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Inspiring
April 14, 2021
Question

Can I listen to a 3-track recording in Waveform mode?

  • April 14, 2021
  • 5 replies
  • 557 views

I have some 3-track recordings from a Tascam 144 cassette, recordings made in the 1980s (stereo soundtrack on Tr1-2, commentary on Tr3). They are Wave files. When I open the recording, all three tracks appear, but only the top two are audible.

 

What I've had to do is extract the tracks to mono files, open in Multitrack, pan and so on. But is there an easier way in Waveform mode just to hear the tracks as they were originally: Tr1 and Tr2 in stereo, Tr3 in the centre?

 

Attached is an extract.

This topic has been closed for replies.

5 replies

Community Expert
April 19, 2021

Right clicking on my 'numbers' only seem to let me rename the box, it doesn't alter what I can hear. Selecting my number 1 the box to read 'right' still comes out of the number 1 channel.

SteveG_AudioMasters_
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 19, 2021

That's because you have a stereo interface, and the third channel you've allocated says 1...

Guy BurnsAuthor
Inspiring
April 19, 2021

Thanks for the suggestions. I can't get the "L" and "R" boxes on the right to work on my CS6 version. Very strange. I would have thought that with all the complex routing and assigning available in Audition that it could do this simple job.

 

But I do have the solution: that good ole reliable audio workhorse that is always in my Dock just in case: Audacity!

Community Expert
April 14, 2021

I knew there would be a better way but where do you find the boxes that say left and right. It might be because I have a multi channel interface but this is what I have.

 

SteveG_AudioMasters_
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 14, 2021

On yours they say 1,2 &3. By default with a stereo interface they say L and R. If you right-click on the numbers, you'll see what I mean!

SteveG_AudioMasters_
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 14, 2021

There's a way to hear all three, but the third one has to be in either the left or right channel - you can't pan it to the centre. At the RH end of the waveform display there are boxes that say L and R. If you right-click on the one you can't hear, then you can select either R or L. I haven't tried what Richard is suggesting; that may improve things, but I suspect it won't, because there's still no panning option available for the track. In a multi-channel interface it would work, but not in a stereo one.

Community Expert
April 14, 2021

This is not the most elegant solution but I can hear the three tracks played through a 2 channel audio device using the following setup: