Adobe Premiere Pro CC: Separate Audio Channels

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Larry

Recently, I wrote an article discussing the new audio types in Premiere Pro CC (you can read it here). The problem with the new Standard audio type is that it works too well.

If you edit a stereo or mono clip into the track, the track automatically conforms to the number of channels in the clip. But… what if you don’t want it to conform the channels? For example, almost every interview I shoot is recorded “dual-channel mono,” where the host is on channel 1 and the guest is on channel 2 and both channels are supposed to be panned center.

From the point of view of Premiere, this looks like a 2-channel stereo clip which would get placed into one track. But it isn’t. I need separate control over each channel But, how?

NOTE: In this example, I have audio on channel 1, with no audio on channel 2. This type of clip is treated the same as a two-person interview clip where I need separate control over each channel.

MODIFY CHANNELS TO THE RESCUE

Piece of cake. But you need to make these changes before you edit a clip into the Timeline. Once it’s in the Timeline, it’s too late.

In the Project panel, select the clip, or clips, you want to modify. (Yes, you can apply this setting to multiple clips at once!)

Then, choose Clip > Modify > Audio Channels (shortcut Shift+G).

This opens the Modify Clip dialog. Note that both audio channels (Left and Right) are assigned to the same audio track (Track 1).

To convert this stereo clip to a dual-channel mono clip, change the Number of Audio Tracks to match the number of audio channels in the clip. In my case, this is 2.

Next, set the Channel Format to Mono. What this does is tell Premiere that there are two channels of mono audio in the clip, rather than a single stereo pair.

Notice that the track assignments at the bottom have now altered from indicating a stereo pair to assigning each channel to its own track in the Timeline.

When you click OK, Premiere warns you that this setting will not affect any clips already edited into the Timeline. Click Yes.

Now, when you edit the clip into the Timeline, even though it may appear as a stereo clip, Premiere is smart enough to assign each channel to its own track so you can edit and adjust each speaker independently. Here, the Left channel is assigned to A1 and the Right channel (which is silent) is assigned to A2.

EXTRA CREDIT

While, normally, an interview would have audio on both A1 and A1, in the case of this example, I have audio only on one channel and silence on the other. I would like to get rid of that second channel to avoid cluttering up the Timeline. (In point of fact, having a silent channel isn’t hurting anything, but it does take up space.) Because both channels are linked, clicking either audio channel in the clip selects both tracks of that clip in the Timeline.

To solve this, Option-click the channel you want to delete. This selects just the one channel, then press the Delete key.

Gone.

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55 Responses to Adobe Premiere Pro CC: Separate Audio Channels

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Paul says:

December 16, 2015 at 2:45 pm

Well when I export a stereo track out of Premiere Pro Tools sees it as 2 tracks panned left and right. I just wish I could work with two separate mono tracks in Premiere that I can pan left and right.

One other oddity is that when I export an OMF including an audio dissolve on a stereo track Pro Tools sees the duration of the dissolve as mono while the rest of the track is stereo. Weird stuff.
PremiereGuySG says:

August 9, 2016 at 9:28 pm

Has anyone encountered this issue: working on PC on a project -HD video with multichannel audio (10ch) , one of the track is stereo before export.

After exporting the project in to mxf with 10ch audio, when brought back to premiere i can see the stereo track was split in to two mono tracks.

any work around?
Paul says:

October 18, 2016 at 2:24 pm

Hi did you manage to sort out this issue? I’m using CS 5.5 and I just cant import MP4 file with 2 tracks. In adobe premierre cloud newest one there is no problem how to do that in CS 5.5 ???
Larry says:

October 18, 2016 at 8:41 pm

Paul:

Good question, but I can’t help. I no have 5.5 and don’t remember it well enough to give you an answer. Perhaps another reader has an idea.

Larry
John Raedeke says:

November 15, 2016 at 9:45 am

Thanks a ton! I am moving from FCP and do this very task all the time in FCP. Being able to do this in PP is so helpful. I imaging myself adding this to the very beginning of my project workflow so I have all the editing capabilities once i start the cut.

Cheers!
Rojapathi says:

December 8, 2016 at 3:34 am

Same Problem i am facing with 8 channel audio export and after i import its playing as 2 track stereo and i wan to import my audio as it is with Track panes …. please help
Larry says:

December 8, 2016 at 8:40 am

Rojapathi:

Hmmm… I suggest contacting Adobe Support.

Larry
Lara says:

April 11, 2017 at 4:03 am

Hi Larry,

I’m still relatively new to filming and audio so I do apologise if this is a redundant question. I’m going to be recording a two person interview into my h5 zoom and DSLR (so audio will be separate). Due to budget constraints, we have one radio mic which will be in channel 1 and then a wired lapel mic which will come in through the L/R input on the top of the zoom. When I have tested this, I receive a WAVE file Zoom0001_Tr1 (for the xlr channel 1) and a Zoom001_TRLR for the L/R input. So far so good. I then import to premiere and I now have two audio files in there. If I follow your steps to covert each to mono I end up with 4 tracks – is this correct? Is there a better way to link these two files in premiere first before converting to mono? Appreciate your advice. Lara
Larry says:

April 11, 2017 at 5:05 am

Lara:

I haven’t used the Zoom 5, but I use the H4N regularly. I suspect your audio recording settings are incorrect. You should set it to Stereo.

Put the Host on Channel 1 (left) and the Guest on Channel 2 (right), then separate this stereo clip into two mono clips inside Premiere.

You only need two channels, not four.

Larry
Lara says:

April 12, 2017 at 5:27 am

Hi Larry,

Thanks for your reply. The problem is that I have a wired mic to mini jack for one mic. So I’m running that into the H5 zoom through the top which disables the L/R (X/Y) built in mic on top – rather than it going in channel 2 (which is an xlr input). Do I need a xlr to jack converter so I can run this into channel 2?

Thank in advance for your help!

Lara