is sourced from the FIRST clip you select when building the multicam clip.
Larry
I have the same problem. I shoot with two separate mics plugged into inputs 1 and 2 on my Camera 1. I’m shooting XAVC-L with four discrete audio tracks. No matter which audio option I choose I get the same stereo track with mics 1 & 2 mixed in both tracks. What I want is to maintain separate channel 1 and 2 sources so I can duck each mic if necessary.
Here’s my workaround.
I select the camera 1 source clip and Modify > Audio Channels > Clip Channel Format = Stereo, Number of Clips = 1. That gives me a single stereo track with mic one on the left and two on the right. Then I create my multicam selecting Stereo and the resulting multicam clip has the same stereo channel assignments. Finally, I select the Multicam clip in the bin, Modify > Audio Channels > Clip Channel format = Mono, Number of Clips = 2. This puts it back to two discrete audio tracks. Seems cumbersome, but it solved my problem.
[…] adjust the Audio Channel Presets. Also, say which audio is the main one for the multicam sequence.2 Doing this spot on makes sure your multicam project works well and looks […]